Sisters Win Success

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23275, 18 February 1939, Page 18 (Supplement)

Sisters Win Success

Exploitation of Name Not a Factor In Careers of Joan Fontaine and Sister

OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND FIRST ON SCREEN

By J. K. NEWNHAM

( Exploitation of stars' relatives is an old Hollywood game. It does not often succeed. Brothers and sisters of well-known vlayers have often been given contracts because of their names, but filmgoers have never fallen for these stunts. When two members of a family do succeed in pictures, it is because they both have the ability to do so. Having a close relative on the screen is apt to be a drawback, rather than an advantage.

NO accusations of favouritism or name exploitation could be made against Joan Fontaine. When she went to Hollywood, her sister, Olivia de Havilland, was already up-grade. Joan made every effort possible to avoid being associated in people's minds with Olivia. It was for this reason that she changed her name, and for this reason that she begged the publicity people to avoid mentioning that she was Olivia's sister. Joan has now caught with Olivia, and has become a star in her own right. Strangely enough, since Joan has been on the scene, Olivia has progressed even more rapidly than before, and become one of Hollywood's busiest actresses. How do they compare these two talented sivters ? Different in Looks They are both young and beautiful. Tliev are both extremely popular with everybody in Hollywood. 1 hey are both racing to increasing screen success. They have that much in common. Otherwise, they are very different —in looks, nature, and the type of parts they play on the screen. _ Olivia is brown-eyed, brown-haired. Joan is blonde and blue-eyed. Olivia has the family name, de Havilland.

Within a few minutes of speaking to her, Reinhardt had made up his mind to give this unknown girl a chance. Sho took the role of Hermia, and she was so successful that she was engaged to play the same part in a film. Reinhardt was responsible for her getting the film part. The studio was very doubtful. She was so inexperienced, and she had never done any film work. But Reinhardt was insistent. Reinhardt's Support Warners, who were producing the picture, gave her the usual contract — for one picture, with option on her vices for further films should she prove successful. , The studio did not even wait for ' A Midsummer Night's Dream" before taking up the option. More, they tore up the original contract, and gave her a new one for seven years. It was obvious that they had a real discovery. Since then. Olivia has been built up to stardom, and her latest pictures in New Zealand have been "The Adventures of Robin Hood," in which she took the part of Maid Marian, and "It's Love I'm After," where she appeared as the spoilt and wilful young lady whose infatuation with Leslie

Addition to Ritzes There has been an addition to tht Ritz family on-the screen. In their next wild comedy the Ritz Brothers Will be supported by their father. Max Ritz paid a visit to his boys on the set of The Three Musketeers" and. did an imitation of fiis family at work which Jecmea funny enough to the director, Allan Dwan, to offer htm a place in their next film. ■ Before embarking on his acting career, Mr.. Ritz ran a hat factory in Brooklyn, but frequently took pari in amateur dramatic performances. He is now in his fifties and lives in Hollywood. with Al, eldest of the three brothers. So now We shall see four Ritzes instead of three. Their next picture tvill probably be a naval farce.

They are the daughters of the late Dr. de fiavilland. Mrs. de Havilland married and became Mrs. Fontaine, so Joan decided to take her stepfather's name for film purposes! Olivia is the' elder of the two by nearlv 16 months. They were born m the International Settlement in Tokio '(of English parentage, in spite of their French-sounding names) —Olivia on July 1, 1916, and Joan on October 22, 1917. ' . . Many people imagine, from seeing them on the screen, that Joan is the taller of the two, and -.jshe looks it. 'Actually, there is not very muchdiffer«nce in their height, and Olivia is slightly the, taller. They are both just over five feet three inches. 4 . Olivia looke the more fragile, but she is really the stronger of the two. But, if they are different in looks, they are even moro different in nature. Joan more a Realist Olivia is quiet and shy. A friend of hers once told me:."She is still very much a home girl, and she does not mix, much with other people. 1 do not think she has ever gone out with a man ■without first obtaining her mother's approval. She is not really grown-up yet. She is,an idealist, dreaming of a fairv prince who will come along one day." •' * - " Her nature is reflected in her screen work. She is one of the most sensitive actresses in Hollywood. One might compare her acting with the playing of a violin by a person with a delicate touch. _ , . . Joan is far more of a realists She is eay and lively. She likes to enjoy life. Men instinctively cluster around her- — and she knows how to keep the mere male well in his place! She is competent and independent. She radiates this vitality on the screen. I do not mean that she is merely, boisterous. But, whatever she is doing, one can sense the vigour of her personality. Joan would not dream of a fairy £rince. She would go along and find im. Both Fortunate Both have been lucky. They admit that. Neither has had to battle very hard for success. Olivia was three and Joan two when they were taken to America. They lived in several different cities, and as they grew up, both pondered over their careers. Olivia could not make up her mind whether to become a school teacher, an authoress or an actress. Joan wanted to take up art as a career, and from an early age showed an aptitude for water colours. Events shaped their destinies. Olivia heard that Max Bernhardt was to produce "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Hollywood Bowl. She thought it might be a good idea to apply to him for work. Though she had never acted on the professional stage, she had been in amateur theatricals. Good fortujie was with her. She met Bernhardt. She was long-haired, shy, nervous, and she offered a.,solution to the problem that was worrying him a lot. The actress who was to have taken the part of Hermia had fallen ill.

Howard, as an actor highly susceptible to feminine praise, caused so many of the humorous situations. Joan had similar luck. While she was studying art, her health broke down, and she had to give up her studies, i o occupy her time, she took dramatic lessons from her mother, who had iormerly been an actress on the -London stage. - First in Comedy Roles Then she took up acting, playing mainly comedy roles, but occasionally dramatic and Shakespearean parts. Having become an actress, she decided that she would like to go into'films, so she went to Hollywood. Good fortune still smiled. She obtained work on the stage in Hollywood, and did so well that producer Jesse Lasky promptly asked her to make a film test. The outcome was a personal contract with Lasky, and within a couple of weeks she was at work in Hepburn's "Quality Street." It' was only a small part, but she attracted a lot of attention. She went straight into "The Man Who Found Himself." A little later she was chosen as Fred Astaire's leading lady in * A Damsel in Distress," and soon you will see her in "Blond Cheat. n She hashestablished herself in a very short time as one of the most delightful young worn en, on the screen to-day. ' Olivia and Joan are not even rivals, so there is no risk of a break in their friendship. They work _ for different studies. Olivia is primarily a dramatic actress, Joan is a light comedienne. They are so different in every way that there is no confusion over them. Neither owes anything to the other. They have achieved their success entirely on their own.