The Olivia de Havilland Centenary Blogathon

This past Friday two-time Academy Award winner Olivia de Havilland turned 100, a rare feat amongst many people of Hollywood. And to celebrate, Crystal of In the Good Old Days of Classic Hollywood and Phyllis of Phyllis Loves Classic Movies are hosting a blogathon. I decided to be a little adventurous for my contribution by covering the eight films de Havilland did with Errol Flynn.

Flynn and de Havilland's octet of films often had their characters follow the same formula: he's the dashing leading man (often in tights, uniform or tight pants), she can't stand him upon first impression and by film's end, she can't stand to be without him. (Can you blame her?) Those eight films, by the way, are:

(1935, dir. Michael Curtiz)

(1936, dir. Michael Curtiz)

(1938, dir. Michael Curtiz)

(1938, dir. Michael Curtiz)

(1939, dir. Michael Curtiz)

(1939, dir. Michael Curtiz)

(1940, dir. Michael Curtiz)

(1941, dir. Raoul Walsh)

More after the jump!

CAPTAIN BLOOD

Their first film set the precedent for most of their later films: the costume drama. (Then again, that was typical Warner Bros. fare at the time.) With his devilish smirk and her genteel nature, it was clear that they made one hell of a dynamic duo.

Both actors were relative unknowns prior to Captain Blood (Flynn more so). The studio was taking a big gamble on casting them and thankfully it paid off. In the years to come, they would become some of the biggest box-office draws of the time.

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THE CHARGE OF THE LIGHT BRIGADE

Their second film had them at odds with a love triangle (she finds herself more attracted to his brother). Though in comparison with their previous film, the romantic subplot feels forced in. It was obvious that the main draw of the film was the action on the battlefield rather than the scenes between its two stars.

The Charge of the Light Brigade took liberties on the historical facts (not uncommon in Hollywood both then and now) but that doesn't matter in the long run. What mattered to the studios was that it made money. (And boy, did it ever.)

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THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD

Of the eight films de Havilland and Flynn did together, their third is easily the most famous of them all. With its vivid Technicolor and sweeping sense of adventure, it’s easy to see why. (Not to mention Flynn is at his most handsome and de Havilland is at her most radiant here.)

The Adventures of Robin Hood was definitely the film that immortalized Flynn. But during production, he must've gotten worried about how the rest of his career would fare, if he was going to be doing only these type of pictures until he dropped dead. (Take note that his next films with de Havilland had some more variety to them.)

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FOUR'S A CROWD

Their fourth film was the lone one that was set in (then) contemporary times. It was also the only comedy the two did together. Flynn wanted to break free from his swashbuckler image, and he has some wonderful comedic timing throughout the film. And de Havilland must've had some fun in a more loose role.

Four's a Crowd wasn't a hit when it was released (it came out the same year as The Adventures of Robin Hood) though surprisingly it holds up all these years later. With Rosalind Russell and Patric Knowles (who was also in Flynn and de Havilland's last two films) aside them, it could make one wonder why Flynn and de Havilland didn't do another comedy together.

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DODGE CITY

Their fifth film was Flynn's first of eight westerns, a genre he himself felt miscast in. Still, his charm and chemistry with de Havilland had moviegoers going to the cinema in droves. (And let's be real, he looked quite handsome as a cowboy...even if his accent didn't entirely match.)

Like The Adventures of Robin Hood, Dodge City and its Technicolor-drenched sense of adventure provides for a fun escape. A little action, a little romance...isn't that what going to the movies is all about?

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THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX

Their sixth film didn't have them together very often (only one scene in fact), what with Bette Davis commanding the show from the get-go. (Hey, she just got her second Oscar after all.) Still, they managed to hold their own against the demanding diva. (Not an easy task, let's be honest.)

With Davis being the star of Warner Bros., she wanted Laurence Olivier (who was still relatively unknown to American moviegoers at the time) as her leading man for The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex, and she was none too thrilled when Flynn got the part instead. (It was the second of four times Davis had worked with de Havilland.) She didn't think much of him during filming though years later, she realized Flynn was capable of more than playing the charming rouge.

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SANTA FE TRAIL

Their seventh film almost didn't have them together. Randolph Scott was considered to be the male lead but obviously someone at Warner Bros. decided not to end a good thing just yet. Like The Charge of the Light Brigade, it had them at odds with a love triangle (her affections are fought over between him and Ronald Reagan).

Santa Fe Trail tends to get mixed up with Flynn and de Havilland's follow-up film, and that's understandable as to why. Both share a few details (including George Armstrong Custer as one of the main characters) but overall, each film has their own merits and flaws. (Personally, it's the follow-up film that's the better of the two.)

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THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON

Although he was originally considered for the job, Flynn and de Havilland's final film together was the only one not directed by Curtiz. (Good news for Flynn since despite their frequent collaborations, he and Curtiz didn't get on very well.) And it's because of this change of directors that both stars were more able to express themselves in their performances. (Must have worked with Flynn, seeing as how he worked with Walsh several times following this.)

Apart from cameos in Thank Your Lucky Stars two years later (though they didn't share any scenes), Flynn and de Havilland were never in another movie together after They Died With Their Boots On. In the years to follow, she would become a double Oscar winner while his playboy lifestyle got the better of him. Now all these years later, what stands out from these eight films was how electric their chemistry was. Just imagine what it would've been like if they were an item in real life...