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| Olivia de Haviland - 1916 - 1920 |
Aside from admiring all of her film work, I've always followed news of her for a personal reason: she was born on the same day as my late father, July 1, 1916.
Although she is best known for portraying Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in the suddenly controversial Gone With the Wind, de Haviland played a wide range of roles over many decades. She captured national attention when she played the leading lady opposite 1930s superstar Errol Flynn in Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood. Although nominated for an Academy Award in GWTW, she lost to co-star Hattie McDaniel but went on to four additional Oscar nominations, winning two Best Actress Awards for her performances in To Each His Own and The Heiress.
With her death, Olivia de Haviland essentially shuts the door on the panoply of legendary stars that shone so brightly in vintage Hollywood. The "golden age" has lost its last bit of luster.
