Olivia de Havilland has passed at the age of 104

[VALuvsMKwan]

Oscar Winning Actress Olivia De Havilland Dies at Age 104

Two-time Academy Award-winning actress, Dame Olivia de Havilland has died peacefully from natural causes on July 26 at her residence in Paris, France. She was 104.

www.broadwayworld.com

 

[Lacey]

A life very well lived.

 

[victorskid]

Her BBC "obituary": https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-12717233

 

[Lorac]

The last of a great era of Hollywood greats!!

RIP Olivia de Havilland - you had a good long life.

 

[Vash01]

Film legend Olivia de Havilland dies aged 104

Off-screen the two-time Oscar winner took on the powerful studio system

www.independent.co.uk

She had a wonderful life - 104 years, two Oscars. I saw her in just one movie - Gone with the Wind. I loved her portrayal of Melanie.

May she Rest In Peace.

 

[Vash01]

Sorry I didn’t see the post by another poster. Can the admin please merge this thread with hers?

 

[Sylvia]

New York Times obituary: Olivia de Havilland, a Star of 'Gone With the Wind,' Dies at 104

Associated Press:

Olivia de Havilland, Oscar-winning actress, dies at 104

PARIS (AP) — Olivia de Havilland, the doe-eyed actress beloved to millions as the sainted Melanie Wilkes of “Gone With the Wind,” but also a two-time Oscar winner and an off-screen fighter who challenged and unchained Hollywood’s contract system, died Sunday at her home in Paris.

apnews.com

Olivia de Havilland, the doe-eyed actress beloved to millions as the sainted Melanie Wilkes of “Gone With the Wind,” but also a two-time Oscar winner and an off-screen fighter who challenged and unchained Hollywood’s contract system, died Sunday at her home in Paris. She was 104.

Havilland, the sister of fellow Oscar winner Joan Fontaine, died peacefully of natural causes, said New York-based publicist Lisa Goldberg.

During a career that spanned six decades, de Havilland also took on roles ranging from an unwed mother to a psychiatric inmate in “The Snake Pit,” a personal favorite. The dark-haired De Havilland projected both a gentle, glowing warmth and a sense of resilience and mischief that made her uncommonly appealing, leading critic James Agee to confess he was “vulnerable to Olivia de Havilland in every part of my being except the ulnar nerve.”
She was Errol Flynn’s co-star in a series of dramas, Westerns and period pieces, most memorably as Maid Marian in “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” But De Havilland also was a prototype for an actress too beautiful for her own good, typecast in sweet and romantic roles while desiring greater challenges.

 

[VGThuy]

I still need to see The Snake Pit, but I really understood her power as an actress when I saw The Heiress. She was incredible there. I also loved her in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte because she used her natural attributes and subverted them into a villainous role.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Sadness.

 

[VGThuy]

A great video about her first Oscar win in 1947 and what it meant for her and her career at that point in time:

Best Actress 1947: Olivia de Havilland Fights Back

In 1947, Olivia de Havilland conquered the studio system and bested her rival, Joan Fontaine, by winning her first Oscar. In this video, I tell you how that ...

www.youtube.com

I remember watching an interview with her sister, Joan Fontaine, who spoke about her with the complexity and contrast you'd expect from sisters like that, but she seemed so proud of Olivia and how she dismantled the exploitative studio system by taking the studios all the way to the Supreme Court. It's a shame that after her second Oscar win in 1950, that her career didn't have the same momentum. I read it was because she changed agencies and well...

Also, some of her 1960s-70s horror films have some unintentionally funny line readings and close-ups from her, but at least she was steadily working and doing some off-the-wall, experimental things rather than playing it safe.

 

[Finnice]

She was one of THE filmstars. In my small hometown we had one movie theatre. In the walls there were posters of her and Grace Kelly.
RIP.

 

[Wyliefan]

She was a marvelous actress with an incredible range. R.I.P.

 

[attyfan]

May she rest in peace.

 

[skateboy]

A wonderful actress and human being.

 

[Kruss]

One of my long-time favorites, to be sure. RIP Olivia.

 

[kittyjake5]

Rest in Peace. Ms. DeHavilland was the Grand Dame of films.

 

[paskatefan]

RIP, Olivia.

 

[skatesindreams]

An amazing person.

 

[shah]

To think that just a week ago, I was watching LADY IN A CAGE with a group of friends of mine... I'm genuinely sad that it turned out to be an early tribute .
R.I.P., Great Actress.

Btw, with her and Kirk Douglas's passing in February, a certain chapter in cinema has closed .

 

[Spiralgraph]

I admired Olivia de Havilland's performances in The Dark Mirror, The Snake Pit and of course as Melanie in GWTW. May she RIP.

 

[PRlady]

She was the perfect Melanie. (Ashley, OTOH, should have been played by a much younger actor.)

 

[aftershocks]

I have found Olivia de Haviland's performance in 1949's The Heiress, with Monthomery Clift, to be unfailingly remarkable. Her performance has withstood the test of time. The b&w classic is one of my favorite golden oldie films. It is based of course upon the stage play, Washington Square, which in turn is based upon Henry James' novel of the same name. There have been so many excellent screen adaptations of Washington Square.

R.I.P. amazing lady! It's nice to know that Ms De Haviland passed away peacefully of natural causes. Gregory Peck also passed away gracefully in his sleep some years ago.

 

[aftershocks]

The last of a great era...

So many sad passings in 2020. A number of eras passing with rapidity...

 

[Cachoo]

RIP to Olivia. And RIP to that luminous skin quality that actors/actresses had in black and white films.

 

[Sylvia]

I have found Olivia de Haviland's performance in 1949's The Heiress, with Montgomery Clift, to be unfailingly remarkable. Her performance has withstood the test of time.

I really want to watch The Heiress.

R.I.P. amazing lady! It's nice to know that Ms De Haviland passed away peacefully of natural causes. Gregory Peck also passed away gracefully in his sleep some years ago.

Just checked and Peck died 17(!) years ago - sacrilege that there doesn't seem to be a RIP thread for him in the Archives.

RIP to Olivia. And RIP to that luminous skin quality that actors/actresses had in black and white films.

Olivia de Havilland: Vintage black and white photos capture star's fashionable moments

Beyond her acting abilities, the late actress also captivated audiences with her timeless elegance, both on- and off-screen.

www.cnn.com

 

[aftershocks]

Just checked and Peck died 17(!) years ago...

It was 17 years ago that Peck passed away?? Unbelievable! I thought it was only a few years back. I guess that speaks to how time flies, and also to how old I'm getting.

 

[Peaches LaTour]

I still need to see The Snake Pit, but I really understood her power as an actress when I saw The Heiress. She was incredible there. I also loved her in Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte because she used her natural attributes and subverted them into a villainous role.

Initially, it was Joan Crawford who was cast opposite Betty Davis in "Charlotte". The real hatred between Davis & Crawford was well known. Crawford created problems & was dropped from filming, early on, so Davis requested her dear friend, Olivia, as a replacement. This film had a stellar cast & I always enjoy watching it.

So many great films, Olivia!

Good night, Melanie.