R.I.P. Olivia De Havilland (1916-2020)

Olivia De Havilland

On July 25, 2020 actress Olivia De Havilland died at the age of 104 in Paris, France from natural causes. She was the oldest living member from the Golden Age of Hollywood, serving a career that spanned 50 years and featured two Oscar wins. Among her lengthy career was an appearance in Gone With the Wind, which remains one of the most acclaimed and successful films from its era. She leaves behind a body of work that includes many strong-headed performances that proved her charisma, making her one of the defining voices of her generation. No matter what she did, she gave her all and she will be missed greatly. 

Nothing But the Best: "Gone With the Wind" (1939)

Scene from Gone With the Wind

Welcome to the series Nothing But the Best in which I chronicle all of the Academy Award Best Picture winners as they celebrate their anniversaries. Instead of going in chronological order, this series will be presented on each film's anniversary and will feature personal opinions as well as facts regarding its legacy and behind the scenes information. The goal is to create an in depth essay for each film while looking not only how the medium progressed, but how the film is integral to pop culture. In some cases, it will be easy. Others not so much. Without further ado, let's start the show.

Birthday Take: Vivien Leigh in "Gone with the Wind" (1939)

Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind

Welcome to The Birthday Take, a column dedicated to celebrating Oscar nominees and winners' birthdays by paying tribute to the work that got them noticed. This isn't meant to be an exhaustive retrospective, but more of a highlight of one nominated work that makes them noteworthy. The column will run whenever there is a birthday and will hopefully give a dense exploration of the finest performances and techniques applied to film. So please join me as we blow out the candles and dig into the delicious substance.

Check This Out: "Gone With the Wind" to Be Shown in Theaters Nationwide This Weekend

In the pantheon of classic cinema, there are few films as notable as director Victor Fleming's Gone with the Wind. Upon its storied premiere in 1939 in Atlanta, Georgia, the film has gone on to have quite a reputation. Who could blame it. Based on the highly successful novel by one-and-done author Margaret Mitchell, the film is the equivalent to the Harry Potter franchise today. It was the most anticipated adaptation with an impressively complicated production history. It's a surprise that the film managed to be as successful as it was with a then-record breaking 8 Oscar wins and the highest grossing box office when adjusted for inflation. However, at 75 years old, the four hour romantic epic feels like it is unappreciated. Hopefully with this weekend's Fathom Event that plans to show the entire film on theaters nationwide in America, maybe it will give people a new reason to appreciate the film.