Posted on 07/09/2020 7:39:06 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Olivia De Havilland, Late 2019
There are few veterans of Hollywood's Golden Age who are still around, much less still making headlines. But Olivia de Havilland, who turns 104 Wednesday (US time), was always a rule-breaker.
She's part of the current furore over Gone With the Wind, since she is the only surviving star of the 1939 epic.
In 2017, she also sued FX Networks over her depiction in the miniseries Feud: Bette and Joan, from exec producer Ryan Murphy. After a series of appeals, the court ultimately decided against de Havilland. The ruling represents a rare defeat for her, but serves as a reminder that the actress is not going to take any nonsense from anyone.
Olivia de Havilland, British actress, circa 1945. (Getty)
READ MORE: Gone With the Wind hits number one on Amazon best-sellers chart after HBO Max drops movie
In 1944, she tackled the studio system, by filing suit against Warner Bros. Her victory helped bring an end to the studio system, and redefined the business of moviemaking.
At 19, de Havilland made her film debut in the 1935 A Midsummer Night's Dream; WB signed her to a seven-year contract, which was standard for actors.
WB put her in such films as Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood, both with Errol Flynn. But she wasn't always happy with the studio's assignments and WB suspended her multiple times.
When de Havilland's contract expired, Warner Bros. claimed it was owed an additional six months of work, for the time off during suspension. She countered that the contract was for seven years, not for the time actually spent working. Superior Court Judge Charles S. Burnell agreed with her, saying otherwise the contract was a form of "peonage."
She is the greatest actress of all time.
She was beautiful.
"Don't you recognize me? I'm Olivia deHaviland!"
(back when M*A*S*H was funny instead of preachy)
Loved her in Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte. Great movie. Saw it in TV a couple of weeks ago.
My father, a 94 year old WWII vet (soon to turn 95), tells how he got to dance with her at an event when he was in the service. It was a very big deal then and those young men loved getting to see her.
>>Olivia and sister Joan Fontaine were bitter rivals and enemies for decades. Nobody fully knows why.<<
.
They certainly were professional competitors, and I believe they had a falling out over the care for their mother in her declining years.
Maybe they should keep her birthday on the QT. BLM might go burn her house down for being in GWTW.
She lived long enough to see Gone With the Wind pulled from channels or shown with a disclaimer.
Did Hollywood cancel her? Is she woked?
The Heiress is a devastatingly great film, btw.
She was great in “Robin Hood” with co-star Errol Flynn.
http://123movies.net/watch/bxqw54dJ-the-adventures-of-robin-hood.html
Has lived in Paris since the 50's. Estimated net worth 2012, $20 million.
Leni
Happy birthday to Miss de Havilland.
I still love watching the movies she made with Errol Flynn. Happy birthday to a lovely lady and a great actress.
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