RIP Olivia de Havilland
July 26, 2020 8:15 PM Subscribe
Just a few weeks after turning 104, actress Olivia de Havilland - one of the last surviving performers from Hollywood's "Golden Age" - died yesterday in her home in Paris. She is most likely best known for her role as Melanie in Gone With The Wind, but personally preferred some of her other works - including pursuing the lawsuit that put the first crack in the old Hollywood studio system and granted greater freedom to screen actors in her wake.
Born in Tokyo (to British parents) in 1916, Olivia and her sister Joan Fontaine ended up in California by accident. The family was on a steamship en route back to England when both girls fell ill and the family had to disembark in San Francisco to seek treatment. By the time they'd recovered, Olivia's father was the only one who wanted to keep going to England, so he did. Both de Havilland sisters were encouraged to pursue the arts, both studying dance and music as well as acting, but acting is where they both shone - especially Olivia. Olivia's turn as Hermia in a community theater production of Midsummer Night's Dream drew such good notices that director Max Reinhart, then casting his own film adaptation of that play, poached her for the role.
Through the 1930s, Olivia was a frequent co-star to Errol Flynn, first in the pirate film Captain Blood and next as Maid Marian to his Robin Hood. The pair had a strong connection offscreen as well, but neither acted on it - despite a conversation during which both confessed to strong feelings for each other. However, Olivia insisted that Errol would need to divorce his current wife first.
He did not.
The Adventures of Robin Hood drew notice for presenting a Maid Marian with some wit and spunk, and Olivia's fame grew. Producer David O. Selznick sought her out early on for a role in his adaptation of Gone With The Wind - and was surprised to hear she didn't want the role of Scarlett, but instead sought the role of Melanie, Scarlett's sister-in-law. Enlisting Selznick's wife to help persuade her case, Olivia won the role of Melanie - and with it, a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
However, the role also brought her legal trouble. Under Hollywood's studio system at that time, the studio heads enjoyed near total authority over an actress' choice of roles, and required near-total loyalty to their studio. Studios could agree to "loan out" their talent - as Warner Brothers did for Olivia in Gone With the Wind - but this was at the studio's discretion. And studios didn't always choose their stars' next films wisely; when Olivia went back to Warner Brothers after her success in Gone With The Wind, the next part she was offered was a small supporting role in a film with Bette Davis. She began refusing some of the simplistic roles Warner Brothers kept offering her, triggering a series of punitive actions through the late 30s and early 40s and leading to a break from acting. One exception was the biopic They Died With Their Boots On, her final role opposite Errol Flynn; she only accepted the role because Flynn asked for it as a favor. When Olivia's initial seven-year contract with Warner Brothers was up, she was told they had extended her contract an additional six months because of her prior work refusals. Olivia sued Warner Brothers, invoking an arcane anti-peonage law, and two years later was released from her Warner Brothers contract. Her new creative freedom lead her to darker and more challenging roles, like playing a set of twins in The Dark Mirror or the inmate of a mental hospital in The Snake Pit. She earned her first Oscar for the film To Each His Own in 1947, and had enough clout to win the rights to the play The Heiress only one year later - a role which won her a second Oscar only one year after that.
A trip to the Cannes Film Festival in 1953 lead Olivia to a lifelong love affair - both with her second husband, journalist Pierre Galant, and with France itself. Olivia did travel to the United States for the occasional film or theater role, or - as years went on - the occasional television appearance, but France had become her home. In the 1980s, after a handful of appearances in miniseries playing roles like England's Queen Mother or the Russian Dowager Empress in a biopic about Princess Anastasia, Olivia announced her retirement in 1988.
It was an active retirement in other ways, and she was no less beloved by her peers. When she appeared as a presenter in 2003's Academy Awards, she earned a six-minute standing ovation simply by walking onto the stage. President George W. Bush awarded her the United States National Medal of the Arts, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy made her Chevalier (knight) of the Légion d'honneur,
Olivia de Havilland died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, July 25th, 2020.
Born in Tokyo (to British parents) in 1916, Olivia and her sister Joan Fontaine ended up in California by accident. The family was on a steamship en route back to England when both girls fell ill and the family had to disembark in San Francisco to seek treatment. By the time they'd recovered, Olivia's father was the only one who wanted to keep going to England, so he did. Both de Havilland sisters were encouraged to pursue the arts, both studying dance and music as well as acting, but acting is where they both shone - especially Olivia. Olivia's turn as Hermia in a community theater production of Midsummer Night's Dream drew such good notices that director Max Reinhart, then casting his own film adaptation of that play, poached her for the role.
Through the 1930s, Olivia was a frequent co-star to Errol Flynn, first in the pirate film Captain Blood and next as Maid Marian to his Robin Hood. The pair had a strong connection offscreen as well, but neither acted on it - despite a conversation during which both confessed to strong feelings for each other. However, Olivia insisted that Errol would need to divorce his current wife first.
He did not.
The Adventures of Robin Hood drew notice for presenting a Maid Marian with some wit and spunk, and Olivia's fame grew. Producer David O. Selznick sought her out early on for a role in his adaptation of Gone With The Wind - and was surprised to hear she didn't want the role of Scarlett, but instead sought the role of Melanie, Scarlett's sister-in-law. Enlisting Selznick's wife to help persuade her case, Olivia won the role of Melanie - and with it, a nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
However, the role also brought her legal trouble. Under Hollywood's studio system at that time, the studio heads enjoyed near total authority over an actress' choice of roles, and required near-total loyalty to their studio. Studios could agree to "loan out" their talent - as Warner Brothers did for Olivia in Gone With the Wind - but this was at the studio's discretion. And studios didn't always choose their stars' next films wisely; when Olivia went back to Warner Brothers after her success in Gone With The Wind, the next part she was offered was a small supporting role in a film with Bette Davis. She began refusing some of the simplistic roles Warner Brothers kept offering her, triggering a series of punitive actions through the late 30s and early 40s and leading to a break from acting. One exception was the biopic They Died With Their Boots On, her final role opposite Errol Flynn; she only accepted the role because Flynn asked for it as a favor. When Olivia's initial seven-year contract with Warner Brothers was up, she was told they had extended her contract an additional six months because of her prior work refusals. Olivia sued Warner Brothers, invoking an arcane anti-peonage law, and two years later was released from her Warner Brothers contract. Her new creative freedom lead her to darker and more challenging roles, like playing a set of twins in The Dark Mirror or the inmate of a mental hospital in The Snake Pit. She earned her first Oscar for the film To Each His Own in 1947, and had enough clout to win the rights to the play The Heiress only one year later - a role which won her a second Oscar only one year after that.
A trip to the Cannes Film Festival in 1953 lead Olivia to a lifelong love affair - both with her second husband, journalist Pierre Galant, and with France itself. Olivia did travel to the United States for the occasional film or theater role, or - as years went on - the occasional television appearance, but France had become her home. In the 1980s, after a handful of appearances in miniseries playing roles like England's Queen Mother or the Russian Dowager Empress in a biopic about Princess Anastasia, Olivia announced her retirement in 1988.
It was an active retirement in other ways, and she was no less beloved by her peers. When she appeared as a presenter in 2003's Academy Awards, she earned a six-minute standing ovation simply by walking onto the stage. President George W. Bush awarded her the United States National Medal of the Arts, and French president Nicolas Sarkozy made her Chevalier (knight) of the Légion d'honneur,
Olivia de Havilland died peacefully in her sleep on Saturday, July 25th, 2020.
"I would prefer to live forever in perfect health, but if I must at some time leave this life, I would like to do so ensconced on a chaise longue, perfumed, wearing a velvet robe and pearl earrings, with a flute of champagne beside me and having just discovered the answer to the last problem in a British cryptic crossword."
Hopefully she got her wish.
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posted by jim in austin at 8:26 PM on July 26, 2020 [44 favorites]
Hopefully she got her wish.
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posted by jim in austin at 8:26 PM on July 26, 2020 [44 favorites]
Maid Marian's speech from Robin Hood.
She was magnificent.
posted by MrVisible at 9:10 PM on July 26, 2020 [4 favorites]
She was magnificent.
posted by MrVisible at 9:10 PM on July 26, 2020 [4 favorites]
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posted by Halloween Jack at 9:41 PM on July 26, 2020
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:41 PM on July 26, 2020
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posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:12 PM on July 26, 2020
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:12 PM on July 26, 2020
It took 2020 to finally bring her down.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:18 PM on July 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 11:18 PM on July 26, 2020 [3 favorites]
A lovely post on de Havilland's long life and career. Thanks,
Lots of good movies in her career, and, as is usually the case, a fair number of, um, lesser works as well. A number of my favorites have already been mentioned, but I have a special fondness for one of her later efforts, which I'm not sure even de Havilland would agree on, but Lady in a Cage is really something else. It's one of those sixties films that only could be made after the production code had ended, a bit extravagant, almost campy, but too brutal and utterly despairing to be just that, lashing out at the social order and generational divide without any sense of reconciliation to be found.
Here's the trailer introduced by Ms. de Havilland herself. (It's plenty extravagant itself.)
posted by gusottertrout at 11:18 PM on July 26, 2020 [4 favorites]
Lots of good movies in her career, and, as is usually the case, a fair number of, um, lesser works as well. A number of my favorites have already been mentioned, but I have a special fondness for one of her later efforts, which I'm not sure even de Havilland would agree on, but Lady in a Cage is really something else. It's one of those sixties films that only could be made after the production code had ended, a bit extravagant, almost campy, but too brutal and utterly despairing to be just that, lashing out at the social order and generational divide without any sense of reconciliation to be found.
Here's the trailer introduced by Ms. de Havilland herself. (It's plenty extravagant itself.)
posted by gusottertrout at 11:18 PM on July 26, 2020 [4 favorites]
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posted by JoeXIII007 at 2:49 AM on July 27, 2020
posted by JoeXIII007 at 2:49 AM on July 27, 2020
"I would prefer to live forever in perfect health, but if I must at some time leave this life, I would like to do so ensconced on a chaise longue, perfumed, wearing a velvet robe and pearl earrings, with a flute of champagne beside me and having just discovered the answer to the last problem in a British cryptic crossword."
That reminded me of my favorite picture of her. Stunning.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:47 AM on July 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
That reminded me of my favorite picture of her. Stunning.
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI at 4:47 AM on July 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
Olivia de Havilland posed for my favourite picture of her only this year. 104 years old and still turning the pedals! A legend.
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posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 5:44 AM on July 27, 2020 [13 favorites]
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posted by rum-soaked space hobo at 5:44 AM on July 27, 2020 [13 favorites]
When Dame Vera Lynn died a few weeks ago I wondered on Facebook whether she had been, at least in UK terms, the last surviving public figure of the World War II era. One of my friends suggested Olivia de Havilland; now that she has gone, is there anyone else who might qualify, or was she genuinely the last?
(I'd define 'public figure' as someone who a typical member of the public on VE-Day would have almost certainly been aware of.)
posted by Major Clanger at 6:01 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
(I'd define 'public figure' as someone who a typical member of the public on VE-Day would have almost certainly been aware of.)
posted by Major Clanger at 6:01 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
Came in to mention The Heiress as well. She didn't hold the public's attention as strongly as many of her counterparts, but she was one of the greats.
posted by Mchelly at 6:45 AM on July 27, 2020
posted by Mchelly at 6:45 AM on July 27, 2020
Caitlin Rose on Twitter: My forever vibe is Olivia de Havilland cursing her way through a blooper reel.
posted by valkane at 7:01 AM on July 27, 2020 [15 favorites]
posted by valkane at 7:01 AM on July 27, 2020 [15 favorites]
When Dame Vera Lynn died a few weeks ago I wondered on Facebook whether she had been, at least in UK terms, the last surviving public figure of the World War II era. One of my friends suggested Olivia de Havilland; now that she has gone, is there anyone else who might qualify, or was she genuinely the last?
(I'd define 'public figure' as someone who a typical member of the public on VE-Day would have almost certainly been aware of.)
posted by Major Clanger at 6:01 AM on July 27 [1 favorite +] [!]
Angela Lansbury is still alive and was nominated for Academy Awards in 1944 and 1945. Was she well-known then or was she on the come-up?
posted by The Notorious SRD at 7:35 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
(I'd define 'public figure' as someone who a typical member of the public on VE-Day would have almost certainly been aware of.)
posted by Major Clanger at 6:01 AM on July 27 [1 favorite +] [!]
Angela Lansbury is still alive and was nominated for Academy Awards in 1944 and 1945. Was she well-known then or was she on the come-up?
posted by The Notorious SRD at 7:35 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
Now that I think of it, Queen Elizabeth II qualifies as well and would have been way, way more well-known than Angela Lansbury.
posted by The Notorious SRD at 7:38 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by The Notorious SRD at 7:38 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
Yes, in the original discussion I had said, 'other than the Queen' (who was so obvious she almost went without saying).
Looking at her bio, I think Angela Lansbury may well qualify.
posted by Major Clanger at 7:42 AM on July 27, 2020
Looking at her bio, I think Angela Lansbury may well qualify.
posted by Major Clanger at 7:42 AM on July 27, 2020
I'm hopeful that a DeHavilland film festival will be shown at the Stanford Theatre when they are allowed to reopen. Their programming staff often assemble tributes to recently deceased actors, directors and writers from Hollywood and elsewhere. (Previous DeHavilland centenary film festival).
posted by JDC8 at 7:44 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by JDC8 at 7:44 AM on July 27, 2020 [1 favorite]
I've met her great-nephew, a nice man who lives near Chicago. I mentioned Paris to him for some reason, and in a roundabout way, it led to him telling me about his aunt. (He did not name-drop in a pushy way). Anyway,.. six degrees of separation.
posted by SoberHighland at 7:45 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by SoberHighland at 7:45 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
Here's another actor from that era who's still kicking it: Norman Lloyd is 105.
He was never a big star, but he worked consistently for decades. He's probably best known for playing Dr. Auschlander on "St. Elsewhere" in the 1980s, but worked with Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock back in the day.
posted by briank at 7:49 AM on July 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
He was never a big star, but he worked consistently for decades. He's probably best known for playing Dr. Auschlander on "St. Elsewhere" in the 1980s, but worked with Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock back in the day.
posted by briank at 7:49 AM on July 27, 2020 [4 favorites]
The Adventures of Robin Hood (YouTube, $4) is a fun, fun movie. 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, three (3) Academy Awards, a great cast (Alan Hale!). I first saw it in my film appreciation class in college.
posted by neuron at 8:38 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by neuron at 8:38 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
She was good friends with bette davis, who seems genuinely pleased to see her when davis was sucked into an episode of this is your life
"Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught by masters"
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posted by brujita at 8:46 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
"Yes, I can be very cruel. I have been taught by masters"
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posted by brujita at 8:46 AM on July 27, 2020 [2 favorites]
"Still, she was frustrated with Flynn's attempt to seduce her, claiming that his marriage was over, while Lili's presence proved that to be untrue. She sought a little playful revenge. "I thought, well, I'm going to torture Errol Flynn," Olivia recalled. "And so we had one kissing scene, [when Robin climbs the castle wall to her chamber], which I looked forward to with great delight. I remember I blew every take. At least six, maybe seven, maybe eight, and we had to kiss all over again. And Errol Flynn was really rather uncomfortable, and he had, if I may say so, a little trouble with his tights."
-- Rupert Alistair, "Errol, Olivia & The Merry Men of Sherwood: The Making of The Adventures of Robin Hood"
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:49 AM on July 27, 2020 [10 favorites]
-- Rupert Alistair, "Errol, Olivia & The Merry Men of Sherwood: The Making of The Adventures of Robin Hood"
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:49 AM on July 27, 2020 [10 favorites]
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Two of my favorite movies of all time are Captain Blood and Robin Hood. She and Errol Flynn were magical. And she played the only character I could stand in Gone with the Wind. I don't know why Melanie put up with those people.
posted by ceejaytee at 11:09 AM on July 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
Two of my favorite movies of all time are Captain Blood and Robin Hood. She and Errol Flynn were magical. And she played the only character I could stand in Gone with the Wind. I don't know why Melanie put up with those people.
posted by ceejaytee at 11:09 AM on July 27, 2020 [5 favorites]
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posted by dannyboybell at 3:27 PM on July 27, 2020
posted by dannyboybell at 3:27 PM on July 27, 2020
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I received and sent several text messages when the news broke of her death. It really felt momentous, like a world had disappeared into the sun.
posted by Kattullus at 3:44 PM on July 27, 2020
I received and sent several text messages when the news broke of her death. It really felt momentous, like a world had disappeared into the sun.
posted by Kattullus at 3:44 PM on July 27, 2020
I saw Robin Hood on the big screen a few years back. Absolutely glorious.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:26 PM on July 27, 2020
posted by The Underpants Monster at 6:26 PM on July 27, 2020
Now that I think of it, Queen Elizabeth II qualifies as well and would have been way, way more well-known than Angela Lansbury.
The Dalai Lama, while certainly not as widely known, was already a public figure by then.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:20 PM on July 27, 2020
The Dalai Lama, while certainly not as widely known, was already a public figure by then.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:20 PM on July 27, 2020
Here's another actor from that era who's still kicking it: Norman Lloyd is 105.
I note with amusement that Lloyd’s first acting credit on IMDb is a “TV movie” from August 1939: I’m guessing this is just a play with cameras pointed at it. Still: a week before WWII kicks off and he is already acting. None of my grandparents had even gotten married yet, and I am well into my fifties.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:33 PM on July 27, 2020
I note with amusement that Lloyd’s first acting credit on IMDb is a “TV movie” from August 1939: I’m guessing this is just a play with cameras pointed at it. Still: a week before WWII kicks off and he is already acting. None of my grandparents had even gotten married yet, and I am well into my fifties.
posted by ricochet biscuit at 7:33 PM on July 27, 2020
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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 2:13 PM on July 31, 2020
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 2:13 PM on July 31, 2020
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