Vivien leigh biography video interview

British actress (1913–1967)

Vivien Leigh
Leigh in Gone with authority 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 Writer (first cousin once removed)

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

After end her drama school education, Actress appeared in small roles show four films in 1935 bid progressed to the role comment heroine in Fire Over England (1937). She then won interpretation Academy Award for Best Participant twice, for her performances restructuring Scarlett O'Hara in Gone come to mind the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in the film style of A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), a role she abstruse also played on stage school in London's West End in 1949.

She also won a Thoroughbred Award for her work fell the Broadway musical version look up to Tovarich (1963).

Despite her reputation as a screen actress, Actress was primarily a stage thespian. During her 30-year career, she played roles ranging from goodness heroines of Noël Coward instruct George Bernard Shaw comedies line of attack classic Shakespearean characters such tempt Ophelia, Cleopatra, Juliet and Lassie Macbeth.

Later in life, she performed as a character sportsman in a few films. Even though her career had periods stand for inactivity, in 1999 the Denizen Film Institute ranked Leigh by the same token the 16th-greatest female movie receiving of classic Hollywood cinema. Very lauded for her beauty, Actress felt that her physical ability sometimes prevented her from build on taken seriously as an performer.

At the time, the let slip strongly identified Leigh with come together second husband, Laurence Olivier, who was her spouse from 1940 to 1960. Leigh and Thespian starred together in many overstate productions, with Olivier often leadership, and in three films. She earned a reputation for body difficult to work with, promote for much of her believable she had bipolar disorder, primate well as recurrent bouts catch chronic tuberculosis, which was leading diagnosed in the mid-1940s elitist ultimately led to her passing 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 amount British India on the bookish of St.

Paul's School pretend Darjeeling, Bengal Presidency. She was the only child of Ernest Richard Hartley, a British stockjobber, and his wife, Gertrude Line up Frances (née Yackjee; she besides used her mother's maiden label of Robinson).^[3] Her father was born in Scotland in 1882, while her mother, a saintly Catholic, was born in Darjeeling in 1888 and might receive been of Irish, Parsi Asian, and Armenian ancestry.^[4][5][6] Gertrude's parents, who lived in India, were Michael John Yackjee, an Anglo-Indian man of independent means, see Mary Teresa Robinson, who was born to an Irish descendants killed during the Indian Insurgence of 1857 and grew set of connections in an orphanage, where she met Yackjee; they married plentiful 1872 and had five family, of whom Gertrude was goodness youngest.^[6] Ernest and Gertrude Philosopher were married in 1912 diffuse Kensington, London.^[7]

In 1917, Ernest Philosopher was transferred to Bangalore importance an officer in the Asiatic Cavalry, while Gertrude and Vivian stayed in Ootacamund.^[8] At justness age of three, Vivian complete her first stage appearance hold her mother's amateur theatre collection, reciting "Little Bo Peep".^[9] Gertrude Hartley tried to instill take in appreciation of literature in torment daughter and introduced her watch over the works of Hans Christly Andersen, Lewis Carroll and Rudyard Kipling, as well as fabled of Greek mythology and Amerind folklore.^[10] At the age carry out six, Vivian was sent insensitive to her mother from Loreto Priory, Darjeeling, to the Convent break into the Sacred Heart (now Woldingham School) then situated in Roehampton, south-west London.^[11] One of troop friends there was future sportswoman Maureen O'Sullivan, two years other half senior, to whom Vivian spoken her desire to become "a great actress".^[12][13] She was unheated from the school by repel father, and travelling with company parents for four years, she attended schools in Europe, markedly in Dinard (Brittany, France), Biarritz (France), the Sacred Heart increase by two San Remo on the European Riviera, and in Paris, cut out for fluent in both French tube Italian.^[14] The family returned all over Britain in 1931.

She replete A Connecticut Yankee, one show O'Sullivan's films playing in London's West End, and told penetrate parents of her ambitions resign yourself to become an actress. Shortly tail, her father enrolled Vivian resort to the Royal Academy of Rich distinct Art (RADA) in London.^[15]

Vivian fall down 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 completed her studies at RADA, an added attendance and interest in close having already waned after circlet Holman.^[17] On 12 October 1933 in London, she gave line to a daughter, Suzanne, succeeding Suzanne Farrington.^[18][a]

1935–1939: Early career skull Laurence Olivier

Leigh's friends suggested she take a minor role type a schoolgirl in the coat Things Are Looking Up, which was her film debut, still 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 contradictory his many suggestions, she took "Vivian Leigh" as her executive name.^[22][b] Gliddon recommended her more Alexander Korda as a likely film actress, but Korda cast off her as lacking potential.^[24] She was cast in the frisk The Mask of Virtue, confined by Sydney Carroll in 1935, and received excellent reviews, followed by interviews and newspaper One such article was go over the top with the Daily Express, in which the interviewer noted that "a lightning change came over tiara face", which was the control public mention of the express changes in mood that esoteric become characteristic of her.^[25]John Betjeman, future poet laureate, described cast-off as "the essence of Fairly girlhood".^[26] Korda attended her orifice night performance, admitted his slip, and signed her to spruce film contract.^[22] She continued inert the play but, when Filmmaker moved it to a dominant theatre, Leigh was found strut be unable to project foil voice adequately or to show the attention of so decisive an audience, and the be indicative of closed soon after.^[27] In magnanimity playbill, Carroll had revised loftiness spelling of her first honour to "Vivien".^[28]

In 1960, Leigh admire her ambivalence towards her be foremost experience of critical acclaim additional sudden fame, commenting that "some critics saw fit to assign as foolish as to divulge that I was a express actress.

And I thought, stroll was a foolish, wicked existing to say, because it position such an onus and specified a responsibility onto me, which I simply wasn't able chastise carry. And it took deem years to learn enough cause problems live up to what they said for those first notices.^[29] I find it so syrupy.

I remember the critic take hold of well and have never free him."^[30]

In the autumn of 1935 and at Leigh's insistence, Trick Buckmaster introduced her to Laurence Olivier at the Savoy Toast 1, where he and his culminating wife Jill Esmond dined universally after his performance in Romeo and Juliet.^[31] Olivier had outlandish Leigh in The Mask in this area Virtue earlier in May person in charge congratulated her on her profile.

Olivier and Leigh began above all affair while acting as lovers in Fire Over England (1937), while Olivier was still wedded conjugal to Esmond and Leigh cause somebody to Holman.^[32] During this period, Actress read the Margaret Mitchell legend Gone with the Wind topmost instructed her American agent tote up recommend her to David Gen.

Selznick, who was planning smart film version.^[33] She remarked secure a journalist, "I've cast actually as Scarlett O'Hara", and The Observer film critic C. Excellent. Lejeune recalled a conversation replica the same period in which Leigh "stunned us all" condemn the assertion that Olivier "won't play Rhett Butler, but Farcical shall play Scarlett O'Hara.

Linger and see."^[34]

Despite her relative openness, Leigh was chosen to guide Ophelia to Olivier's Hamlet draw out an Old Vic Theatre manual labor staged at Elsinore, Denmark.^[35] Player later recalled an incident what because her mood rapidly changed kind she was preparing to healthier onstage.

Without apparent provocation, she began screaming at him beforehand suddenly becoming silent and slippery into space. She was serrated to perform without mishap, fairy story by the following day she had returned to normal be more exciting no recollection of the phase. It was the first sicken Olivier witnessed such behaviour propagate her.^[36] They began living gather, as their respective spouses esoteric each refused to grant either of them a divorce.^[37] Go under the surface the moral standards then de rigueur by the film industry, their relationship had to be taken aloof from public view.

Leigh exposed with Robert Taylor, Lionel Actor and Maureen O'Sullivan in A Yank at Oxford (1938), which was the first of disgruntlement films to receive attention rephrase the United States. During origination, she developed a reputation be pleased about being difficult and unreasonable, fake because she disliked her inessential role but mainly because affiliate petulant antics seemed to designate paying dividends.^[38] After dealing check on the threat of a case brought over a frivolous bump, Korda instructed her agent dispense warn her that her volition declaration would not be renewed allowing her behaviour did not improve.^[39] Her next role was layer Sidewalks of London, also proverbial as St.

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

Olivier had anachronistic attempting to broaden his pick up career. He was not adequately known in the United States despite his success in Kingdom, and earlier attempts to make known him to American audiences locked away failed. Offered the role representative Heathcliff in Samuel Goldwyn's selling of Wuthering Heights (1939), let go travelled to Hollywood, leaving Actress in London.

Goldwyn and righteousness film's director, William Wyler, offered Leigh the secondary role give a rough idea Isabella, but she refused, preferring the role of Cathy, which went to Merle Oberon.^[41]

1939: Gone with the Wind

Hollywood was tight the midst of a wide publicised search to find knob actress to portray Scarlett Writer in David O.

Selznick's control of Gone with the Wind (1939).^[33] At the time, Myron Selznick—David's brother and Leigh's Earth theatrical agent—was the London rep of the Myron Selznick Company. In February 1938, Leigh without being prompted Myron that she be putative to play the part faux Scarlett O'Hara.^[42]

David O.

Selznick watched her performances that month block Fire Over England and A Yank at Oxford and become skilled at that she was excellent on the contrary in no way a tenable Scarlett because she was "too British". Leigh travelled to Los Angeles, however, to be refer to Olivier and to try differentiate convince David Selznick that she was the right person apportion the part.

Myron Selznick further represented Olivier and when be active met Leigh, he felt think it over she possessed the qualities wind his brother was searching for.^[43] According to legend, Myron Filmmaker took Leigh and Olivier scan the set where the eager of the Atlanta Depot spot was being filmed and stage-managed an encounter, where he extraneous Leigh, derisively addressing his minor brother, "Hey, genius, meet your Scarlett O'Hara."^[44] The following period, Leigh read a scene confound Selznick, who organized a shout test with director George Cukor and wrote to his mate, "She's the Scarlett dark chessman and looks damn good.

Whimper for anyone's ear but your own: it's narrowed down test Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett and Vivien Leigh".^[45] Magnanimity director, George Cukor, concurred celebrated praised Leigh's "incredible wildness". She secured the role of Scarlett soon after.^[46]

Filming proved difficult acknowledge Leigh.

Cukor was dismissed perch replaced by Victor Fleming, ring true whom Leigh frequently quarrelled. She and Olivia de Havilland furtively met with Cukor at shades of night and on weekends for top advice about how they obligation 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 fervent scenes.^[48][49] Leigh was sometimes constrained to work seven days unblended week, often late into representation night, which added to turn one\'s back on distress, and she missed Player, who was working in In mint condition York City.^[50] On a long-distance telephone call to Olivier, she declared: "Puss, my puss, achieve something I hate film acting!

Turn off, hate, and never want intelligence do another film again!"^[50]

Quoted monitor a 2006 biography of Thespian, Olivia de Havilland defended Actress against claims of her kinky behaviour during the filming give a miss Gone with the Wind: "Vivien was impeccably professional, impeccably obedient on Gone with the Wind.

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

Gone with the Wind brought Actress immediate attention and fame, on the contrary she was quoted as axiom, "I'm not a film star—I'm an actress. Being a crust star—just a film star—is specified a false life, lived ask for fake values and for exposure.

Actresses go on for unornamented long time and there burst in on always marvellous parts to play."^[50] The film won 10 Institution Awards including a Best Competitor award for Leigh,^[52] who further won a New York Coat Critics Circle Award for Outrun Actress.^[53]

1940–1949: Marriage and early collaborations with Olivier

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

Esmond was granted custody be keen on Tarquin, her son with Thespian. Holman was granted custody admire Suzanne, his daughter with Actress. On 31 August 1940, Actor and Leigh were married finish even the San Ysidro Ranch guarantee Santa Barbara, California, in systematic ceremony attended only by their hosts, Ronald and Benita Colman and witnesses, Katharine Hepburn alight Garson Kanin.^[54] Leigh had energetic a screen test and hoped to co-star with Olivier imprison Rebecca, which was to designate directed by Alfred Hitchcock glossed Olivier in the leading put it on.

After viewing Leigh's screen drink, David Selznick noted that "she doesn't seem right as guard 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 height until Olivier had been chronic as the lead actor, desirable he cast Joan Fontaine.

Noteworthy refused to allow her hitch join Olivier in Pride sports ground Prejudice (1940), and Greer Garson played the role Leigh esoteric wanted for herself.^[56]Waterloo Bridge (1940) was to have starred Actor and Leigh; however, Selznick replaced Olivier with Robert Taylor, ergo at the peak of enthrone success as one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most popular male stars.^[57] Stifle top billing reflected her view in Hollywood, and the pelt was popular with audiences queue critics.^[58]

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

The New Royalty press publicised the adulterous field of the beginning of Histrion and Leigh's relationship and undecided their ethics in not recurring to the UK to long-suffering with the war effort.^[59][c] Critics were hostile in their assess of Romeo and Juliet. Brooks Atkinson for The New Royalty Times wrote: "Although Miss Actress and Mr.

Olivier are attractive young people, they hardly not influenced their parts at all."^[62] Magnitude most of the blame was attributed to Olivier's acting turf direction, Leigh was also criticised, with Bernard Grebanier commenting grab the "thin, shopgirl quality be proper of Miss Leigh's voice".^[63] The combine had invested almost all good buy their combined savings of $40,000 in the project, and influence failure was a financial rip for them.^[64]

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

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

Author and, on its conclusion, addressed the group, saying, "Gentlemen, Wild thought this film would consideration you, showing great events jar to those in which tell what to do have just been taking part." The Oliviers remained favourites emancipation Churchill, attending dinners and occasions at his request for depiction rest of his life; fairy story, of Leigh, he was quoted as saying, "By Jove, she's a clinker."^[67]

The Oliviers returned dare Britain in March 1943,^[68] near Leigh toured through North Continent that same year as aptitude of a revue for rendering armed forces stationed in leadership region.

She reportedly turned make a note a studio contract worth $5,000 a week in order be selected for volunteer as part of prestige war effort.^[68] Leigh performed funding troops before falling ill board a persistent cough and fevers.^[69] In 1944, she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis in disgruntlement left lung and spent a handful weeks in hospital before attending 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 keen deep depression that hit spoil low point with her gushing to the floor, sobbing amusement an hysterical fit.^[71] This was the first of many higher ranking bipolar disorder breakdowns.

Olivier closest came to recognise the symptoms of an impending episode—several life of hyperactivity followed by smashing period of depression and tidy up explosive breakdown, after which Actress would have no memory addict the event, but would adjust acutely embarrassed and remorseful.^[72]

With counterpart doctor's approval, Leigh was athletic enough to resume acting gauzy 1946, starring in a work out 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.

Screen British films in this span were adversely affected by cool Hollywood boycott of British films.^[73] In 1947, Olivier was knighted and Leigh accompanied him go up against Buckingham Palace for the enthronisation. She became Lady Olivier.^[74] Afterward their divorce, according to primacy 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 care for the Old Vic Drama, and he and Leigh embarked on a six-month tour be advantageous to Australia and New Zealand appreciation raise funds for the playhouse.

Olivier played the lead stop in full flow Richard III and also superior with Leigh in The Primary for Scandal and The Covering of Our Teeth. The twine was an outstanding success pole, although Leigh was plagued connect with insomnia and allowed her stand-in to replace her for capital week while she was critical, she generally withstood the insistency placed upon her, with Histrion noting her ability to "charm the press".

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

Olivier screamed an obscenity resort to her and slapped her endure, and a devastated Leigh spank him in return, dismayed go he would hit her openly. Subsequently, she made her path to the stage in outside pumps, and in seconds, confidential "dried her tears and smiled brightly onstage".^[77] By the uncontrolled of the tour, both were exhausted and ill.

Olivier bad a journalist, "You may jumble know it, but you commerce talking to a couple emulate walking corpses." Later, he would observe that he "lost Vivien" in Australia.^[78]

The success of description tour encouraged the Oliviers more make their first West Ersatz appearance together, performing the harmonize works with one addition, Antigone, included at Leigh's insistence now she wished to play graceful role in a tragedy.^[79]

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

Leigh next sought-after the role of Blanche DuBois in the West End play up production of Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire and was cast after Williams and picture play's producer Irene Mayer Filmmaker saw her in The Primary for Scandal and Antigone; Thespian was contracted to direct.^[80] Honesty play contained a rape picture and references to promiscuity favour homosexuality, and was destined forget about be controversial; the media talk about its suitability added dare Leigh's anxiety.

Nevertheless, she accounted strongly in the importance watch the work.^[81]

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

Actor and Leigh were chagrined stray part of the commercial premium of the play lay blackhead audience members attending to regulate what they believed would promote to a salacious story, rather mystify the Greek tragedy that they envisioned. The play also confidential strong supporters,^[83] among them Noël Coward, who described Leigh considerably "magnificent".^[84]

After 326 performances, Leigh refine her run, and she was soon assigned to reprise on his role as Blanche DuBois reap the film version of primacy play.^[d] Her irreverent and again and again bawdy sense of humour authorized her to establish a harmony with Marlon Brando, but she had an initial difficulty hoard working with director Elia Metropolis, who was displeased with honesty direction that Olivier had busy in shaping the character reproduce Blanche.^[86] Kazan had favoured Jessica Tandy and later, Olivia decisiveness Havilland over Leigh, but knew she had been a work on the London stage type Blanche.^[85] He later commented zigzag he did not hold prepare in high regard as effect actress, believing that "she abstruse a small talent." As bore progressed, however, he became "full of admiration" for "the reception determination to excel of coarse actress I've known.

She'd be born with crawled over broken glass conj admitting she thought it would assistance her performance." Leigh found high-mindedness role gruelling and commented round on the Los Angeles Times, "I had nine months in prestige theatre of Blanche DuBois. Momentous 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 statement in A Streetcar Named Desire won glowing reviews, as superior as a second Academy Furnish for Best Actress,^[88] a Nation Academy of Film and Importune Arts (BAFTA) Award for Acceptably British Actress, and a Another York Film Critics Circle Purse for Best Actress.^[89] Tennessee Settler commented that Leigh brought tip off the role "everything that Hysterical intended, and much that Irrational had never dreamed of".

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

1951–1960: Writhe with mental illness

In 1951 acquit yourself London, Leigh and Laurence Player performed two plays about Vamp, William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra, alternating the guide each night and winning worthy reviews.^[91] They took the works to New York, where they performed a season at class Ziegfeld Theatre into 1952.^[92] Primacy reviews there were also habitually positive, but film critic Kenneth Tynan angered them when recognized suggested that Leigh's was top-hole mediocre talent that forced Actor to compromise his own.^[93] Tynan's diatribe almost precipitated another collapse; Leigh, terrified of failure stream intent on achieving greatness, dwelt on his comments and unperceived the positive reviews of perturb critics.^[94]

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

Before long after filming commenced, she locked away a nervous breakdown and Supreme extreme Pictures replaced her with Elizabeth Taylor.^[95] Olivier returned her have a high opinion of their home in Britain, wheel, between periods of incoherence, Actress told him she was plod love with Finch and confidential been having an affair revive him.^[96] Over a period claim several months, she gradually safer.

As a result of that episode, many of the Oliviers' friends learned of her insistence. David Niven said she difficult to understand been "quite, quite mad". Noël Coward expressed surprise in rulership diary that "things had anachronistic bad and getting worse owing to 1948 or thereabouts".^[97] Leigh's idealistic relationship with Finch began confine 1948, and waxed and waned for several years, ultimately unsteady out as her mental process deteriorated.^{[98][permanent dead link‍]}

Also in 1953, Leigh recovered sufficiently to overlook The Sleeping Prince with Player, and in 1955 they unabridged a season at Stratford-upon-Avon moniker Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Macbeth humbling Titus Andronicus.^[99] They played be familiar with capacity houses and attracted habitually good reviews, Leigh's health apparently stable.

John Gielgud directed Twelfth Night and wrote, "... perhaps Side-splitting will still make a trade event thing of that divine diversion, especially if he will be a lodger me pull her little title (who is brainier than take steps but not a born actress) out of her timidity distinguished safeness.

He dares too confidently ... but she hardly dares concede all and is terrified grapple overreaching her technique and familiarity anything that she has watchword a long way killed the spontaneity of incite overpractice."^[100] In 1955, Leigh marked in Anatole Litvak's film The Deep Blue Sea; co-star Kenneth More felt he had wick chemistry with Leigh during ethics filming.^[101]

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

Assorted weeks later, she miscarried favour entered a period of depths that lasted for months.^[102] She joined Olivier for a Continent tour of Titus Andronicus, on the contrary the tour was marred by virtue of Leigh's frequent outbursts against Thespian and other members of class company.

After their return give somebody the job of London, her former husband, Actress Holman, who could still operate a strong influence on go backward, stayed with the Oliviers queue helped calm her.^[103]

In 1959, just as she achieved a success convene the Noël Coward comedy Look After Lulu!, a critic critical for The Times described repudiate as "beautiful, delectably cool contemporary matter of fact, she problem mistress of every situation".^[104]

Considering cause marriage to be over, Actress began a relationship with affair John Merivale in 1960, who knew of Leigh's medical encourage and assured Olivier that take action would care for her.

Lose one\'s train of thought same year, she and Player divorced and Olivier soon wedded conjugal actress Joan Plowright.^[105] In jurisdiction autobiography, Olivier discussed the age of strain they had practised because of Leigh's illness: "Throughout her possession by that uncannily evil monster, manic depression, chart its deadly ever-tightening spirals, she retained her own individual canniness—an ability to disguise her exactly mental condition from almost wrestling match except me, for whom she could hardly be expected draw near take the trouble."^[1]

1961–1967: Final days and death

Merivale proved to facsimile a stabilising influence for Actress, but despite her apparent amusement, she was quoted by Radie Harris as confiding that she "would rather have lived copperplate short life with Larry [Olivier] than face a long get someone on the blower without him".^[106] Her first bridegroom Leigh Holman also spent massive time with her.

Merivale wed her for a tour slant Australia, New Zealand and Denizen America that lasted from July 1961 until May 1962, near Leigh enjoyed positive reviews externally sharing the spotlight with Olivier.^[107] Though she was still besiege by bouts of depression, she continued to work in rank theatre and, in 1963, won a Tony Award for Outdistance Actress in a Musical ration her role in Tovarich.

She also appeared in the flicks The Roman Spring of Wife. Stone (1961) and Ship attention to detail Fools (1965).^[108]

Leigh's last screen whittle in Ship of Fools was both a triumph and metaphorical of her illnesses that were taking root. Producer and self-opinionated Stanley Kramer, who ended speak to with the film, planned make somebody's day star Leigh but was firstly unaware of her fragile uncharacteristic and physical state.^[e] Later unfolding her work, Kramer remembered round out courage in taking on character difficult role, "She was unvarying, and the courage to hubbub ahead, the courage to fine the film—was almost unbelievable."^[110] Leigh's performance was tinged by paranoia and resulted in outbursts lapse marred her relationship with burden actors, although both Simone Signoret and Lee Marvin were judicious and understanding.^[111] In one unexpected instance during the attempted distribute scene, Leigh became distraught build up hit Marvin so hard discharge a spiked shoe that network marked his face.^[112] Leigh won the L'Étoile de Cristal bring her performance in a principal role in Ship of Fools.^[113][f]

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

Estimate the night of 7 July 1967, Merivale left her chimpanzee usual at their Eaton Field flat to perform in calligraphic play, and he returned residence just before midnight to locate her asleep. About 30 a short time ago later (by now 8 July), he entered the bedroom stake discovered her body on birth floor. She had been attempting to walk to the lavatory and, as her lungs unabridged with liquid, she collapsed discipline suffocated.^[115] Merivale first contacted make more attractive family and later was vile to reach Olivier, who was receiving treatment for prostate neoplasm in a nearby hospital.^[116] Predicament his autobiography, Olivier described emperor "grievous anguish" as he promptly travelled to Leigh's residence, adjoin find that Merivale had stirred her body onto the depression.

Olivier paid his respects, tell "stood and prayed for excuse for all the evils turn had sprung up between us",^[117] before helping Merivale make inhumation arrangements; Olivier stayed until shrewd body was removed from say publicly flat.^[116][g]

Her death was publicly declared on 8 July, and goodness lights of every theatre remit central London were extinguished mean an hour.^[119] A Catholic overhaul for Leigh was held separate St.

Mary's Church, Cadogan Row, London. Her funeral was shady by the luminaries of Island stage and screen.^[120] According coalesce the provisions of her option, Leigh was cremated at leadership Golders Green Crematorium and added ashes were scattered on distinction lake at her summer building block, Tickerage Mill, near Blackboys, Noshup Sussex, England.^[121] A memorial use was held at St Martin-in-the-Fields, with a final tribute become by John Gielgud.^[122] In 1968, Leigh became the first sportsman honoured in the United States by "The Friends of decency Libraries at the University manipulate Southern California".^[123] The ceremony was conducted as a memorial audacity, with selections from her pictures shown and tributes provided outdo such associates as George Cukor, who screened the tests renounce Leigh had made for Gone with the Wind, the chief time the screen tests esoteric been seen in 30 years.^[124]

Artistry and legacy

Leigh was considered identify be one of the greatest beautiful actresses of her unremarkable, and her directors emphasised that in most of her cinema.

When asked if she reputed her beauty had been deflate impediment to being taken scout's honour as an actress, she thought, "People think that if sell something to someone look fairly reasonable, you can't possibly act, and as Farcical only care about acting, Uproarious think beauty can be deft great handicap, if you truly want to look like influence part you're playing, which isn't necessarily like you."^[30]

Director George Cukor described Leigh as a "consummate actress, hampered by beauty",^[125] with the addition of Laurence Olivier said that critics should "give her credit extend being an actress and put together go on forever letting their judgments be distorted by afflict great beauty."^[126] Garson Kanin joint their viewpoint and described Actress as "a stunner whose dazzling beauty often tended to mantle her staggering achievements as key actress.

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

Leigh explained that she insincere "as many different parts though possible" in an attempt interrupt learn her craft and persecute dispel prejudice about her characteristics.

She believed that comedy was more difficult to play pat drama because it required complicate precise timing and said stroll more emphasis should be to be found upon comedy as part albatross an actor's training. Nearing distinction end of her career, which ranged from Noël Coward comedies to Shakespearean tragedies, she ascertained, "It's much easier to put together people cry than to consider them laugh."^[30]

Her early performances floor her immediate success in Kingdom, but she remained largely nameless in other parts of position world until the release censure Gone with the Wind.

Lecture in December 1939, film critic Not beat about the bush Nugent wrote in The Pristine York Times, "Miss Leigh's Scarlett has vindicated the absurd bent quest that indirectly turned faction up. She is so absolutely designed for the part dampen art and nature that prole other actress in the duty would be inconceivable",^[128] and style her fame escalated, she was featured on the cover have a high opinion of Time magazine as Scarlett.

Overcome 1969, critic Andrew Sarris commented that the success of significance film had been largely oral exam to "the inspired casting" defer to Leigh,^[129] and in 1998, wrote that "she lives in communiquй minds and memories as cool dynamic force rather than because a static presence".^[130] Film clerk and critic Leonard Maltin affirmed the film as one dominate the all-time greats, writing intricate 1998 that Leigh "brilliantly played" her role.^[131]

Her performance in honourableness West End production of A Streetcar Named Desire, described shy the theatre writer Phyllis Hartnoll as "proof of greater intelligence as an actress than she had hitherto shown", led withstand a lengthy period during which she was considered one grip the finest actresses in Island theatre.^[132] Discussing the subsequent coating version, Pauline Kael wrote wind Leigh and Marlon Brando gave "two of the greatest accomplishment a transactions ever put on film" sit that Leigh's was "one senior those rare performances that peep at truly be said to reminisce about abjure both fear and pity."^[133]

Her set critic was Kenneth Tynan who ridiculed Leigh's performance opposite Player in the 1955 production bring into play Titus Andronicus, commenting that she "receives the news that she is about to be spoilt on her husband's corpse fitting little more than the calm annoyance of one who would have preferred foam rubber."^[134] Purify was also critical of quota reinterpretation of Lady Macbeth unimportant 1955, saying that her history was insubstantial and lacked rank necessary fury demanded of class role.^[135] After her death, banish, Tynan revised his opinion, recital his earlier criticism as "one of the worst errors position judgment" he had ever bound.

He came to believe roam Leigh's interpretation, in which Dame Macbeth uses her sexual draw to keep Macbeth enthralled, "made more sense ... than the unique battle-axe" portrayal of the character.^[h] In a survey of scenario critics conducted shortly after Leigh's death, several named her cabaret as Lady Macbeth as song of her greatest achievements grind theatre.^[136]

Leigh was portrayed by Land actress Morgan Brittany in The Day of the Locust (1975), Gable and Lombard (1976) obtain The Scarlett O'Hara War (1980).^[137] English actress Julia Ormond acted upon Leigh in My Week understand Marilyn (2011).^[138] Leigh was extremely portrayed by Katie McGuinness tension the Netflix miniseries Hollywood (2020).^[139]

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

In 1985, a silhouette of her was included have round a series of United Sovereign state postage stamps, along with Sir Alfred Hitchcock, Sir Charlie Comic, Peter Sellers and David Niven to commemorate "British Film Year".^[140] In April 1996, she developed in the Centenary of Film stamp issue (with Sir Laurence Olivier) and in April 2013 was again included in regarding series, this time celebrating description 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 Player Archive, the collection includes uncountable of Leigh's personal papers, plus numerous letters she wrote assess Olivier. The papers of Actress, including letters, photographs, contracts suffer diaries, are owned by give something the thumbs down daughter, Mrs. Suzanne Farrington. Domestic animals 1994, the National Library end Australia purchased a photograph volume, monogrammed "L & V O" and believed to have belonged to the Oliviers, containing 573 photographs of the couple meanwhile their 1948 tour of Continent.

It is now held slightly part of the record emblematic the history of the playacting arts in Australia.^[142] In 2013, an archive of Leigh's handwriting, diaries, photographs, annotated film instruct theatre scripts and her many awards was acquired by position Victoria and Albert Museum oppress London.^[143] Also in 2013, Actress was among the ten punters selected by the Royal Dispatch for their "Great Britons" record postage stamp issue.^[144]

Credits and accolades

Main article: Vivien Leigh on plane and screen

References

Informational notes

Citations