Happy 100th, Olivia de Havilland!

Source: Modern Screen, December 1940-February 1941.

July 1, 2016 marks the 100th birthday of actress Olivia de Havilland. The Oscar-nominated actress moved to France in 1958 and still lives there today.  Possessing a gentle, flawless beauty and a willful attitude toward her career, de Havilland starred in films including The Adventures of Robin Hood, Gone with the Wind (her Melanie is my favorite character), The Heiress, Light in the Piazza (my favorite of her later performances), and Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte.


Olivia married author Marcus Goodrich in 1946 after romances with James Stewart, John Huston, and Franchot Tone, among others. When asked, in 1940, about her dates with Jimmy and Franchot and other high-profile actors, Olivia responded, "They're wonderful, all of them," but stated that none of these dates were too serious and that she had no intentions of getting married within the next two years. Olivia didn't kiss and tell, but it was public knowledge that Jimmy Stewart had been her most steady beau since 1939 and that they were, indeed, quite a serious couple for a while.


I'm uncertain as to how Olivia and Franchot originally came together, but at the time, Franchot was between marriages and splitting his time between Broadway and Hollywood. Franchot may not have been the love of her life, but Olivia certainly seemed to have fun and create quite a buzz in his company. Gossip columnists questioned the seriousness of their relationship and the couple were photographed at various restaurants and night clubs. In October 1940, entertainment reporter Jimmie Fidler asked, "Are Olivia de Havilland and Franchot Tone kidding—or is Jimmy Stewart really due for a red face soon?" During that time, a ticket booth worker at Rex Theater sold show tickets to Franchot and Olivia, along with Brian Aherne and Olivia's sister Joan Fontaine, in Norway, Maine, and the couple were reported to be vacationing at Rudy Vallee's lodge in Lovell, Maine.


Although highly publicized, the romance was brief.  A year later, in October 1941, Franchot would be married to Jean Wallace while Olivia would be busy on the films The Strawberry Blonde and They Died with Their Boots On.


Sources:
"Blitzkrieg Love Passes Her Up."  Spokane Daily Chronicle. September 11, 1941.
Dayton Beach Morning Journal. November 2, 1940.
Modern Screen. December 1940-February 1941.
Pittsburgh Press. April 22, 1941.
St. Petersburg Times. October 14, 1940.
Sun Journal. September 2, 1992.