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Title
Olivia de Havilland and George Cukor
Alternative Title
Los Angeles Herald Examiner Photo Collection
Date Created and/or Issued
1939
Contributing Institution
Los Angeles Public Library
Collection
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Rights Information
Images available for reproduction and use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/OrderingUse.html for additional information.
Description
Title supplied by cataloger.; Photograph was edited for publication purposes.
Olivia de Havilland was born to English parents on July 1, 1916 in Tokyo, Japan. Her parents separated and her mother Lillian took Olivia and her sister Joan, born in 1917, to California to live. In 1925, after her divorce, Lillian remarried George M. Fontaine whose last name Joan would later take. The sisters developed a rivalry early on that would last the rest of their lives. De Havilland made her film debut in "A Midsummer Night's Dream," in October 1935. After two more disappointing films, she was paired with Errol Flynn in "Captain Blood." The film was well received and the two became a popular box office draw. De Havilland starred in many other movies in her seven years with Warner Brothers, gaining two Academy Award nominations, including one for "Gone with the Wind" in 1939. In 1943, Warner Brothers sought to extend her seven-year contract for six months because of prior suspensions. De Havilland took the studio to court and won, resulting in California's "seven-year rule," also known as Labor Code Section 2855. Still known today as the De Havilland Law, it prevented studios from extending their employees' contracts beyond seven calendar years. This was a blow to the studios and led to a blacklisting of de Havilland for two years. Moving on to other studios, de Havilland received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performances in "To Each His Own" in 1946, and "The Heiress" in 1949, and she was praised for her roles in several other films. De Havilland was married twice, to Marcus Goodrich and Pierre Galante, and had two children, Benjamin Goodrich and Gisele Galante. Her son died in 1991. De Havilland has lived in Paris since 1960.; George Cukor was born on July 7, 1899 in New York City. He was a prolific American film director, working on such films as 1933's "Little Women," "The Philadelphia Story," "Gaslight," "Adam's Rib," "My Fair Lady," and "A Star is Born," starring Judy Garland. The films he directed garnered more leading performance Academy Award nominations than any other director. He continued to work into the 1980s. He died on January 24, 1983.
Photograph caption dated September 28, 1939, reads "Olivia de Havilland, who plays a leading role in the film, is shown arriving with George Cukor, director. The first nighters cheered Miss Davis' amazing portrayal of the 45-year-old Virgin Queen. " They are attending the premiere of "The private lives of Elizabeth and Essex" at Warner Brothers Beverly Hills Theater. De Havilland is wearing a white floor-length gown and a matching headwrap. Cukor is in a tuxedo. Fans can be seen in the background.
Type
Image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;26 x 21 cm.
Photographic prints
Identifier
00110766
Herald Examiner Collection
HE box 5324
CARL0005358475
http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/32297
Subject
De Havilland, Olivia
Cukor, George,--1899-1983
Warner Bros. Beverly Hills Theatre
Motion picture actors and actresses--United States
Motion picture producers and directors--United States
Fans (Persons)--California--Beverly Hills
Women--California--Beverly Hills
Men--California--Beverly Hills
Motion picture premieres--California--Beverly Hills
Motion picture theaters--California--Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills (Calif.)
Night photographs
Los Angeles Evening Herald and Express photographs
Herald-Examiner Collection photographs

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