(CNN) Olivia de Havilland represented a throwback to a bygone era, one of the last vestiges of Hollywood during its glamorous golden age. On screen, her characters held their own opposite Scarlett O'Hara and Robin Hood, appearing in black and white and florid color. Although she was a beautiful, often demure personality in movies, de Havilland exhibited a grit offscreen that might have helped explain her longevity, dying decades after many of her co-stars, at the age of 104. Sidelined for the duration of the lawsuit, de Havilland won the case, and in the process struck a blow for the freedom of actors that had been bound by the strictures of the studio system. (Her sister, Joan Fontaine , also became a famous actress, although their relationship was notoriously stormy.)

Source: CNN July 27, 2020 06:00 UTC