Back Home With Olivia --- Part 4


We don’t know if it was intentional, but there’s a sense of isolation in these final images of Olivia DeHavilland as she returns home after what must have been a very long day at Warner Bros. Let’s hear what the caption boys applied to this shot at the mailbox ---

"At 7:15, Olivia DeHavilland’s very full day at the studio is over and by 7:30 she is dressed and on her way home. At 7:45, she enters her home, tired from working The Adventures Of Robin Hood at Warner Bros. The first thing she does is look in the mail box for her personal mail. Her fan mail is received at the studio."

First off, we wonder how many fans had Olivia’s home address, and how much fan mail may have ended up there. Were these just bills and maybe letters from friends who knew her when? There had to be a few confidantes she would have trusted with her home address. Otherwise, what do you suppose she did with the stealth fan messages --- junk them there at the house, or take them in to work and let the secretaries handle them? Wonder how much Olivia remembers about this period in her life. These pics might jog her memory if she saw them. I’m sure she’d have some interesting stories to tell (well, duh).

"At 8:00, Olivia De Havilland has her dinner. Her family has already eaten – hours ago, and Olivia serves herself with food kept warm in the oven. At this meal she finds time to read her mail. She doesn’t even bother to change into other clothing, but eats in the pajamas she wore to the studio. She has worked all day in The Adventures Of Robin Hood, the Technicolor production produced by Warner Bros."

Her family? Who are they? Where are they? Gone to bed? At 8:00? Why can’t they wait dinner till Olivia gets home? After all, she’s almost certainly paying for all the groceries. And no maid, no cook, no staff? What’s the use of working your ass off at WB if you can’t get a little domestic assist at home? We know the pay was lousy over there, but warming up soup and eating it by yourself? That’s a bit much. Errol would have been happy to take her out for a burger. Basil would have been thrilled to see to her nourishment. Eugene Pallette would have happily shared the bounty of his table....

Sorry, but somebody tore the caption off the back of this last still, no telling how many years ago. Speaks for itself, though. There’s a glare on the face of the clock, but it looks to say about 8:45, so at least this time they had the presence of mind to set it properly. Olivia has that slightly anguished look of someone who is serious about her work. This is surely the most actressy pose in the bunch. We don’t believe it for a moment, but this girl’s so adorable, we will let it pass. Thanks Olivia, for letting us spend the day with you, and we’re very happy you’re still with us 68 years (!!!) after these pictures were taken (yes, Olivia will turn 90 on July 1).