RICK'S REAL/REEL LIFE: All About Olivia de Havilland: An Everlasting Legacy

Monday, July 27, 2020

All About Olivia de Havilland: An Everlasting Legacy

Olivia De Havilland at the height of her classic and classy beauty.

Olivia de Havilland was one of Hollywood’s classiest golden era actresses. Olivia fought for substantial parts, stood up to studio heads, balanced a long career with raising her children, discreet about the distance between her sister Joan Fontaine, and married only twice. De Havilland did all this without scandals, breakdowns, drugs and alcohol, diva meltdowns, or tell-all books. So, just how did de Havilland have such a great career? Easy—Olivia worked hard and made challenging career choices. Here are 10 highlights of the life and career of Olivia de Havilland.

Olivia with one of many honors that she received in her long life & career.

Olivia de Havilland was born in Toyko on July 1, 1916 to British parents.

De Havilland became a naturalized citizen on Nov. 28, 1941, on the eve of Pearl Harbor. Stellar timing, Olivia!

Olivia made a marvelous Maid Marian in 'The Adventures of Robin Hood.'

Olivia left Hollywood to live in Paris in 1956. She wrote a best-seller, pre-dating David Sedaris’ Me Talk Pretty Some Day, called Every Frenchman Has One, a humorous look at learning the language and customs of France.

Olivia had an on-again, off-again relationship with actress sister Joan Fontaine for decades. Mostly off! Here’s a telling tale: A friend of mine who has long worked in L.A. told me his best friend is Joan Fontaine’s daughter, Deborah. His comment: “Deborah adores her Aunt Olivia and can’t stand her mother.”

Olivia sidesteps sister Joan after her first Oscar win. De Havilland
was upset over a catty remark that Fontaine made about her husband.

De Havilland is a two-time Academy Award winner for To Each Their Own and The Heiress, in 1946 & 49.

Olivia made 8 films with Errol Flynn. The first, Captain Blood, made them both stars. Their last, 1941’s They Died with Their Boots On, was a fictionalized bio-pic of George Custer. And their best film? IMO, 1938’s The Adventures of Robin Hood, tons of fun in beautiful Technicolor. She and Flynn had a mutual attraction for one another, but de Havilland never acted on it, since Flynn was a notorious womanizer. Where do you think the old expression “in like Flynn” came from?

Olivia and Errol in their prime as Maid Marian and Robin Hood.

De Havilland had romances with such diverse men as eccentric millionaire Howard Hughes, beloved actor Jimmy Stewart, and macho director John Huston. Olivia married twice, once to author Marcus Goodrich, and a much longer marriage to Pierre Galante, an executive editor at Paris Match. She had a son with Goodrich, and a daughter with Galante.

Olivia with her two Oscars, for 'To Each Their Own' and 'The Heiress.'

The actress sued Warner Brothers in 1943 to get out her contract—and won. Bette Davis had tried once—and lost. The studio system would put actors on “suspension” for turning down roles, without pay. Actors were not free to work elsewhere and the time spent on suspension was added on to the remainder of their contracts! De Havilland won the admiration of fellow actors, but was given the cold shoulder by studio heads for two years. This was an eternity, back when actors appeared in 3 to 4 movies a year. However, the unofficial blacklisting ended when de Havilland signed a two-picture deal with Paramount.

Olivia won her second Best Actress Oscar for the heartbreaking 'The Heiress.'

De Havilland only played evil characters twice in her long career: an “evil” twin in 1946’s The Dark Mirror and the two-faced cousin in 1964’s Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte. Olivia preferred playing heroines over villainesses, despite good reviews for both films.

Bette Davis wasn't the only one who played twins! Olivia x 2 in 'The Dark Mirror.'

Olivia de Havilland was the last principal surviving star of Gone with the Wind. Olivia lived long enough to celebrate her 104^th birthday July 1, 2020. Olivia died peacefully at her home in Paris July 26. Though she expressed hope to live to be 105, Olivia de Havilland lived a long, rich life and left us with a stellar film legacy. Cheers to Olivia for life well-lived!