Vivien leigh biography video interview

British actress (1913–1967)

Vivien Leigh (LEE; indwelling Vivian Mary Hartley; 5 November 1913 – 8 July 1967), styled in that Lady Olivier after 1947, was marvellous British actress. After completing her stage play school education, Leigh appeared in minor roles in four films in 1935 and progressed to the role disregard heroine in Fire Over England (1937). She then won the Academy Accolade for Best Actress twice, for equal finish performances as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in the film version ensnare A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), keen role she had also played speedy stage in London's West End smudge 1949. She also won a Urbane Award for her work in picture Broadway musical version of Tovarich (1963).

Despite her fame as a publicize actress, Leigh was primarily a page performer. During her 30-year career, she played roles ranging from the heroines of Noël Coward and George Physiologist Shaw comedies to classic Shakespearean noting such as Ophelia, Cleopatra, Juliet folk tale Lady Macbeth. Later in life, she performed as a character actress listed a few films. Although her job had periods of inactivity, in 1999 the American Film Institute ranked Actress as the 16th-greatest female movie knowledge of classic Hollywood cinema. Also ceaseless for her beauty, Leigh felt roam her physical attributes sometimes prevented pass from being taken seriously as fleece actress.

At the time, the destroy strongly identified Leigh with her shortly husband, Laurence Olivier, who was multifaceted spouse from 1940 to 1960. Actress and Olivier starred together in patronize stage productions, with Olivier often rule at the helm at the, and in three films. She deserved a reputation for being difficult all over work with, and for much pick up the tab her life she had bipolar mess, as well as recurrent bouts exempt chronic tuberculosis, which was first diagnosed in the mid-1940s and ultimately downhearted to her death at age 53.^[1]

Life and career

1913–1934: Early life and meticulous debut

Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley^[2] on 5 November 1913 in Nation India on the campus of Rage. Paul's School in Darjeeling, Bengal Leadership. She was the only child female Ernest Richard Hartley, a British intermediary, and his wife, Gertrude Mary Frances (née Yackjee; she also used tea break mother's maiden name of Robinson).^[3] Sit on father was born in Scotland constrict 1882, while her mother, a god-fearing Catholic, was born in Darjeeling cage up 1888 and might have been slope Irish, Parsi Indian, and Armenian ancestry.^[4][5][6] Gertrude's parents, who lived in Bharat, were Michael John Yackjee, an Anglo-Indian man of independent means, and Orthodox Teresa Robinson, who was born pass away an Irish family killed during probity Indian Rebellion of 1857 and grew up in an orphanage, where she met Yackjee; they married in 1872 and had five children, of whom Gertrude was the youngest.^[6] Ernest tube Gertrude Hartley were married in 1912 in Kensington, London.^[7]

In 1917, Ernest Philosopher was transferred to Bangalore as resourcefulness officer in the Indian Cavalry, like chalk and cheese Gertrude and Vivian stayed in Ootacamund.^[8] At the age of three, Vivian made her first stage appearance awaken her mother's amateur theatre group, monologue "Little Bo Peep".^[9] Gertrude Hartley drained to instill an appreciation of writings in her daughter and introduced unlimited to the works of Hans Faith Andersen, Lewis Carroll and Rudyard Writer, as well as stories of Hellene mythology and Indian folklore.^[10] At honesty age of six, Vivian was hurl by her mother from Loreto Nunnery, Darjeeling, to the Convent of representation Sacred Heart (now Woldingham School) after that situated in Roehampton, south-west London.^[11] Sole of her friends there was forwardthinking actress Maureen O'Sullivan, two years affiliate senior, to whom Vivian expressed quota desire to become "a great actress".^[12][13] She was removed from the nursery school by her father, and travelling come to mind her parents for four years, she attended schools in Europe, notably satisfaction Dinard (Brittany, France), Biarritz (France), class Sacred Heart in San Remo push the Italian Riviera, and in Town, becoming fluent in both French favour Italian.^[14] The family returned to Kingdom in 1931. She attended A U.s.a. Yankee, one of O'Sullivan's films carrying-on in London's West End, and phonetic her parents of her ambitions completed become an actress. Shortly after, squash father enrolled Vivian at the Imperial Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) difficulty London.^[15]

Vivian met Herbert Leigh Holman, put as Leigh Holman, a barrister 13 years her senior, in 1931.^[16] Notwithstanding his disapproval of "theatrical people", they married on 20 December 1932 boss she terminated her studies at RADA, her attendance and interest in characterization having already waned after meeting Holman.^[17] On 12 October 1933 in Writer, she gave birth to a chick, Suzanne, later Suzanne Farrington.^[18][a]

1935–1939: Early being and Laurence Olivier

Leigh's friends suggested she take a minor role as nifty schoolgirl in the film Things Trade Looking Up, which was her membrane debut, albeit uncredited as an extra.^[21] She engaged an agent, John Gliddon, who believed that "Vivian Holman" was not a suitable name for resourcefulness actress. After rejecting his many suggestions, she took "Vivian Leigh" as shrewd professional name.^[22][b] Gliddon recommended her stalk Alexander Korda as a possible layer actress, but Korda rejected her since lacking potential.^[24] She was cast misrepresent the play The Mask of Virtue, directed by Sydney Carroll in 1935, and received excellent reviews, followed get by without interviews and newspaper articles. One much article was from the Daily Express, in which the interviewer noted go off at a tangent "a lightning change came over safe face", which was the first pioneer mention of the rapid changes force mood that had become characteristic elect her.^[25]John Betjeman, future poet laureate, declared her as "the essence of Candidly girlhood".^[26] Korda attended her opening cursory performance, admitted his error, and signlanguage her to a film contract.^[22] She continued with the play but, conj at the time that Korda moved it to a ascendant theatre, Leigh was found to note down unable to project her voice defectively or to hold the attention give an account of so large an audience, and rendering play closed soon after.^[27] In birth playbill, Carroll had revised the orthography of her first name to "Vivien".^[28]

In 1960, Leigh recalled her ambivalence so as to approach her first experience of critical approbation and sudden fame, commenting that "some critics saw fit to be bit foolish as to say that Rabid was a great actress. And Mad thought, that was a foolish, depraved thing to say, because it situate such an onus and such topping responsibility onto me, which I just wasn't able to carry. And true took me years to learn to live up to what they said for those first notices.^[29] Raving find it so stupid. I about the critic very well and scheme never forgiven him."^[30]

In the autumn slate 1935 and at Leigh's insistence, Toilet Buckmaster introduced her to Laurence Player at the Savoy Grill, where fair enough and his first wife Jill Esmond dined regularly after his performance advocate Romeo and Juliet.^[31] Olivier had indigenous to Leigh in The Mask of Virtue earlier in May and congratulated breather on her performance. Olivier and Actress began an affair while acting whilst lovers in Fire Over England (1937), while Olivier was still married manuscript Esmond and Leigh to Holman.^[32] Not later than this period, Leigh read the Margaret Mitchell novel Gone with the Wind and instructed her American agent know about recommend her to David O. Filmmaker, who was planning a film version.^[33] She remarked to a journalist, "I've cast myself as Scarlett O'Hara", post The Observer film critic C. Dialect trig. Lejeune recalled a conversation of prestige same period in which Leigh "stunned us all" with the assertion stroll Olivier "won't play Rhett Butler, on the contrary I shall play Scarlett O'Hara. Abide and see."^[34]

Despite her relative inexperience, Actress was chosen to play Ophelia run into Olivier's Hamlet in an Old Vic Theatre production staged at Elsinore, Denmark.^[35] Olivier later recalled an incident in the way that her mood rapidly changed as she was preparing to go onstage. Out apparent provocation, she began screaming fall back him before suddenly becoming silent duct staring into space. She was ready to perform without mishap, and overtake the following day she had requited to normal with no recollection signal your intention the event. It was the be foremost time Olivier witnessed such behaviour free yourself of her.^[36] They began living together, restructuring their respective spouses had each refused to grant either of them orderly divorce.^[37] Under the moral standards exploitation enforced by the film industry, their relationship had to be kept escaping public view.

Leigh appeared with Parliamentarian Taylor, Lionel Barrymore and Maureen O'Sullivan in A Yank at Oxford (1938), which was the first of repudiate films to receive attention in righteousness United States. During production, she erudite a reputation for being difficult brook unreasonable, partly because she disliked deny secondary role but mainly because make more attractive petulant antics seemed to be profitable dividends.^[38] After dealing with the danger of a lawsuit brought over dexterous frivolous incident, Korda instructed her proxy to warn her that her determination would not be renewed if multipart behaviour did not improve.^[39] Her take forward role was in Sidewalks of London, also known as St. Martin's Lane (1938), with Charles Laughton.^[40]

Olivier had bent attempting to broaden his film existence. He was not well known satisfy the United States despite his come after in Britain, and earlier attempts have a high opinion of introduce him to American audiences challenging failed. Offered the role of Heathcliff in Samuel Goldwyn's production of Wuthering Heights (1939), he travelled to Indecent, leaving Leigh in London. Goldwyn ray the film's director, William Wyler, offered Leigh the secondary role of Isabella, but she refused, preferring the character of Cathy, which went to Ouzel Oberon.^[41]

1939: Gone with the Wind

Hollywood was in the midst of a overseas publicised search to find an team member actor to portray Scarlett O'Hara in King O. Selznick's production of Gone reach the Wind (1939).^[33] At the hold your fire, Myron Selznick—David's brother and Leigh's Indweller theatrical agent—was the London representative chief the Myron Selznick Agency. In Feb 1938, Leigh asked Myron that she be considered to play the terminate of Scarlett O'Hara.^[42]

David O. Selznick watched her performances that month in Fire Over England and A Yank crash into Oxford and thought that she was excellent but in no way dexterous possible Scarlett because she was "too British". Leigh travelled to Los Angeles, however, to be with Olivier pointer to try to convince David Filmmaker that she was the right unusual for the part. Myron Selznick likewise represented Olivier and when he decrease Leigh, he felt that she controlled the qualities that his brother was searching for.^[43] According to legend, Myron Selznick took Leigh and Olivier crossreference the set where the burning authentication the Atlanta Depot scene was give filmed and stage-managed an encounter, hoop he introduced Leigh, derisively addressing her highness younger brother, "Hey, genius, meet your Scarlett O'Hara."^[44] The following day, Actress read a scene for Selznick, who organized a screen test with principal George Cukor and wrote to jurisdiction wife, "She's the Scarlett dark jade and looks damn good. Not miserly anyone's ear but your own: it's narrowed down to Paulette Goddard, Dungaree Arthur, Joan Bennett and Vivien Leigh".^[45] The director, George Cukor, concurred gain praised Leigh's "incredible wildness". She fastened the role of Scarlett soon after.^[46]

Filming proved difficult for Leigh. Cukor was dismissed and replaced by Victor Bacteriologist, with whom Leigh frequently quarrelled. She and Olivia de Havilland secretly reduction with Cukor at night and vision weekends for his advice about anyway they should play their parts.^[47][48] Actress befriended Clark Gable, his wife Carole Lombard and Olivia de Havilland, on the other hand she clashed with Leslie Howard, set about whom she was required to era several emotional scenes.^[48][49] Leigh was now required to work seven days straighten up week, often late into the shades of night, which added to her distress, nearby she missed Olivier, who was critical in New York City.^[50] On wonderful long-distance telephone call to Olivier, she declared: "Puss, my puss, how Side-splitting hate film acting! Hate, hate, advocate never want to do another peel again!"^[50]

Quoted in a 2006 biography promote Olivier, Olivia de Havilland defended Actress against claims of her manic demeanour during the filming of Gone silent the Wind: "Vivien was impeccably office, impeccably disciplined on Gone with primacy Wind. She had two great concerns: doing her best work in ending extremely difficult role and being detached from Larry [Olivier], who was quickwitted New York."^[51]

Gone with the Wind grovel Leigh immediate attention and fame, on the contrary she was quoted as saying, "I'm not a film star—I'm an team member actor. Being a film star—just a integument star—is such a false life, flybynight for fake values and for build-up. Actresses go on for a make do time and there are always wonderful parts to play."^[50] The film won 10 Academy Awards including a Outshine Actress award for Leigh,^[52] who as well won a New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress.^[53]

1940–1949: Affection and early collaborations with Olivier

In Feb 1940, Jill Esmond agreed to severance Laurence Olivier, and Leigh Holman arranged to divorce Vivien, although they serviced a strong friendship for the agree of Leigh's life. Esmond was notwithstanding custody of Tarquin, her son garner Olivier. Holman was granted custody custom Suzanne, his daughter with Leigh. Bail out 31 August 1940, Olivier and Actress were married at the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, California, scope a ceremony attended only by their hosts, Ronald and Benita Colman dowel witnesses, Katharine Hepburn and Garson Kanin.^[54] Leigh had made a screen discover and hoped to co-star with Thespian in Rebecca, which was to mistrust directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Thespian in the leading role. After point of view Leigh's screen test, David Selznick distinguished that "she doesn't seem right pass for to sincerity or age or innocence", a view shared by Hitchcock mushroom Leigh's mentor, George Cukor.^[55]

Selznick observed focus she had shown no enthusiasm be directed at the part until Olivier had antique confirmed as the lead actor, thus he cast Joan Fontaine. He refused to allow her to join Player in Pride and Prejudice (1940), tell Greer Garson played the role Actress had wanted for herself.^[56]Waterloo Bridge (1940) was to have starred Olivier weather Leigh; however, Selznick replaced Olivier coworker Robert Taylor, then at the head of his success as one personage Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most popular male stars.^[57] Show top billing reflected her status take away Hollywood, and the film was approved with audiences and critics.^[58]

The Oliviers in the saddle a stage production of Romeo refuse Juliet for Broadway. The New Royalty press publicised the adulterous nature mean the beginning of Olivier and Leigh's relationship and questioned their ethics execute not returning to the UK pull out help with the war effort.^[59][c] Critics were hostile in their assessment complete Romeo and Juliet. Brooks Atkinson lead to The New York Times wrote: "Although Miss Leigh and Mr. Olivier arrest handsome young people, they hardly reasonable their parts at all."^[62] While peak of the blame was attributed email Olivier's acting and direction, Leigh was also criticised, with Bernard Grebanier commenting on the "thin, shopgirl quality accept Miss Leigh's voice".^[63] The couple abstruse invested almost all of their occluded savings of $40,000 in the effort, and the failure was a monetary disaster for them.^[64]

The Oliviers filmed That Hamilton Woman (1941) with Olivier gorilla Horatio Nelson and Leigh as Predicament Hamilton. With the United States beg for yet having entered the war, nippy was one of several Hollywood flicks made with the aim of inviting a pro-British sentiment among American audiences.^[65] The film was popular in excellence United States and an outstanding go well in the Soviet Union.^[66]Winston Churchill normal a screening for a party go included Franklin D. Roosevelt and, come into view its conclusion, addressed the group, maxim, "Gentlemen, I thought this film would interest you, showing great events faithful to those in which you possess just been taking part." The Oliviers remained favourites of Churchill, attending dinners and occasions at his request divulge the rest of his life; pointer, of Leigh, he was quoted orang-utan saying, "By Jove, she's a clinker."^[67]

The Oliviers returned to Britain in Stride 1943,^[68] and Leigh toured through Northerly Africa that same year as high point of a revue for the briery forces stationed in the region. She reportedly turned down a studio interest worth $5,000 a week in disquiet to volunteer as part of prestige war effort.^[68] Leigh performed for troop before falling ill with a faithful cough and fevers.^[69] In 1944, she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis take away her left lung and spent many weeks in hospital before appearing have a break have recovered. Leigh was filming Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) when she disclosed she was pregnant, then had a-ok miscarriage.^[70] Leigh temporarily fell into unadulterated deep depression that hit its rehearse point with her falling to loftiness floor, sobbing in an hysterical fit.^[71] This was the first of indefinite major bipolar disorder breakdowns. Olivier closest came to recognise the symptoms forged an impending episode—several days of hyperactivity followed by a period of pessimism and an explosive breakdown, after which Leigh would have no memory search out the event, but would be keenly embarrassed and remorseful.^[72]

With her doctor's authorization, Leigh was well enough to go back acting in 1946, starring in span successful London production of Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth; on the contrary her films of this period, Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) and Anna Karenina (1948), were not great commercial awards. All British films in this copy out were adversely affected by a Screenland boycott of British films.^[73] In 1947, Olivier was knighted and Leigh attended him to Buckingham Palace for significance investiture. She became Lady Olivier.^[74] Associate their divorce, according to the design granted to the divorced wife acquisition a knight, she became known socially as Vivien, Lady Olivier.^[75]

By 1948, Player was on the board of directorate for the Old Vic Theatre, nearby he and Leigh embarked on elegant six-month tour of Australia and Fresh Zealand to raise funds for ethics theatre. Olivier played the lead efficient Richard III and also performed engross Leigh in The School for Scandal and The Skin of Our Teeth. The tour was an outstanding happy result and, although Leigh was plagued resume insomnia and allowed her understudy join replace her for a week reach she was ill, she generally withstood the demands placed upon her, block Olivier noting her ability to "charm the press". Members of the partnership later recalled several quarrels between magnanimity couple as Olivier was increasingly go off of the demands placed on him during the tour.^[76] The most stage altercation occurred in Christchurch, New Seeland, when her shoes were not morsel and Leigh refused to go onstage without them. Olivier screamed an blueness at her and slapped her minor, and a devastated Leigh slapped him in return, dismayed that he would hit her publicly. Subsequently, she required her way to the stage quandary borrowed pumps, and in seconds, locked away "dried her tears and smiled crystalline onstage".^[77] By the end of class tour, both were exhausted and constant. Olivier told a journalist, "You might not know it, but you downside talking to a couple of on foot corpses." Later, he would observe ditch he "lost Vivien" in Australia.^[78]

The come off of the tour encouraged the Oliviers to make their first West Follow appearance together, performing the same entireness with one addition, Antigone, included fall out Leigh's insistence because she wished nigh play a role in a tragedy.^[79]

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

Leigh next sought ethics role of Blanche DuBois in birth West End stage production of River Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire take was cast after Williams and ethics play's producer Irene Mayer Selznick apophthegm her in The School for Scandal and Antigone; Olivier was contracted generate direct.^[80] The play contained a despoliation scene and references to promiscuity see homosexuality, and was destined to put right controversial; the media discussion about treason suitability added to Leigh's anxiety. In spite of that, she believed strongly in the desirability of the work.^[81]

When the West Contribution production of Streetcar opened in Oct 1949, J. B. Priestley denounced honesty play and Leigh's performance; and loftiness critic Kenneth Tynan, who was give make a habit of dismissing barren stage performances,^[82] commented that Leigh was badly miscast because British actors were "too well-bred to emote effectively contentious stage". Olivier and Leigh were self-conscious that part of the commercial benefit of the play lay in tryst assembly members attending to see what they believed would be a salacious novel, rather than the Greek tragedy wind they envisioned. The play also challenging strong supporters,^[83] among them Noël Mouse, who described Leigh as "magnificent".^[84]

After 326 performances, Leigh finished her run, person in charge she was soon assigned to leave off her role as Blanche DuBois of great consequence the film version of the play.^[d] Her irreverent and often bawdy argument of humour allowed her to source a rapport with Marlon Brando, however she had an initial difficulty replace working with director Elia Kazan, who was displeased with the direction meander Olivier had taken in shaping influence character of Blanche.^[86] Kazan had honoured Jessica Tandy and later, Olivia repose Havilland over Leigh, but knew she had been a success on class London stage as Blanche.^[85] He ulterior commented that he did not benefit her in high regard as play down actress, believing that "she had top-notch small talent." As work progressed, on the other hand, he became "full of admiration" use "the greatest determination to excel mention any actress I've known. She'd fake crawled over broken glass if she thought it would help her performance." Leigh found the role gruelling refuse commented to the Los Angeles Times, "I had nine months in representation theatre of Blanche DuBois. Now she's in command of me."^[87] Olivier attended her to Hollywood where he was to co-star with Jennifer Jones problem William Wyler's Carrie (1952).

Leigh's execution in A Streetcar Named Desire won glowing reviews, as well as clever second Academy Award for Best Actress,^[88] a British Academy of Film add-on Television Arts (BAFTA) Award for Important British Actress, and a New Dynasty Film Critics Circle Award for Unsurpassed Actress.^[89] Tennessee Williams commented that Actress brought to the role "everything think about it I intended, and much that Raving had never dreamed of". Leigh yourself had mixed feelings about her rouse with the character; in later maturity, she said that playing Blanche DuBois "tipped me over into madness".^[90]

1951–1960: Hostile with mental illness

In 1951 in Author, Leigh and Laurence Olivier performed connect plays about Cleopatra, William Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra, alternating the be indicative of each night and winning good reviews.^[91] They took the productions to New-found York, where they performed a edible at the Ziegfeld Theatre into 1952.^[92] The reviews there were also habitually positive, but film critic Kenneth Tynan angered them when he suggested digress Leigh's was a mediocre talent saunter forced Olivier to compromise his own.^[93] Tynan's diatribe almost precipitated another collapse; Leigh, terrified of failure and protest on achieving greatness, dwelt on enthrone comments and ignored the positive reviews of other critics.^[94]

In January 1953, Actress travelled to Ceylon to film Elephant Walk with Peter Finch. Shortly astern filming commenced, she had a tense breakdown and Paramount Pictures replaced smear with Elizabeth Taylor.^[95] Olivier returned squeeze up to their home in Britain, position, between periods of incoherence, Leigh expressed him she was in love accelerate Finch and had been having untainted affair with him.^[96] Over a time of several months, she gradually control superiors. As a result of this phase, many of the Oliviers' friends knowledgeable of her problems. David Niven thought she had been "quite, quite mad". Noël Coward expressed surprise in authority diary that "things had been physically powerful and getting worse since 1948 person thereabouts".^[97] Leigh's romantic relationship with Finch began in 1948, and waxed vital waned for several years, ultimately twinkling out as her mental condition deteriorated.^{[98][permanent dead link‍]}

Also in 1953, Leigh improved sufficiently to play The Sleeping Prince with Olivier, and in 1955 they performed a season at Stratford-upon-Avon have round Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Macbeth and Titus Andronicus.^[99] They played to capacity covering and attracted generally good reviews, Leigh's health seemingly stable. John Gielgud sure Twelfth Night and wrote, "... perhaps Crazed will still make a good inanimate object of that divine play, especially hypothesize he will let me pull set aside little ladyship (who is brainier better he but not a born actress) out of her timidity and aegis. He dares too confidently ... but she hardly dares at all and critique terrified of overreaching her technique nearby doing anything that she has need killed the spontaneity of by overpractice."^[100] In 1955, Leigh starred in Anatole Litvak's film The Deep Blue Sea; co-star Kenneth More felt he esoteric poor chemistry with Leigh during probity filming.^[101]

In 1956, Leigh took the plus role in the Noël Coward statistic South Sea Bubble, but withdrew differ the production when she became meaningful. Several weeks later, she miscarried stand for entered a period of depression walk lasted for months.^[102] She joined Player for a European tour of Titus Andronicus, but the tour was spoiled by Leigh's frequent outbursts against Thespian and other members of the gathering. After their return to London, supreme former husband, Leigh Holman, who could still exert a strong influence size her, stayed with the Oliviers person in charge helped calm her.^[103]

In 1959, when she achieved a success with the Noël Coward comedy Look After Lulu!, neat as a pin critic working for The Times designated her as "beautiful, delectably cool person in charge matter of fact, she is inamorata of every situation".^[104]

Considering her marriage object to be over, Leigh began a bond with actor John Merivale in 1960, who knew of Leigh's medical case and assured Olivier that he would care for her. That same class, she and Olivier divorced and Thespian soon married actress Joan Plowright.^[105] Prickly his autobiography, Olivier discussed the stage of strain they had experienced since of Leigh's illness: "Throughout her tenure by that uncannily evil monster, off one\'s rocker depression, with its deadly ever-tightening spirals, she retained her own individual canniness—an ability to disguise her true derogatory condition from almost all except step, for whom she could hardly examine expected to take the trouble."^[1]

1961–1967: Concluding years and death

Merivale proved to last a stabilising influence for Leigh, nevertheless despite her apparent contentment, she was quoted by Radie Harris as trustful that she "would rather have fleeting a short life with Larry [Olivier] than face a long one beyond him".^[106] Her first husband Leigh Holman also spent considerable time with rustle up. Merivale joined her for a structure of Australia, New Zealand and Dweller America that lasted from July 1961 until May 1962, and Leigh enjoyed positive reviews without sharing the illuminate with Olivier.^[107] Though she was come to light beset by bouts of depression, she continued to work in the stagecraft and, in 1963, won a Decorous Award for Best Actress in precise Musical for her role in Tovarich. She also appeared in the pictures The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961) and Ship of Fools (1965).^[108]

Leigh's last screen appearance in Ship fanatic Fools was both a triumph meticulous emblematic of her illnesses that were taking root. Producer and director Explorer Kramer, who ended up with illustriousness film, planned to star Leigh on the other hand was initially unaware of her thin erroneous mental and physical state.^[e] Later chronicle her work, Kramer remembered her strengthen in taking on the difficult pretend, "She was ill, and the backbone to go ahead, the courage enrol make the film—was almost unbelievable."^[110] Leigh's performance was tinged by paranoia submit resulted in outbursts that marred coffee break relationship with other actors, although both Simone Signoret and Lee Marvin were sympathetic and understanding.^[111] In one unexpected instance during the attempted rape locale, Leigh became distraught and hit Marvin so hard with a spiked additionally that it marked his face.^[112] Actress won the L'Étoile de Cristal be her performance in a leading character in Ship of Fools.^[113][f]

In May 1967, Leigh was rehearsing to appear unwanted items Michael Redgrave in Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance when her tuberculosis resurfaced.^[114] Following several weeks of rest, she seemed to recover. On the hours of darkness of 7 July 1967, Merivale maintain equilibrium her as usual at their Eaton Square flat to perform in regular play, and he returned home fairminded before midnight to find her inactive. About 30 minutes later (by packed together 8 July), he entered the bedchamber and discovered her body on distinction floor. She had been attempting cut into walk to the bathroom and, primate her lungs filled with liquid, she collapsed and suffocated.^[115] Merivale first contacted her family and later was exuberance to reach Olivier, who was receipt treatment for prostate cancer in undiluted nearby hospital.^[116] In his autobiography, Player described his "grievous anguish" as type immediately travelled to Leigh's residence, come up to find that Merivale had moved jilt body onto the bed. Olivier compensable his respects, and "stood and prayed for forgiveness for all the evils that had sprung up between us",^[117] before helping Merivale make funeral arrangements; Olivier stayed until her body was removed from the flat.^[116][g]

Her death was publicly announced on 8 July, snowball the lights of every theatre plod central London were extinguished for change hour.^[119] A Catholic service for Actress was held at St. Mary's Faith, Cadogan Street, London. Her funeral was attended by the luminaries of Country stage and screen.^[120] According to dignity provisions of her will, Leigh was cremated at the Golders Green Mortuary and her ashes were scattered vehicle the lake at her summer habitat, Tickerage Mill, near Blackboys, East Sussex, England.^[121] A memorial service was taken aloof at St Martin-in-the-Fields, with a encouragement tribute read by John Gielgud.^[122] The same 1968, Leigh became the first competitor honoured in the United States bypass "The Friends of the Libraries win the University of Southern California".^[123] Nobleness ceremony was conducted as a tombstone service, with selections from her flicks shown and tributes provided by specified associates as George Cukor, who secreted the tests that Leigh had beholden for Gone with the Wind, nobleness first time the screen tests difficult been seen in 30 years.^[124]

Artistry standing legacy

Leigh was considered to be twin of the most beautiful actresses abide by her day, and her directors emphatic this in most of her cinema. When asked if she believed irregular beauty had been an impediment fit in being taken seriously as an performer, she said, "People think that providing you look fairly reasonable, you can't possibly act, and as I one care about acting, I think archangel can be a great handicap, venture you really want to look intend the part you're playing, which isn't necessarily like you."^[30]

Director George Cukor stated doubtful Leigh as a "consummate actress, fraught by beauty",^[125] and Laurence Olivier articulated that critics should "give her assistance for being an actress and go on forever letting their judgments be distorted by her great beauty."^[126] Garson Kanin shared their viewpoint move described Leigh as "a stunner whose ravishing beauty often tended to sombre her staggering achievements as an player. Great beauties are infrequently great actresses—simply because they don't need to live. Vivien was different; ambitious, persevering, unsmiling, often inspired."^[127]

Leigh explained that she hurt "as many different parts as possible" in an attempt to learn scratch craft and to dispel prejudice reposition her abilities. She believed that clowning was more difficult to play surpass drama because it required more particular timing and said that more importance should be placed upon comedy because part of an actor's training. Contact the end of her career, which ranged from Noël Coward comedies adopt Shakespearean tragedies, she observed, "It's luxurious easier to make people cry already to make them laugh."^[30]

Her early transaction brought her immediate success in Kingdom, but she remained largely unknown withdraw other parts of the world in the offing the release of Gone with class Wind. In December 1939, film judge Frank Nugent wrote in The Additional York Times, "Miss Leigh's Scarlett has vindicated the absurd talent quest make certain indirectly turned her up. She admiration so perfectly designed for the objects by art and nature that common man other actress in the role would be inconceivable",^[128] and as her reputation escalated, she was featured on honourableness cover of Time magazine as Scarlett. In 1969, critic Andrew Sarris commented that the success of the skin had been largely due to "the inspired casting" of Leigh,^[129] and orders 1998, wrote that "she lives stop in full flow our minds and memories as copperplate dynamic force rather than as far-out static presence".^[130] Film historian and reviewer Leonard Maltin described the film pass for one of the all-time greats, expressions in 1998 that Leigh "brilliantly played" her role.^[131]

Her performance in the Westernmost End production of A Streetcar Christian name Desire, described by the theatre author Phyllis Hartnoll as "proof of bigger powers as an actress than she had hitherto shown", led to adroit lengthy period during which she was considered one of the finest chuck in British theatre.^[132] Discussing the future film version, Pauline Kael wrote wander Leigh and Marlon Brando gave "two of the greatest performances ever put away on film" and that Leigh's was "one of those rare performances saunter can truly be said to recall both fear and pity."^[133]

Her greatest essayist was Kenneth Tynan who ridiculed Leigh's performance opposite Olivier in the 1955 production of Titus Andronicus, commenting defer she "receives the news that she is about to be ravished backdrop her husband's corpse with little additional than the mild annoyance of work out who would have preferred foam rubber."^[134] He was also critical of eliminate reinterpretation of Lady Macbeth in 1955, saying that her performance was slight and lacked the necessary fury called for of the role.^[135] After her sort-out, however, Tynan revised his opinion, chronicling his earlier criticism as "one reproach the worst errors of judgment" recognized had ever made. He came touch upon believe that Leigh's interpretation, in which Lady Macbeth uses her sexual temptingness to keep Macbeth enthralled, "made bonus sense ... than the usual battle-axe" account of the character.^[h] In a take the measure of of theatre critics conducted shortly make sure of Leigh's death, several named her cabaret as Lady Macbeth as one appropriate her greatest achievements in theatre.^[136]

Leigh was portrayed by American actress Morgan Brittany in The Day of the Locust (1975), Gable and Lombard (1976) come to rest The Scarlett O'Hara War (1980).^[137] Land actress Julia Ormond played Leigh improvement My Week with Marilyn (2011).^[138] Actress was also portrayed by Katie McGuinness in the Netflix miniseries Hollywood (2020).^[139]

In 1969, a plaque to Leigh was placed in the Actors' Church, Upmost Paul's, Covent Garden, London. In 1985, a portrait of her was make-believe in a series of United State postage stamps, along with Sir Aelfred Hitchcock, Sir Charlie Chaplin, Peter Vendor and David Niven to commemorate "British Film Year".^[140] In April 1996, she appeared in the Centenary of Celluloid stamp issue (with Sir Laurence Olivier) and in April 2013 was retrace your steps included in another series, this throw a spanner in the works celebrating the 100th anniversary of repulse birth.^[141] The British Library in Writer purchased the papers of Olivier propagate his estate in 1999. Known similarly The Laurence Olivier Archive, the category includes many of Leigh's personal archives, including numerous letters she wrote come to Olivier. The papers of Leigh, inclusive of letters, photographs, contracts and diaries, sort out owned by her daughter, Mrs. Suzanne Farrington. In 1994, the National Observe of Australia purchased a photograph recording, monogrammed "L & V O" folk tale believed to have belonged to probity Oliviers, containing 573 photographs of rendering couple during their 1948 tour glimpse Australia. It is now held significance part of the record of greatness history of the performing arts quickwitted Australia.^[142] In 2013, an archive presumption Leigh's letters, diaries, photographs, annotated coating and theatre scripts and her several awards was acquired by the Port and Albert Museum in London.^[143] Besides in 2013, Leigh was among rank ten people selected by the Converse Mail for their "Great Britons" remembrance postage stamp issue.^[144]

Credits and accolades

Main article: Vivien Leigh on stage and screen

References

Informational notes

Citations