Joan Bennett

Joan Bennett

She appeared in more than 70 films from the era of silent films, well into the sound era. She is best remembered for her film noir femme fatale roles in director Fritz Lang's films 'Man Hunt' (1941), 'The Woman in the Window' (1944) and 'Scarlet Street' (1945).

During the search for an actress to play Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone with the Wind', Joan Bennett was given a screen test and impressed producer David O. Selznick to such an extent that she was one of the final four actresses, along with Jean Arthur, Vivien Leigh and Paulette Goddard !

Bennett's career had three distinct phases : first as a winsome blonde ingenue, then as a sensuous brunette femme fatale (with looks that movie magazines often compared to those of Hedy Lamarr), and finally as a warmhearted wife-and-mother figure ...