COMMENDATION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA HONORING THE 100TH BIRTHDAY OF OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND

WHEREAS, Olivia de Havilland was born on July 1, 1916 in Tokyo, Japan to British-born Walter and Lillian de Havilland; and

WHEREAS, in 1919, the de Havilland family stopped in San Francisco on their way to England, with Lillian, Olivia, and her sister Joan, and the family eventually decided to settle in Saratoga, where their Tudor-style house still stands; and

WHEREAS, Olivia began ballet lessons at age 4, piano lessons at age 6, and then attended the Oak Street Grammar School in Saratoga; and

WHEREAS, while attending Los Gatos High School, where Olivia participated in school plays, she made her debut in amateur theater in Alice in Wonderland, which was directed by Dorothea Johnston and produced by Theatre in the Glade; and

WHEREAS, although she considered a career as an English teacher, Olivia was offered the role of Puck in the Theatre in the Glade production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which led to her screen debut in the role of Hermia in the film of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 1935; and

WHEREAS, after signing a movie contract with Warner Brothers, Olivia made eight films with Errol Flynn as one of Hollywood’s most popular romantic on-screen pairings, and starred in The Adventures of Robin Hood as Maid Marion; and

WHEREAS, Olivia de Havilland went on to renown for her role as Melanie in Gone With the Wind (and is the only living cast member of that movie) and she won Best Actress Oscars for To Each His Own (1946) and The Heiress (1949), as well as two Golden Globes and an Emmy Award; and

WHEREAS, in the 1940’s, Olivia took Warner Brothers to court over her contract and won what has become known as “The De Havilland Decision” (California Labor Code Section 2865), one of the most significant and far-reaching legal rulings in Hollywood as it reduced the power of the movie studio contracts; and

WHEREAS, since her retirement in 1988, she received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hertfordshire in England, was inducted into the Online Film & Television Association Award Hall of Fame, in 2008 U.S. President George W. Bush presented Olivia de Havilland with the National Medal of Arts, and in 2010 she was appointed a Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur by the French President Nicolas Sarkozy; and

WHEREAS, Oliva had two children, Benjamin Goodrich and Gisele Galante; and

WHEREAS, Olivia de Havilland has lived in Paris, France since 1956 while keeping her friendships in Saratoga.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Saratoga does hereby congratulate Olivia de Havilland on her 100th birthday and wish her continued good health and happiness.

WITNESS MY HAND AND THE SEAL OF THE CITY OF SARATOGA on this 6th day of July 2016.

E. Manny Cappello, Mayor City of Saratoga