[Best Actress 1941]

I feel DeHavilland's performance in The Heiress is her best and among the best of any actress of that era.  I actually enjoyed Hold Back the Dawn and actually found the theme of immigration quite timely; of course, these are Europeans fleeing oppressive Fascism and violent situations, but many immigrants today are also fleeing political oppression and violence.  The script was witty and sexy (Boyer and Godard have adjoining rooms, the great beach scene where Boyer "forgets" about his broken shoulder) as well as very honest.  

 

I didn't find Feinstein's comments "catty"; as a movie buff and fan of DeHavilland, I had long known about their strained relationship, and I think it's fairly well-known to many in the audience.

Thanks for the reply.  I do agree with you about certain "honest" aspects of Hold Back the Dawn.  For instance, the scene in the wagon when de Havilland and Boyer can't consummate their marriage because of his "injured" shoulder and the disappointed resignation on de Havilland's face, indicating her very real and intense love for him.  I guess the movie just didn't resonate with me as much as I thought it might, given its many Oscar nods.  As for the de Havilland - Fontaine relationship, yes I agree that this has been talked about forever and most people are aware of it.  What I didn't appreciate was not that Feinstein mentioned it, but that he seemed to feel the sisterly alienation wasn't surprising given his experience of having met Fontaine.  It was an unncessary (in my opinion) interjection that put Fontaine to blame for the supposed frostiness between the sisters.  I can't imagine Robert Osborne stooping that low.  In the short time that the host has to give commentary on each film,  I think Feinstein could have found other things to say.  If he wanted to elevate de Havilland over Fontaine, he could have mentioned that after Fontaine's win for Suspicion, de Havilland went on to win Oscars for films in 1946 and 1949.  I'm always amazed that one family produced two sisters who were both Oscar winners, international stars and had very respectable careers in film and theater.  That, to me, is the story.

[Best Actress 1941]

Hello, I agree that Joan Fontaine's award may have been somewhat of a carry-over from Rebecca, but I prefer to believe the rationale was that as a not-yet-star, Fontaine blew away the competition two years in a row and therefore the Oscar was hers for the 1941 movie.  I too watched Hold Back the Dawn but found it disappointing.  I can't quite see how it was nominated for 6 awards, unless it was the subject matter (quick marriage of convenience to get over the border followed by divorce, leaving a spouse disillusioned and broken-hearted) that grabbed the attention of the movie-going public that year.  I didn't think Olivia de Havilland's performance was all  that stellar.  I felt for her character but didn't find her as compelling as I thought I would from a performance that garnered an Oscar award.  If you want to see a true Oscar-winning performance by de Havilland (in my opinion), then watch her in The Heiress.  That performance is nuanced and so carefully modulated as the character develops.  I would find it impossilbe not to award the Oscar to her for that film.  Meanwhile, is anyone else incensed at host Michael Feinstein's unnecessarily catty remark about the two sisters?  So what if he met Joan Fontaine and didn't particularly warm to her.  It was very bad form for a host to make a comment about the sister's relationship (about which very few know very much, really) and cast aspersions on Joan Fontaine.  He could have used those few seconds to comment on how the sisters still remain the only siblings in history both to win major acting Oscars.  That would have been more fruitful education for those who are only recently experiencing the Fontaine - de Havilland talent.