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Wednesday, June 30, 2010

A Lighthouse On the Harbor

A poem dedicated to Olivia

---

I went searching for a lighthouse
that could guide me to the shore.
There once had been a glimmer
but, alas, it was no more.

The sky was dark and moonless
with not a star in sight,
the wind was whipping harshly,
and the cold began to bite.

The waves were crashing loudly,
and the tide began to rise.
The undertow had pulled me
farther from the midnight skies.

I was drowning in my sorrows,
pulled under by despair.
I felt my body thrashing
but I could not meet the air.

I felt the end draw nearer
as each moment passed me by.
With no hope for sweet salvation,
I heaved one final sigh.

I let myself sink lower,
'til my feet did touch the floor.
I could feel the sand beneath me
as my soul shook to the core.

But something jerked me forward,
and I was raked across the tide
until my body broke the surface
and my hands did touch the sky.

I looked on the horizon,
and to my utmost glee,
I saw a lighthouse shining,
and an angel beckoned me.

I swam with vim and vigor,
eager to meet land,
and my heart swelled with great rapture
when my fingers touched the sand.

I stood up and I smiled
when the angel touched my face.
I was grateful for this second chance;
moreso for her grace.

I'd an angel's light to guide me
from a sea of wrath and fear
to a shore where hope runs rampant,
and reflections stare back clear.

I once was so transfixed
by all the reasons I stood out
that I never learned to love myself,
and was overcome with doubt.

I began to slowly purge myself
of gluttony and sin
until all the mirror showed me
was brittle bones and skin.

No soul behind my eyes,
and no heart within my chest,
I became a perfect robot,
but I was sicker than the rest.

For in my journey to conform,
I drifted out to sea.
My secret almost drowned me
and I nearly ceased to be.

But then an angel called me
and led me to a mirror
where, for the first time, I did see myself,
and the truth became much clearer.

I hated what I saw,
for that girl was not alive-
she had purged into oblivion,
her beauty was contrived.

Olivia, the angel,
had that for which I longed:
a beauty that came freely,
not by doing oneself wrong.

And so, her hand in mine,
I walked a winding road
towards health and love and freedom-
things Bulimia forbode.

The journey made was long,
and I took many a wrong turn,
but I made the greatest effort,
and I've so much left to learn.

For I'll never be so free
as to say I do not suffer,
but I'll stay so far away
as to say things could be tougher.

And I'll always have my angel,
with her halo and her wings,
to steer me down this narrow path
amd remind me of these things.

My angel is Olivia;
she's the reason I'm alive,
with her smile sweet as candy,
and beauty one could not contrive.

She saved from myself
in the very bleakest minute.
She showed me what I could be,
all my heart, and what's within it.

And you still hear it beating,
for I overcame great strife
with the help of sweet Olivia,
for she gave the gift of life.



Happy 94th birthday, Olivia!!!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

A Tale of Two Sisters

This is Part 3 in a three-part review of the book Sisters: The Story of Olivia De Havilland and Joan Fontaine (1984) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Prior to purchasing "Sisters: The Story of Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine" by Charles Higham, the reviews I had read were almost wholly negative. While I anticipated the arrival of the book, I was hellbent on being pleasantly surprised with the material therein.

Alas, one cannot always get what they want.

The story itself is quite interesting, as the lives of these two sisters are both thrilling and tragic; full of success and defeat; and last, but certainly not least, legendary.

The savage sisterly feud of which Charles Higham writes stands as one of the most iconic and enduring celebrity catfights in Hollywood history. Both women have taken public, and private, shots at one another; and both sisters have been left deeply hurt.

The subject matter being this book's only real redeeming quality, I have very few positive things to say about it. The writing alone became very tedious rather quickly. Charles Higham's prose seems to carry a very slow pace. Because of this, I found myself often bored, flipping through the rest of the book to try and find the TRULY juicy details. There also seem to be a number of factual errors in Higham's story. It also became apparent to me that the storyline could get confusing, the way Higham jumps from one sister's life to another. That being said, one must still give him credit for his ability to intertwine the sister's lives in an accurate chronological fashion.

Poor editing aside, Higham seems to have dropped a few bombshells within his book; most of them, it seems, are directed at Olivia. The following things about which I was most shocked are:

1.) The abuse (mental, physical, and sexual) both young girls endured at the hands of their tyrannical stepfather, George Fontaine.

2.) The accusation that Errol Flynn once, in a drunken stupor, tried to break down the door to Olivia's dressing room and rape her.

3.) The inclusion of Olivia's court testimonies stating that first husband Marcus Goodrich began to abuse and terrify her shortly after their son's birth.

4.) Olivia's alleged extramarital affair with Luther Davis in the mid-1960's.

It was the shocking and scandalous passages that held my attention. Had Higham not spiced things up, it is sufficient to say I would have put this book down. It was my dedication to Olivia and Joan that inspired me to see this novel through.

All of this being said, I would only recommend this book to die hard fans of Olivia de Havilland and/or Joan Fontaine. Only they will have what it takes to finish this book.

Monday, June 28, 2010

"Letter From An Unknown Woman" (1948)

"Letter From An Unknown Woman" was originally a 1922 novella by Austrian writer Stefan Zweig (1881-1942). Hollywood adapted the story in 1933 as Only Yesterday with Margaret Sullivan and John Boles, and directed by John M. Stahl (Leave Her to Heaven, Imitation of Life). Undoubtedly, fans of the original novel - including those in Hollywood - wanted to see a more accurately adapted film version, set in the turn of the century Vienna.

After Joan Fontaine's marriage with Brian Aherne ended in 1945, she dated respected producer John Houseman, and the two were engaged for a time (the engagement ended due to John's overbearing mother, per Joan's autobiography)

In 1948 Joan and her husband, producer William Dozier, formed a new production company called Rampart Productions, where they would serve as co-executive producers on film projects.

In the meantime, filmmaker Max Ophuls was looking for work since he moved to America. He became good friends with top talent such as Preston Sturges and Houseman (who eventually produced the film for Rampart). In 1946 Ophuls was fired from the first production he was associated with, possibly due to arguing with others in the studio system; he very much wanted to be in control of all aspects of the film, and especially wnated to be as mobile as possible with his camera as he shot the actors. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. gave him his first break with The Exile, a mild success with audiences (I haven't seen that film yet). For his second project, it's quite likely that Ophuls was familiar with the Zweig story enough to want to film it.

It's not hard to understand why Joan and Dozier would be attracted to the Letter project. For one, Joan was working on Billy Wilder's musical The Emperor Waltz for Paramount that same year, and like Letter, was also set in Austria. Wilder may have even talked her into the project, if not suggesting it personally. Secondly, music is a main theme of both Letter and Waltz, and Joan is a lifelong classical music fan (one of her favorite composers is Rachmaninoff).

Speaking of music, so many of Joan Fontaine's films are remembered for their musical scores or themes - Rebecca & Suspicion (score by Franz Waxman), September Affair (where Joan plays a pianist), Serenade (with Mario Lanza), and Tender is the Night (featuring its Oscar nominated title song).

Joan, in her autobiography, remembers working with Ophuls: "With [Ophuls], I communicated intuitively. After a take, Max would come over to me and start to speak in German, which I scarcely understood. I would nod before he had said six words and he would then resume his position behind the camera. After the next take was completed, he would rush over and say, "How you know egg-zactly vot I vont? Preent dat!"

Letter didn't do well at the box office when it was first released, and this may have contributed to the demise of Rampart Productions, which folded after just two productions: Letter and You Gotta Stay Happy (with Jimmy Stewart). Ironically, the inspiration for the name "Rampart" was to project feelings of sturdiness and longevity. Also sadly, Joan and Dozier were divorced in 1951.

I don't say this about too many films, but Letter is a masterpiece. One of Joan's best films, and, as many have said, one of Mr. Jourdan's best as well, next to Gigi. Many feel they both give the best performances of their careers in this movie.

Over the years, Letter has earned the respect of many film historians and buffs. This film was the #1 most requested film from fans of Turner Classic Movies for quite a long time before finally airing in April of 2010 as part of a Louis Jourdan marathon.

I will have a deeper analysis of this film in an upcoming post, for those who have already seen it.

Stay tuned!

Saturday, June 26, 2010

Joan Fontaine for Chesterfield Cigarettes (print ad)



from the January 3, 1949 edition of Life Magazine

Joan's encounter with Ginger Rogers' mother Lela

Lela Rogers (1891-1977) was a Hollywood screenwriter, publicist, and from 1938-1945 worked as an executive assistant at RKO.

The following is an excerpt from Ginger Rogers' autobiography "Ginger: My Story" (1991). (My notes in blue)

While I was working, my mother [Lela Rogers] also found an outlet for her abundant energies and talent. Mother's long experience in Hollywood made her very knowledgeable about the business. For some time, she ran a workshop in East Hollywood called the Hollytown Theater, where aspiring actors had an opportunity to train and to appear in plays. The RKO front office decided that it would be good for the younger contract players on the lot to have someone to guide them. Lela was asked to come to RKO and shift her workshop activities to the Hollywood Playhouse. In no time she was casting and producing plays in the little theater on the RKO lot. The producers often dropped in to observe the new talent. After seeing a few of the plays she directed, I was very proud of her.

Mother contacted all the contract players to offer them acting lessons and asked J.R. McDonough, head of the stuido, to use his authority to get the young players to respond. Most of them, including Lucille Ball, Betty Grable, Joy Hodges, Leon Ames, Anne Shirley, Tyrone Power, [This is interesting because Ty's films were at Fox; perhaps Ginger was mistaken when she wrote this?] and Phyllis Fraser, did; only one person failed to answer, Joan Fontaine. [Most of Joan's early films were with RKO before her breakthrough role in Rebecca] Mother was sitting in her office with Al Nash, a writer, when she telephoned Joan to ask her why she had chosen to stay away.

"Lela Rogers," Joan said in a businesslike tone, "You can't teach me anything."

Mother gasped at this, hung up the phone, and repeated the conversation. Al said, "I guess you can't win 'em all."

Sometime later, Joan Fontaine called Mother's office and said, "Mrs. Rogers, if you have nothing better to do tonight, there's a preview over at the Fox Wilshire of my new movie. Maybe you'd like to see it." Mother said she'd be delighted. That evening she took Al Nash with her. The movie was Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca. When Mother left the theater, she turned to Al and said "You know, that kid knew what she was talking about. What a talent. She certainly didn't need me. All she needed was Hitchcock!"

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Max Ophuls (1902-1957)

Last night I had my first class in a 6-week film appreciation series devoted to the films of Max Ophuls, who directed Joan Fontaine in Letter from an Unknown Woman and is regarded as one of the great auteur directors of cinema history.

The films in the summer series are:

June 16: Liebelei (1932)
June 23: Letter from An Unknown Woman (1948)
June 30: Caught (1949)
July 7: Le Plaisir (1952)
July 14: The Earrings of Madame de... (1953)
July 21: Lola Montès (1955)

Our instructor is of the opinion that Ophuls fits the definition of "auteur" much more than the films of Jean-Luc Godard or François Truffaut, also regarded as auteurs.

His films are known for two distinctive styles: 1. Mobile framing / mobile cameras and dolly shots, and 2. Long takes, shots that endure for a long time.

He was born Maximillian Oppenheimer in 1902 in Germany on the border of France, and he grew up speaking both languages fluently. He pursued a career in acting at a relatively young age, and took the stage name of Max Ophuls once he started work in the theater. He either appeared in or directed hundreds of plays over time, and in the late 1920s even pursued films; he went to Berlin's UFA studio to work as assistant, and then made some attempts at his own films.

His first film attempt was a 40 minute comedy called "Dann schon lieber Lebertran" (1931) which translates in English as "I'd Rather Have Cod Liver Oil". Ophuls wasn't happy with the film, and never attempted such a comedy again.

He made Liebelei in 1932, which was based on a play by Arthur Schnitzler about relationships and affairs. Our instructor said that in English, the word "Liebelei" translates into "Games of Love". She said that the Viennese people are fascinated with issues of love and death, and that this would be something audiences would be able to relate to very well in this era of Freud. There's all sorts of situations the main characters find themselves in, love triangles and the like, and it's an impressive film from a new director. Even though Ophuls' background was in theater, this isn't a "theatrical looking" film. But the print we watched was very bad. It was also a poorly recorded VHS tape copy. The white subtitles were often cut off on the left side and very hard to read whenever there was something white in the foreground. I will have to watch the movie again another time, perhaps if its ever restored. Our instructor said this movie is the only German film that is avialable of his.

A Jew, Ophuls had to flee Germany not long after this was made. He moved to France, but he wasn't safe from the Nazis there either.

In the United States, he wanted to do more films, and befriended Preston Sturges, who helped him along the way. In 1946 he was slated to direct a film Vendetta, but was fired for reasons I don't know about exactly yet. He tried again and directed The Exile produced and starring Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. His next film was with Joan, Letter from An Unknown Woman, which is arguably his most famous work. He made 4 films in the US before moving back to France, where he directed some wonderful movies such as Le Plaisir, which I haven't seen yet but is part of the film series. Ophuls himself was the set designer on the picture, and he was nominated for an Oscar in the US. I can't wait to watch that film.

On the sets, he drank Schnopps with his lunches every day, he was that kind of guy. Peter Lorre was a good friend of his. People who worked with him loved working with him, including James Mason who even wrote a poem about him.

He died in 1957 of heart disease and was buried in Paris.


This is the official description of the film series from the website and print ads:

"The camera exists to create a new art and to show above all what cannot be seen elsewhere: neither in theater nor in life. Otherwise, I'd have no need of it; doing photography doesn't interest me. That, I leave to the photographer." (Max Ophüls)

Long praised as a consummate auteur, Max Ophüls commanded control over all aspects of his films, including cinematography and post-production work. His style, exhibiting a commitment to grace, beauty, and sensitivity, celebrates what the camera is able to create. Choreographing the extreme feelings involved in human relationships with an endlessly mobile camera and long takes, Ophüls explores dimensions of time, movement, and fate. The compositions in his films overflow into what film theorist Laura Mulvey calls "ecstatic and extended moments," into which he often incorporates strong visual irony. Ophüls, German-Jewish by birth, was truly an international director. At Ufa in Berlin, he made his first films, among them Liebelei (1932). In 1941, after failed attempts to stay in Europe during Hitler's regime, directing films in Holland, Italy, and France, Ophüls finally moved to the United States as one of the last exiled directors to arrive. Among his American films are Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), starring Louis Jourdan and Joan Fontaine, and Caught (1949), with Barbara Bel Geddes and James Mason. Upon returning to Europe and settling in Paris in 1950, Ophüls made the films that form the high point of his career, including his last, Lola Montüs (1955), his only film in color. In this class, we will experience the pleasure of being able to watch most of Ophüls' French films, which disappeared from public view, but recently have been re-released.

Therese Grisham has a Ph.D. from the University of Washington in Seattle and was awarded a Fulbright lectureship to the University of Dresden, following which she won a teaching award in film studies. She now teaches film aesthetics and history at Columbia College Chicago and film analysis and media and culture at DePaul University. She has previously taught courses at the Facets Film School, including Watch the Skies! Science Fiction, The 1950's and Us, Through a Technicolor Mirror: The Films of Douglas Sirk and Julien Duvivier: Master of Versatility.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

"The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938)

Every review I've read of the lackluster 2010 Russell Crowe version of "Robin Hood" made reference in one way or another to the classic 1938 Errol-Olivia version, a testament to it's endearing popularity.

For example, in his May 12, 2010 review, Roger Ebert wrote:
Little by little, title by title, innocence and joy is being drained out of the movies. What do you think of when you hear the name of Robin Hood? I think of Errol Flynn, Sean Connery and the Walt Disney character. I see Robin lurking in Sherwood Forest, in love with Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland or Audrey Hepburn), and roistering with Friar Tuck and the Merry Men. I see a dashing swashbuckler.

That Robin Hood is nowhere to be found in Ridley Scott's [2010] “Robin Hood”...


I recently purchased the 2-disc DVD of the blockbuster 1938 version, and it's loaded with incredible extras: great commentary by Rudy Behlmer (he talks about everything you ever wanted to know about the movie), several documentaries, outtakes, home movies, and the radio version. It's one of the most colorful films I've ever seen; every scene is a visual feast for the eyes.



The commentary on the DVD reminds us that for many years, the only way people were able to see this movie was in black-and-white on television.


The film (directed by Michael Curtiz and a number of other 2nd unit directors) won a well deserved Oscar for Best Art Direction for its impressive sets. The DVD commentary points out the particular shots that were combined with beautiful matte paintings (example below).


And if Best Costume Design was a category back then, I'm sure designer Milo Anderson would have won by a landslide. And needless to say, Olivia looks lovely in every scene. :)



The below review is from the May 23, 1938 of LIFE; in those days the mag always had a "Movie of the Week" feature, and Robin Hood was that week's feature. I like this piece because it makes reference to the 1922 Douglas Fairbanks version. Below is the write-up, with my notes in blue

From LIFE, May 23, 1938

The saga of Robin Hood is the kind of movie material that screenwriters dream of. It is almost pure action. Blackest villainy opposes purest virtue. And there are so many fables, so little fact, that each teller of the tale can shape it anew.

Somewhere far back in British history there must have been a Robin Hood, but who he was, when he lived, whether he was one man or many, no one knows. Some say he was a leader of the Saxons, who protected his people against the Norman conquerors. Some say he was a Norman knight. Certain it is that as early as the 14th Century Robin Hood figured in folk tales as the gay, fearless outlaw of Sherwood Forest who robbed the rich and gave to the poor, the nemesis of fat bishops and cruel nobles, the popular hero of yeomanry as King Arthur was the hero of knighthood.

Warner Bros.' lavish Robin Hood, made in Technicolor at a cost of $2,000,000, follows in famous footsteps, for millions of moviegoers remember the Robin Hood of Douglas Fairbanks in 1922. The Warner version has no Fairbanks but it has in Errol Flynn the only actor in Hollywood today who could fill Fairbanks' shoes or Robin Hood's. (James Cagney was originally slated to star)

The picture places Robin in the reign of Richard the Lion-Hearted (1189-1199) (played by Ian Hunter) . When Richard goes to the Crusades and Prince John (Claude Raines) imposes his cruel rule on England, Sir Robert of Locksley, a Saxon knight, takes to the forest with a band of followers and calls himself Robin Hood. In the end Richard returns to set things straight, make Robin an earl and bless his marriages to the fair Maid Marian (Olivia - this was her third movie with Errol).



Trivia:

Anita Louise was originally considered for the role of Marian.

The 1938 version was ranked among 100 films on AFI's 100 Years-100 Thrills list in 2001.

Spoiler alert: The shots you see below were cut from the ending of the movie; it was meant to be the final scene - Robin and Marian riding off into the sunset.





Oh I wish they could have kept this in the final cut!

If you are lucky enough to live near Austin, you can see the movie on the big screen (!) at the Paramount Theater on June 26 (2 PM) and 27 (7:10 PM). Apparently there will also be an indoor archery contest. Huzzah! More information can be found here.

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Little Sister Who Actually Happens to Have Talent (Take Note Ashlee Simpson)

This is Part 2 in a three-part review of the book Sisters: The Story of Olivia De Havilland and Joan Fontaine (1984) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

While Charles Higham's "Sisters" destroyed my illusions of Olivia, it failed to change my opinion of Joan Fontaine. Prior to reading her own autobiography, I had very little interest in her as anything other than an actress. But once I opened "No Bed of Roses," I was hooked. I found a woman with whom I could strongly identify. She was witty, strong, intelligent, and obviously very different from those around her.

Because of her honesty in her own book, there was very little that surprised me in "Sisters." One thing is for certain, though: While Higham was kind to neither sibling, his portrait of Joan was the more flattering. He portrayed Olivia as a psychopath; he gave the impression that Joan was a misunderstood wit with a terribly weak immune system.

Other than stating that Joan was a sickly child whom Olivia cast aside, especially within school halls, there is no reason to delve into her childhood for she shared one with Olivia; and I touched on their childhood in my review FOR her elder sister.

They shared the same incidents of child molestation, the same eccentric absentee father, and the same sordid childhood rife with Draconian discipline.

Joan managed to escape her parents' (mother and stepfather) house for a year, when she traveled to Japan to live with her father and stepmother. This arrangement ended when Walter de Havilland, the girls' estranged father, allegedly propositioned Joan.

Throughout adulthood, Joan beat Olivia to many monumental firsts: she was first to lose her virginity, get married, win an Oscar, and have a child. Certainly this poked holes in an already perforated bond.

Joan was also married twice as many times as Olivia. The first, to Brian Aherne; then William Dozier; followed by Collier Young, and then Alfred Wright, Jr.

Her only biological child is Deborah Leslie Dozier, born to Joan and Bill Dozier. She also informally adopted a poor Peruvian child by the name of Martita Valentina Pareja (how BEAUTIFUL is that name??!!!). Joan, unfortunately, suffered 2 miscarriages during 1965.

Her personal life has seen many ups and downs, but it has been full of laughter, glamour, and wonderful friends.

Professionally, though Olivia is regarded as the more successful and iconic of the two, Joan has surely made her mark on Hollywood. She is a true screen legend, and she will be remembered for quite some time.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Olivia, Interrupted

This is Part 1 in a three-part review of the book Sisters: The Story of Olivia De Havilland and Joan Fontaine (1984) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

I have been a great admirer of Ms. de Havilland since I was 15, when her example inspired me to cope with an illness I had been battling for quite some time. The impression her talent, beauty, and charisma left was one of great dignity and kindness. When I began reading "Sisters" by Charles Higham, I had every confidence that his research would support my image of Olivia.

I was sadly mistaken. Mr. Higham painted a rather ugly portrait of her; and though he was quite brutal in his presentation of both women, Olivia seems to have gotten the shorter end of the stick.

The woman I had thought to be sweet, delicate, and demure (and don't forget "innocent") was nothing of the sort. In all reality, at least the way Charles Higham writes it, Olivia Mary de Havilland is a hot-tempered, impatient, overly dramatic diva. In shorter words, she is a b----.

According to this book, she was frequently late to her sets, difficult to work with, and prone to throwing tantrums of epic proportions. While her talent makes up for her character (or, rather, lack thereof) on-screen, it does very little to help her off. In her personal life, she seems to have exhibited the same selfish patterns: from allegedly subjecting Joan to various tortures, including breaking her collar bone when the girls were in their late teens; to alienating family and friends; to getting her "slut" on with writer/producer Luther Davis in 1964, much to her second husband's chagrin; to ruling her household with an iron hand, subjecting her children to strict discipline remminiscent of her own childhood.

Still, Charles Higham shows a more tragic side of this fiery woman, especially in reference to her childhood.

Her biological parents parted ways while she and Joan were still toddlers, and from then on her father remained undoubtedly estranged; once the girls grew older, he began exhibiting increasingly peculiar behavior, even holding press conferences and writing to newspapers about Olivia's selfish behavior and unfair treatment of him.

The stepfather who joined their mother in raising them was no ray of sunshine either. He allegedly (and even according to Joan's own account) punished the girls by way of almost animalistic beatings, leaving welts and bruises on their bodies. And, probably the most harrowing of all, in 1924 he engaged in sexually abusive behavior, molesting both young girls (then 7 & 8) in the bathtub, as he washed their bodies. Though his outrageous, borderline abusive, discipline went on to bear fine results, it is clear, at least to me, that such events left deep psychological scars in the hearts and minds of both sisters.

Completing the cycle of tyrannical men in Olivia's life was Marcus Aurelius Goodrich. Her first husband, whose son she bore in 1949, treated her rather unkindly throughout their relatively short marriage. According to Olivia's court testimonies, he was not only incredibly tempermental (birds of a feather...), but physically abusive as well. Shortly after the birth of their son the couple engaged in a verbal disagreement that resulted in Goodrich smacking Olivia across the face. (It seems to me like it's basically old school protocol for a woman to take it in the face every once in a while. That's pretty f----- up.) On another occasion, he assaulted her to the point of quite serious bruising, threatening her life and scaring her to the point that she fled their vehicle and ran down the street to escape his rage. Though he chased her into the bushes, she managed to find refuge in a neighbor's house until she felt she was safe.

Clearly Olivia's life was never just rainbows and Butterfly McQueen. And everyone is human, we all have our faults- even those men and women we like to idealize. I was quite disappointed with who Olivia turned out to be, at least from Charles Higham's perspective. But when I ponder this I realize that if one were to write a book about me, there would be a lot of things that could make me look like a total psychopath, too.

What I know for sure when it comes to Olivia is this: She is one of the greatest actresses to grace the big screen, and one of the most beautiful to boot. Throughout her life she has exhibited great strength and resillience, as well as an indomitable determination to succeed. These qualities have allowed her to leave an astounding legacy, one that will be remembered for decades to come.

No matter her personal flaws, Olivia Mary de Havilland is a legend.

Olivia's films on the big screen: Summer 2010

Ms. de Havilland is not scheduled to make any personal appearances at any of these screenings.

Also, one of Joan's movies is scheduled for this summer:

Middletown Public Library - Middletown, NJ
Suspicion (1941)

Tuesday June 1, 2010 7:00PM
Free; for more information, click HERE




Orpheum Theatre - Memphis, TN
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Saturday, June 12, 2010 @ 7:15pm
Tickets: $7.00
Contact: (901) 525-3000 or click HERE

Cinema Arts Centre - Huntington, NY
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Sunday, June 13, 2010 @ 2:00pm
Tickets: Members $10 • Public $14 • (Lunch $10 extra)
Guest Speaker: Film critic & Author MOLLY HASKELL+ special intermission lunch in the Cinema's new patio garden
Contact: 631-423-FILM (3456) or click HERE

Historic Elsinore Theatre - Salem, OR
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Wednesday, June 16, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Tickets: $5.00
Contact: (503) 375-3574 or click HERE

Paramount Theatre - Austin, TX
The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Saturday, June 26, 2010 @ 2:00pm
Sunday, June 27, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Contact: 512-472-5470 or click HERE

Regency Theatre - South Coast Village, Costa Mesa, CA
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 @ 7:30pm
Contact: (714) 557-5701 or click HERE

Paramount Theatre - Austin, TX
Captain Blood (1935)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 @ 9:40pm
Wednesday, July 21, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Contact: 512-472-5470 or click HERE

Historic Elsinore Theatre - Salem, OR
A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

Wednesday, July 21 @7:00pm
Tickets: $5.00
Contact: (503) 375-3574 or click HERE

Historic Ritz Theatre - Brunswick, GA
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Sunday, August 1, 2010 @ 3:00pm
Fore more information click HERE

Alabama Theatre - Birmingham, AL
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Saturday, August 7 @ 7:00pm
Sunday, August 8 @ 2:00pm
Contact: 205-251-0418
205-252-2262 or click HERE

Saenger Theatre - Mobile, AL
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Sunday, August 8, 2010 @ 3:00pm
Contact: 251-208-5600 or click HERE

Tampa Theatre - Tampa, FL
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Saturday, August 21, 2010 @ 3:00pm
Sunday, August 22, 2010 @ 3:00pm
Contact: 813-274-8981
813-274-8286 or click HERE

The Michigan Theatre - Ann Arbor, MI
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Sunday, September 5, 2010 @ 1:30pm
Tuesday, September 7, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Contact: 734-668-8397
734-668-8463 or click HERE

Paramount Theatre - Austin, TX
Gone With the Wind (1939)

Saturday, September 11, 2010 @ 7:00pm
Sunday, September 12, 2010 @ 1:45pm & 7:00pm
Contact: 512-472- 5470 or click HERE




Thanks to Angela for posting these dates on Olivia de Havilland - Lady of the Classic Cinema.