It’s the end of an era. Legendary actress Olivia de Havilland passed away on July 26, 2020, at 104 years old. She was one of the last surviving stars of Hollywood’s Golden Age of film. Best known for her role as the sweet, goody-two-shoes Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in the 1939 epic romance Gone with the Wind, de Havilland’s career spanned for six decades, resulting in two Academy Awards.
Fans have adored her for generations, and she will forever be remembered. In honor of her legacy, take a look at 10 of her best movies, ranked by IMDb. After watching these films, you’ll understand why there won’t ever again be a star like her.
My Cousin Rachel (1952) – 7.1
In the 1952 film noir mystery My Cousin Rachel, de Havilland plays Rachel, a suspicious woman who Richard Burton’s Philip Ashley suspects killed her husband (and his cousin), Ambrose (John Sutton). Did she kill him for money?
As Philip learns more and more about Rachel, he begins to notice her obvious beauty. How could this beautiful, charming woman be a murder suspect? Philip lets his guard down, but this might be a bad decision when he inherits Ambrose’s estate. Will Rachel be after his money now, too?
The Strawberry Blonde (1941) – 7.3
In the 1941 romantic comedy The Strawberry Blonde, de Havilland has a supporting role, in which she plays nurse Amy Lind, who is also a women’s rights advocate. Considering the actress was an advocate for fair treatment in Hollywood, this wouldn’t have been difficult for her to perform.
Dentist Biff Grimes (James Cagney) has an intense rivalry with politician Hugo Barnstead (Jack Carson) over a beautiful strawberry blonde woman, Virginia Brush (Rita Hayworth). Hoping to diffuse the situation, Virginia convinces Amy to elope with Hugo. But it doesn’t exactly solve all the problems.
Hold Back The Dawn (1941) – 7.4
Following Gone with the Wind, de Havilland wanted more roles similar to Melanie Hamilton. She got her wish in the 1941 romantic drama, Hold Back the Dawn. In the film, de Havilland plays the gullible schoolteacher Emmy Brown. She is conned into a marriage with Georges Iscovescu (Charles Boyer), a Romanian gigolo who only marries Emmy for American citizenship.
However, like most romances, the two begin to fall in love once they learn more about each other. In this clever tale, de Havilland offers one of her most emotional performances of her career.
Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964) – 7.6
Is there anything better than a film starring Bette Davis and Olivia de Havilland? The two friends paired up in the 1964 horror-drama, Hush … Hush, Sweet Charlotte. Forty years prior to the film’s beginning, Charlotte Hollis (Davis) was accused of murdering her fiancé. Since then, she has been haunted and she’s barely managing to keep her failing family mansion.
To help, Charlotte’s cousin, Miriam Deering (de Havilland), moves in with her. Although, it doesn’t take long for Charlotte to wonder if she can trust her cousin, who acts more like a villain than a friend in this psychological horror.
The Snake Pit (1948) – 7.6
The 1948 drama The Snake Pit has de Havilland dealing with mental health once again, but this time, she’s the patient. As Virginia Cunningham, de Havilland arrives at a mental institution without any memory of how she got there.
De Havilland studied long and hard for this role. She observed patients, as well as treatment procedures, including electric shock therapy. She committed to portraying a confused, frustrated, and brave young woman, earning herself an Oscar nomination. To this day, The Snake Pit is still regarded as one of the best films about mental illnesses ever to be produced.
Captain Blood (1935) – 7.7
In just her fourth movie, the 1935 adventure-romance Captain Blood paired de Havilland with her legendary costar, Errol Flynn. Their chemistry was immediately recognized by fans and critics.
In the film, set in the 1600s, Dr. Peter Blood (Flynn) is accused of treason by King James II. He’s sold into slavery and shipped off to the Caribbean islands. Before he leaves, he meets Arabella Bishop (de Havilland), who defends him against his accusers. Even though they part ways, Blood vows to always remember her and her kindness. De Havilland captivated audiences with her breathtaking performance, and they continued to follow her career afterward.
To Each His Own (1946) – 7.7
In the 1946 romantic drama To Each His Own, American Jody Norris (de Havilland) recalls when she fell in love with an Army fighter pilot (John Lund). She got pregnant out of wedlock and had to give her illegitimate child up for adoption.
Years later, Jody tries to adopt her own child, who was raised by her best friend, Corinne Piersen (Mary Anderson). Jody doesn’t give up, and de Havilland delivers some of her most heartbreaking, bittersweet scenes of her career. It’s no surprise she won her first Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for this picture.
The Adventures Of Robin Hood (1938) – 7.9
The 1938 adventure film The Adventures of Robin Hood had de Havilland teaming up again with Errol Flynn in this impressive story of Robin Hood. As Robin (Flynn) rounds up his group of men, he meets Lady Marian (de Havilland). Right away, the two have impeccable chemistry, as Lady Marian supports Robin in his adventures.
From the romance to the costumes and the energetic adventure scenes, this film is nonstop fun. As always, de Havilland charms millions, including Flynn’s Robin, in one of the best cinematic pairing films of all time.
Gone With The Wind (1939) – 8.1
Gone with the Wind is regarded as one of the best movies in film history. While the film focuses on the epic love story between Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), de Havilland delivers a knockout performance as the sweet, loving Melanie Hamilton Wilkes. Even though Melanie is nice and polite, she upsets Scarlett by marrying her crush, Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard).
Scarlett and Melanie have a rocky relationship in the beginning, but they eventually become best friends in this Civil War drama. De Havilland embodied the heart and soul of her compassionate, selfless character, and her performance earned her with her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Even though de Havilland made many other movies in her career, fans will always remember her as Melanie.
The Heiress (1949) – 8.2
While de Havilland is known for Gone with the Wind, her best performance was in the 1949 romantic drama, The Heiress. Portraying one of her favorite types of characters, Catherine Sloper is a naïve woman who inherits her father’s fortune. Meanwhile, she falls in love with fortune hunter Morris Townsend (Montgomery Clift).
For the first time in her life, Catherine feels loved. But after her father intervenes, everything falls apart. De Havilland delivered a sharp performance that awarded her with her second Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. Critics point to this film as de Havilland’s most iconic cinematic contribution.
