Editing Olivia de Havilland (section)

==Career==
=== 1935–1937: Early films ===
De{{nbsp}}Havilland made her screen debut in Reinhardt's ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935 film)|A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' (1935),{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=28}} which was filmed at Warner Brothers
studios from December 19, 1934, to March 9, 1935.<ref name="tcm-midsummer-op"/> During the production, de{{nbsp}}Havilland picked up film acting techniques from the film's co-director [[William Dieterle]] and camera techniques from cinematographer [[Hal Mohr]], who was impressed with her questions about his work. By the end of filming, she had learned the effect of lighting and camera angles on how she appeared on screen and how to find her best lighting.<ref name="tcm-midsummer-miller"/> Following premieres in New York City and [[Beverly Hills]], the film was released on October 30, 1935.<ref name="tcm-midsummer-op"/> Despite the publicity campaign, the film generated little enthusiasm with audiences.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=28}} While the critical response was mixed, de{{nbsp}}Havilland's performance was praised by ''[[The San Francisco Examiner]]'' critic.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=58}} In his review in the ''[[Brooklyn Daily Eagle]]'', Winston Burdett wrote that she "acts graciously and does greater justice to [[Shakespeare]]'s language than anyone else in the cast".<ref name="brooklyn-daily-burdett"/> Two minor comedies followed, ''[[Alibi Ike]]'' (1935) with [[Joe E. Brown]] and ''[[The Irish in Us]]'' (1935) with [[James Cagney]].{{sfnm|1a1=Thomas|1y=1983|1p=28|2a1=Brown|2y=1995|2p=125}} In both films, she played the sweet and charming love interest{{nsmdns}}a role into which she would later become typecast.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=22}} After the experience of being a Reinhardt player, de{{nbsp}}Havilland felt disappointed being assigned these routine heroine roles.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=28}}{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=24}} In March, de{{nbsp}}Havilland and her mother moved into an apartment at the Chateau des Fleurs at 6626 Franklin Avenue in Hollywood.{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=13}}

[[File:Olivia de Havilland Publicity Photo for Captain Blood 1935.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Climbing a ladder wearing a pirate's outfit|Publicity photo, 1935]]
Although [[Warner Brothers]] studio had assumed that the many costumed films that studios such as&nbsp;[[MGM]] had earlier produced would never succeed during the years of the [[American Great Depression]], they nonetheless took a chance by producing ''[[Captain Blood (1935 film)|Captain Blood]]'' (1935).<ref name=Gerstner>Gerstner, David A., and Staiger, Janet. ''Authorship and Film'', Psychology Press (2003)</ref>{{rp|63}} The film is a [[swashbuckler]] action drama based on the novel by [[Rafael Sabatini]] and directed by [[Michael Curtiz]].<ref name=Gerstner/>{{rp|63}} ''Captain Blood'' starred a then little-known contract bit-part actor and former extra, [[Errol Flynn]], with the equally little-known de Havilland.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXb1QqmrRNc| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316150724/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXb1QqmrRNc| archive-date=March 16, 2014 | url-status=dead|title=Captain Blood (1935) Original Trailer|last=TheTrailerGal|date=January 18, 2010|via=YouTube}}</ref>{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=19}} According to film historian [[Tony Thomas (film historian)|Tony Thomas]], both actors had "classic good looks, cultured speaking voices, and a sense of distant aristocracy about them".{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=68}} Filmed between August 5 and October 29, 1935,<ref name="tcm-cb-opi"/> ''Captain Blood'' gave de{{nbsp}}Havilland the opportunity to appear in her first costumed historical romance and adventure epic, a genre to which she was well suited, given her beauty and elegance.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=29}} 

In the film, she played Arabella Bishop, the niece of a Jamaica plantation owner who purchases at auction an Irish physician wrongly condemned to servitude. The on-screen chemistry between de{{nbsp}}Havilland and Flynn was evident from their first scenes together,{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=29}} where clashes between her character's spirited hauteur and his character's playful braggadocio did not mask their mutual attraction to each other.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=27}}{{#tag:ref|The on-screen attraction of the characters reflected the actual feelings of the actors at the time.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=29}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland would later admit that she had a crush on Flynn through the entire production, and he would later acknowledge the same.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=29}}|group=Note}} Arabella is a feisty young woman who knows what she wants and is willing to fight for it.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=72}} The bantering tone of their exchanges in the film{{nsmdns}}the healthy give-and-take and mutual respect{{nsmdns}}became the basis for their on-screen relationship in subsequent films.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=27}} ''Captain Blood'' was released on December 28, 1935,<ref name="tcm-cb-opi"/> and received good reviews and wide public appeal.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=71–72}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland's performance was singled out in ''[[The New York Times]]'' and ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]''.<ref name="nytimes-cb-sennwald"/><ref name="variety-cb"/> The film was nominated for four [[Academy Awards]], including Best Picture.<ref name="tcm-cb-awards"/> The popular success of the film, as well as the critical response to the on-screen couple, led to seven additional collaborations:{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=29}} ''[[The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936 film)|The Charge of the Light Brigade]]'' (1936), ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (1938), ''[[Four's a Crowd]]'' (1938), ''[[Dodge City (1939 film)|Dodge City]]'' (1939), ''[[The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex]]'' (1939, although de Havilland played a supporting role with [[Bette Davis]] as Flynn's leading lady), ''[[Santa Fe Trail (film)|Santa Fe Trail]]'' (1940), and ''[[They Died with Their Boots On]]'' (1941).

De{{nbsp}}Havilland appeared in [[Mervyn LeRoy]]'s [[historical drama]] ''[[Anthony Adverse]]'' (1936) with [[Fredric March]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=75}} Based on the popular novel by [[Hervey Allen]], the film follows the adventures of an orphan raised by a Scottish merchant whose pursuit of fortune separates him from the innocent peasant girl he loves, marries, and eventually loses.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=75–76}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland played a peasant girl, Angela, who after being separated from her slave-trader husband becomes opera star [[Marguerite Georges|Mademoiselle Georges]], the mistress of [[Napoleon]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=77–78}} The film earned six Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture.<ref name="tcm-aa-steinberg"/> It garnered de{{nbsp}}Havilland good exposure and the opportunity to portray a character as she develops over time.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=78}} Howard Barnes of the ''[[New York Herald Tribune]]'' found her later scenes as Mademoiselle Georges "not very credible",{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=43}} but Frank S. Nugent of ''The New York Times'' called her "a winsome Angela".<ref name="nytimes-aa-nugent"/> That same year, she was re-united with Flynn in Michael Curtiz's period action film ''The Charge of the Light Brigade'' (1936), featuring Flynn [[look-alike]] [[Patric Knowles]] (playing Flynn's brother) and [[David Niven]]. The picture was set during the [[Crimean War]]{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=81}}{{sfnm|1a1=Kass|1y=1976|1pp=27, 29|2a1=Thomas|2y=1983|2p=82}} and became a major box office hit.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=85}}

During the film's production, de{{nbsp}}Havilland renegotiated her contract with Warner Bros. and signed a seven-year contract on April 14, 1936, with a starting weekly salary of $500 ({{Inflation|US|500|1936|fmt=eq|r=-2}}).{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=33}}{{#tag:ref|De Havilland hired the Ivan Kahn Agency to represent her in the contract negotiations with Warner Bros.{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=32}} The contract she signed provided for yearly increases in her weekly salary, starting at $500 and then increasing to $750, $1000, $1250, $1500, $2000, and $2500 in her last year ({{Inflation|US|2500|1934|fmt=eq|r=-2}}).{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=33}}|group=Note}} Toward the end of the year, 20-year-old de{{nbsp}}Havilland and her mother moved to 2337 Nella Vista Avenue in the [[Los Feliz]] section of Los Angeles.{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=50}}

[[File:Olivia de Havilland in Call It a Day trailer.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Smiling|In ''Call It a Day'', 1937]]
De{{nbsp}}Havilland had her first [[Billing (performing arts)|top billing]] in [[Archie Mayo]]'s comedy ''[[Call It a Day]]'' (1937),{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=30, 89}} about a middle-class English family struggling with the romantic effects of [[spring fever]] during the course of a single day.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=89}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland played daughter Catherine Hilton, who falls in love with the handsome artist hired to paint her portrait.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=89}} The film did not do well at the box office and did little to advance her career.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=30}} She fared better in Mayo's [[screwball comedy]] ''[[It's Love I'm After]]'' (1937) with [[Leslie Howard (actor)|Leslie Howard]] and [[Bette Davis]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=99}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland played Marcia West, a debutante and theater fan enamored with a Barrymore-like matinee idol who decides to help the girl's fiancé by pretending to be an abominable cad.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=99–100}} The film received good reviews, with ''Variety'' calling it "fresh, clever, excellently directed and produced, and acted by an ensemble that clicks from start to finish" and praising de{{nbsp}}Havilland.<ref name="variety-ilia"/>

Also released during 1937 was another period film with de{{nbsp}}Havilland, beginning with ''[[The Great Garrick]]'', a fictional [[romantic comedy]] about the 18th-century English actor's encounter with jealous players from the [[Comédie-Française]] who plot to embarrass him on his way to Paris.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=93–94}} Wise to their prank, Garrick plays along with the ruse, determined to get the last laugh, even on a lovely young aristocrat, de{{nbsp}}Havilland's Germaine Dupont, whom he mistakenly believes to be one of the players.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=94}} With her refined demeanour and diction,{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=30}} de{{nbsp}}Havilland delivers a performance that is "lighthearted and thoroughly believable", according to Judith Kass.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=45}} ''Variety'' praised the film, calling it "a production of superlative workmanship".<ref name="variety-gg"/><ref name="tcm-gg-arnold"/> Despite the positive reviews, the film did not do as well at the box office.<ref name="tcm-gg-arnold"/>{{#tag:ref|During the production, [[Brian Aherne]] found de Havilland "young and entrancing" and organized her 21st birthday party on the set. They also dated during the making of the picture.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=96}} He later wrote, "I little thought that I would one day marry her younger sister, Joan Fontaine."<ref name="tcm-gg-arnold"/> Aherne and Fontaine married two years later, on August 19, 1939.{{sfn|Fontaine|1978|p=104}}|group=Note}} The [[Michael Curtiz]]-directed [[romantic drama]] ''[[Gold Is Where You Find It]]''<!-- Released in 1938. -->{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=103}} is a film about the late 19th-century conflict in the [[Sacramento Valley]] between gold miners and their hydraulic equipment and farmers whose land is being flooded.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=103–104}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland played the daughter of a farmer, Serena Ferris, who falls in love with the mining engineer responsible for the flooding portrayed by [[George Brent]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=104}} The picture also stars [[Claude Rains]]. The film was released in February 1938,<ref name="tcm-gold-opi"/> and was her first appearance in a [[Technicolor#Three-strip Technicolor|Technicolor]] film{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=103}} but not her last. She would make three more Technicolor films within the next two years, two of which would arguably remain her most fondly remembered by audiences across the decades since their release.

=== 1938–1940: Movie stardom ===
In September 1937, de{{nbsp}}Havilland was selected by Warner Bros. studio head [[Jack L. Warner]] to play [[Maid Marian]] in ''[[The Adventures of Robin Hood]]'' (1938) opposite Errol Flynn.{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=56}} The principal photography for this Technicolor production took place between September 26, 1937, and January 14, 1938, including location work at [[Bidwell Park]], [[Busch Gardens]] in [[Pasadena]], and [[Lake Sherwood, California|Lake Sherwood]] in California.<ref name="tcm-robinhood-opi"/> Directed by [[William Keighley]] and Michael Curtiz, the film is about the legendary Saxon knight who opposes the corrupt and brutal [[John, King of England|Prince John]] and his Norman lords, while good [[Richard I of England|King Richard]] is away fighting in the [[Third Crusade]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=110}} The king's ward Maid Marian initially opposes Robin Hood, but she later supports him after learning his true intentions of helping his oppressed people.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=110–112}}{{Sfnm|1a1=Kass|1y=1976|1p=32|2a1=Thomas|2y=1983|2p=114|3a1=Matzen|3y=2010|3p=65}} Far from being a mere bystander, Marian risks her life to save Robin by providing his men with a plan for his escape.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=109, 114}} As defined by de{{nbsp}}Havilland, Marian is both a beautiful fairy-tale heroine and a spirited, intelligent woman "whose actions are governed by her mind as well as her heart", according to author Judith Kass.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=34}} Released on May 14, 1938,<ref name="tcm-robinhood-opi"/> ''The Adventures of Robin Hood'' was an immediate critical and commercial success, earning an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. It went on to become one of the most popular adventure films of the [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Classical Hollywood]] era.<ref name="tcm-robinhood-nixon"/>{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=109}}

The film's success raised de{{nbsp}}Havilland's status, but this was not reflected in her subsequent film assignments at Warner Bros.;{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=30}} her next several roles were more routine and less challenging.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=30}} In the romantic comedy ''[[Four's a Crowd]]'' (1938), she played Lorri Dillingwell, a flighty rich girl being romanced by a conniving [[public relations]] man looking to land an account with her eccentric grandfather.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=117–118}} In [[Ray Enright]]'s romantic comedy ''[[Hard to Get (1938 film)|Hard to Get]]'' (1938), she played another frivolous rich girl, Margaret Richards, whose desire to exact revenge on a gas station attendant leads to her own comeuppance.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=121–122}} In the summer of 1938, she portrayed the love interest between two U.S. Navy pilot brothers in ''[[Wings of the Navy]]'', released in early 1939.<ref>Staff, "Film Stars To Be On Location In Pensacola For Navy Picture," Okaloosa News-Journal, Crestview, Florida, Friday July 8, 1938, Volume 24, Number 28, page 1.</ref> While de{{nbsp}}Havilland was certainly capable of playing this type of character, her personality was better suited to stronger and more dramatic roles, according to Judith Kass.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=56}} By this time, she was having serious doubts about her career at Warner Bros.<ref name="tcm-wn-landazuri"/>{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=128}}

Some film scholars consider 1939 to be the high point of the golden age of Classic Cinema,<ref name="latimes-mathews"/> producing award-winning box office hits in many genres, including the [[Western (genre)|Western]].<ref name="tcm-dc-steinberg"/>{{#tag:ref|Following the success of [[Cecil B. DeMille]]'s epic adventure ''[[The Plainsman]]'' (1937), studios began investing their top talent and budgets to produce films such as ''[[Stagecoach (1939 film)|Stagecoach]]'', ''[[Union Pacific (film)|Union Pacific]]'', and ''[[Destry Rides Again]]''{{nsmdns}}all released in 1939.<ref name="tcm-dc-steinberg"/>|group=Note}} Warner Bros. produced Michael Curtiz's Technicolor adventure ''[[Dodge City (film)|Dodge City]]'' (1939), which was Flynn and de{{nbsp}}Havilland's first Western film.<ref name="tcm-dc-steinberg"/> Set during the [[American Civil War]], the film is about a Texas trailblazer who witnesses the brutal lawlessness of [[Dodge City, Kansas]], and becomes sheriff to clean up the town. De{{nbsp}}Havilland played Abbie Irving, whose initial hostility towards Flynn's character Wade Hatton is transformed by events, and the two fall in love{{nsmdns}}by now a proven formula for their on-screen relationships.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=36}} Curtiz's action sequences, [[Sol Polito]]'s cinematography, [[Max Steiner]]'s expansive [[film score]], and perhaps the "definitive saloon brawl in movie history"<ref name="tcm-dc-steinberg"/> all contributed to the film's success.{{sfnm|1a1=Kass|1y=1976|1p=34|2a1=Thomas|2y=1983|2p=132}} ''Variety'' described the film as "a lusty western, packed with action".<ref name="variety-dc"/> For de{{nbsp}}Havilland, playing yet another supporting love interest in a limited role, ''Dodge City'' represented the emotional low point of her career to that point.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=131}} She later said, "I was in such a depressed state that I could hardly remember my lines."{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=36}}

[[File:Olivia de Havilland Publicity Photo for Gone with the Wind 1939.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Wearing a flowing dress and bonnet|Studio publicity portrait for ''Gone with the Wind'', 1939]]
In a letter to a colleague dated November 18, 1938, film producer [[David O. Selznick]] wrote, "I would give anything if we had Olivia de{{nbsp}}Havilland under contract to us so that we could cast her as Melanie."{{sfn|Selznick|1972|pp=171–172}} The film he was preparing to shoot was the Technicolor epic ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'', but Jack L. Warner was unwilling to lend her out for the project.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=138}} While most other actresses wanted the Scarlett O'Hara role, de{{nbsp}}Havilland had read the novel and wanted to play [[Melanie Hamilton]]{{nsmdns}}a character whose quiet dignity and inner strength she understood and felt she could bring to life on the screen.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/golden-girl-the-divine-olivia-de-havilland-1744807.html |title=Golden girl: The divine Olivia de Havilland |last=Whitelock|first=Holly |date=July 14, 2009 |website=The Independent |access-date=April 8, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-date=July 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220717130846/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/features/golden-girl-the-divine-olivia-de-havilland-1744807.html}}</ref>

De{{nbsp}}Havilland turned to Warner's wife Anne for help.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=137–138}} Warner later recalled: "Olivia, who had a brain like a computer concealed behind those fawn-like eyes, simply went to my wife and they joined forces to change my mind."{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=49}} He relented, and de{{nbsp}}Havilland was signed to the project a few weeks before the start of principal photography on January 26, 1939.<ref name="tcm-gwtw-notes"/> Set in the American South during the Civil War and Reconstruction eras, the film is about Scarlett O'Hara—the strong-willed daughter of a Georgia plantation owner—who is in love with the husband of her sister-in-law Melanie, whose kindness stands in sharp contrast to those around her. According to film historian Tony Thomas, de{{nbsp}}Havilland's skillful and subtle performance effectively presents this character of selfless love and quiet strength in a way that keeps her vital and interesting throughout the film.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=144}} ''Gone with the Wind'' had its world premiere in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 15, 1939, and was well received.<ref name="tcm-gwtw-notes"/> Frank S. Nugent of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote that de{{nbsp}}Havilland's Melanie "is a gracious, dignified, tender gem of characterization",<ref name="nytimes-gwtw-nugent"/> and John C. Flinn Sr. in ''Variety'' called her "a standout".<ref name="variety-gwtw-flinn"/> The film won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and de{{nbsp}}Havilland received her first nomination for Best Supporting Actress.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=54}}<ref name="oscars-1940"/>
{{Quote box|align=right|width=42%|salign=right|quote=Melanie was someone different. She had very, deeply feminine qualities ... that I felt were very endangered at that time, and they are from generation to generation, and that somehow they should be kept alive, and ... that's why I wanted to interpret her role. ... The main thing is that she was always thinking of the other person, and the interesting thing to me is that she was a happy person ... loving, compassionate.|source=— Olivia de Havilland<ref name="academy-of-achievement"/>}}

Within days of completing her work in ''Gone with the Wind'' in June 1939, de{{nbsp}}Havilland returned to Warner Bros. to begin filming Michael Curtiz's historical drama ''[[The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex]]'' (1939) with Bette Davis and Errol Flynn.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=147}} She had hoped her work on Selznick's prestige picture would lead to first-rate roles at Warner Bros., but instead, she received third [[Billing (filmmaking)|billing]] below the title as the queen's [[lady-in-waiting]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=147–149}} In early September, she was lent out to [[Samuel Goldwyn Productions]] for [[Sam Wood]]'s romantic [[Heist film|caper film]] ''[[Raffles (1939 film)|Raffles]]'' (1939) with [[David Niven]],<ref name="tcm-raf-miller"/> about a high-society [[cricket]]er and jewel thief.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=154–155}} She later complained, "I had nothing to do with that style of film."{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=63}}

[[File:Santa Fe Trail 3.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.75|alt=Wearing a silver dress and broach|''Santa Fe Trail'' (1940)]]
In early 1940, de{{nbsp}}Havilland refused to appear in several films assigned to her, initiating the first of her suspensions from the studio.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=63}} She did agree to play in [[Curtis Bernhardt]]'s musical comedy drama ''[[My Love Came Back]]'' (1940) with [[Jeffrey Lynn]] and [[Eddie Albert]], who played a classical music student turned swing jazz bandleader. De{{nbsp}}Havilland played violinist Amelia Cornell, whose life becomes complicated by the support of a wealthy sponsor.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=63}}{{#tag:ref|The performance sequences in ''[[My Love Came Back]]'' were accomplished by placing a professional female violinist behind the actress to perform the complicated left-hand fingering while the actress played the bow with her right hand.<ref name="tcm-mylove-notes"/>|group=Note}} [[Bosley Crowther]] of ''The New York Times'' described the film as "a featherlight frolic, a rollicking roundelay of deliciously pointed nonsense", finding that de{{nbsp}}Havilland "plays the part with pace and wit".<ref name="nytimes-mylove-crowther"/>

That same year, de{{nbsp}}Havilland was re-united with Flynn in their sixth film together, Michael Curtiz's Western adventure ''[[Santa Fe Trail (film)|Santa Fe Trail]]'', set against the backdrop of abolitionist [[John Brown (abolitionist)|John Brown]]'s radical anti-slavery attacks in the days leading up to the American Civil War.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=161}} The mostly fictional story follows [[West Point]] cadets [[J. E. B. Stuart]] and [[George Armstrong Custer]], played by Flynn and [[Ronald Reagan]], respectively, as they make their way west, both vying for the affections of Kit Carson Halliday.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=161}} Playing Kit in a provocative, tongue-in-cheek manner, de{{nbsp}}Havilland creates a character of real substance and dimension, according to Tony Thomas.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=165}} Following its world premiere on December 13, 1940, at the [[Lensic Theater]] in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]], which was attended by cast members, reporters, the governor, and over 60,000 fans,{{Sfn|Matzen|2010|pp=147–149}} ''Santa Fe Trail'' became one of the top-grossing films of 1940.<ref name="bigbend-sft-taylor"/> After accompanying Flynn on the well-publicized train ride to Santa Fe, de{{nbsp}}Havilland was unable to attend the premiere because she had been diagnosed with [[appendicitis]] that morning and rushed into surgery.{{sfn|Matzen|2010|pp=147–149}}

=== 1941–1944: War years and lawsuit ===
Following her emergency surgery, de{{nbsp}}Havilland began a long period of convalescence in a Los Angeles hospital during which time she rejected several scripts offered to her by Warner Bros., which led to another suspension.{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=154}} She appeared in three commercially successful films released in 1941, beginning with [[Raoul Walsh]]'s romantic comedy ''[[The Strawberry Blonde]]'' with [[James Cagney]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=167}} Set during the [[Gay Nineties]], the story involves a man who marries an outspoken advocate for women's rights after a rival steals his glamorous "strawberry blonde" girlfriend, and he later discovers her to be a loving and understanding wife.{{sfn|Kass|1976|pp=64–65}} The film was a critical and commercial success.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=171}} In [[Mitch Leisen]]'s romantic drama ''[[Hold Back the Dawn]]'' with [[Charles Boyer]] for [[Paramount Pictures]], she transitioned to a different type of role{{nsmdns}}an ordinary, decent, small-town teacher whose life and sexuality are awakened by a sophisticated European gigolo, whose own life is positively affected by her love.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=173}} Leisen's careful direction and guidance appealed to de{{nbsp}}Havilland, much more than the workman-like approach of her Warner Bros. directors.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=175, 179}} Bosley Crowther wrote in ''The New York Times'' that she "plays the school teacher as a woman with romantic fancies whose honesty and pride are her own{{nsmdns}}and the film's{{nsmdns}}chief support. Incidentally, she is excellent."<ref name="nytimes-hbtd-crowther"/> For this performance, she garnered her second Academy Award nomination, this time for Best Actress.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=67}}

De{{nbsp}}Havilland was re-united with Flynn for their eighth movie together, Walsh's epic ''[[They Died with Their Boots On]]''. The film is loosely based on the courtship and marriage of George Armstrong Custer and [[Elizabeth Bacon Custer|Elizabeth "Libbie" Bacon]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=181}} Flynn and de{{nbsp}}Havilland had fallen out the previous year, mainly over the roles she was being given, and she had intended not to work with him again.{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=143}} Flynn said, "She was sick to death of playing 'the girl' and badly wanted a few good roles to show herself and the world that she was a fine actress."{{sfn|Flynn|2002|p=211}} After she learned from Warner that Flynn had come to his office saying he needed her in the film, de{{nbsp}}Havilland accepted.{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=154}} Screenwriter [[Lenore Coffee]] was brought in to add several romantic scenes and improve the overall dialogue,{{sfn|Matzen|2010|p=154}} resulting in a film that includes some of their finest work together.{{sfnm|1a1=Kass|1y=1976|1p=40|2a1=Thomas|2y=1983|2p=185}} Their final on-screen appearance is Custer's farewell to his wife.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=185}} "Errol was quite sensitive", de{{nbsp}}Havilland later remembered, "I think he knew it would be the last time we worked together."{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=185}} Flynn's final line in that scene would hold special meaning for her: "Walking through life with you, ma'am, has been a very gracious thing."{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=186}} ''They Died with Their Boots On'' was released on November 21, 1941, and while some reviewers criticized the film's historical inaccuracies, most applauded the action sequences, cinematography, and acting.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=184–185}} Thomas M. Pryor of ''The New York Times'' found de{{nbsp}}Havilland "altogether captivating".<ref name="nytimes-tdwtbo-pryor"/> The film went on to earn $2,550,000 ({{Inflation|US|2550000|1941|fmt=eq|r=-5}}) and was Warner Bros' second-biggest money-maker of that year.<ref name="variety-tdwtbo-101"/>

In 1942, de Havilland appeared with [[Henry Fonda]] in [[Elliott Nugent]]'s romantic comedy ''[[The Male Animal]]'', about an idealistic professor fighting for academic freedom while trying to hold onto his job and his wife Ellen, portrayed by de{{nbsp}}Havilland. While the role was not particularly challenging, her delineation of an intelligent, good-natured woman trying to resolve the unsettling circumstances of her life played a major part in the film's success, according to Tony Thomas.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=189–191}} The film was a critical and commercial success, and Bosley Crowther of ''The New York Times'' noted that de{{nbsp}}Havilland "concocts a delightfully pliant and saucy character as the wife".<ref name="nytimes-tma-crowther"/> Around the same time, she appeared with [[Bette Davis]] in [[John Huston]]'s drama ''[[In This Our Life]]'' (1942). Based on the [[Pulitzer Prize for Fiction|Pulitzer Prize]]-winning [[In This Our Life (novel)|novel of the same name]] by [[Ellen Glasgow]], the story is about two sisters whose lives are destroyed by the anger and jealousy of one of them.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=193}} Crowther gave the film a negative review but praised de{{nbsp}}Havilland's "warm and easy performance".<ref name="nytimes-itol-crowther"/> During production, de{{nbsp}}Havilland and Huston began a romantic relationship that lasted for three years.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=195}}

According to de{{nbsp}}Havilland, one of the few truly satisfying roles she played for Warner Bros. was the title character in [[Norman Krasna]]'s romantic comedy ''[[Princess O'Rourke]]'' (1943), in which she starred alongside [[Robert Cummings]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=34}} Filmed in July and August 1942,<ref name="tcm-po-opi"/> the story is about a European princess in New York City visiting her diplomat uncle, who is trying to find her an American husband. Intent on choosing her own match, she boards a plane heading west and ends up falling in love with an American pilot, who is unaware of her true identity.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=199–200}}{{#tag:ref|The plot and several story devices{{nsmdns}}including the princess waking up in the bed of an honorable bachelor{{nsmdns}}was resurrected a decade later in ''[[Roman Holiday]]'' with [[Audrey Hepburn]].{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=74}}|group=Note}} Released on October 23, 1943,<ref name="tcm-po-opi"/> the film did well at the box office.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=200}} Crowther called it "a film which is in the best tradition of American screen comedy" and found de{{nbsp}}Havilland's performance "charming".<ref name="nytimes-po-crowther"/>
{{Quote box|align=left|width=37%|salign=right|quote=I wanted to do complex roles, like Melanie for example, and Jack Warner saw me as an ingénue. I was really restless to portray more developed human beings. Jack never understood this, and ... he would give me roles that really had no character or quality in them. I knew I wouldn't even be effective.|source=— Olivia de Havilland{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=77}}}}

After fulfilling her seven-year Warner Bros. contract in 1943, de{{nbsp}}Havilland was informed that the contract had been extended by six months to allow for the times that she had been suspended.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=35}} The studios had adopted the position that California law allowed them to suspend contract players for rejecting a role, and the period of suspension could be added to the contract period.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=78}} Most contract players accepted this, but a few tried to challenge the assumption, including Bette Davis, who mounted an unsuccessful lawsuit against Warner Bros. in the 1930s.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=37}} On August 23, 1943, acting on the advice of her lawyer [[Martin Gang]], de{{nbsp}}Havilland filed suit against Warner Bros. in [[Los Angeles County Superior Court]], seeking [[declaratory judgment]] that she was no longer bound by her contract.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=36}}<ref name="scholar-dehavilland-warner"/> She used the grounds that an existing section of the California Labor Code forbade an employer from enforcing a contract against an employee for longer than seven years from the date of their first performance.{{sfnm|1a1=Kass|1y=1976|1p=78|2a1=Thomas|2y=1983|2p=36}} When the court found in favor of de{{nbsp}}Havilland in November 1943, Warner Bros. immediately appealed.{{sfn|McDonald|Carman|Hoyt|Drake|2015|p=215}}

A little over a year later, the [[California Court of Appeal for the Second District]] ruled in de{{nbsp}}Havilland's favor.<ref name="scholar-dehavilland-warner"/>{{#tag:ref|Two months later, the [[Supreme Court of California]] refused to review the case.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=80}}|group=Note}} 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.<ref name="reuters-belloni"/> California's resulting "seven-year rule", as articulated by the Court of Appeal in analysing Labor Code Section 2855 in this case, is still known as the [[De&nbsp;Havilland Law]].<ref name="reuters-belloni"/>{{sfn|McDonald|Carman|Hoyt|Drake|2015|p=210}} Her legal victory, which cost her $13,000 ({{Inflation|US|13000|1944|fmt=eq|r=-4}}) in legal fees, won de{{nbsp}}Havilland the respect and admiration of her peers, among them her own sister Joan Fontaine, who later commented, "Hollywood owes Olivia a great deal."{{sfn|Shipman|1970|p=153}} Warner Bros. reacted to the lawsuit by circulating a letter to other studios, which had the effect of a "virtual blacklisting".{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=36}} Consequently, de{{nbsp}}Havilland did not work at a film studio for almost two years.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=36}}
[[File:Olivia de Havilland at Naval Air Station Kodiak Alaska 20 March 1944.jpg|thumb|alt=Visiting a wounded soldier in a hospital|At the Naval Air Station in [[Kodiak, Alaska]] (March 20, 1944)]]

She became a [[naturalized citizen]] of the United States on November 28, 1941, ten days before the U.S. entered [[World War II]] militarily.<ref name="nytimes-citizen"/><ref name="cnn-facts"/> During the war years, she actively contributed to the war effort. In May 1942, de{{nbsp}}Havilland joined the [[Hollywood Victory Caravan]], a three-week train tour of the country that raised money through the sale of [[war bond]]s.<ref name="startrib-welter"/> Later that year, she began attending events at the [[Hollywood Canteen]], meeting and dancing with troops.{{sfn|Wallace|2002|p=179}} In December 1943, she joined a [[USO]] tour that travelled throughout the U.S. and the South Pacific, visiting wounded soldiers in military hospitals.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=78}}<ref name="academy-of-achievement"/> She earned the respect and admiration of the troops for visiting the isolated islands and battlefronts in the Pacific.<ref name="sas-walter"/> She survived flights in damaged aircraft and a bout with [[viral pneumonia]] that required several days' stay in one of the island barrack hospitals.<ref name="academy-of-achievement"/><ref name="sas-walter"/>{{#tag:ref|In 1957, in appreciation of her support of the troops during World War II and the Korean War, de{{nbsp}}Havilland was made an honorary member of the 11th Airborne Division and was presented with a United States Army jacket bearing the 11th's patch on one sleeve and the name patch "de{{nbsp}}Havilland" across the chest.<ref name="sas-walter"/>|group=Note}} She later remembered, "I loved doing the tours because it was a way I could serve my country and contribute to the war effort."{{sfn|Bubbio|2001|p=63}}

=== 1945–1952: Vindication and recognition ===
[[File:Olivia de Havilland at the Academy Awards 1946.jpg|thumb|left|alt=Smiling softly|De Havilland with the first of her two [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Oscars]], [[19th Academy Awards|this one]] for ''[[To Each His Own (1946 film)|To Each His Own]]'', March 13, 1947]]
After the California Court of Appeal<ref>67 Cal.App.2d 225 (1944)</ref> ruling freed her from her Warner Bros. contract, de{{nbsp}}Havilland signed a two-picture deal with Paramount Pictures.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=204}} In June 1945, she began filming Mitchell Leisen's drama ''[[To Each His Own (1946 film)|To Each His Own]]'',{{sfn|Kass|1976|pp=80, 86}} (1946) about an unwed mother who gives up her child for adoption and then spends the rest of her life trying to undo that decision.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=209}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland insisted on bringing in Leisen as director, trusting his eye for detail, his empathy for actors, and the way he controlled sentiment in their previous collaboration, ''Hold Back the Dawn''.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=209}} The role required de{{nbsp}}Havilland to age nearly 30 years over the course of the film{{nsmdns}}from an innocent, small-town girl to a shrewd, ruthless businesswoman devoted to her cosmetics company. While de{{nbsp}}Havilland never formally studied acting, she did read [[Stanislavsky]]'s autobiography ''[[My Life in Art]]'' and applied one of his "[[Method acting|methods]]" for this role.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=86}} To help her define her character during the four periods of the story, she used a different perfume for each period. She also lowered the pitch of her voice incrementally in each period until it became a mature woman's voice.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=211}} Her performance earned her the Academy Award for Best Actress for 1946{{nsmdns}}her first Oscar.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=89}} According to film historian Tony Thomas, the award represented a vindication of her long struggle with Warner Bros. and confirmation of her abilities as an actress.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=211}}

Her next two roles were challenging. In [[Robert Siodmak]]'s [[psychological thriller]] ''[[The Dark Mirror (1946 film)|The Dark Mirror]]'' (also 1946), de{{nbsp}}Havilland played twin sisters Ruth and Terry Collins{{nsmdns}}one loving and normal, the other [[psychotic]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=212}} In addition to the technical problems of showing her as two characters interacting with each other on screen at the same time, de{{nbsp}}Havilland needed to portray two separate and psychologically opposite people.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=90}} While the film was not well received by critics{{nsmdns}}''Variety'' said the film "gets lost in a maze of psychological gadgets and speculation"<ref name="variety-dm"/>{{nsmdns}}de{{nbsp}}Havilland's performance was praised by Tony Thomas, who called her final scene in the film "an almost frighteningly convincing piece of acting".{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=213}} In his review in ''[[The Nation]]'', [[James Agee]] wrote that "her playing is thoughtful, quiet, detailed, and well sustained, and since it is founded, as some more talented playing is not, in an unusually healthful-seeming and likable temperament, it is an undivided pleasure to see".<ref name="nation-agee"/>{{sfn|Shipman|1970|p=151}} Later that year while appearing in a [[summer stock]] production of ''[[What Every Woman Knows (play)|What Every Woman Knows]]'' in [[Westport, Connecticut]], her second professional stage appearance, de{{nbsp}}Havilland began dating [[Marcus Goodrich]], a [[U.S. Navy]] veteran, journalist, and author of the novel ''[[Delilah (novel)|Delilah]]'' (1941). The couple married on August 26, 1946.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=38}}

De Havilland was praised for her performance as Virginia Cunningham in [[Anatole Litvak]]'s drama ''[[The Snake Pit]]'' (1948), one of the first films to attempt a realistic portrayal of [[mental illness]] and an important exposé of the harsh conditions in state mental hospitals, according to film critic [[Philip French]].<ref name="guardian-french"/> Based on a novel by [[Mary Jane Ward]] and produced by [[Darryl F. Zanuck]], the film is about a woman placed in a mental institution by her husband to help her recover from a nervous breakdown.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=214–215}} Virginia Cunningham was one of the most difficult of all her film roles, requiring significant preparation both mentally and physically{{nsmdns}}she deliberately lost weight to help create her gaunt appearance on screen.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=214}} She consulted regularly with psychiatrists hired as consultants for the film, and visited [[Camarillo State Mental Hospital]] to research her role and observe the patients. The extreme physical discomfort of the [[hydrotherapy]] and simulated electric shock therapy scenes were especially challenging for the slight {{convert|5|ft|3|in|cm|adj=on}} actress.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=218}} In her performance, she conveyed her mental anguish by physically transforming her face with furrowed brow, wild staring eyes, and grimacing mouth.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=97}}
{{Quote box|align=right|width=45%|salign=right|quote=I met a young woman who was very much like Virginia, about the same age and physical description, as well as being a [[schizophrenic]] with guilt problems. ... What struck me most of all was the fact that she was rather likable and appealing. It hadn't occurred to me before that a mental patient could be appealing, and it was that that gave me the key to the performance.|source=— Olivia de Havilland{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=218}}}}

According to author Judith Kass, de{{nbsp}}Havilland delivered a performance both "restrained and electric", portraying varied and extreme aspects of her character{{nsmdns}}from a shy young woman to a tormented and disorientated woman.{{sfn|Kass|1976|pp=96–97}} For her performance in ''The Snake Pit'', de{{nbsp}}Havilland received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, the [[New York Film Critics Circle]] Award for Best Actress, and the [[Venice Film Festival]] Volpi Cup.<ref name="allmovie-olivia-awards"/>

De{{nbsp}}Havilland appeared in [[William Wyler]]'s period drama ''[[The Heiress]]'' (1949), the fourth in a string of critically acclaimed performances.{{sfnm|1a1=Kass|1y=1976|1p=219|2a1=Matzen|2y=2010|2p=186}} After seeing the play on Broadway, de{{nbsp}}Havilland called Wyler and urged him to fly to New York to see what she felt would be a perfect role for her. Wyler obliged, loved the play, and with de{{nbsp}}Havilland's help arranged for Paramount to secure the film rights.{{sfn|Herman|1995|pp=306–307}} Adapted for the screen by [[Ruth Goetz|Ruth]] and Augustus Goetz and based on the 1880 novel ''[[Washington Square (novel)|Washington Square]]'' by [[Henry James]], the film is about a dull, guileless young woman who falls in love with a handsome, ingenuous  young man ([[Montgomery Clift]]), over the objections of her cruel and emotionally abusive father, who suspects the young man of being a fortune seeker.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=97}} As she had done in ''Hold Back the Dawn'', de{{nbsp}}Havilland portrayed her character's transformation from a shy, trusting innocent to a guarded, mature woman over a period of years.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=219}} Her delineation of Catherine Sloper is developed through carefully crafted movements, gestures, and facial expressions that convey a submissive and inhibited young woman. Her timid voice, nervous hands, downcast eyes, and careful movements all communicate what the character is too shy to verbalize.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=97}} Throughout the production, Wyler pressed de{{nbsp}}Havilland hard to elicit the requisite visual points of the character. When Catherine returns home after being jilted, the director had the actress carry a suitcase filled with heavy books up the stairs to convey the weight of Catherine's trauma physically instead of using a planned speech in the original script.{{sfn|Herman|1995|pp=310–311}} ''The Heiress'' was released in October 1949 and was well received by critics. For her performance, she received the New York Film Critics Award, the [[Golden Globe Award]], and the Academy Award for Best Actress, {{nsmdns}}her second Oscar.<ref name="tcm-h-miller"/>

After giving birth to her first child, Benjamin, on September 27, 1949, de{{nbsp}}Havilland took time off from making films to be with her infant son.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=40}} She turned down the role of [[Blanche DuBois]] in ''[[A Streetcar Named Desire (1951 film)|A Streetcar Named Desire]]'', later explaining that becoming a mother was a "transforming experience" and that she could not relate to the character.<ref name="wsj-meroney"/> In 1950, her family moved to New York City, where she began rehearsals for a major new stage production of Shakespeare's ''[[Romeo and Juliet]]''; it was her life-long ambition to play Juliet on the stage.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=40}} The play opened at the [[Broadhurst Theater]] on March 11, 1951, to mixed reviews, with some critics believing the 35-year-old actress was too old for the role.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=40}} The play closed after 45 performances.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=40}} Undaunted, de{{nbsp}}Havilland accepted the title role in the stage production of [[George Bernard Shaw]]'s comedy ''[[Candida (play)|Candida]]'', which opened at the [[Nederlander Theatre|National Theater]] on [[Broadway (Manhattan)|Broadway]] in April 1952.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=40}} While reviews of the play were mixed, de{{nbsp}}Havilland's performance was well received, and following the scheduled 32 performances, she went on tour with the company and delivered 323 additional performances, many to sold-out audiences.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=40}} While de{{nbsp}}Havilland achieved major accomplishments during this period of her career, her marriage to Goodrich, 18 years her senior, had grown strained because of his unstable temperament.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=83}} In August 1952, she filed for divorce, which became final the following year.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=41}}

=== 1953–1962: New life in Paris ===
{{Quote box|align=left|width=36%|salign=right|quote=Of course the thing that staggers you when you first come to France is the fact that all the French speak French{{nsmdns}}even the children. Many Americans and Britishers who visit the country never quite adjust to this, and the idea persists that the natives speak the language just to show off or be difficult.|source=— Olivia de Havilland in ''Every Frenchman Has One''{{sfn|De Havilland|1962|p=31}}}}

In April 1953, at the invitation of the French government, she travelled to the [[Cannes Film Festival]], where she met Pierre Galante, an executive editor for the French journal ''[[Paris Match]]''.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=41–42}} Following a long-distance courtship and the requisite nine-month residency requirement, de{{nbsp}}Havilland and Galante married on April 12, 1955, in the village of [[Yvoy-le-Marron]], and settled together in a three-storey house near the [[Bois de Boulogne]] park in Paris' [[16th arrondissement of Paris|16th ''Arrondissement'']].<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.lepoint.fr/invites-du-point/jean-noel-mirande/olivia-de-havilland-une-americaine-a-paris-22-07-2012-1488046_572.php |title=Olivia de Havilland, une Américaine à Paris (Olivia de Havilland, an American Woman in Paris) |first=Jean-Noël |last=Mirande |date=July 22, 2012 |magazine=[[Le Point]] }}</ref><ref name="latimes-tartaglione"/>{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=42}} That same year, she returned to the screen in [[Terence Young (director)|Terence Young]]'s period drama ''[[That Lady]]'' (1955), about a Spanish princess and her unrequited love for [[King Philip II of Spain]], whose respect she earned in her youth after losing an eye in a sword fight defending his honor.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=225–226}} According to Tony Thomas, the film uses authentic Spanish locations effectively, but suffers from a convoluted plot and excessive dialogue, and while de{{nbsp}}Havilland delivered a warm and elegant performance as [[Ana de Mendoza, Princess of Eboli|Ana de Mendoza]], the film was disappointing.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=225–226}} Following her appearances in the romantic melodrama ''[[Not as a Stranger]]'' (1955){{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=227}} and ''[[The Ambassador's Daughter (1956 film)|The Ambassador's Daughter]]'' (1956){{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=229}}{{nsmdns}}neither of which was successful at the box office {{nsmdns}}de{{nbsp}}Havilland gave birth to her second child, Gisèle Galante, on July 18, 1956.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=42}}
[[File:Olivia de Havilland and Pierre Galante with Child 1956.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=Smiling while holding her newborn child with her husband|With Pierre Galante and daughter Gisèle, 1956]]

De Havilland returned to the screen in Michael Curtiz's Western drama ''[[The Proud Rebel]]'' (1958),{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=231}} a film about a former Confederate soldier ([[Alan Ladd]]) whose wife was killed in the war and whose son lost the ability to speak after witnessing the tragedy. De{{nbsp}}Havilland played Linnett Moore, a tough yet feminine frontier woman who cares for the boy and comes to love his father.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=117}} The movie was filmed on location in Utah, where de{{nbsp}}Havilland learned to hitch and drive a team of horses and handle a gun for her role.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=232}} ''The Proud Rebel'' was released May 28, 1958, and was well received by audiences and critics. In his review for ''The New York Times'', A. H. Weiler called the film a "truly sensitive effort" and "heartwarming drama", and praised de{{nbsp}}Havilland's ability to convey the "warmth, affection and sturdiness needed in the role".<ref name="nytimes-pr-weiler"/>

One of de{{nbsp}}Havilland's best received performances during this period was in [[Guy Green (filmmaker)|Guy Green]]'s romantic drama ''[[Light in the Piazza (film)|Light in the Piazza]]'' (1962) with [[Rossano Brazzi]].{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=235}} Filmed in [[Florence]] and [[Rome]],{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=235}} and based on [[Elizabeth Spencer (writer)|Elizabeth Spencer]]'s [[The Light in the Piazza (novel)|novel of the same name]], the film is about a middle-class American tourist on extended vacation in Italy with her beautiful 26-year-old daughter ([[Yvette Mimieux]]), who is [[Intellectual disability|mentally disabled]] as a result of a childhood accident.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=235}} Faced with the prospect of her daughter falling in love with a young Italian, the mother struggles with conflicting emotions about her daughter's future.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=235–236}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland projects a calm maternal serenity throughout most of the film, only showing glimpses of the worried mother anxious for her child's happiness.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=124}} The film was released on February 19, 1962, and was well received, with a ''[[Hollywood Reporter]]'' reviewer calling it "an uncommon love story ... told with rare delicacy and force", and ''Variety'' noting that the film "achieves the rare and delicate balance of artistic beauty, romantic substance, dramatic novelty and commercial appeal". ''Variety'' singled out de{{nbsp}}Havilland's performance as "one of great consistency and subtle projection".<ref name="variety-piazza"/>

In early 1962, de{{nbsp}}Havilland traveled to New York City, and began rehearsals for [[Garson Kanin]]'s stage play ''A Gift of Time''. Adapted from the autobiographical book ''Death of a Man'' by Lael Tucker Wertenbaker, the play explores the emotionally painful struggle of a housewife forced to deal with the slow death of her husband, played by Henry Fonda. The play opened at the [[Ethel Barrymore Theater]] on Broadway to positive notices, with de{{nbsp}}Havilland receiving her best reviews as a stage actress.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=42}} Theater critic [[Walter Kerr]] praised her final scene, writing, "As darkness gathers, the actress gains in stature, taking on the simple and resolute willingness to understand."{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=127}} The ''[[New York World-Telegram and Sun]]'' reviewer concluded: "It is Miss de{{nbsp}}Havilland who gives the play its unbroken continuity. This distinguished actress reveals Lael as a special and admirable woman."{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=127}} She stayed with the production for 90 performances.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=42}} The year 1962 also saw the publication of de{{nbsp}}Havilland's first book, ''[[Every Frenchman Has One]]'', a lighthearted account of her often amusing attempts to understand and adapt to French life, manners, and customs.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=42}} The book sold out its first printing prior to the publication date and went on to become a bestseller.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=120}}<ref name="latimes-tartaglione"/>

=== 1963–1988: Later films and television ===
[[File:Olivia de Havilland, actress, 1985 - levels adjustment.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|de Havilland in 1985]]
De Havilland appeared in her final motion picture leading roles in two films released in 1964, both of which were psychological thrillers. In [[Walter Grauman]]'s <!-- Shot in February 1963. -->''[[Lady in a Cage]]'', she played a wealthy poet who becomes trapped in her mansion's elevator and faces the threat of three terrorising hooligans in her own home.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=237}} Critics responded negatively to the graphic violence and cruelty shown on screen.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=127}} A.{{nbsp}}H. Weiler of ''The New York Times'' called it a "sordid, if suspenseful, exercise in aimless brutality".<ref name="nytimes-cage-weiler"/> That same year, de{{nbsp}}Havilland appeared in [[Robert Aldrich]]'s ''[[Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte]]'' with her close friend Bette Davis.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=131}} After Joan Crawford left the picture owing to illness, Davis had Aldrich fly to Switzerland to persuade a reluctant de{{nbsp}}Havilland to accept the role of Miriam Deering, a cruel, conniving character hidden behind the charming façade of a polite and cultured lady.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=239–241}} Her quiet, restrained performance provided a counterbalance to Davis. Film historian Tony Thomas described her performance as "a subtle piece of acting" that was "a vital contribution to the effectiveness of the film".{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=241}} The film was mainly well received and earned seven Academy Award nominations.<ref name="tcm-hush-lobianco"/> In 1965 she served as the president of the jury of the 18th [[Cannes Film Festival]], the first woman to do so.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/olivia-de-havilland-cannes-first-female-jury-president-1202794178/|title=Olivia De Havilland Remembers Being the First Female Cannes Jury President|first1=Henry|last1=Chu|date=May 2, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=July 27, 2020}}</ref>

As film roles became more difficult to find, a common problem shared by many Hollywood veterans from her era, de{{nbsp}}Havilland began working in television dramas, despite her dislike of the networks' practice of breaking up story lines with commercials.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=44}} Her first venture into the medium was a [[teleplay]] directed by [[Sam Peckinpah]] called ''Noon Wine'' (1966) on ''[[ABC Stage 67]]'',{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=44}} a dark tragedy about a farmer's act of murder that leads to his suicide.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=44}} The production and her performance as the farmer's wife Ellie were well received.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|p=45}} In 1972, she starred in her first television film, ''[[The Screaming Woman]]'', about a wealthy woman recovering from a nervous breakdown.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=45–46}} In 1979, she appeared in the ABC miniseries ''[[Roots: The Next Generations]]'' in the role of Mrs. Warner, the wife of a former Confederate officer played by Henry Fonda. The miniseries was seen by an estimated 110{{nbsp}}million people{{nsmdns}}nearly one-third of American homes with television sets.<ref name="schenectady-gazette-roots"/> Throughout the 1970s, de{{nbsp}}Havilland's film work was limited to smaller supporting roles and [[cameo appearance]]s.{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=46–48}} Her last feature film was ''[[The Fifth Musketeer]]'' (1979).{{sfn|Thomas|1983|pp=46–48}} During this period, de{{nbsp}}Havilland began doing speaking engagements in cities across the United States with a talk entitled "From the City of the Stars to the City of Light", a programme of personal reminiscences about her life and career. She also attended tributes to ''Gone with the Wind''.{{sfn|Kass|1976|p=142}}

In the 1980s, her television work included an [[Agatha Christie]] television film ''[[Murder Is Easy]]'' (1982), the television drama ''[[The Royal Romance of Charles and Diana]]'' (1982) in which she played [[the Queen Mother]], and the 1986 ABC miniseries ''[[North and South: Book II|North and South, Book II]]''.<ref name="tcm-filmography"/> Her performance in the television film ''[[Anastasia: The Mystery of Anna]]'' (1986), as [[Maria Feodorovna (Dagmar of Denmark)|Dowager Empress Maria]], earned her a Golden Globe Award for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress – Series, Miniseries or Television Film|Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or Television Film]].<ref name="tcm-bio"/> In 1988, de{{nbsp}}Havilland appeared in the [[ITV Wales & West|HTV]] romantic television drama ''[[The Woman He Loved]]''; it was her final screen performance.<ref name="tcm-filmography"/>

=== 1989–2020: Retirement and honors ===
[[File:Olivia de Havilland.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|de Havilland at the [[Smithsonian Institution]] in 2001]]
In retirement, de{{nbsp}}Havilland remained active in the film community. In 1998, she travelled to New York City to help promote a special showing of ''Gone with the Wind''.<ref name="philly-rickey"/> In 2003, she appeared as a presenter at the [[75th Academy Awards]], earning an extended standing ovation upon her entrance.<ref name="tcm-bio"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2016/jul/01/olivia-de-havilland-100-years-old-gone-with-the-wind|title=Happy birthday Olivia de Havilland! Hollywood's queen of radiant calm turns 100 |work=The Guardian|date=July 1, 2016|access-date=March 23, 2018|first=Peter|last=Bradshaw}}</ref> In 2004, [[Turner Classic Movies]] produced a retrospective piece called ''Melanie Remembers'' in which she was interviewed for the 65th anniversary of the original release of ''Gone with the Wind''.{{sfn|Bartel|2014|p=135}} In June 2006, she made appearances at tributes commemorating her 90th birthday at the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] and the [[Los Angeles County Museum of Art]].<ref name="wsj-meroney"/>

On November 17, 2008, at the age of 92, de{{nbsp}}Havilland received the [[National Medal of Arts]], the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people of the United States. The medal was presented to her by President [[George W. Bush]], who commended her "for her persuasive and compelling skill as an actress in roles from Shakespeare's [[Hermia]] to [[Margaret Mitchell]]'s Melanie. Her independence, integrity, and grace won creative freedom for herself and her fellow film actors."<ref name="wh-archive"/><ref name="nytimes-itzkoff"/> The following year, de{{nbsp}}Havilland narrated the documentary ''[[I Remember Better When I Paint]]'' (2009),<ref name="huffpost-gitau"/> a film about the importance of art in the treatment of [[Alzheimer's disease]].<ref name="huffpost-gitau"/>

In 2010, de Havilland almost made her return to the big screen after a 22-year hiatus with [[James Ivory]]'s planned adaptation of ''[[The Aspern Papers]]'', but the film was never made.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://madame.lefigaro.fr/art-de-vivre/lady-olivia-051110-29415|title=Lady Olivia|work=Madame Figaro|date=November 5, 2010|access-date=December 22, 2018|first=Richard|last=Gianorio}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/ivory-tickled-by-art-enigma-20101017-16p5e.html|title=Ivory tickled by art enigma|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|date=October 18, 2010|access-date=December 22, 2018|first=Philippa|last=Hawker}}</ref> On September 9, 2010, de{{nbsp}}Havilland was appointed a ''Chevalier'' (knight) of the [[Légion d'honneur]], the highest decoration in France, awarded by President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]], who told the actress, "You honor France for having chosen us."<ref name="ap-corbet"/> In February the following year, she appeared at the [[César Awards]] in France, where she was greeted with a standing ovation.{{#tag:ref|In February 2016, de{{nbsp}}Havilland was named "Oldie of the Year" by the satirical magazine ''[[The Oldie]]''. Unable to travel to the ceremony in London, she recorded a message saying she was "utterly delighted" the judges deemed "sufficient snap in my celery" existed to win the accolade.<ref name="bbc-oldie"/>|group=Note}} De{{nbsp}}Havilland celebrated [[List of centenarians (actors, filmmakers and entertainers)|her 100th birthday]] on July 1, 2016.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/olivia-de-havilland-gone-with-the-wind-star-turns-100-centenarian-younger-self-advice-a7114011.html|title=Olivia de Havilland turns 100: 'Gone With The Wind' star gives her younger self some advice|work=The Independent|date=July 1, 2016|access-date=August 12, 2016|first=Rachael|last=Revesz}}</ref>

In June 2017, two weeks before her 101st birthday, de Havilland was appointed [[Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire]] in the [[2017 Birthday Honours]] for services to drama by [[Queen Elizabeth II]].<ref name="auto">{{London Gazette|issue=61962|date=June 16, 2017|page=B7|supp=1}}</ref> She is the oldest woman ever to receive the honor. In a statement, she called it "the most gratifying of birthday presents".<ref name="auto1">{{cite news|last1=Furness|first1=Hannah|last2=Maidment|first2=Jack|title=Queen's Birthday Honours: Arise Sir Billy Connolly as Paul McCartney, JK Rowling and Delia Smith given honours|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/16/queens-birthday-honours-arise-sir-billy-connolly-paul-mccartney |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/16/queens-birthday-honours-arise-sir-billy-connolly-paul-mccartney |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|access-date=June 17, 2017|work=The Telegraph|date=June 16, 2017}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name="auto2">{{cite news|last1=Kennedy|first1=Maev|title=Queen's birthday honours list|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/jun/16/billy-queens-birthday-honours-list-billy-connolly-jk-rowling-paul-mccartney-delia-smith|access-date=June 17, 2017|work=The Guardian|date=June 16, 2017}}</ref> She did not travel to the investiture ceremony at [[Buckingham Palace]] and received her honor from the hands of the British Ambassador to France at her Paris apartment in March 2018, four months before her 102nd birthday. Her daughter Gisèle was by her side.<ref>{{cite web|title=There is nothing like a Dame|url=https://www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/there-is-nothing-like-a-dame|website=TheOldie|access-date=September 11, 2018|archive-date=September 11, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180911114446/https://www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/there-is-nothing-like-a-dame|url-status=dead}}</ref>