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Robin Hood and ‘Gone With the Wind’ star Olivia de Havilland dies at 104.

When I was a boy, Robin Hood was one of those movies—perfect in its romance, its heroism, its leading lady and noble rebel. Olivia was wide-eyed, strong and open, brave and lovely—the picture of a storybook love. So it’s good to learn, with her passing today—at 104—that she was a hero in real life, too. ~ ed.

“She’s also responsible for the De Havilland Decision, a crucial piece of labor law. Warner Brothers had been giving her terrible roles that she knew would be unsuccessful and kill her career, in response the studio grounded her contract and would add on time to her contract so that she couldn’t get out of it. In response, Olivia sued Warner Bros. in 1943 and won, leading to a law named after her that stipulates that all contracts in California stick to calendar year schedules. This shift redistributed power away from the studios towards actors and creatives and directly contributed to the end of the repressive Studio System. Olivia was blacklisted but returned to win another Oscar. The YouTube channel Be Kind, Rewind did a great video on it.”

From Wikipedia: The decision was one of the most significant and far-reaching legal rulings in Hollywood, reducing the power of the studios and extending greater creative freedom to performers. California’s resulting “seven-year rule”, as articulated by the Court of Appeal in analyzing Labor Code Section 2855 in the De Havilland case, is still known today as the De Havilland Law.

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“I would prefer to live forever in perfect health, but if I must at some time leave this life, I would like to do so ensconced on a chaise longue, perfumed, wearing a velvet robe and pearl earrings, with a flute of champagne beside me and having just discovered the answer to the last problem in a British cryptic crossword.” ~ Olivia de Havilland

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Other movies to watch: “Oh man I just watched The Heiress this week. One of the best performances ever. Her character’s transformation is incredible to watch. R.I.P.”

 “The Heiress is one of my favorite movies. If everyone wants to watch another great performance of hers I’d recommend either The Snake Pit or My Cousin Rachel. There’s also the good weepy Hold Back the Dawn with her and Charles Boyer in a script co-written by Billy Wilder. She had a hell of a career and a life.” ~ comments

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For more:

My One Hundred & Eleven Favorite Movies Ever (according to Netflix).