Professor Tom Stipanowich Quoted in "How Olivia de Havilland Took on the Studio System and Won" -- Variety Magazine

Professor Thomas J. Stipanowich is quoted in the Variety article, "How Olivia de Havilland Took on the Studio System and Won." The actress, who passed away on July 26 at the age of 104, changed the Hollywood studio employment structure by suing Warner Bros. for violating labor law when the studio claimed she owed more time under her contract.

Excerpt from "How Olivia de Havilland Took on the Studio System and Won"

"When Olivia took Warner Bros. to court, she was basically taking on the system," says Thomas J. Stipanowich, professor of law at Pepperdine University. "A lawsuit like this could have destroyed her career at a time when it was just blossoming."

The complete article may be found here

Professor Stipanowich wrote an opinion piece for the Los Angeles Times in 2016 on the occasion of de Havilland's 100th birthday, which may be found here. He interviewed de Havilland in her Paris home in the course of researching a book on actor-studio disputes in the Golden Age of Hollywood.