Olivia de Haviland is only turning 90? That barely seems possible. I mean she starred in Gone With the Wind and was playing a majestic older lady as far back as Airport '77 (now that was a cast for a 1970's disaster movie - incredibly gifted older actors, 70's chew-the-scenery icons like Lee Grant and Brenda Vaccaro, Christopher Lee on hand to look creepy and remind you that death surrounds these people and George Kennedy because ... well if it's a 1970's disaster movie you have to have George Kennedy, it's some kind of law of physics).
Anyway, whether she was playing kindly or cunning and cruel I've usually liked her as an actress. But far too few people know about the important role she played in increasing the legal rights of actors, back in the bad old days of the studio system. So, to honor her 90th, David Thomson reminds us of the legal breakthroughs she helped secure.
Posted by armand at June 21, 2006 09:22 AM | TrackBack | Posted to Movies