The 1943 romantic comedy that triggered a revolution in Hollywood labor law

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Princess O'Rourke is a charming wartime film about a royal falling for a pilot, but its legacy is far more serious. The production was so fraught with conflict that it sparked a landmark legal battle, ultimately leading to the de Havilland Law, which permanently reshaped studio-player contracts in America.

Released in 1943, Princess O'Rourke was the directorial debut of screenwriter Norman Krasna. The film follows a European princess who, while traveling incognito, falls in love with an American pilot. Despite its success—earning over $2 million in domestic rentals—the production was a nightmare. Olivia de Havilland, the lead actress, felt the lightweight role would damage her career and clashed openly with Warner Bros. throughout the 1942 shoot.

The production was plagued by delays. De Havilland was suspended for refusing the part, and her co-star Robert Cummings was frequently absent due to other commitments and illness. Charles Coburn, another lead, struggled to remember his lines, forcing exhausting retakes. De Havilland, already suffering from low blood pressure, became increasingly frustrated, eventually leaving the set abruptly. These tensions culminated in a lawsuit that changed the industry forever.

The resulting legislation, California Labor Code Section 2855, is now known as the de Havilland Law. It set a strict seven-calendar-year limit on studio contracts, preventing studios from indefinitely extending agreements through suspensions. While the film is often compared to the later Roman Holiday, its historical importance lies in this legal shift rather than its plot. Even the wartime Bureau of Motion Pictures criticized the film for its 'ridiculous' caricatures of government officials, yet it remains a fascinating artifact of Hollywood's golden age.

Krasna won the 1944 Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for the film, though he later admitted he did not consider himself a strong director. Despite the film's success, the project remains a footnote in cinema history compared to the legal precedent it set. It stands as a reminder that the most significant impacts of a film can sometimes occur off-screen, far away from the glamour of the White House scenes featuring President Roosevelt's dog, Fala.

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