With Katherine Hepburn suffering ill health and a permanent recluse, Olivia De Havilland is the only major female star of the golden era of Hollywood still active.

It was therefore a great thrill to persuade her to travel to Elstree Studios to unveil a plaque celebrating another screen legend - Vivien Leigh.

As Vivien was making her first starring picture at the old B & D Studios in Borehamwood back in 1935, Olivia was making her film debut 6,000 miles away in Hollywood opposite Errol Flynn in Captain Blood.

Olivia went on to make several classic Warner Bros movies with Flynn including The Adventures of Robin Hood, The Charge of The Light Brigade and The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex.

During her visit Olivia told me, "Errol was an adorable friend but would have made a terrible husband as no doubt his several wives would have testified! He had a lovely devil-may-care spark in his eyes when we were making those films and always a gentleman. I last met him a few months before he died, at a Hollywood party. We had not seen each other for some years as I had moved to Paris. I felt somebody tap me on my shoulder saying 'hello sport' but when I turned round I did not recognise Errol. His eyes were lifeless and he seemed a

shadow of his former self. It was very sad."

On the way to and from the studio in the car I asked Olivia about her various co-stars. "James Cagney was a delight to work with and so inventive with every scene. Clark Gable was a thorough professional and was always a joy." I felt Olivia would never say anything unpleasant about her colleagues. The closest she got was when I asked about the Head of Warner Bros, Jack L Warner who was a bit of a tyrant and who blacklisted Olivia after she won a landmark legal battle about the maximum length of contracts. "He was always an unreasonable man," remarked Olivia diplomatically.

Olivia went on to win two Oscars and now at the age of 82 is busy writing her autiobiography in time for the 60th anniversary of Gone With The Wind in 1999. "I have nothing but happy memories of making the film and it is so sad that Clark, Leslie and Vivien all went long before their time."

Leslie Howard was killed in a plane crash aged 50, Clark Gable died of a heart attack aged 59 and Vivien Leigh succumbed to tuberculosis aged 54.

Among the guests at Elstree were Michael Hickey, sound recordist on one of her 1950s British films and actor Tony Caunter, better known as Roy in EastEnders. When I told Tony that Olivia was coming he commented. "I would not miss meeting her for the world. I am a real fan of those Warner Bros movies."

Somebody who could not make the event was her co-star from the film Libel which was made at the old MGM British Studios.

Sir Dirk Bogarde sent a message but is now confined to a wheelchair following a serious stroke and unable to travel.

In all it was a memorable day and a great privilege to bring a part of Hollywood's golden era back to Elstree Studios.

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