
Olivia de Havilland, sophisticated star of Hollywood's golden age, dies at 104 - happy-go-lucky
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/olivia-de-havilland-dead-gone-wind-adventures-robin-hood-star-was-104-720040
======
Wildgoose
As a Go player, my favourite anecdote about Olivia de Havilland is that her
father became so addicted to the game in Japan that his wife divorced him. He
married a Japanese woman and went on to write the first Go book written in
English.

~~~
dwohnitmok
Wikipedia and other sources seem to paint a darker tale.

> Lilian and Walter met in Japan in 1913 and married the following year; the
> marriage was not a happy one due in part to Walter's infidelities.

From
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_de_Havilland#Early_life](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olivia_de_Havilland#Early_life).

And apparently in his wife's own words

> spoke like God, but behaved like the Devil

from
[https://books.google.com/books?id=nmjetV92THsC&pg=PP1#v=onep...](https://books.google.com/books?id=nmjetV92THsC&pg=PP1#v=onepage&q=spoke%20like%20god%2C%20but%20behaved%20like%20the%20devil&f=false)

It doesn't seem like Go was the reason for the divorce.

------
aazaa
Wikipedia maintains a list of films now in the public domain. de Havilland's
films are of the right age to be on the list, but don't appear to be. Most of
the films on the list got there from failure to renew the copyright, a
requirement which has since disappeared.

> Prior to 1988, all motion picture films published after 1909 with a
> copyright notice where the 28th year of copyright would occur before 1988,
> had to be registered and before the 28th year, the registration had to be
> renewed, or the copyright for the film would expire and it would enter the
> public domain. This would apply to all films registered for copyright prior
> to 1960. Copyright renewals became optional in 1988.

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_in_the_public_do...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_in_the_public_domain_in_the_United_States)

~~~
WarOnPrivacy
Copyright has abandoned any pretext of serving a public interest - it's reason
for existing.

------
Andrew_nenakhov
Deathlist 2020 [1] looks to overtake a 17/50 record set in 2017.

[1]: [https://deathlist.net/](https://deathlist.net/)

~~~
asveikau
Wow. Imagine for a moment being a famous person of a certain age and making
that list. As if strangers on the internet are betting on, almost plotting
your demise.

~~~
turndown
I think the list is interesting in a cultural sense, but I agree that the way
it works is disturbing to say the least. Consider the discussion post for
Phillip Mountbatten[0] for the kind of enlightened discussion the site
hosts...

0: [https://forums.deathlist.net/topic/8107-1-prince-philip-
duke...](https://forums.deathlist.net/topic/8107-1-prince-philip-duke-of-
edinburgh/)

~~~
markdown
It's interesting to compare how these two are described:

Prince Philip - Casual racist

Henry Kissinger - Diplomat

Philip said some racist things, and Henry is only alive because the US doesn't
let its citizens stand trial for war crimes. Henry going to hell this year
would be a bright spot in an otherwise shitty year.

~~~
Ialdaboth
Not holding my breath for Henry, as the deal he signed with the Devil
obviously made him immortal.

------
DoreenMichele
I had no idea she had a legal thing named after her. Of course, it was well
before I was born. But, still.

The article mentions in passing Hattie McDaniel, one of her co-stars in _Gone
With the Wind_ :

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hattie_McDaniel](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hattie_McDaniel)

~~~
082349872349872
It also mentions _Every Frenchman Has One_ , which was a "best-seller". What
are recent US best-sellers explicating other cultures? _Educated_? _The City
of Falling Angels_?

(I'm not sure either of those portray the other in a sympathetic light.
Considering that de Havilland immigrated to france, I'd bet hers did.)

 _Leap of Faith_?

------
jackcosgrove
The Adventures of Robin Hood is incredibly entertaining to this day. Claude
Rains is an excellent villain, and the action is fast-paced. RIP Golden Age of
Hollywood, RIP Ms. de Havilland.

------
kanobo
It'll be a nice tradition if everybody who turns 100 publish a short letter
for the next generation documenting lessons they've learned and advice they
would give. RIP Havilland.

~~~
082349872349872
I haven't read it yet, but _The View from 80_ may be interesting.

[https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0917/091702.html](https://www.csmonitor.com/1980/0917/091702.html)

------
emmelaich
A woman of principle, successfully navigating her way between the communists
and the anti-communists in Hollywood

[https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-olivia-de-havilland-
bucked...](https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-olivia-de-havilland-bucked-
dalton-trumbo-and-helped-save-hollywood-from-itself)

------
jimbob45
Hitler himself may have watched her in Captain Blood or Robin Hood. She lived
to be astoundingly old and was supremely talented.

~~~
interestica
Another time marker: an American slave ship survivor may have seen her in Gone
with the Wind.

[https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/03/last-
slav...](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/2020/03/last-slave-ship-
survivor-descendants-identified/)

~~~
jimbob45
Haha you win. That is absolutely bonkers to think about.

