Person of the Week: Olivia de Havilland

With the passing of Elizabeth Taylor last week, we can’t help but have the feeling that we’re losing our ties to the roots of American cinema. Sadly, as we lose more of these Golden Age screen idols, the contenders to fill their shoes are, at the very least, lacking.

Though living a far less high-profile life that did Miss Taylor, we’re still graced with the presence of two of the cinema’s greatest stars: sisters Joan Fontaine and Olivia de Havilland.

Olivia de Havilland was born in Tokyo, Japan to English actress Lillian Fontaine (Lillian Augusta Ruse) and Walter Augustus de Havilland, a patent attorney. From an early age, de Havilland had theatrical tendencies. Lillian encouraged her daughter’s passion for drama, and it is alleged that when her second daughter, Joan, also showed an interest in theater, Lillian placed Olivia’s wants above Joan’s.

After moving to the United States, a young Olivia de Havilland made her stage debut at the Hollywood Bowl as Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Her performance was so well-received that in 1935, when Warner Brothers was making their film adaptation of the Shakespearean masterpiece, de Havilland was the only member of the Californian stage company who was retained in her part—the other roles being recast with contract players. With a successful screen career in the offing, de Havilland quickly found herself in a series of small, but impressive roles. She became a true leading lady alongside Errol Flynn in eight popular films. Many speculated that Flynn and de Havilland were embroiled in a private romance. However, de Havilland has stated that while the two did share a mutual attraction, they remained just friends.

1939 was a major turning-point in American cinema. The year also offered a unique opportunity to de Havilland. While David O. Selznick was searching for his “Scarlett,” he already had his “Melanie” for Gone with the Wind. Olivia de Havilland was one of the first to be cast for the world’s most famous film and her portrayal of gentle Melanie Wilkes provided her with a permanent place in the world’s collective memory.

After Gone with the Wind, de Havilland returned to her usual contract work at Warner Brothers, but became more careful about which roles she accepted. She was increasingly cast as “the good girl” and wanted to try her hand at other types of characters. Each time de Havilland rejected a part that Warner had assigned her, she was placed on suspension. When he contract was up, she discovered that she was going to be forced to stay at Warner Brothers for several more months because of her amounted suspension time. This was a common practice in the classic studio system. De Havilland was furious and took Warner Brothers to court. She finished the battle started by her good friend and frequent co-star Bette Davis a few years earlier. With her triumph over Warner Brothers, de Havilland changed the way in which actors are employed for the better. The guidelines about contract length still hold the informal name, “De Havilland’s Law.”

Warner Brothers, defeated and embarrassed, vowed never to employee de Havilland again and she quickly and happily went to Paramount where she found a renewed artistic freedom and chances to play the types of roles she had dreamed of. Her performances in films such as The Heiress and The Snake Pit proved she was more than just a pretty face and a sweet disposition.

In 1949, she won her second Academy Award (her first came in 1946 for To Each His Own) for Best Actress for her work in The Heiress. De Havilland continued to be busy will into the 1960’s. After making Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte with Bette Davis, her career began to slow down and she led an increasingly more private life in her home in Paris.

For her unparalleled body of work and her contributions to the arts of the last eight decades, Olivia de Havilland is our Person of the Week.

Enjoy Miss de Havilland in these scenes from The Heiress (1949) and The Snake Pit (1948).