On Saturday, July 25, 2020 actress Olivia de Havilland died at age one-hundred and four. Over the course of her fifty-three year career she performed in theater, film, and television, earning two Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, two New York Film Critics Circle Awards, a National Board of Review Award, one Venice Film Festival Volpi Cup, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Throughout her career she brought a diverse array of characters to life in films that ranged from historical dramas, to adventure movies, to contemporary melodramas, to romantic comedies. In each of her roles she infused her performances with a depth, intelligence, and charm that cemented her place as one of the brightest stars in film history. In honor of her life and career I'll be turning the spotlight on three of my personal favorite Olivia de Havilland performances.
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| Who says that nice girls finish last?! |
The Strawberry Blonde: This jaunt back to 1890's New York may be the best showcase of de Havilland's comedic chops. The film follows dentist Biff Grimes (James Cagney) as he struggles to maintain his dental practice and marriage. When Biff learns that his old rival, Hugo (Jack Carson), has scheduled a dental appointment at his office he reflects upon their friendship and the woman (Rita Hayworth) who turned them from friends to bitter enemies. While it's Rita Hayworth's Virginia who is the strawberry blonde of the title, it's de Havilland's supporting performance as Virginia's friend, Amy that steals the show. In her portrayal of passionate, modern, Amy, de Havilland stands in perfect contrast to Hayworth's cool and calculated socialite and lends the film warmth and humor. Her performance cleverly plays off of her prior typecasting as 'the girl next door' as she portrays a woman who may not be as free thinking as she pretends to be. When Amy meets traditional Biff, a battle of the wits and wills ensues that is nothing short of high minded hilarity. As the pair's incessant arguing gives way to a budding romance de Havilland and Cagney display a crackling chemistry with her exuding a girlish charm that is nothing short of infectious. By the film's conclusion viewers are sure to fall as much for Amy as Biff and are guaranteed to be left with little doubt as to why gentlemen may prefer strawberry blondes but marry brunettes.
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| Don't fuss with me... |
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte: Murder, madness, and mayhem...don't exactly sound like the elements of a typical Olivia de Havilland film. In this 1964 classic, however, she more than delivers in her first foray into horror. Despite replacing original star Joan Crawford, de Havilland so completely embodies her role as duplicitous Miriam Deering that it's difficult to believe that the part was not written with her in mind. She aptly alternates between Miriam's outward charm and inward malice in a performance that subverts her earlier role as a demure Southern belle Melanie Hamilton. In a fascinating casting choice she plays completely against type as she portrays Miriam with such calculating cruelty that she more than matches the expert performance of her co-star Bette Davis. In her signature style she plays her role with a depth and subtlety that ensure that she is not reduced to a stock villain as she palpably conveys the loss and insecurity that led her character from lonely child to embittered woman. Throughout the film's occasionally outrageous plot her performance remains firmly grounded in reality as she expertly portrays the conflicting facets of Miriam's personality. By the film's conclusion she is so delightfully deviant that she has become what every villain strives to be; a character whom viewers will love to hate. For frightfully good viewing join de Havilland in
Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte.
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| Should have put a ring on it |
The Heiress: This 1949 adaptation of Henry James'
Washington Square gave de Havilland both her second Oscar win and arguably the greatest role of her career. The film follows ultimate underdog Catherine Sloper as she struggles to find happiness in the restrictive world of 19th century New York. Plain, awkward, and insecure, Catherine is a far cry from the typical Hollywood heroine, and all the more compelling for it. After devoting her life to caring for her cold, distant, father she seemingly finds love with the charming, but penniless, Morris Townsend. Fearing that Morris is more interested in his daughter's fortune than her heart, Dr. Sloper does his best to dissuade the couple's budding romance. The film then follows Catherine as she suffers betrayal at the hands of both of the men in her life, only to rise from the depths of loss a stronger, empowered, woman. De Havilland infuses her performance with a warmth, intelligence, and aching longing that makes Catherine entirely believable and all too relateable. From the moment that she unassumingly appears on screen, de Havilland speaks to the outsider in all of us. In her portrayal of, in the words of Dr. Sloper, an "entirely mediocre and defenseless creature without a shred of poise" de Havilland redefined what a heroine could be. In an era in which the silver screen was dominated by glamorous faces de Havilland turned in a performance that was all heart, earning her place in the hearts of generations of viewers. For an acting masterclass witness the marvel that is Olivia de Havilland in
The Heiress.
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