- A book that will delight any Gone With the Wind fan!
Actress Olivia de Havilland, who portrayed Melanie Hamilton Wilkes in Gone With the Wind, celebrated her 100th birthday on July 1, 2016. She marked the occasion with family and friends in Paris, France, her home for many years.
Locally, when a cinema legend reaches the century mark, no ordinary birthday bash will do, especially if the author of The Complete GONE WITH THE WIND Trivia Book (2nd edition) has anything to do about it. And this is what I did.
I partnered with Bow-Tie Criterion Cinema in Saratoga Springs, NY, to host a 100th birthday salute to Miss de Havilland on Saturday, September 3 and Sunday, September 4, 2016, starting at 11 a.m.
The festivities each day included a:
- Screening of Gone With the Wind, the film for which Olivia de Havilland received her first Academy Award nomination.
- Melanie trivia quiz for movie goers before the film
- Raffle drawing for an inscribed copy of The Complete GONE WITH THE WIND Trivia Book (2nd edition) during intermission
- Birthday cake reception and book signing after the film
The local newspaper The Saratogian covered the Saturday birthday bash with a feature story:
Happy 100th birthday, Olivia de Havilland! You will always be our Melanie.
Blog Bio: Pauline Bartel is the author of The Complete GONE WITH THE WIND Trivia Book (2nd edition) and an expert on the film and its history. Visit the website (www.paulinebartel.com/resources/books/books-available) for further information. Follow her on Twitter @PaulineBartel and “like” her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheCompleteGWTWTriviaBook).