On July 1, 2019, Olivia de Havilland, the last surviving cast member of the Hollywood classic movie “Gone With The Wind,” celebrated her 103rd birthday.
De Havilland was married to author Marcus Goodrich from 1946 to 1953. The couple had a son named Benjamin, who passed away from Hodgkin’s disease in 1992 at the age of 42. He had been fighting the disease for 25 years before his death.
Her second marriage was to Pierre Galante, the executive editor of a publication called Paris Match. They married in 1955, prompting de Havilland moved to Paris, where she still resides today.
Galante and de Havilland had a daughter together named Gisele, and the couple divorced in 1979, although de Havilland personally cared for her ex-husband until he died of cancer in 1998.
Gone With the Wind
Gond With the Wind held the title of the highest-grossing movie of all time after its 1939 release, a distinction that it managed to maintain for nearly 25 years.
De Havilland was considered one of the biggest names attached to the film at the time, along with Clark Gable. Vivian Leigh was a relatively unknown British actress to U.S. audiences before being cast in the iconic role of Scarlett O’Hara.
It may come as a surprise to some, but unlike many of the other actresses in the movie, De Havilland never lobbied for the lead role of Scarlet O’Hara.
Instead, Havilland chose the role of Melanie Hamilton, a character to which she felt a deep connection and believed she could translate her quiet dignity and strength through to the audience.
The character was a refreshing departure from many female roles of her era.
For example, unlike the debutantes at her engagement party, who wore fancy dresses and flirted about trivial things, Melanie wore plain clothes and discussed books such as William Makepeace Thackeray and Charles Dickens with her male guests.
It’s said that it took the producer, David O. Selznick, two years just to finalize casting for the film, and we must say it was well worth the wait!
While de Havilland’s “Gone With the Wind” co-stars may be gone, she still treasures her priceless memories from the set of the classic film.
She once told Vanity Fair that Clark Gable was hesitant to cry on camera for a scene where his character blamed himself for Scarlett’s miscarriage. De Havilland said she gave him a pep talk, taking him aside to say:
“You can do it and you will be wonderful.” As every fan of the movie can agree, “It worked. And he was wonderful.”
De Havilland is a real living treasure, who had the pleasure of celebrating her 103rd birthday in Paris on Saturday, no doubt showcasing her legendary trademark style and grace.
Happy birthday Ms. de Havilland!