The 1949 film starring Olivia de Havilland that won her the Academy Award for Best Actress was The Heiress. Directed by William Wyler, the film casts de Havilland as Catherine Sloper, a shy young woman whose wealthy father suspects that her suitor is interested mainly in her money.
The film adapts Henry James’s 1880 novel Washington Square through Ruth and Augustus Goetz’s stage play. Its psychological drama gave de Havilland a demanding role: Catherine gradually changes from a vulnerable, inexperienced daughter into a guarded and emotionally formidable woman. Her performance earned the Oscar at the 22nd Academy Awards, held in 1950.
The Heiress received eight Oscar nominations and won four, including Best Actress, Best Original Score for Aaron Copland, Best Art Direction, and Best Costume Design. A common mix-up is To Each His Own, which also won de Havilland an Oscar, but that award recognized her performance in the 1946 film. The Heiress was later selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 1996.