James Henry Fonda (Grand Island, May 16, 1905 - Los Angeles, August 12, 1982) was an actor of the American cinema. It is the patriarch of a family of actors, including Jane Fonda and her children Peter Fonda, Bridget Fonda and her granddaughter.

Born in Grand Island, son of Elma Herberta Jaynes and William Brace Fonda, whose ancestors were Dutch, with the surname Fonda originating in Friesland, a province in the north of the Netherlands.

Fonda studied journalism at the University of Minnesota, but left the course in the second year. In 1925, worked in a company in Omaha when he was invited to an important role in an amateur production of the Omaha Community Playhouse. At that time he was already impressive with his talent. If you love the stage and his first professional role was in part You and Me, Philip Barry.

In 1929, already in Manhattan and the University Players Guild, starred Devil and the Cheese, with Margaret Sullavan, who became, two years later, his first wife. The marriage only lasted just over a year and he went to Hollywood to make movies.

His film debut in the U.S. was in 1935, repeating the role it did in the theatre adaptation of The Farmer Takes a Wife, in which Brazil received the title of Love simple. At the same time becomes a friend of another debutante actor, James Stewart, friendship that lasted until his death. In 1936, Henry was married French Brokwaw Seymour, a rich American with whom he divorced and had two children, also the actors Jane Fonda and Peter Fonda. The marriage ended tragically in 1950 with the suicide of French after a nervous collapse.

Before leaving for World War II, he made more than twenty films, some big box office and critical successes, such as Jezebel, Jesse James, the rufar of drums and the vineyards of the anger with which competed for Oscar for Best Actor.

The returns to cinema and the stage was in style at the end of the decade, 40, with the Passion of the strong film, directed by John Ford, and the spectacle Mister Roberts, which was followed by three years in the stage of Philadelphia and New York, because of the great success that was implemented in the cinema, initially with the director John Ford, however, there were disagreements between Fonda and Ford, leaving this production.

In the decades of 50, 60 and 70 divided up between the stages and screens of movie, until the early 70, to play the one-man-show Clarence Darrow in New York, collapsed in camarins and had to is admitting and put a brand-step in the chest.

He married three more times: in December 1950 with Susan Levine Blanchard, who adopted a girl, in 1957, with the Italian Adera Franchetti, and in 1965, with aeromoça Shirlee Mae Adams, his wife until the death of actor In August 1982, victimized by a chronic disease in the heart.

His movies have always entertained us:
1981 - On Golden Pond
1980 - Gideons Trumpet
1979 - Meteor 
1979 - Wanda Nevada
1979 - City on Fire 
1978 - The Swarm
1978 - Fedora
1978 - Il great attacco
1977 - Rollercoaster
1977 - Tentacoli
1976 - The Last of the Cowboys
1976 - Midway
1974 - Mussolini: Last atto
1973 - Il mio nome è Nessuno
1973 - Ash Wednesday
1973 - Le serpent
1971 - Sometimes a Great Notion
1970 - There Was a Crooked Man ..
1970 - The Cheyenne Social Club
1970 - Too Late the Hero
1968 - once upon a time in the west
1968 - The Boston Strangler 
1968 - Yours, Mine and Ours
1968 - Madigan 
1968 - Firecreek 
1967 - Welcome to Hard Times
1966 - A Big Hand for the Little Lady
1965 - Battle of the Bulge
1965 - The Dirty Game 
1965 - In Harms Way
1965 - The Rounders
1964 - Fri and the Single Girl
1964 - Fail-Safe 
1964 - The Best Man 
1963 - Spencers Mountain
1963 - Rangers of Yellowstone
1962 - How the West Was Won
1962 - The Longest Day
1962 - Advise & Consent
1959 - The Man Who Understood Women
1959 - Warlock
1958 - Stage Struck
1957 - The Tin Star 
1957 - 12 Angry Men
1956 - The Wrong Man
1956 - War and Peace
1955 - Mister Roberts
1953 - Main Street to Broadway
1950 - Home of the Homeless
1949 - Jigsaw
1948 - Fort Apache
1948 - On Our Merry Way
1947 - Daisy Kenyon
1947 - The Fugitive
1947 - The Long Night
1946 - My Darling Clementine
1943 - The Ox-Bow Incident
1943 - Immortal Sergeant
1942 - The Big Street
1942 - Tales of Manhattan
1942 - The Magnificent Dope
1942 - The Male Animal
1942 - Rings on Her Fingers
1941 - You Belong to Me 
1941 - Wild Geese Calling
1941 - The Lady Eve
1940 - Chad Hanna
1940 - The Return of Frank James
1940 - Lillian Russell
1940 - The Grapes of Wrath
1939 - Drums Along the Mohawk
1939 - Young Mr. Lincoln
1939 - The Story of Alexander Graham Bell
1939 - Let Us Live!
1939 - Jesse James
1938 - The Mad Miss Manton
1938 - Spawn of the North
1938 - Blockade
1938 - Jezebel
1938 - I Met My Love Again
1937 - That Certain Woman
1937 - Slim
1937 - Wings of the Morning 
1937 - You Only Live Once
1936 - Spendthrift
1936 - The Moons Our Home
1936 - The Trail of the Lonesome Pine
1935 - I Dream Too Much
1935 - Way Down East
1935 - The Farmer Takes a Wife