Dame Olivia Mary De Havilland was one of Hollywood’s leading actresses in the “Golden Age of Movies.” She appeared in almost 50 films and had a career that spanned more than seven decades. She was the last living cast member of “Gone With the Wind,” one of the all-time great films - it won 8 Academy Awards.
Ms. De Havilland certainly spent many years on the crest of the wave. She won two academy awards, two Golden Globes, received a star on Hollywood Blvd., was awarded the National Medal of Arts (USA) and, in 2017, became Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire.
But as she quoted, you cannot always be “on top.”. Her only son, Benjamin, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma at 19 and died at the age of 42 from related complications. Both her marriages ended in divorce and her first husband died three weeks after her son passed away. And starting sometime in childhood, Olivia feuded with her only sibling, actress Joan Fontaine. The feud lasted for decades and ended on December 15, 2013 – the date of Joan’s death. She was also “black listed ”by the movie studios and was unable to find work for some years.
Olivia De Havilland was 104 when she passed. She was a reminder to all of us in the business world that, just like in life, you will not always ride the “crest of the wave.” Ms. De Havilland seemed to have mastered the troughs quite well - just like another very well-known movie legend who became famous for “True Grit!”
On a side note, as I move towards handing the “reins” of this company over to our talented team, I would like to pass along that we start our 40th year in business next month!
Perform Better!
