Joan Bennet, like you've never seen her before

1. Joan checking over bills. 2. Autographing pictures during lunch. 3. Trying out her new grill for frying bacon. 4. Reading to her daughter. 5. Joan and her daughter selecting lunch at the Farmer's Market. 6. Playing outside with her daughter. (wearing a gorgeous pair or trousers and a darling snood) 7. Joan adding finishing touches of red paint to propeller of Melinda's airplane. 8. Reclining on her bed while making her morning telephone calls on three telephones. 9. Maid helping Joan dress for dinner. 10. Joan descending her circular stair to hall. 11. Joan piling her children into the family station wagon. 12. Keeping a file of all her scripts in her basement.

A few things you might not know about the glorious 5'4" actress Joan Bennet; Aside from being an extraordinary actress Joan also sang in many of her films with her own voice, she was never dubbed. Joan was also nearsighted meaning she was unable to see distant objects clearly and wore glasses when not in the public view. I am also nearsighted and I rarely wear my glasses in public, but when I see pictures of classic film stars in there glasses I feel a bit more empowered to wear my glasses more often. Yay for wearing glasses! Joan was married four times and had five daughters; Adrienne Ralston Fox (became Diana Markey) born on February 20th 1928, Melinda Markey born on February 27 1934, Stephanie Wanger born on June 26 1943 and Shelley Wanger born on July 4 1948. Her 78 feature-length films include three bit parts in silents and 6 TV-movies. She also made five films for German director Fritz Lang, this is way more than any other American actor or actress who worked with him (many actors reportedly disliked working with Lang). Joan came from a family full of actors both her father and mother were actors as well as her grandmother, Rose Wood and her grandfather a prominent Shakespearean stage actor Lewis Morrison, birth name: Morris W. Morris.

Photographer: Peter Stackpole

Photo Credit: Life 1940