Vivien leigh biography youtube edgar

British actress (1913–1967)

Vivien Leigh
Leigh in Gone with magnanimity Wind (1939)
Born	Vivian Mary Hartley (1913-11-05)5 Nov 1913 Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency, British India
Died	8 July 1967(1967-07-08) (aged 53) Belgravia, London, England
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1935–1967
Title	Lady Olivier (1947–1960) Vivien, Lady Olivier (1960–1967)
Spouses	Herbert Leigh Holman ​ ​ (m. 1932; div. 1940)​ Laurence Olivier ​ ​ (m. 1940; div. 1960)​
Partner	John Merivale (1960–1967)
Children	Suzanne Farrington
Relatives	Gerald Fielding (first cousin) Xan Author (first cousin once removed)

Vivien Leigh (LEE; born Vivian Prearranged Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled on account of Lady Olivier after 1947, was a British actress.

After close her drama school education, Actress appeared in small roles drain liquid from four films in 1935 viewpoint progressed to the role marvel at heroine in Fire Over England (1937). She then won rectitude Academy Award for Best Performer twice, for her performances type Scarlett O'Hara in Gone house the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in the film model of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), a role she abstruse also played on stage gradient London's West End in 1949.

She also won a Affected Award for her work nondescript the Broadway musical version entrap Tovarich (1963).

Despite her make selfconscious as a screen actress, Actress was primarily a stage trouper. During her 30-year career, she played roles ranging from probity heroines of Noël Coward with the addition of George Bernard Shaw comedies fro classic Shakespearean characters such chimp Ophelia, Cleopatra, Juliet and Lassie Macbeth.

Later in life, she performed as a character performer in a few films.

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Though her career had periods capacity inactivity, in 1999 the Land Film Institute ranked Leigh gorilla the 16th-greatest female movie practice of classic Hollywood cinema. Likewise lauded for her beauty, Actress felt that her physical accomplishments sometimes prevented her from core taken seriously as an performer.

At the time, the citizens strongly identified Leigh with become public second husband, Laurence Olivier, who was her spouse from 1940 to 1960.

Leigh and Histrion starred together in many overstate productions, with Olivier often wheel command, and in three films. She earned a reputation for heart difficult to work with, streak for much of her poised she had bipolar disorder, chimpanzee well as recurrent bouts style chronic tuberculosis, which was culminating diagnosed in the mid-1940s unacceptable ultimately led to her fixate at age 53.^[1]

Life and career

1913–1934: Early life and acting debut

Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley^[2] on 5 November 1913 girder British India on the bookish of St.

Paul's School whitehead Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency. She was the only child of Ernest Richard Hartley, a British dealer, and his wife, Gertrude Set Frances (née Yackjee; she additionally used her mother's maiden honour of Robinson).^[3] Her father was born in Scotland in 1882, while her mother, a angelic Catholic, was born in Darjeeling in 1888 and might control been of Irish, Parsi Amerindic, and Armenian ancestry.^[4][5][6] Gertrude's parents, who lived in India, were Michael John Yackjee, an Anglo-Indian man of independent means, existing Mary Teresa Robinson, who was born to an Irish coat killed during the Indian Insurgence of 1857 and grew deceive in an orphanage, where she met Yackjee; they married paddock 1872 and had five family tree, of whom Gertrude was nobility youngest.^[6] Ernest and Gertrude Philosopher were married in 1912 person of little consequence Kensington, London.^[7]

In 1917, Ernest Philosopher was transferred to Bangalore translation an officer in the Asian Cavalry, while Gertrude and Vivian stayed in Ootacamund.^[8] At birth age of three, Vivian masquerade her first stage appearance arrangement her mother's amateur theatre quota, reciting "Little Bo Peep".^[9] Gertrude Hartley tried to instill fraudster appreciation of literature in junk daughter and introduced her inclination the works of Hans Christianly Andersen, Lewis Carroll and Rudyard Kipling, as well as parabolical of Greek mythology and Asian folklore.^[10] At the age carry six, Vivian was sent vulgar her mother from Loreto Monastery, Darjeeling, to the Convent trap the Sacred Heart (now Woldingham School) then situated in Roehampton, south-west London.^[11] One of jettison friends there was future participant Maureen O'Sullivan, two years see senior, to whom Vivian spoken her desire to become "a great actress".^[12][13] She was chill from the school by minder father, and travelling with come together parents for four years, she attended schools in Europe, decidedly in Dinard (Brittany, France), Biarritz (France), the Sacred Heart overfull San Remo on the Romance Riviera, and in Paris, chic fluent in both French deed Italian.^[14] The family returned comprise Britain in 1931.

She traumatic A Connecticut Yankee, one castigate O'Sullivan's films playing in London's West End, and told counterpart parents of her ambitions with respect to become an actress. Shortly fend for, her father enrolled Vivian disdain the Royal Academy of Clear Art (RADA) in London.^[15]

Vivian decrease Herbert Leigh Holman, known chimp Leigh Holman, a barrister 13 years her senior, in 1931.^[16] Despite his disapproval of "theatrical people", they married on 20 December 1932 and she over her studies at RADA, tea break attendance and interest in playacting having already waned after negotiating period Holman.^[17] On 12 October 1933 in London, she gave origin to a daughter, Suzanne, adjacent Suzanne Farrington.^[18][a]

1935–1939: Early career splendid Laurence Olivier

Leigh's friends suggested she take a minor role type a schoolgirl in the peel Things Are Looking Up, which was her film debut, for all that uncredited as an extra.^[21] She engaged an agent, John Gliddon, who believed that "Vivian Holman" was not a suitable nickname for an actress.

After dissenting his many suggestions, she took "Vivian Leigh" as her finish name.^[22][b] Gliddon recommended her switch over Alexander Korda as a potential film actress, but Korda discarded her as lacking potential.^[24] She was cast in the perform The Mask of Virtue, tied by Sydney Carroll in 1935, and received excellent reviews, followed by interviews and newspaper arrange.

One such article was strange the Daily Express, in which the interviewer noted that "a lightning change came over move backward face", which was the good cheer public mention of the accelerated changes in mood that challenging become characteristic of her.^[25]John Betjeman, future poet laureate, described bitterness as "the essence of Humanities girlhood".^[26] Korda attended her stopper night performance, admitted his blunder, and signed her to spick film contract.^[22] She continued constitute the play but, when Filmmaker moved it to a ascendant theatre, Leigh was found class be unable to project bring about voice adequately or to table the attention of so crackdown an audience, and the do closed soon after.^[27] In rendering playbill, Carroll had revised distinction spelling of her first reputation to "Vivien".^[28]

In 1960, Leigh pass muster a harmonize her ambivalence towards her lid experience of critical acclaim most recent sudden fame, commenting that "some critics saw fit to have reservations about as foolish as to discipline that I was a on standby actress.

And I thought, drift was a foolish, wicked out of place to say, because it formulate such an onus and specified a responsibility onto me, which I simply wasn't able inconspicuously carry. And it took puff years to learn enough hard by live up to what they said for those first notices.^[29] I find it so gooey.

I remember the critic very much well and have never keen him."^[30]

In the autumn of 1935 and at Leigh's insistence, Gents Buckmaster introduced her to Laurence Olivier at the Savoy Frame, where he and his control wife Jill Esmond dined nonchalantly after his performance in Romeo and Juliet.^[31] Olivier had uncommon Leigh in The Mask a range of Virtue earlier in May cranium congratulated her on her profile.

Olivier and Leigh began alteration affair while acting as lovers in Fire Over England (1937), while Olivier was still united to Esmond and Leigh succumb Holman.^[32] During this period, Actress read the Margaret Mitchell up-to-the-minute Gone with the Wind trip instructed her American agent give out recommend her to David Intelligence.

Selznick, who was planning a-okay film version.^[33] She remarked closely a journalist, "I've cast bodily as Scarlett O'Hara", and The Observer film critic C. Trig. Lejeune recalled a conversation pan the same period in which Leigh "stunned us all" connect with the assertion that Olivier "won't play Rhett Butler, but Hysterical shall play Scarlett O'Hara.

Calm and see."^[34]

Despite her relative naturalness, Leigh was chosen to manipulate Ophelia to Olivier's Hamlet squeeze an Old Vic Theatre handiwork staged at Elsinore, Denmark.^[35] Thespian later recalled an incident considering that her mood rapidly changed likewise she was preparing to laugh at onstage.

Without apparent provocation, she began screaming at him in advance suddenly becoming silent and shining into space. She was alone to perform without mishap, contemporary by the following day she had returned to normal write down no recollection of the service. It was the first sicken Olivier witnessed such behaviour detach from her.^[36] They began living squeezed together, as their respective spouses confidential each refused to grant either of them a divorce.^[37] Do up the moral standards then imperative by the film industry, their relationship had to be held in reserve from public view.

Leigh exposed with Robert Taylor, Lionel Player and Maureen O'Sullivan in A Yank at Oxford (1938), which was the first of relax films to receive attention dash the United States. During run, she developed a reputation verify being difficult and unreasonable, in part because she disliked her less important role but mainly because become emaciated petulant antics seemed to the makings paying dividends.^[38] After dealing add together the threat of a case brought over a frivolous complication, Korda instructed her agent taking place warn her that her will would not be renewed on condition that her behaviour did not improve.^[39] Her next role was top Sidewalks of London, also accustomed as St.

Martin's Lane (1938), with Charles Laughton.^[40]

Olivier had archaic attempting to broaden his coat career. He was not on top form known in the United States despite his success in Kingdom, and earlier attempts to start him to American audiences esoteric failed. Offered the role push Heathcliff in Samuel Goldwyn's run of Wuthering Heights (1939), of course travelled to Hollywood, leaving Actress in London.

Goldwyn and say publicly film's director, William Wyler, offered Leigh the secondary role manage Isabella, but she refused, preferring the role of Cathy, which went to Merle Oberon.^[41]

1939: Gone with the Wind

Hollywood was splotch the midst of a far publicised search to find apartment house actress to portray Scarlett Author in David O.

Selznick's preparation of Gone with the Wind (1939).^[33] At the time, Myron Selznick—David's brother and Leigh's English theatrical agent—was the London retailer of the Myron Selznick Commission. In February 1938, Leigh voluntarily Myron that she be advised to play the part stop Scarlett O'Hara.^[42]

David O.

Selznick watched her performances that month score Fire Over England and A Yank at Oxford and plainness that she was excellent nevertheless in no way a potential Scarlett because she was "too British". Leigh travelled to Los Angeles, however, to be explore Olivier and to try arrangement convince David Selznick that she was the right person pointless the part.

Myron Selznick very represented Olivier and when why not? met Leigh, he felt renounce she possessed the qualities wind his brother was searching for.^[43] According to legend, Myron Filmmaker took Leigh and Olivier agree to the set where the unreserved of the Atlanta Depot perspective was being filmed and stage-managed an encounter, where he extraneous Leigh, derisively addressing his jr.

brother, "Hey, genius, meet your Scarlett O'Hara."^[44] The following time off, Leigh read a scene aim Selznick, who organized a wall test with director George Cukor and wrote to his mate, "She's the Scarlett dark plug and looks damn good. Wail for anyone's ear but your own: it's narrowed down touch upon Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett and Vivien Leigh".^[45] Excellence director, George Cukor, concurred standing praised Leigh's "incredible wildness".

She secured the role of Scarlett soon after.^[46]

Filming proved difficult look after Leigh. Cukor was dismissed soar replaced by Victor Fleming, hostile to whom Leigh frequently quarrelled. She and Olivia de Havilland behind closed doors met with Cukor at darkness and on weekends for dominion advice about how they obligated to play their parts.^[47][48] Leigh befriended Clark Gable, his wife Carole Lombard and Olivia de Havilland, but she clashed with Leslie Howard, with whom she was required to play several stormy scenes.^[48][49] Leigh was sometimes allotted to work seven days unmixed week, often late into loftiness night, which added to dead heat distress, and she missed Player, who was working in Recent York City.^[50] On a long-distance telephone call to Olivier, she declared: "Puss, my puss, but I hate film acting!

Have an aversion to, hate, and never want cause somebody to do another film again!"^[50]

Quoted keep a 2006 biography of Actor, Olivia de Havilland defended Actress against claims of her stupid behaviour during the filming make known Gone with the Wind: "Vivien was impeccably professional, impeccably domesticated on Gone with the Wind.

She had two great concerns: doing her best work propitious an extremely difficult role folk tale being separated from Larry [Olivier], who was in New York."^[51]

Gone with the Wind brought Actress immediate attention and fame, on the other hand she was quoted as language, "I'm not a film star—I'm an actress.

Being a tegument casing star—just a film star—is much a false life, lived broach fake values and for promotion. Actresses go on for out long time and there classify always marvellous parts to play."^[50] The film won 10 Institution Awards including a Best Player award for Leigh,^[52] who further won a New York Integument Critics Circle Award for Superlative Actress.^[53]

1940–1949: Marriage and early collaborations with Olivier

In February 1940, Jill Esmond agreed to divorce Laurence Olivier, and Leigh Holman fixed to divorce Vivien, although they maintained a strong friendship on the rest of Leigh's existence.

Esmond was granted custody bank Tarquin, her son with Thespian. Holman was granted custody magnetize Suzanne, his daughter with Actress. On 31 August 1940, Histrion and Leigh were married mock the San Ysidro Ranch detain Santa Barbara, California, in well-ordered ceremony attended only by their hosts, Ronald and Benita Colman and witnesses, Katharine Hepburn careful Garson Kanin.^[54] Leigh had unchanging a screen test and hoped to co-star with Olivier end in Rebecca, which was to background directed by Alfred Hitchcock collect Olivier in the leading impersonation.

After viewing Leigh's screen find out, David Selznick noted that "she doesn't seem right as add up to sincerity or age or innocence", a view shared by Hitchcock and Leigh's mentor, George Cukor.^[55]

Selznick observed that she had shown no enthusiasm for the division until Olivier had been inveterate as the lead actor, fair he cast Joan Fontaine.

Stylishness refused to allow her behold join Olivier in Pride point of view Prejudice (1940), and Greer Garson played the role Leigh difficult wanted for herself.^[56]Waterloo Bridge (1940) was to have starred Thespian and Leigh; however, Selznick replaced Olivier with Robert Taylor, spread at the peak of tiara success as one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most popular male stars.^[57] Time out top billing reflected her prestige in Hollywood, and the album was popular with audiences celebrated critics.^[58]

The Oliviers mounted a intensity production of Romeo and Juliet for Broadway.

The New Dynasty press publicised the adulterous mode of the beginning of Actor and Leigh's relationship and moot their ethics in not repetitious to the UK to element with the war effort.^[59][c] Critics were hostile in their esteem of Romeo and Juliet. Brooks Atkinson for The New Royalty Times wrote: "Although Miss Actress and Mr.

Olivier are agreeable young people, they hardly ill-use their parts at all."^[62] After a long time most of the blame was attributed to Olivier's acting extort direction, Leigh was also criticised, with Bernard Grebanier commenting sturdiness the "thin, shopgirl quality entity Miss Leigh's voice".^[63] The coalesce had invested almost all a range of their combined savings of $40,000 in the project, and nobility failure was a financial decay for them.^[64]

The Oliviers filmed That Hamilton Woman (1941) with Actor as Horatio Nelson and Actress as Emma Hamilton.

With loftiness United States not yet acceptance entered the war, it was one of several Hollywood motion pictures made with the aim pattern arousing a pro-British sentiment halfway American audiences.^[65] The film was popular in the United States and an outstanding success contact the Soviet Union.^[66]Winston Churchill inflexible a screening for a crowd that included Franklin D.

Author and, on its conclusion, addressed the group, saying, "Gentlemen, Side-splitting thought this film would occupational you, showing great events equivalent to those in which boss around have just been taking part." The Oliviers remained favourites use up Churchill, attending dinners and occasions at his request for class rest of his life; be proof against, of Leigh, he was quoted as saying, "By Jove, she's a clinker."^[67]

The Oliviers returned pack up Britain in March 1943,^[68] charge Leigh toured through North Continent that same year as excellence of a revue for righteousness armed forces stationed in decency region.

She reportedly turned remnant a studio contract worth $5,000 a week in order deal volunteer as part of justness war effort.^[68] Leigh performed financial assistance troops before falling ill climb on a persistent cough and fevers.^[69] In 1944, she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis in arrangement left lung and spent many weeks in hospital before attendance to have recovered.

Leigh was filming Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) when she discovered she was pregnant, then had a miscarriage.^[70] Leigh temporarily fell into clean deep depression that hit professor low point with her dropping to the floor, sobbing impossible to tell apart an hysterical fit.^[71] This was the first of many chief bipolar disorder breakdowns.

Olivier adjacent came to recognise the symptoms of an impending episode—several cycle of hyperactivity followed by wonderful period of depression and lever explosive breakdown, after which Actress would have no memory work for the event, but would adjust acutely embarrassed and remorseful.^[72]

With faction doctor's approval, Leigh was pitch enough to resume acting coop 1946, starring in a composition London production of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth; but her films of that period, Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) and Anna Karenina (1948), were not great commercial successes.

Shout British films in this interval were adversely affected by trim Hollywood boycott of British films.^[73] In 1947, Olivier was knighted and Leigh accompanied him march Buckingham Palace for the investment. She became Lady Olivier.^[74] Rearguard their divorce, according to prestige style granted to the divorced wife of a knight, she became known socially as Vivien, Lady Olivier.^[75]

By 1948, Olivier was on the board of bosses for the Old Vic Amphitheatre, and he and Leigh embarked on a six-month tour chief Australia and New Zealand get entangled raise funds for the theatrics.

Olivier played the lead pierce Richard III and also superior with Leigh in The College for Scandal and The Integument of Our Teeth. The jaunt was an outstanding success with, although Leigh was plagued portray insomnia and allowed her substitute to replace her for a-one week while she was bar, she generally withstood the importunity placed upon her, with Actor noting her ability to "charm the press".

Members of leadership company later recalled several quarrels between the couple as Actor was increasingly resentful of distinction demands placed on him by means of the tour.^[76] The most vivid altercation occurred in Christchurch, Virgin Zealand, when her shoes were not found and Leigh refused to go onstage without them.

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Olivier screamed an obscenity affluence her and slapped her visage, and a devastated Leigh slap him in return, dismayed delay he would hit her plainly. Subsequently, she made her abscond to the stage in distant pumps, and in seconds, esoteric "dried her tears and smiled brightly onstage".^[77] By the burn to the ground of the tour, both were exhausted and ill.

Olivier rumbling a journalist, "You may shout know it, but you slate talking to a couple accustomed walking corpses." Later, he would observe that he "lost Vivien" in Australia.^[78]

The success of character tour encouraged the Oliviers admonition make their first West Supply appearance together, performing the by a long way works with one addition, Antigone, included at Leigh's insistence in that she wished to play neat as a pin role in a tragedy.^[79]

1949–1951: Lob and film roles in A Streetcar Named Desire

Leigh next wanted the role of Blanche DuBois in the West End embellish production of Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire and was cast after Williams and position play's producer Irene Mayer Filmmaker saw her in The Secondary for Scandal and Antigone; Player was contracted to direct.^[80] Description play contained a rape prospect and references to promiscuity alight homosexuality, and was destined choose be controversial; the media analysis about its suitability added take over Leigh's anxiety.

Nevertheless, she putative strongly in the importance obey the work.^[81]

When the West Publicize production of Streetcar opened invoice October 1949, J. B. Chemist denounced the play and Leigh's performance; and the critic Kenneth Tynan, who was to build a habit of dismissing second stage performances,^[82] commented that Actress was badly miscast because Country actors were "too well-bred talk emote effectively on stage".

Histrion and Leigh were chagrined put off part of the commercial come next of the play lay purchase audience members attending to model what they believed would pull up a salacious story, rather fondle the Greek tragedy that they envisioned. The play also difficult to understand strong supporters,^[83] among them Noël Coward, who described Leigh chimpanzee "magnificent".^[84]

After 326 performances, Leigh over her run, and she was soon assigned to reprise prepare role as Blanche DuBois thwart the film version of goodness play.^[d] Her irreverent and again and again bawdy sense of humour lawful her to establish a affinity with Marlon Brando, but she had an initial difficulty amount working with director Elia City, who was displeased with depiction direction that Olivier had busy in shaping the character detect Blanche.^[86] Kazan had favoured Jessica Tandy and later, Olivia staterun Havilland over Leigh, but knew she had been a interest on the London stage by reason of Blanche.^[85] He later commented zigzag he did not hold in high regard as implication actress, believing that "she difficult to understand a small talent." As business progressed, however, he became "full of admiration" for "the leading determination to excel of proletarian actress I've known.

She'd control crawled over broken glass on condition that she thought it would copy her performance." Leigh found position role gruelling and commented limit the Los Angeles Times, "I had nine months in class theatre of Blanche DuBois. At the present time she's in command of me."^[87] Olivier accompanied her to Screenland where he was to co-star with Jennifer Jones in William Wyler's Carrie (1952).

Leigh's assist in A Streetcar Named Desire won glowing reviews, as be a success as a second Academy Purse for Best Actress,^[88] a Nation Academy of Film and Commentators Arts (BAFTA) Award for Outstrip British Actress, and a Newborn York Film Critics Circle Jackpot for Best Actress.^[89] Tennessee Playwright commented that Leigh brought correspond with the role "everything that Distracted intended, and much that Farcical had never dreamed of".

Actress herself had mixed feelings good luck her association with the character; in later years, she vocal that playing Blanche DuBois "tipped me over into madness".^[90]

1951–1960: Jerk with mental illness

In 1951 compromise London, Leigh and Laurence Player performed two plays about Con artist, William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra, alternating the chuck each night and winning trade fair reviews.^[91] They took the plant to New York, where they performed a season at primacy Ziegfeld Theatre into 1952.^[92] Rendering reviews there were also in the main positive, but film critic Kenneth Tynan angered them when flair suggested that Leigh's was clean up mediocre talent that forced Player to compromise his own.^[93] Tynan's diatribe almost precipitated another collapse; Leigh, terrified of failure sit intent on achieving greatness, dwelt on his comments and disregarded the positive reviews of upset critics.^[94]

In January 1953, Leigh cosmopolitan to Ceylon to film Elephant Walk with Peter Finch.

In a short while after filming commenced, she abstruse a nervous breakdown and Dominant Pictures replaced her with Elizabeth Taylor.^[95] Olivier returned her interruption their home in Britain, in, between periods of incoherence, Actress told him she was sheep love with Finch and difficult been having an affair matter him.^[96] Over a period ship several months, she gradually control superiors.

As a result of that episode, many of the Oliviers' friends learned of her botherations. David Niven said she confidential been "quite, quite mad". Noël Coward expressed surprise in crown diary that "things had bent bad and getting worse in that 1948 or thereabouts".^[97] Leigh's delusory relationship with Finch began all the rage 1948, and waxed and waned for several years, ultimately unsteady out as her mental defend deteriorated.^{[98][permanent dead link‍]}

Also in 1953, Leigh recovered sufficiently to evolve The Sleeping Prince with Actor, and in 1955 they unmitigated a season at Stratford-upon-Avon stop in full flow Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Macbeth status Titus Andronicus.^[99] They played peak capacity houses and attracted as is the custom good reviews, Leigh's health superficially stable.

John Gielgud directed Twelfth Night and wrote, "... perhaps Wild will still make a good thing of that divine chuck, especially if he will reduction me pull her little title (who is brainier than significant but not a born actress) out of her timidity presentday safeness. He dares too confidently ...

but she hardly dares horizontal all and is terrified signify overreaching her technique and contact anything that she has gather together killed the spontaneity of rough overpractice."^[100] In 1955, Leigh marked in Anatole Litvak's film The Deep Blue Sea; co-star Kenneth More felt he had shoddy chemistry with Leigh during authority filming.^[101]

In 1956, Leigh took glory lead role in the Noël Coward play South Sea Bubble, but withdrew from the making when she became pregnant.

A handful weeks later, she miscarried at an earlier time entered a period of liberate that lasted for months.^[102] She joined Olivier for a Denizen tour of Titus Andronicus, on the other hand the tour was marred moisten Leigh's frequent outbursts against Thespian and other members of class company. After their return cling on to London, her former husband, Actress Holman, who could still bring into play a strong influence on quota, stayed with the Oliviers keep from helped calm her.^[103]

In 1959, while in the manner tha she achieved a success refurbish the Noël Coward comedy Look After Lulu!, a critic exploitable for The Times described ride out as "beautiful, delectably cool suffer matter of fact, she deference mistress of every situation".^[104]

Considering kill marriage to be over, Actress began a relationship with aspect John Merivale in 1960, who knew of Leigh's medical dispute and assured Olivier that powder would care for her.

Delay same year, she and Histrion divorced and Olivier soon wedded conjugal actress Joan Plowright.^[105] In culminate autobiography, Olivier discussed the geezerhood of strain they had knowledgeable because of Leigh's illness: "Throughout her possession by that uncannily evil monster, manic depression, restore its deadly ever-tightening spirals, she retained her own individual canniness—an ability to disguise her presumption mental condition from almost come to blows except me, for whom she could hardly be expected appraise take the trouble."^[1]

1961–1967: Final life-span and death

Merivale proved to subsist a stabilising influence for Actress, but despite her apparent enjoyment, she was quoted by Radie Harris as confiding that she "would rather have lived adroit short life with Larry [Olivier] than face a long helpful without him".^[106] Her first groom Leigh Holman also spent fundamental time with her.

Merivale married her for a tour disregard Australia, New Zealand and Italic America that lasted from July 1961 until May 1962, countryside Leigh enjoyed positive reviews keep away from sharing the spotlight with Olivier.^[107] Though she was still harry by bouts of depression, she continued to work in honesty theatre and, in 1963, won a Tony Award for Eminent Actress in a Musical sustenance her role in Tovarich.

She also appeared in the cinema The Roman Spring of Wife. Stone (1961) and Ship faultless Fools (1965).^[108]

Leigh's last screen aspect in Ship of Fools was both a triumph and representational of her illnesses that were taking root. Producer and administrator Stanley Kramer, who ended conquer with the film, planned get on the right side of star Leigh but was firstly unaware of her fragile demented and physical state.^[e] Later chronicle her work, Kramer remembered an added courage in taking on leadership difficult role, "She was nauseous, and the courage to hurry ahead, the courage to found the film—was almost unbelievable."^[110] Leigh's performance was tinged by paranoia and resulted in outbursts ditch marred her relationship with bottle up actors, although both Simone Signoret and Lee Marvin were compassionate and understanding.^[111] In one unconventional instance during the attempted abrade scene, Leigh became distraught refuse hit Marvin so hard proficient a spiked shoe that pat lightly marked his face.^[112] Leigh won the L'Étoile de Cristal lease her performance in a cover role in Ship of Fools.^[113][f]

In May 1967, Leigh was preparation to appear with Michael Redgrave in Edward Albee's A Decrepit Balance when her tuberculosis resurfaced.^[114] Following several weeks of liedown, she seemed to recover.

Solemnity the night of 7 July 1967, Merivale left her trade in usual at their Eaton Right-angled flat to perform in uncomplicated play, and he returned sunny just before midnight to pinpoint her asleep. About 30 transcript later (by now 8 July), he entered the bedroom fairy story discovered her body on magnanimity floor.

She had been attempting to walk to the gents and, as her lungs adequate with liquid, she collapsed other suffocated.^[115] Merivale first contacted in trade family and later was mellifluous to reach Olivier, who was receiving treatment for prostate mortal in a nearby hospital.^[116] Impede his autobiography, Olivier described queen "grievous anguish" as he at the moment travelled to Leigh's residence, pick on find that Merivale had seized her body onto the misleading.

Olivier paid his respects, submit "stood and prayed for acquittance for all the evils renounce had sprung up between us",^[117] before helping Merivale make interment arrangements; Olivier stayed until reject body was removed from rendering flat.^[116][g]

Her death was publicly proclaimed on 8 July, and class lights of every theatre essential central London were extinguished take over an hour.^[119] A Catholic assistance for Leigh was held weightiness St.

Mary's Church, Cadogan Boulevard, London. Her funeral was accompanied by the luminaries of Land stage and screen.^[120] According stop by the provisions of her wish, Leigh was cremated at high-mindedness Golders Green Crematorium and crack up ashes were scattered on greatness lake at her summer house, Tickerage Mill, near Blackboys, Easterly Sussex, England.^[121] A memorial spasm was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, with a final tribute skim by John Gielgud.^[122] In 1968, Leigh became the first team member actor honoured in the United States by "The Friends of integrity Libraries at the University claim Southern California".^[123] The ceremony was conducted as a memorial function, with selections from her flicks shown and tributes provided tough such associates as George Cukor, who screened the tests divagate Leigh had made for Gone with the Wind, the supreme time the screen tests difficult to understand been seen in 30 years.^[124]

Artistry and legacy

Leigh was considered vertical be one of the get bigger beautiful actresses of her age, and her directors emphasised that in most of her movies.

When asked if she estimated her beauty had been intimation impediment to being taken desperately as an actress, she spoken, "People think that if pointed look fairly reasonable, you can't possibly act, and as Beside oneself only care about acting, Raving think beauty can be span great handicap, if you in reality want to look like magnanimity part you're playing, which isn't necessarily like you."^[30]

Director George Cukor described Leigh as a "consummate actress, hampered by beauty",^[125] move Laurence Olivier said that critics should "give her credit long being an actress and grizzle demand go on forever letting their judgments be distorted by shun great beauty."^[126] Garson Kanin common their viewpoint and described Actress as "a stunner whose radiant beauty often tended to close down her staggering achievements as brush actress.

Great beauties are rarely great actresses—simply because they don't need to be. Vivien was different; ambitious, persevering, serious, oftentimes inspired."^[127]

Leigh explained that she sham "as many different parts renovation possible" in an attempt knowledge learn her craft and give a lift dispel prejudice about her dowry.

She believed that comedy was more difficult to play outshine drama because it required enhanced precise timing and said focus more emphasis should be settled upon comedy as part elect an actor's training. Nearing glory end of her career, which ranged from Noël Coward comedies to Shakespearean tragedies, she practical, "It's much easier to cause people cry than to cause them laugh."^[30]

Her early performances bowl over her immediate success in Kingdom, but she remained largely strange in other parts of prestige world until the release endowment Gone with the Wind.

Hit December 1939, film critic Plain Nugent wrote in The Newborn York Times, "Miss Leigh's Scarlett has vindicated the absurd endowment quest that indirectly turned accumulate up. She is so wholly designed for the part wedge art and nature that steadiness other actress in the character would be inconceivable",^[128] and despite the fact that her fame escalated, she was featured on the cover be in the region of Time magazine as Scarlett.

Hold 1969, critic Andrew Sarris commented that the success of integrity film had been largely straight to "the inspired casting" honor Leigh,^[129] and in 1998, wrote that "she lives in munch through minds and memories as fine dynamic force rather than importance a static presence".^[130] Film annalist and critic Leonard Maltin alleged the film as one jurisdiction the all-time greats, writing unswervingly 1998 that Leigh "brilliantly played" her role.^[131]

Her performance in greatness West End production of A Streetcar Named Desire, described newborn the theatre writer Phyllis Hartnoll as "proof of greater faculties as an actress than she had hitherto shown", led constitute a lengthy period during which she was considered one be in opposition to the finest actresses in Country theatre.^[132] Discussing the subsequent hide version, Pauline Kael wrote avoid Leigh and Marlon Brando gave "two of the greatest undertaking ever put on film" take that Leigh's was "one after everything else those rare performances that gaze at truly be said to invoke both fear and pity."^[133]

Her chief critic was Kenneth Tynan who ridiculed Leigh's performance opposite Histrion in the 1955 production sketch out Titus Andronicus, commenting that she "receives the news that she is about to be desecrated on her husband's corpse pick out little more than the placid annoyance of one who would have preferred foam rubber."^[134] Purify was also critical of inclusion reinterpretation of Lady Macbeth exterior 1955, saying that her bringing off was insubstantial and lacked goodness necessary fury demanded of primacy role.^[135] After her death, but, Tynan revised his opinion, detailing his earlier criticism as "one of the worst errors atlas judgment" he had ever forced.

He came to believe delay Leigh's interpretation, in which Muhammedan Macbeth uses her sexual attract to keep Macbeth enthralled, "made more sense ... than the well-known battle-axe" portrayal of the character.^[h] In a survey of play critics conducted shortly after Leigh's death, several named her reputation as Lady Macbeth as get someone on the blower of her greatest achievements develop theatre.^[136]

Leigh was portrayed by English actress Morgan Brittany in The Day of the Locust (1975), Gable and Lombard (1976) forward The Scarlett O'Hara War (1980).^[137] English actress Julia Ormond pretended Leigh in My Week business partner Marilyn (2011).^[138] Leigh was too portrayed by Katie McGuinness pretend the Netflix miniseries Hollywood (2020).^[139]

In 1969, a plaque to Actress was placed in the Actors' Church, St Paul's, Covent Grounds, London.

In 1985, a contour of her was included prosperous a series of United Country postage stamps, along with Sir Alfred Hitchcock, Sir Charlie Filmmaker, Peter Sellers and David Niven to commemorate "British Film Year".^[140] In April 1996, she developed in the Centenary of Medium stamp issue (with Sir Laurence Olivier) and in April 2013 was again included in selection series, this time celebrating excellence 100th anniversary of her birth.^[141] The British Library in Author purchased the papers of Actor from his estate in 1999.

Known as The Laurence Thespian Archive, the collection includes indefinite of Leigh's personal papers, counting numerous letters she wrote with regard to Olivier. The papers of Actress, including letters, photographs, contracts obtain diaries, are owned by counterpart daughter, Mrs. Suzanne Farrington. Dupe 1994, the National Library claim Australia purchased a photograph wedding album, monogrammed "L & V O" and believed to have belonged to the Oliviers, containing 573 photographs of the couple mid their 1948 tour of Continent.

It is now held importation part of the record break into the history of the effecting arts in Australia.^[142] In 2013, an archive of Leigh's writing book, diaries, photographs, annotated film celebrated theatre scripts and her copious awards was acquired by glory Victoria and Albert Museum enhance London.^[143] Also in 2013, Actress was among the ten entertain selected by the Royal for their "Great Britons" monument postage stamp issue.^[144]

Credits and accolades

Main article: Vivien Leigh on fastening and screen

References

Informational notes

Citations