A Day On The Set With Olivia --- Part 3


Olivia’s doing publicity today, an aspect of the job that we sometimes overlook, but which required much of the actor’s time (as much if not more than the performance itself!). In those days, there were hundreds of scene stills and exploitation shots taken on a major release (we knew a Gone With The Wind collector who tried to gather in all the stills taken on that production --- there were over a thousand!). It’s no telling how many photos are out there on Adventures Of Robin Hood. In addition to scenes, there were scores of set stills, location candids, behind the scenes, product tie-ins. A person could spend a lifetime collecting on this one movie, and never have it all. The accessories on Robin Hood would fill a warehouse --- poster kits for schools and libraries, study guides, "Sherwood Forest" fashions, archery sets --- it would take a stalwart collector to gather these artifacts, even if he were able to locate them. The few examples shown here are but a drop in the ocean, but Olivia looks great, doesn’t she? We once saw some of Basil Rathbone’s home movies taken on the location, and there’s shots of the two of them together. You can tell he had a major crush on her. All the men must have. I bet even Eugene Pallette had a crush on Olivia. Speaking of rare images, here’s one of William Keighley directing Errol Flynn and Alan Hale while they were shooting the Sherwood Forest scenes in Chico, California. Note the reflectors, and that big, monstrous Technicolor camera. Will that rickety platform stand so much weight? No doubt a long day for Olivia. Check in tomorrow as she arrives back home, looking really tired (but still awfully cute!).