Whether or not you are a diehard Olivia de Havilland fan, or “Gone with the Wind” is the only thing you know about this screen legend, you’ll enjoy this first-hand account of the actress’s past and present from two of her closest friends.
Join Former Ambassador Amy Bondurant and her husband, David Dunn, Esq. for a delightful conversation about one of the great legends of the “golden age of film.” The pair will share anecdotes from their years together with Dame Olivia (“Mamma O,” they called her) in Paris, show a few short film clips, and talk about her lasting legacy on and off the screen.
Long before Hollywood’s Time’s Up Initiative, de Havilland took a stand against Warner Brothers that nearly cost her career. Learn how that case upended the studio system and find out how she did it again at the end of her life – this time objecting over the way she was portrayed in the movie “Feud,” about rivals Joan Crawford and Bette Davis.
Born in 1916 in Tokyo, Japan, to British parents, Olivia de Havilland was nominated for four Oscars (including “Gone with the Wind”) in a film career that spanned 53 years. She won twice for roles she herself chose, one of an unwed mother and the second of a dowager rejected by her fiancé over money from her father. She and her sister/forever rival, Joan Fontaine, remain the only siblings to have both won Oscars for acting. While de Havilland’s significant achievements on screen guaranteed her a well-earned place in Hollywood history, her off-screen battles with the studio system as a young star threatened her ability to achieve such a legacy.
What to Expect:
You will learn what triggered De Havilland’s pivotal lawsuit, the risk she took to pursue it, and the aftermath. You will also be treated to personal stories about De Havilland’s life in Paris where the actress moved after marrying the Editor of “Paris Match” from two of her closest friends, Former US Ambassador Amy Bondurant and her husband, David Dunn. Enjoy an intimate evening of stories and film clips from one of America’s most iconic actresses. Enjoy the hospitality of champagne and canopies ala Miss Olivia!
