Ringside Report Puts the Spotlight On Dame Olivia de Havilland
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By Geoffrey Huchel
Dame Olivia de Havilland should be celebrated for many reasons. She is one of the last surviving stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood; she is the last surviving cast member from the 1939 Oscar winning war epic GONE WITH THE WIND; and she will also be celebrating her 104th birthday in just a few weeks.
British-American actress Dame Olivia Mary de Havilland was born on July 1, 1916, to an English professor father and stage actress mother. She was the older sister of actress Joan Fontaine, who as kids gave Olivia the nickname Livvie.
From an early age Olivia appreciated the arts, beginning with ballet and piano lessons. While attending Los Gatos High School, she excelled academically and athletically and participated in school plays. In 1933 she made her debut as Alice, in an amateur theatre production of Alice in Wonderland at the Saratoga Community Players. In addition, she appeared in the school plays The Merchant of Venice and Hansel and Gretel.
Although she had an initial plan to pursue a career as an English teacher, de Havilland ultimately accepted a contract with Warner Bros., marking the beginning of a professional acting career that spanned more than 50 years.
De Havilland’s film career began in the mid-1930s when she appeared in the comedy THE IRISH IN US (1935), with James Cagney, followed by ALIBI IKE (1935), and as Hermia in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM (1935). The following year she starred opposite Errol Flynn in THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE (1936) and ANTHONY ADVERSE (1936), with Claude Rains and Gale Sondergaard. de Havilland starred opposite Leslie Howard and Bette Davis in the comedy IT’S LOVE I’M AFTER (1937). de Havilland reunited with her LIGHT BRIGADE co-star Errol Flynn for THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938), as well as FOUR’S A CROWD (1938), and THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX (1938).With the success of ROBIN HOOD, de Havilland’s status was rising and studio execs at MGM were convinced she embodied the qualities needed to play Melanie Hamilton in their upcoming GONE WITH THE WIND. Warner Bros. agreed and lent the actress to MGM, casting de Havilland in the part. She co-starred opposite Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard and Hattie McDaniel.
In the early 1940s de Havilland reunited again with Errol Flynn in three more pictures: DODGE CITY (1940), SANTA FE TRAIL (1940) and THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (1941). She followed with star turns in THE STRAWBERRY BLONDE (1941), with James Cagney, HOLD BACK THE DAWN (1941), with Paulette Goddard, THE MALE ANIMAL (1942), with Henry Fonda, IN THIS OUR LIFE (1942), with Bette Davis, TO EACH HIS OWN (1946), which she earned her first Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role, THE WELL GROOMED BRIDE (1946), with Ray Milland, THE DARK MIRROR (1946), and THE SNAKE PIT (1948). Her last picture during the 1940s was also the picture that earned her a second Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role: THE HEIRESS (1949), as Catherine Sloper.
During the 1950s, de Havilland appeared in six films such as MY COUSIN RACHEL (1952), THAT LADY (1955), NOT AS A STRANGER (1955), THE AMBASSADOR’S DAUGHTER (1956), THE PROUD REBEL (1958) and LIBEL (1959). For 1964’s HUSH…HUSH…SWEET CHARLOTTE, de Havilland co-starred again opposite Bette Davis. During the mid-1960s into the 1970s de Havilland began appearing on television series including THE BIG VALLEY (1965), THE DANNY THOMAS HOUR (1967), and the TV movie THE SCREAMING WOMAN (1972). She returned to feature films to co-star in POPE JOAN (1972), AIRPORT 77 (1977), THE SWARM (1978) and THE FIFTH MUSKETEER (1979). She returned to TV and appeared in two episodes of ROOTS: THE NEXT GENERATIONS (1979). In the 80s, De Havilland continued making appearances in television series and TV movies, including THE LOVE BOAT (1977), THE ROYAL ROMANCE OF CHARLES AND DIANA (1982), NORTH AND SOUTH, BOOK II (1986) and ANASTASIA: THE MYSTERY OF ANNA (1986).
de Havilland retired from acting soon after. She has remained active in the film community. She traveled to New York in 1998 to help promote a special showing of GONE WITH THE WIND. She was also interviewed for the Turner Classic Movie produced retrospective special MELANIE REMEMBERS: REFLECTIONS BY OLIVIA de HAVILLAND (2004) for the 65th Anniversary of GONE WITH THE WIND. She received a six-and-a-half minutes standing ovation when she was a presenter at the 75th Annual Academy Awards, which of course was well-deserved.
de Havilland resides in Paris, France, where she resided since the mid-1950s.
Essential de Havilland:
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD (1938)
GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
DODGE CITY (1939) SANTA FE TRAIL (1940)
THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON (1941)
TO EACH HIS OWN (1946)
THE HEIRESS (1949)
HUSH…HUSH…SWEET CHARLOTTE (1964)
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