Henry Fonda | Hollywood Yesterday

Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda, The Lady Eve

June 3, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck

I am really lucky in that many of my favorites didn’t just co-star in films, but they co-starred in WONDERFUL films… films that, not surprisingly are among my favorites.

Maureen O’Hara, John Wayne, and Barry Fitzgerald: The Quiet Man
Lucille Ball and Henry Fonda: Yours, Mine, and Ours
Katharine Hepburn and John Wayne: Rooster Cogburn
James Stewart and Henry Fonda: The Cheyenne Social Club
Maureen O’Hara and Henry Fonda: Spencer’s Mountain
Barbara Stanwyck and S.Z. Sakall, Christmas in Connecticut

There are many others, including the absolutely hilarious (and, to be honest, perfect in every way) 1941 comedy The Lady Eve. Starring Barbara Stanwyck, Henry Fonda, and Charles Coburn (love them all to distraction), this is one of the all time GREAT movies.

The Lady Eve was directed by the wonderful Preston Sturges who made the absolute most out of having three of Hollywood’s greatest talents of all time.

You can find The Lady Eve: The Criterion Collection on Amazon. It’s also available on Prime Video!

This is one of my all-time favorite movies and, if you haven’t seen it, it might just need to be the next film you see!

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis, Jezebel (One of the Truly GREAT Films)

May 6, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis, Jezebel

One of my favorite movies stars FIVE of my favorite stars… it doesn’t get much sweeter than that! The movie is Jezebel (1938, directed by the wonderful William Wyler) and the four stars are Henry Fonda, Bette Davis, Theresa Harris, Spring Byington, and Margaret Lindsay.

How much do I love this particular movie? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret I haven’t told anyone before (besides my cats, of course, we keep nothing from each other)…. I actually like Jezebel even better than Gone With the Wind.. and this is really saying something because I adore that one.

There’s just something about the magic in this particular film and Henry Fonda and Bette Davis simply cannot be topped. When they’re on top of their game (which they always were), there were no two stars any better.

If you’ve never seen Jezebel, I hope you’ll find it really soon. You can watch Jezebel on Prime Video (link to the movie).

Henry Fonda and Bette Davis

Henry Fonda and Alfred Hitchcock: Behind the Scenes of The Wrong Man

April 14, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Legends Henry Fonda and Alfred Hitchcock

It seems kind of remarkable, to me, that Henry Fonda and Alfred Hitchcock made only one film together – but what a great one The Wrong Man was! Ironically, Henry Fonda’s close friend James Stewart made four films with the great director.

The Wrong Man (1953) is an excellent film noir. Henry Fonda plays Christopher Emanuel “Manny” Balestrero, an innocent man who is arrested after a case of mistaken identity. The consistently wonderful Vera Miles stars as his wife. If you’ve never seen this one, it’s very much worth searching out.

If you HAVE seen it… it’s very much worth seeing again!

You can find The Wrong Man (Amazon link) on dvd or watch it on Prime Video.

Henry Fonda and Alfred Hitchcock, Behind the Scenes of The Wrong Man

Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West

March 18, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West

Henry Fonda is, without a doubt, one of my VERY favorite actors. Has been for as long as I can remember. I’m such a huge fan that, I have a confession to make – part of me actually kind of judges a person’s opinions if he isn’t on their list of favorite actors!

Seriously, a part of me (that I never allow out to play) says, “How in the world can you consider yourself a fan of classic Hollywood or films, in general, if Henry Fonda isn’t on your list of favorite actors?!”

Okay, there you have it. My dirty little secret. When it comes to my favorites, one of the little voices in my head isn’t very nice… but, by gosh, is she ever loyal!

(Continued below Henry Fonda giving a menacing look – the same one I give people who don’t name him on their list!)

Henry Fonda, Once Upon a Time in the West

These photos are from his wonderful 1968 western Once Upon a Time in the West (originally titled C’era una volta il West). The movie was directed one of my favorite directors, Sergio Leone, and also starred Claudia Cardinale, Jason Robards, Charles Bronson, Gabriele Ferzetti, and Keenan Wynn.

You can find Once Upon a Time in the West (Amazon link) on dvd or watch it on Prime Video.

Henry Fonda and Charles Bronson, Once Upon a Time in the West

Henry Fonda: Behind the Scenes of Once Upon a Time in the West

March 12, 2021 By Joi Leave a Comment

I’m sure I’ve already told you, probably 100 times but I am obsessed (obsessed, I tell you!) with behind the scenes pictures. There’s something absolutely magical about them as far as I’m concerned. If they happen to involve a period piece or western…. it’s even more fun!

This behind the scenes picture of Henry Fonda while making Once Upon a Time in the West is one of my favorites. Here we have a ruthless villain just… you know… reading the paper.

Love it.

You can find Once Upon a Time in the West (Amazon link) on dvd or watch it on Prime Video. I highly recommend it – wonderful western and Fonda is, as always, positively wonderful.

Henry Fonda and Vera Miles, The Wrong Man

November 9, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Vera Miles, The Wrong Man

Ever stop and think how funny it is that (very often), our favorite actors or actresses aren’t (even by our own judgement) the best actresses and actors. We just like them and that’s that. Every now and then, though, the two worlds collide and our favorites are, undoubtedly, among the very best. That’s the case with quite a few of my own personal favorites but none any more glaringly so than Henry Fonda (and his close friend James Stewart, too, for that matter).

Henry Fonda was as talented an actor as one could ever hope to find. Drama, comedy, westerns, romantic films.. he did everything and did it flawlessly.

The photos, shown here as the pictures of the day, are from his wonderful 1956 film-noir The Wrong Man. The movie co-stars Vera Miles and was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. It’s an especially good movie and Fonda and Miles are exceptional.

You can find The Wrong Man (link to the dvd on Amazon) on Amazon.

Henry Fonda and Vera Miles, The Wrong Man

Henry Fonda in War and Peace (The Resemblance to his Son, Peter, is Stunning)

August 3, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Barry Jones, War and Peace

One of my favorite actors is, has always been, and will always be Henry Fonda. I don’t believe there has ever been a better actor. Sure, there have been actors “as good,” but better? You’d never convince me of that.

In today’s picture of the day, the great actor is pictured with Barry Jones in the 1956 film War and Peace (directed by King Vidor). Henry Fonda and his son Peter Fonda often resembled one another but never more so than in this photo. The glasses, the hair… even the expression… I see Peter Fonda in this photo more than I see Henry Fonda.

My word what a talented family. I mean, if you stop and think about it for a minute…. WOW!

If you’ve never seen War and Peace (link to the dvd on Amazon), you really have to get your hands on it. Henry Fonda, Mel Ferrer, and Audrey Hepburn are exceptional, as always.

Henry Fonda: 12 Angry Men Promotional Pictures

June 21, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda, 12 Angry Men

Henry Fonda, incapable of giving anything less than a wonderful performance, was certainly on top of his game in 12 Angry Men (1957). He’s one of the reasons a film that really doesn’t “sound” that interesting is positively spellbinding. You don’t want to look away for a minute!

The cast of 12 Angry Men: Henry Fonda, Martin Balsam, Jack Klugman, Ed Begley, Edward Binns, John Fiedler, E.G. Marshall, Joseph Sweeney, George Voskovec, Jack Warden, Lee J. Cobb, and Robert Webber were the jurors and Rudy Bond was the judge.

11 0f the 12 Angry Men

Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, The Lady Eve Promotional Photo

June 17, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, The Lady Eve

Usually…. not always, but usually… when one of your favorite actresses and one of your favorite actors team up, the result is a movie you love. It’s certainly the case just about every single time Henry Fonda (one of my absolute favorite actors) teams up with one of my favorite actresses. Barbara Stanwyck, Lucille Ball, Maureen O’Hara, Katharine Hepburn… he and each of these actresses made movie magic!

Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck teamed up more than once and, in my opinion, their best movie together is the wonderful The Lady Eve (1941). It’s simply one of the most entertaining and thoroughly enjoyable films ever made.

You can find The Lady Eve on dvd (link to the dvd on Amazon)

Behind the Scenes of The Lady Eve: Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Sturges, and Henry Fonda

June 3, 2020 By Joi Leave a Comment

Henry Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck, and Preston Sturges

The Lady Eve (1941, directed by Preston Sturges) stars Henry Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck, and Charles Coburn. Four great reasons to see it, even if it wasn’t a wonderful movie! Fortunately, it isn’t just wonderful – it’s absolutely one of the best.

Hilarious, original, unique, and boasts three leads that are completely on top of their game.

(Continued Below the adorable picture…)

The Chemistry between Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda is palpable and adds an underlying current to an already electric movie. The dialogue, the wardrobe, the acting, the directing… everything about this one is a 100 on a scale of 1-10 and if you’ve never seen it, I hope you will asap. If you have seen it, see it again! Trust me, it gets EVEN better each time you watch it.

You can find The Lady Eve: The Criterion Collection on Amazon. It’s also available on Prime Video!