Jo Van Fleet(1915-1996)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Jo Van Fleet was born on December 29, 1915 in Oakland, California. She
established herself as a notable dramatic actress on Broadway over
several years, winning a Tony Award in 1954 for her skill in a
difficult role, playing an unsympathetic, even abusive character, in
Horton Foote's "The Trip to Bountiful" with
Lillian Gish and
Eva Marie Saint. Her first film role was
playing the estranged mother of
James Dean's character in
East of Eden (1955). This debut
performance earned Van Fleet an Academy Award for Best Supporting
Actress. Her subsequent film work was steady through 1960, then very
sporadic, and include such films as
The Rose Tattoo (1955),
I'll Cry Tomorrow (1955),
The King and Four Queens (1956),
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
and Cool Hand Luke (1967).
In 1958, Van Fleet was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance in "Look Homeward, Angel" on Broadway. Other films include Wild River (1960), Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1965) and I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968). Her television work include Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), Bonanza (1959), Thriller (1960) and The Wild Wild West (1965).
Jo Van Fleet died at age 80 of undisclosed causes on June 10, 1996 in Queens, New York City.
In 1958, Van Fleet was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play for her performance in "Look Homeward, Angel" on Broadway. Other films include Wild River (1960), Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1965) and I Love You, Alice B. Toklas! (1968). Her television work include Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955), Bonanza (1959), Thriller (1960) and The Wild Wild West (1965).
Jo Van Fleet died at age 80 of undisclosed causes on June 10, 1996 in Queens, New York City.
