OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND (1916 - 2020)

Olivia de Havilland, who was truly one of the last surviving stars from Hollywood's golden age, has passed away on July 26th at the age of 104. This talented, two-time Oscar winner may have presented an image of class and refinement but she was also tough and more than willing to scrap with anyone who she felt was doing her wrong which includes a recent legal battle with FX over her portrayal by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the 2017 limited series, "Feud: Bette and Joan" about the making of 1962's "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?".

She was born July 1, 1916 in Tokyo, Japan to Lilian Ruse, a British stage actress and Walter de Havilland, an English professor teaching at the Imperial University in the country. Olivia would have a younger sister born there fifteen months later, Joan de Beauvoir de Havilland (who would later be known as actress, Joan Fontaine‍). After a few years, Lilian persuaded her husband to take the family back to England for a climate better suited for their daughters whose health was declining. While sailing back, they stopped in San Francisco to get treatment for an ailing Olivia. The couple's marriage was troubled due to de Havilland's infidelities and he would abandon his family and go back to Japan (to later marry their Japanese houskeeper). Ruse remained in the U.S. and took her daughters to live in the town of Saratoga in Santa Clara County, CA.

After divorcing de Havilland,  Ruse met George Milan Fontaine, a department store manager in San Jose and they married in 1925. Fontaine would immerse her girls in the arts with lessons in ballet, piano and performance. A teenage de Havilland was drawn to the stage and appeared in a Saratoga Community Theater production of Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" in 1934. Max Reinhardt, a director from Austria, came to California to launch a new production of the same play to premiere at the Hollywood Bowl. One of the director's assistants saw de Havilland perform and offered her an understudy role of Hermia. And in that classic breakthrough opportunity, de Havilland got the chance to go on stage when the assigned performer dropped out a week before production. The director was so impressed by the young actress that he hired her for the touring production. Then Reinhardt was hired by Warner Bros. to direct a filmed version of the play and wanted de Havilland for the movie. Although initially unsure if this was what she wanted to do as a career, she signed a seven-year contract with the studio.

This was the start of de Havilland's long and remarkable movie career and just a few of her memorable performances in film include "Captain Blood" (1935), "The Adventures of Robin Hood" (1938), "The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex" (1939), "The Strawberry Blonde" (1941), "The Snake Pit" (1948) and "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964). She would win her first Academy Award for Best Actress in "To Each His Own" in 1946 and receive a second for her outstanding performance in "The Heiress" in 1949. But the one role that the actress is most closely associated with is Melanie in the big screen adaption of "Gone With The Wind" in 1939. This Civil War drama was immensely popular when first released and would go on to win five Academy Awards including Best Picture. But in recent times, the film has been looked at far more critically, especially problematic is it's depiction and romanticization of slavery.

Following the lead of fellow Warner Bros. contract player, Bette Davis, de Havilland wanted to play more interesting and challenging roles and would turn down parts she felt were beneath her. This would cause her to be occasionally suspended from work. And when her contract was up in 1943, de Havilland discovered that the studio was trying to tack on six more months to her contract due to her work refusals. Feeling this was unfair and illegal, she contacted a lawyer and fought Warner Bros. in court. Two years later, the actress would be victorious and the judgment would become known as the De Havilland Law where a contract could be no longer than seven calendar years. 

With de Havilland's sister, Joan Fontaine following her with a Hollywood acting career, this would create long simmering tension and animosity between the siblings. One source of contention was in the year of 1942 when both actresses were nominated for Best Actress Oscars. Fontaine won for her performance in Alfred Hitchcock's "Suspicion" and the sisters would publicly feud and bicker over the years. When Fontaine died in 2013 at the age of 96, de Havilland stated that they had long settled their differences.

In her later years, de Havilland would continue to work on stage, film and television before officially retiring in 1988. She married writer, Marcus Aurelius Goodrich in 1946 and they had a son, Benjamin who died in 1991 from complications of Hodgkin's disease. The couple separated in 1952.  De Havilland then married Pierre Galante, another writer who worked for Paris Match, in 1955. She moved to France and they had a daughter, Gisele. She would divorce Galante in 1979 but would remain in Paris for the rest of her life.

MY VIEWING DIARY: PART EIGHT

"Only When I Laugh" (1981)

The first thing I was reminded of when I re-watched the dramatic comedy, "Only When I Laugh" from director, Glenn Jordan, is the phenomenal yet underrated talent of Marsha Mason. This warm and charming actress never became a major star like she should have despite receiving some of her best movie roles from her then-husband, the prolific playwright, Neil Simon with Mason getting three of her four Best Actress Oscar nominations from his screenplays (including her performance in this film). 

Based on Simon's 1970 play, "The Gingerbread Lady", Mason plays Georgia Hines, a theater actress who has just been released from rehab for a serious problem with liquor. She's determined to get her life back together with the help of close friends, Jimmy (James Coco), a gay struggling actor and Toby (Joan Hackett), a wealthy socialite. One relationship she desperately wants to repair is with her teenage daughter, Polly (played by Kristy McNichol, an Emmy Award-winning, popular child star who retired from acting in 1998). Currently living with her father and his new wife, Polly wants to move-in with her mother and Georgia reluctantly agrees. While only wanting to focus on her recovery, Georgia receives the script for a new play from her former lover, David (David Dukes) which is based on their alcohol-fueled affair and wants her to play the lead. And not wanting to turn down a great part in a Broadway show, she accepts the offer. But the rehearsals trigger old stresses and habits that are not helpful to Georgia maintaining her goal of sobriety. 

Following in the tradition of humorous tearjerkers like "Terms of Endearment" (which actually is still the greatest example), "Only When I Laugh" uses sharp wit and laugh-out-loud jokes to enliven this exploration in to the continuing struggle of a person's recovery from addiction and the painful trauma it causes their loved ones. And while this film is nowhere near in the same league as that Oscar-winning classic nor even the best work from Neil Simon, "Only When I laugh" is still quite moving and highly enjoyable. All of the performances are wonderful and be on the look-out for a brief appearance by Kevin Bacon in one of his early big-screen roles.

"Knife In The Water (Nóż w wodzie)" (1962)

There was a time, not really so long ago, when Roman Polanski was a revered filmmaker behind such classics as "Repulsion", "Rosemary's Baby", "Chinatown" and "The Pianist". But his accomplished work as a director has been long overshadowed and somewhat diminished through the years due to his personal tragedies and several recent accusations of sexual assault. This has lead to Polanski (who won the Best Director Oscar for "The Pianist" in 2002) even being kicked out as a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2018. And just like with Woody Allen, there have been plenty of arguments regarding whether the films of these once celebrated yet now disgraced directors should be cancelled along with the men behind them. 

The truth of the matter is that nothing about these wonderful and vital movies has changed except your opinion about the directors. I realize that some cannot separate the two and that is perfectly fine. I however do not share in that point-of-view which leads me to my review of the debut feature from Mr. Polanski with "Knife In The Water" from 1962. What I find most impressive about this early drama is that it displays much of the skill and confidence that the then-twenty-nine year old director would utilize in his future cinematic endeavors. 

Set in Polanski's native Poland, a couple, Andrzej (Leon Niemczyk) and Krystyna (Jolanta Umecka), drive to the lake to sail on their boat when they almost run over a hitchhiker (Zygmunt Malanowicz). As an offer to apologize, they drive him to the marina when the callous and bored Andrzej decides to invite the young man along on their sailing trip, more for amusement than his company. While the day is mostly tranquil and leisurely, the boat is filled with tension; marital discord between Andrzej and Krystyna, macho rivalry between the men and sexual tension sizzling between Krystyna and the young man. And while not much happens in "Knife In The Water" during this boating excursion, all of this tension eventually combusts. Yet the film remains more of a psychological drama than a thriller. Oh, there is a knife and it does end up in the water but how and why this occurs is not exactly what you would expect, perfectly displaying the brilliance and power of Polanski as a filmmaker.



"Just Mercy" (2019)

Based on his memoir and disturbing true story, "Just Mercy" examines the first case of Bryan Stevenson, a young defense attorney who travels to the South to work for death-row inmates who cannot afford proper legal representation. 

Michael B. Jordan plays Stevenson, a recent Harvard graduate who starts a non-profit called the Equal Justice Initiative to do legal work largely for the poor African-American community in Alabama. With the assistance of Eva Ansley (Brie Larson), a local wife and mother, Stevenson starts to work on the case for Walter "Johnny D." McMillian (Jamie Foxx), an African-American man convicted of the 1986 murder of Ronda Morrison, a white woman and based solely on the questionable testimony of convicted felon, Ralph Myers (Tim Blake Nelson). And while Stevenson uncovers important evidence that was withheld during McMillian's trial, he fails to understand the ugly, deep-rooted traditions of Alabama law enforcement and the legal system. But Stevenson is tenacious and more than willing to take on this racist system to make sure that justice will truly be served. 

As only the third feature film from director, Destin Daniel Cretton (following the excellent "Short Term 12" and "The Glass Castle"), he continues to impress by making substantial and meaningful dramas for the big screen which is sadly becoming far less common. The director, who co-wrote the screenplay, gets some outstanding performances from his actors, particularly from Mr. Jordan and Mr. Foxx. The film does initially defines many of the characters based upon regional and racial expectations yet as the drama progresses we discover that some are far more complex, tentative and charitable than expected. "Just Mercy" places an important spotlight on the long-standing injustice and inequities that African-Americans face in the American legal system and how we must continue to fight and demand change.

NETFLIX ALL-TIME TOP-TEN ORIGINAL MOVIE LIST

From the beginning, Netflix has been notoriously secretive about how many people are actually watching their original programming. As time went on and the company became more successful, the pressure was on for accurate numbers on actual viewership. Netflix had begun to give numbers a few years ago although with select viewership data that features a questionable metric for what counts as a view; any subscriber who watches any programming for at least two minutes is an official viewer.

After focusing on original programming, the streaming company has never spared any expense when acquiring or producing their films. And with Netflix doing extremely well due to the ongoing pandemic (with currently 183 million global subscribers), they are being even more aggressive with spending money on their productions. Netflix has just announced they will commit to spending 200 million dollars (the most ever by them on a film production) on an upcoming action-adventure called "The Gray Man" by "The Avengers" directors, Joe & Anthony Russo and will star Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans.

Netflix has just released the ranking of their top-ten original movies on their site and how many views per film. What I find most interesting about this collection is that they are all from the last three years which makes one wonder how many of their older films found a significant audience.

"Extraction" (2020) 99 Million views



"Bird Box" (2018) 89 Million views

"Spenser Confidential" (2020) 85 Million views

"6 Underground" (2019) 83 Million views

"Murder Mystery" (2019) 73 Million views



"The Irishman" (2019) 64 Million views

"Triple Frontier" (2019) 63 Million views



"The Wrong Missy" (2020) 59 Million views

"The Platform" (2019) 56 Million views



"The Perfect Date" (2019) 48 Million views

MY VIEWING DIARY: PART SEVEN

"Always Be My Maybe" (2019)

"Always Be My Maybe" is a good, old-fashioned rom-com that is made extra special by centering on Asian-Americans and offering a soft touch of social commentary. Nahnatchka Khan, best known for her work on the television sitcom, "Fresh Off The Boat" which she created, makes her film directorial debut and stars stand-up comedian, Ali Wong (in her first leading movie role) and Randall Park (who co-stared on "Fresh") who both had a hand in writing this charming screenplay. 

Our story takes place in San Francisco with Sasha Tran (Wong) and Marcus Kim (Park) who lived next door to each other as children and become close friends. But their friendship takes a turn as teenagers one night in the backseat of Marcus' car which causes a little friction and some awkwardness. A silly fight brings a sad end to their relationship. Sixteen years later, Sasha has become a popular celebrity chef and engaged to Brandon Choi (Daniel Dae Kim), a handsome and successful restaurateur. Marcus is still living with his widowed father and playing with the band he formed when he was a teen which has never made it out of the local dive bar. With the opening of a new restaurant, Sasha finds herself back in San Francisco and, of course, she runs in to Marcus. The couple eventually rekindle their friendship yet still struggle to discuss the deeper feelings they once shared. 

While the title is a little misleading, "Always Be My Maybe" is a witty, idyllic romp that is further enhanced by the wonderful chemistry between Wong and Park. The film may not stretch far outside of a conventional romantic-comedy but if you are a big fan of this genre, then you will find much to enjoy here. And Keanu Reeves makes a brief appearance playing an over-the-top (allegedly) version of himself which is quite hilarious.

"A Man Called Adam" (1966)

A little known and rarely seen drama, "A Man Called Adam" submerges us in to the wild swinging, smoke-filled world of the New York jazz scene in the 1960's. The talented entertainer, Sammy Davis, Jr. stars (in a rare dramatic role) as Adam Johnson, a self-destructive, alcoholic musician who is struggling with his career and personal life. 

While he has plenty of women in his life (which includes Ja'Net DuBois, later finding fame on the sitcom, "Good Times" and future Las Vegas icon, Lola Falana making her film debut), Adam falls hard for Claudia Ferguson (Cicely Tyson), a fiery, opinionated activist who is not his usual type. She has strong feelings for him as well yet cannot accept his harmful behavior. 

Leo Penn, an actor turned director making his first feature film, keeps "A Man Called Adam" moving at a lively pace with the help of captivating musical numbers and the extraordinary black & white camerawork of Jack Priestley. But some of the dramatic moments feels a bit heavy handed although the film effectively tackles racism by law enforcement in one timely scene and displays how casually integrated the jazz clubs and parties were at the time. While Penn (who was the father of musician, Michael and actors, Sean and the late Chris Penn) would never direct another movie following this promising debut, he would go on to have an extensive career directing for television. 

Davis delivers a terrific performance as a broken artist in search of a muse while Ms Tyson, as the inspiration who tries to save him, is a commanding presence managing to do so much with an underwritten role. Other highlights in this well-cast film include some fine work by Ossie Davis, Frank Sinatra, Jr., Peter Lawford, Mel Tormé (performing a great rendition of "All That Jazz") and Louis Armstrong as Willie "Sweet Daddy" Ferguson, a well-known jazz trumpeter and Claudia's grandfather.

"The Story of Adèle H. (L'Histoire d'Adèle H.)" (1975)

"The Story of Adèle H." is François Truffaut's fact-based drama of a tragic obsession involving the youngest child of the renowned 19th century French novelist, Victor Hugo. When Adèle Hugo (Isabelle Adjani) arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the young woman gives people various assumed names, not wanting to be identified. British troops have been stationed in this Canadian province and she has come in search of one specific officer; Lieutenant Pinson (Bruce Robinson, who would write and direct the 1987 semi-autobiographical cult classic, "Withnail and I" and be nominated for a Best Adapted Screenplay Oscar for "The Killing Fields"). 

After tracking him down, Adèle begs Pinson to continue with their romance. But he refuses, especially since her father would not approve of him to marry her, and has already moved on. This will not stop Adèle in her desperate quest to win back the man she's convinced that she loves. While writing her parents to tell them that Pinson wants to marry her and demanding that they give consent, Adèle starts stalking the lieutenant. She tries everything; offering to pay-off his gambling debts, threatening to ruin his military career and even hiring a prostitute for him to prove that she's willing to share his love. Yet none of this works in bringing Pinson back to her with Adèle slowly deteriorating mentally and emotionally as her beloved continues to reject her. 

This early fatal attraction tale uses Ms Hugo's personal diaries to help shape the screenplay. Truffaut has made a solid yet straightforward account but what takes this film to another level is the slow-burning performance by Ms Adjani. The actress manages to keep Adèle's manic, self-destructive behavior grounded, perfectly modulating her passionate highs and delusional lows. The then-nineteen year old Adjani would receive many acting accolades including from the National Board of Review, New York Film Critics and a Best Actress Oscar nomination.