Acting : Why we should be grateful to the late Dame Olivia de Havilland by Richard Fitzwilliams

The legendary actress and oldest ever Oscar winner has recently died at the age of 104 in her beloved Paris. She was a dear friend for over 40 years, I saw her on visits to Paris where she lived since 1953 and she was a sublime correspondent. When she challenged Warners in 1943 over her contract and won, the de Havilland Law meant contracts were limited to 7 years which was pivotal for performers. She won two Oscars, is famous for Melanie in GWTW & acted in nearly 50 films including a famous partnership with Errol Flynn in 8 of them. The obituaries in The New York Times, The London Times and Daily Telegraph etc have paid tribute to this last survivor of Hollywood’s “Golden Age”.