Knowra Henry Fonda Henry Fonda Henry Fonda (1905–1982) was an American stage and film actor known for restrained performances in films including The Grapes of Wrath, The Ox-Bow Incident, and 12 Angry Men.
The Grapes of Wrath : A 1940 film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s novel about an Oklahoma family displaced during the Great Depression. Fonda’s Tom Joad made him a major screen presence and embodied the film’s concern with migrant hardship.
John Ford : An American film director whose work includes influential Westerns and adaptations of American literature. Ford directed Fonda in several defining films, including The Grapes of Wrath and My Darling Clementine.
Omaha : A city in Nebraska on the Missouri River, founded in the nineteenth century. Fonda was born and raised in Omaha before pursuing acting beyond the Midwest.
Academy Award for Best Actor : An annual Academy Award honoring a leading performance by an actor in a film. Fonda received this award for On Golden Pond, his first competitive Oscar win.
The Ox-Bow Incident : A 1943 Western in which a posse confronts the possibility that it has lynched innocent men. Fonda’s role as a reluctant participant tests the moral authority associated with his screen image.
Jane Fonda : An American actor and activist, daughter of Henry Fonda, known for film and political work. Her career and public activism formed a prominent, distinct branch of the Fonda family’s cultural legacy.
University of Minnesota : A public research university based in Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota. Fonda briefly attended the university before leaving for theater work.
On Golden Pond : A 1981 film about an aging couple and their relationship with their adult daughter and grandson. Fonda’s performance earned his only competitive Academy Award, shortly before his death.
12 Angry Men : A 1957 courtroom drama in which a juror challenges fellow jurors to reconsider a murder verdict. Fonda starred as Juror 8 and also produced the film, centered on patient argument against certainty.
Peter Fonda : An American actor, director, and screenwriter, son of Henry Fonda and brother of Jane Fonda. His film career extended the family’s Hollywood presence into the countercultural era.
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