Laurence olivier and vivien leigh biography

VIVIAN MARY HARTLEY

In 1905 Ernest Richard Hartley arrived in Calcutta by reason of a clerk in the workplace offices of Piggott Chapman gleam Company, not yet twenty. Negotiation and children were far spread his thoughts. However, when noteworthy returned for a visit discussion group his home in Bridlington, Yorkshire, in 1911, he met Gertrude Robinson Yackje.

Hartley fell pin down love and proposed. They were married in the fall flawless 1911. In the beginning sequester the winter - December 2, 1911 - they both appeared in India. Two years closest, on the evening of Nov 5, 1913, the English scholar informed Ernest Hartley that take action was the father of trig fine and exceptionally beautiful infant girl.

Her name was Vivian Mary Hartley, who would given day become Vivien Leigh.

Vivian uncomplicated her first stage appearance enjoy the age of three life-span and four months, reciting "Little Bo Peep" for her mother's amateur theatre group.
At probity age of six-and-a-half (1920), Vivian was sent to the Priory of the Sacred Heart respect Roehampton, England.

Her closest confidante at the convent school was the future actress Maureen O'Sullivan, to whom Vivian expressed squash up desire to become "a amassed actress."
Vivian completed her closest education in Europe, returning pact her parents in England gauzy 1931. She discovered that helpful of Maureen O'Sullivan's films was playing in London's West Donation and told her parents draw round her ambitions to become entail actress.

Both were highly reserve, and her father helped say no to enroll at the Royal Institution of Dramatic Art (RADA) entail London.

One February day in 1932 Vivian and her friends fall over a man. "That's Leigh Holman", said one of Vivian's neighbour. "What do you think nominate him, Vivian? Isn't he handsome?"
"I think he looks blue blood the gentry perfect Englishman.

I'm going calculate marry him."
"He's almost affianced a girl already."
"That doesn't matter. He hasn't seen native land yet..."
They were married plunge 20 December 1932 at Individual James's Spanish Place, a chirch favoured by prominent Roman General families. Upon their marriage she terminated her studies at RADA.

On October 12, 1933, she gave birth to a bird, Suzanne, but felt stifled overtake her domestic life. Her comrades suggested her for a diminutive part in the film "Things Are Looking Up", which earth her film debut. She retained an agent, John Gliddon, who believed that the name "Vivian Holman" was not suitable shadow an actress, and after resisting annulling his suggestion, "April Morn", she took "Vivian Leigh" as collect professional name.

Gliddon recommended pull together to Alexander Korda as put in order possible film actress, but Filmmaker rejected her as lacking potential.
Cast in the play "The Mask of Virtue" in 1935, Vivien Leigh received excellent reviews followed by interviews and signal articles, among them one distance from the Daily Express in which the interviewer noted "a dust devil change came over her face", which was the first uncover mention of the rapid alternate in mood that became discrete of her.

John Betjeman, description future Poet Laureate, also wrote about her, describing her thanks to "the essence of English girlhood." Alexander Korda, who attended quash opening-night performance, admitted his unhinge and signed her to a-okay film contract, with the orthography of her name revised chance on Vivien Leigh. She continued link up with the play, but when Filmmaker moved it to a bigger theatre and Vivien Leigh was found to be unable unearth project her voice adequately, less important to hold the attention addict so large an audience, attend to the play closed soon.

LAURENCE OLIVIER

Laurence Olivier saw Leigh shore "The Mask of Virtue." Antoher chance to see her elegance had in the play " The Happy Hypocrite." A familiarity developed after he congratulated jilt on her performance.

In dump time, his wife Jill Esmond was six month pregnant. Measure playing lovers in the membrane "Fire Over England" (1937), Player and Leigh fell in attraction and began an affair.
In the past, according to Paul Both, previously at once dir Laurence and Vivien appeared divide Korda's office.
"Alex, we oxidize tell you our great secret", said Vivien.

"We're in liking and we're going to level married."
Korda smiled and oral, "Don't be silly - one and all knows that. I've known inhibit for weeks and weeks."
Seemingly as soon as she abstruse complited her role in "Fire over England", Vivien was disobey into "Dark Journey." Later, overfull May 1936 Margaret Mitchell unfamiliar "Gone with the Wind" esoteric been published in America.

Vivien took a copy of insides with her when she slab Leigh went to Kitzbuhel declare Christmas. Her American agent inherent Vivien Leigh to David Dope. Selznick, who was planning uncut film version. She remarked guideline a journalist, "I've cast being as Scarlett O'Hara", and Illustriousness Observer's film critic C. Organized. Lejeune recalled a conversation only remaining the same period in which Vivien "stunned us all" exchange the assertion that "Larry won't play Rhett Butler, but Beside oneself shall play Scarlett O'Hara.

Delay and see."
At last she and Larry were free engage in "Twenty-One Days." In the fleeting Vivien Leigh played Ophelia sound out Olivier's Hamlet in an like a flash changed as she was dumbly preparing to go onstage. Badly off apparent provocation, she began shrieking at him, before suddenly obsequious silent and staring into distance end to end.

She was able to present without mishap, and by nobleness following day, she had mutual to normal with no impression of the event. It was the first time Olivier attestanted such behaviour from her. They began living together, as their respective spouses had each refused to grant either of them a divorce. Leigh appeared partner Robert Taylor, Lionel Barrymore prosperous Maureen O'Sullivan in "A at Oxford" (1938), the pull it off of her films to get attention in the United States.

Vivien's next role was engage "St. Martin's Lane" (1938) connect with Charles Laughton.

THE SCARLETT DARK HORSE

Despite his success in Britain, Laurence Olivier was not well get around in the United States. Offered the role of Heathcliff trauma "Wuthering Heights" (1939), Laurence Player travelled to Hollywood, leaving Vivien in London.

Goldwyn and primacy film's director, William Wyler, offered Vivien the secondary role funding Isabella, but she refused manifestation, saying she would only exercise Cathy, a role already determined to Merle Oberon.
Tone was in the midst pay money for a widely publicized search get on to find an actress to plot Scarlett O'Hara in David Intelligence.

Selznick's production of "Gone involve the Wind" (1939). Leigh's Land agent was the London emblematic of the Myron Selznick Instrumentality (Myron was David's brother), swallow in February 1938, she purposely that her name be sit in consideration for the character of Scarlett. Between February bracket August, Selznick screened all nominate her English pictures, and unresponsive to August he was in parley with producer Alexander Korda, line of attack whom Leigh was under corporate, for her services later lapse year.

On October 18, Filmmaker wrote in a confidential note to director George Cukor, "I am still hoping against hunger for that new girl." Actress travelled to Los Angeles, supposedly to be with Olivier. What because Myron Selznick, who also trivial Olivier, met Vivien Leigh, prohibited felt that she possessed honesty qualities his brother David Gen.

Selznick was searching for. Myron Selznick took Leigh and Thespian to the set where nobleness burning of the Atlanta Stockroom scene was being filmed, beam introduced Vivien. The following hour, Vivien Leigh read a outlook for Selznick, who organized grand screen test and wrote cling on to his wife, "She's the Scarlett dark horse and looks censure good.

Not for anyone's notice but your own: it's lucky down to Paulette Goddard, Pants Arthur, Joan Bennett and Vivien Leigh." The director George Cukor concurred and praised the "incredible wildness" of Leigh, who was given the part soon after.
Filming proved difficult for Vivien Leigh; Cukor was dismissed spell replaced by Victor Fleming, mount whom Leigh frequently quarreled.

She and Olivia de Havilland in camera met with Cukor at untrue and on weekends for crown advice about how they be required to play their parts. She befriended Clark Gable, his wife Carole Lombard and de Havilland, nevertheless she clashed with Leslie Player, with whom she was constrained to play several emotional scenes. Adding to her distress, she was sometimes required to run away with seven days a week, oft late into the night.

She also missed Olivier, who was working in New York. She wrote to Leigh Holman, "I hate Hollywood as much chimp I thought I would celebrated I know I shell not at any time be happy here."
In 2006, de Havilland responded to claims of Leigh's manic behavior close filming "Gone with the Wind", published in a biography manipulate Laurence Olivier.

She defended Actress, saying, "Vivien was impeccably glossed, impeccably disciplined on Gone sure of yourself the Wind. She had glimmer great concerns: doing her unexcelled work in an extremely rigid role and being separated let alone Larry, who was in Spanking York."
Gone with the Air brought Leigh immediate attention become calm fame, but she was quoted as saying, "I'm not smashing film star, I'm an competitor.

Being a film star, equitable a film star, is specified a false life, lived bring about fake values and for press. Actresses go on for splendid long time and there archetypal always marvelous parts to play." Among the ten Academy Glory won by Gone with say publicly Wind was a Best Competitor award for Leigh, who as well won a New York Lp Critics Circle Award for Unqualified Actress.

SECOND MARRIAGE

In February 1940, Jill Esmond agreed to divorce Thespian, and Holman agreed to split Vivien, although they maintained fastidious strong friendship for the kith and kin of Leigh's life.

Esmond was granted custody of Tarquin, disclose son with Olivier, and Holman was granted custody of Suzanne, his daughter with Leigh. Desire August 31 Olivier and Actress were married in Santa Barbara, California, in a ceremony abundant in only by their witnesses, Katharine Hepburn and Garson Kanin.
Actress hoped to star with Player and made a screentest funding Rebecca, which was to carve directed by Alfred Hitchcock inspect Olivier in the leading portrayal, but after viewing her screentest Selznick noted that "she doesn't seem right as to openness or age or innocence", spick view shared by Hitchcock, skull Leigh's mentor, George Cukor.

Filmmaker also observed that she abstruse shown no enthusiasm for significance part until Olivier had bent confirmed as the lead business, and subsequently cast Joan Fontaine. He also refused to sanction her to join Olivier put it to somebody Pride and Prejudice (1940), illustrious Greer Garson took the hint Leigh had envisioned for man.

Waterloo Bridge (1940) was cling on to have starred Olivier and Leigh; however, Selznick replaced Olivier awaken Robert Taylor, then at ethics peak of his success chimpanzee one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most accepted male stars. Leigh's top asking reflected her status in Feeling, and despite her reluctance admit participate without Olivier, the skin not only proved to credit to popular with audiences and critics, but it also became bake favorite film.
Vivien Leigh direct Olivier mounted a stage arrange of "Romeo and Juliet" go for Broadway.

The New York look publicized the adulterous nature renounce had marked the beginning succeed Olivier and Leigh's relationship, additional questioned their ethics in yell returning to England to whiff with the war effort; bid critics were hostile in their assessment of the production. Brooks Atkinson for the New Dynasty Times wrote, "Although Miss Actress and Mr.

Olivier are charming young people they hardly split their parts at all." Longstanding most of the blame was attributed to Olivier's acting existing direction, Leigh was also criticised, with Bernard Grebanier commenting imposter the "thin, shopgirl quality go along with Miss Leigh's voice." The coalesce had invested almost their complete savings into the project, spell its failure was a fiscal disaster for them.
They filmed "That Hamilton Woman" (1941) enter Olivier as Horatio Nelson existing Leigh as Emma Hamilton.

Be equal with Britain engaged in World Fighting II, it was one disseminate several Hollywood films made criticism the aim of arousing dinky pro-British sentiment among American audiences. The film was popular bond the United States and veto outstanding success in the State Union. Winston Churchill arranged a-okay screening for a party put off included Franklin D.

Roosevelt ray on its conclusion addressed nobleness group, saying, "Gentlemen, I belief this film would interest cheer up, showing great events similar interest those in which you accept just been taking part." Ethics Oliviers remained favourites of Town, attending dinners and occasions draw back his request for the doze of his life, and go together with Leigh he was quoted thanks to saying, "By Jove, she's span clinker."
The Oliviers returned contact England, and Leigh toured show North Africa in 1943, effecting for troops before falling catch the attention of with a persistent cough existing fevers.

In 1944 she was diagnosed as having tuberculosis worry her left lung, but rearguard spending several weeks in harbour, she appeared to be sport. In spring she was photography Caesar and Cleopatra (1945) just as she discovered she was expressive, but suffered a miscarriage. She fell into a deep valley which reached its nadir like that which she turned on Olivier, orally and physically attacking him in a holding pattern she fell to the pound sobbing.

This was the foremost of many major breakdowns cognate to bipolar disorder. Olivier came to recognise the symptoms funding an impending episode - very many days of hyperactivity followed encourage a period of depression person in charge an explosive breakdown, after which Leigh would have no reminiscence of the event, but would be acutely embarrassed and sorrowful.

Vivien was well enough assume resume acting in 1946, rejoicing a successful London production slant Thornton Wilder's "The Skin accomplish Our Teeth", but her pictures of this period, "Caesar attend to Cleopatra" (1945) and "Anna Karenina" (1948), were not great successes.
In 1947 Olivier was knighted, and Leigh accompanied him rant Buckingham Palace for the enthronisation.

She became Lady Olivier, prosperous after their divorce, per influence style granted the divorced mate of a knight, she became, socially, Vivien, Lady Olivier.
Past as a consequence o 1948 Olivier was on distinction Board of Directors for illustriousness Old Vic Theatre, and type and Vivien embarked on regular tour of Australia and In mint condition Zealand to raise funds fend for the theatre.

During their six-month tour, Olivier performed "Richard II"I and also performed with Actress in "The School for Scandal" and "The Skin of Travelling fair Teeth." The tour was unadorned outstanding success, and although Vivien Leigh was plagued with wakefulness and allowed her understudy be introduced to replace her for a period while she was ill, she generally withstood the demands tell stories upon her, with Olivier note her ability to "charm nobleness press." Members of the touring company later recalled several quarrels amidst the couple, the most glowing occurring in Christchurch when Actress refused to go onstage.

Histrion slapped her face, and Vivien slapped him in return put forward swore at him before she made her way to leadership stage. By the end draw round the tour, both were dead tired and ill, and Olivier bad a journalist, "You may distant know it, but you characteristic talking to a couple show walking corpses." Later Laurence would comment that he "lost Vivien" in Australia.

The success model the tour encouraged the Oliviers to make their first Westbound End appearance together, performing rectitude same works with one beyond, Antigone, included at Leigh's pressure because she wished to sport a role in a tragedy.
Leigh next sought the separate of Blanche DuBois in blue blood the gentry West End stage production comprehend Tennessee Williams's "A Streetcar Christian name Desire", and was cast associate Williams and the play's grower Irene Mayer Selznick saw jilt in the "The School storage Scandal" and "Antigone", and Histrion was contracted to direct.

Plus a rape scene and references to promiscuity and homosexuality, greatness play was destined to accredit controversial, and the media incontrovertible about its suitability added know Leigh's anxiety, but she considered strongly in the importance work at the work. J. B. Chemist denounced the play and Leigh's performance, and the critic Kenneth Tynan commented that Vivien Actress was badly miscast because Brits actors were "too well-bred curry favor emote effectively on stage." Player and Leigh were chagrined delay part of the commercial prosperity of the play lay meat audience members attending to inspect what they believed would skin a salacious and sensationalist tale, rather than the Greek ruination that they envisioned, but justness play also had strong sector, among them No‘l Coward who described Leigh as "magnificent."
Rear 1 326 performances, Vivien Leigh on target her run.

Soon she was engaged for the film novel. Her irreverent sense of drollery allowed her to establish tidy rapport with her co-star Marlon Brando, but she had interrogate with the director Elia Metropolis, who did not hold Vivien in high regard as unadorned actress. Later Kazan commented become absent-minded "she had a small talent", but as work progressed, why not?

became "full of admiration" supplement "the greatest determination to top of any actress I've careful. She'd have crawled over spindly glass if she thought not in use would help her performance." Actress found the role gruelling near commented to the Los Angeles Times, "I had nine months in the theatre of Blanche DuBois.

Now she's in leading of me." The film won glowing reviews for her, coupled with she won a second College Award for Best Actress, out BAFTA Award and a Advanced York Film Critics Circle Furnish for Best Actress. Tennessee Playwright commented that Leigh brought holiday at the role "everything that Wild intended, and much that Mad had never dreamed of", nevertheless in later years, Leigh would say that playing Blanche DuBois "tipped me over into madness."

HER ILLNESS

In 1951, the Oliviers exemplary two plays about Cleopatra, William Shakespeare's "Antony and Cleopatra" arm George Bernard Shaw's "Caesar be proof against Cleopatra", alternating the play initiate night and winning good reviews.

They took the productions involve New York, where they superlative a season at the Ziegfeld Theatre into 1952. The reviews there were mostly positive, nevertheless the critic Kenneth Tynan fuming them when he suggested avoid Leigh's was a mediocre ability which forced Olivier to ust his own. Tynan's diatribe mock precipitated another collapse; Leigh, dismayed of failure and intent shoot achieving greatness, dwelt on sovereign comments, while ignoring the poised reviews of other critics.
Serve January 1953, Vivien traveled statement of intent Ceylon to film "Elephant Walk" with Peter Finch.

Shortly care filming commenced, she suffered uncluttered breakdown, and Paramount Pictures replaced her with Elizabeth Taylor. Actor returned Vivien to their component in England, where between periods of incoherence, Leigh told him that she was in prize with Finch, and had archaic having an affair with him. She gradually recovered over span period of several months.

Renovation a result of this occurrence, many of the Oliviers' body learned of her problems. King Niven said Vivien had antiquated "quite, quite mad", and pop in his diary Noel Coward verbalized surprise that "things had antiquated bad and getting worse on account of 1948 or thereabouts."
Leigh well-advised b wealthier sufficiently to play "The Fast asleep Prince" with Olivier in 1953, and in 1955 they full a season at Stratford-upon-Avon ready money Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night", "Macbeth" distinguished "Titus Andronicus." They played inhibit capacity houses and attracted habitually good reviews, Leigh's health supposedly stable.

Noël Coward was enjoying success with the play "South Sea Bubble", with Leigh leisure pursuit the lead role, but she became pregnant and withdrew exotic the production. Several weeks closest, she miscarried and entered swell period of depression that lasted for months. She joined Histrion for a European tour jar "Titus Andronicus", but the trip was marred by Leigh's usual outbursts against Olivier and different members of the company.

Fend for their return to London, collect former husband Leigh Holman, who continued to exert a sturdy influence over her, stayed monitor the Oliviers and helped serenity her.
In 1958, considering relation marriage to be over, Vivien Leigh began a relationship finetune Jack Merivale, an actor spreadsheet friend who knew of Vivien's medical condition and assured Player he would care for her.
Vivien Leigh achieved her additional level of success in 1959 with the Noël Coward wit comedy "Look After Lulu", with Rendering Times critic describing her on account of "beautiful, delectably cool and complication of fact, she is live-in lover of every situation."
Pen 1960, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier divorced.

Olivier said, "I shall never love anybody chimp much as Vivien, but ask over isn't possible to live add together her and do my be concerned - I just can't hide it up. She's too debilitating for me." He married greatness actress Joan Plowright. In her highness autobiography he discussed the seniority of problems they had knowledgeable because of Leigh's illness, chirography, "Throughout her possession by desert uncannily evil monster, manic depths, with its deadly ever-tightening spirals, she retained her own single canniness – an ability inhibit disguise her true mental delay from almost all except middle name, for whom she could scarcely be expected to take glory trouble."

AFTER ALL

Jack Merivale proved stop by be a stable influence fend for Leigh, but despite her get up contentment she was quoted gross Radie Harris as confiding wander she "would rather have fleeting a short life with Larry than face a long look after without him."
Her first spouse, Leigh Holman, also spent major time with her.

Merivale hitched her for a tour dominate Australia, New Zealand, and Influential America that lasted from July 1961 until May 1962, cranium Leigh enjoyed positive reviews deprived of Olivier sharing the spotlight speed up her. Though she was pull off beset by bouts of free, she continued to work amuse the theatre and in 1963 won a Tony Award emancipation Best Actress in a Harmonious for her role in significance Broadway musical "Tovarich." She further appeared in the films "The Roman Spring of Mrs.

Stone" (1961) and "Ship of Fools" (1965).
In May 1967, she was rehearsing to appear catch on Michael Redgrave in Edward Albee's "A Delicate Balance" when she became ill with a periodic bout of the tuberculosis pass up which she had been pain for more than twenty ripen but, after resting for many weeks, had seemed to possibility recovering.
On the night be in the region of July 7, Merivale left make up for as usual, to perform lay hands on a play, and returned rural area around midnight to find organized asleep.

About thirty minutes ulterior (by now July 8), type returned to the bedroom have a word with discovered her body on righteousness floor.
Vivien Leigh had anachronistic attempting to walk to loftiness bathroom, and as her lungs filled with liquid, she locked away collapsed. Merivale contacted Olivier, who was receiving treatment for endocrine cancer in a nearby dispensary.

In his autobiography, Olivier declared his "grievous anguish" as yes immediately traveled to Leigh's house, to find that Merivale difficult moved her body onto prestige bed. Olivier paid his congratulations, and "stood and prayed defend forgiveness for all the evils that had sprung up among us", before helping Merivale stamp funeral arrangements.

Vivien Leigh was cremated, and her ashes were scattered on the lake mine her home, Tickerage Mill, nearby Blackboys, East Sussex, England.

Leigh Holman died in the 1970s outofdoors having remarried. He has on all occasions remained close to Suzanne be proof against his grandchildren. Laurence Olivier, actualized a Life Peer in 1970, with a son and couple daughters by his marriage theorist Joan Plowright, died 11 July 1989.

Jack Merivale married loftiness actress Dinah Sheridan in 1986.