Olivia de Havilland turns 100: An appreciation

SF Chronicle ^ | 6/29/16 | G. Allen Johnson

[Borges]

One would like to think that Olivia de Havilland, the last remaining cast member from “Gone With the Wind” and, indeed, the last remaining female star from Hollywood’s Golden Age, had a vibrant lunch among friends at her Paris residence to celebrate her 100th birthday on Friday, July 1.

“She’s gone through life collecting friends,” film critic and author Donald Spoto, a good friend who often lunches with de Havilland, said during a visit to San Francisco in 2013. “She’ll talk about her films if you ask her, but she never turns the spotlight on herself. She’s much more interested in hearing about you, and what you’re doing. She’s an extraordinary human being.”

[orchestra]

Filmography:

1935 - A Midsummer Night’s Dream
1935 - The Irish In Us
1935 - Captain Blood
1935 - Alibi Ike
1936 - Anthony Adverse
1936 - The Charge of the Light Brigade
1937 - Call It A Day
1937 - It’s Love I’m After
1937 - The Great Garrick
1938 - The Adventures of Robin Hood
1938 - Gold Is Where You Find It
1938 - Four’s A Crowd
1938 - Hard to Get
1939 - Wings of the Navy
1939 - Dodge City
1939 - Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex
1939 - Gone With the Wind*
1940 - Raffles
1940 - My Love Came Back
1940 - Santa Fe Trail
1941 - Hold Back the Dawn*
1941 - They Died With Their Boots On
1941 - The Strawberry Blonde
1942 - In This Our Life
1942 - The Male Animal
1943 - Thank Your Lucky Stars
1943 - Princess O’Rouke
1943 - Government Girl
1946 - To Each His Own**
1946 - Devotion
1946 - The Dark Mirror
1946 - The Well-Groomed Bride
1948 - The Snake Pit*
1949 - The Heiress**
1952 - My Cousin Rachel
1955 - That Lady
1955 - Not as a Stranger
1956 - The Ambassador’s Daughter
1958 - The Proud Rebel
1959 - Libel
1962 - Light in Piazza
1964 - Lady in a Cage
1964 - Hush Hush Sweet Charolotte
1970 - The Adventurers
1972 - Pope Joan
1977 - Airport 77
1978 - The Swarm
1979 - The Fifth Musketeer
2009 - I Remember Better When I Paint - narrated by Olivia de Havilland

* - Denotes Academy Award Nomination
**- Denotes Academy Award for Best Actress

[Liz]

[Beowulf9]

I just watched her last night in Shakespeare's Midsummer nights dream. She was very good in it as Hermia. Happy Birthday, Olivia! What a beauty you were :)

[Ketill Frostbeard]

You can tell a lot from a person's face sometimes.

Eyes of a life well lived, and one interesting lady. Happy birthday.

[Don W]

The second photo is 3 years old, I think.

[MUDDOG]

Or, when Bugs Bunny said “Guess who” to Elmer Fudd, Owivia de Haviwand.

[BigEdLB]

Congrats on the milestone.

[Sans-Culotte]

Remarkable career. I may have to watch the Blu-ray of the film that is one of my top 1 or 2 favorite movies tonight - The Adventures of Robin Hood.

[Right Brother]

She made one hell of a nice looking centenarian. Amazing.

[oh8eleven]

Olivia Mary de Havilland was born July 1, 1916, in Tokyo, Japan, to British parents. Who knew?
Her sister, actress Joan Fontaine, (also born in Tokyo), died in 2013 at 96 years old.
Good gene pool.

[Disambiguator]

There is a street named after her in Saratoga, California.

Her family lived there for a while back in the day.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Her aging is a symbol of the passing of America’s glory days. Hail and farewell!

[Huskrrrr]

I didn’t realize there were a few left from Hollywood’s Golden Age. Happy Birthday!

[butlerweave]

Way to go

[Huskrrrr]

She and her sister attended my church in Saratoga, as teenagers.

[wardaddy]

Melanie Hamilton Wilkes is still alive?

I never knew

She outlived most of the cast by 50 years

[ichabod1]

i always thought that was an airplane

[Ketill Frostbeard]

I’d love to spend lunch with her. Lots of lunches. Wouldn’t you?

Hope she has supernatural health for many years yet.

[BipolarBob]

Many good movies there. I love old movies.