Fonda, Henry, 1905-83, American actor, b. Grand Island, Nebr. He had considerable stage experience, appearing in such plays as
Mr. Roberts (1948),
The Caine Mutiny Court Martial (1958), and
Two for the Seesaw (1959). Fonda played honest, homespun young men in such films as
The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (1936) and
The Grapes of Wrath (1940). His comedic talents were revealed in such films as
The Lady Eve (1941) and
Rings on Her Fingers (1942). Later in his career he often portrayed heroic figures. His other films include
The Wrong Man (1956),
Twelve Angry Men (1957),
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), and
On Golden Pond (1982), for which he won the Academy Award. He was the father of Jane
Fonda and Peter
Fonda.
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