On August 30, 1940, a wedding took place in the Californian city of Santa Barbara. Laurence Olivier And Vivien Leigh. This ceremony, almost secret (since only actress Katharine Hepburn And screenwriter Garson Kanin) preceded whirlwind romance and difficult divorces of lovers. They lived together for 20 years, during which Vivien turned from an aspiring actress into a movie star suffering from serious illness and depression. But Lawrence could never forgive her for Vivienne’s success. Just like he couldn’t help cope with her mental disorder. AiF.ru remembers the love story of one of the most beautiful movie couples.
Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in the film Fire Over England, 1937. Photo: Still from the film
Vivien Leigh was born in 1913 in India, where her English father served. She told her parents about her desire to become an actress back in early childhood, and they not only did not dissuade their daughter, but, on the contrary, supported her endeavors. Her father helped Vivien enter the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London. Then, at the end of 1931, Vivienne met lawyer Herbert Lee Holman, whom she married in 1932. A year later their daughter was born Suzanne. However, despite the family idyll, Vivien did not give up her dreams of stage and cinema. Screen debut of Vivien Leigh, who, on the advice of a hired agent, changed her last name Holman to a more sonorous one, took place in the film “Things are looking up.” This small role went almost unnoticed and did not earn rave reviews from critics. But things went better in the theater: in 1935, Vivien Leigh played in the play “The Mask of Virtue,” where she attracted the attention of not only spectators and journalists, but also Laurence Olivier, who saw the production.
Vivien Leigh with Laurence Olivier. Photo: Wikipedia By that time, Larry Olivier was already a star of the English theater: in the 30s, he appeared on stage in productions of Hamlet, Macbeth, Othello, and King Lear - both main and minor roles. At the same time, the actor began acting in films, including playing main role in the film Raoul Walsh « Yellow ticket" Like Vivien Leigh, Olivier was already married by that time - his first wife was actress Jill Esmond who gave birth to Lawrence's son Tarquina.
Olivier was impressed by the performance of the young actress Vivien Leigh; she, of course, had seen Olivier on stage more than once and dreamed of meeting him. Their meeting grew into friendship, and then into a stormy romance, which began on the set of the film “Flame Over England” in 1936 - on the screen the actors played lovers and after that they never parted, despite the fact that their legal spouses for a long time refused to give divorce. “I don’t remember a day of my life when I didn’t remember how my father left my mother for her own sake.” beautiful woman in the world and how my mother continued to love him,” Tarquin told Olivier in an interview. - He was good person, and I don't feel any bitterness. Vivien and Larry were meant to be together, they were an amazing couple."
Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. 1948. Photo: Wikipedia
Despite his success at home, Hollywood still remained an unconquered peak for Olivier. His first attempts to appear on American screens failed, so the actor enthusiastically accepted the offer to play the role. Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights in 1939 and went to America, leaving his young wife in London. However, Vivien Leigh did not have to grieve for long - she went to Los Angeles to audition for Gone with the Wind. Having beaten her competitors, the actress got the role Scarlett O'Hara, which ultimately brought her not only worldwide fame, but also an Oscar. Larry, who was initially against Vivienne's participation in the filming, was very upset about her success, which at that moment overshadowed him own achievements, - wounded pride became the reason for the first serious quarrels. Laurence Olivier's biographer later wrote in his book that during this period the actress tormented both Olivier and her colleagues on the set with mood swings and unstable behavior - rumors about manic-depressive psychosis, which the actress allegedly suffered from, accompanied her all her life. Some actors and directors talked about how hard it was to work with Lee, while others, on the contrary, denied this and talked about how professional she was on the set. The actress herself, during the filming of Gone with the Wind, wrote to her then-legal spouse Lee Holman, which Hollywood cannot stand and hates acting in films.
After the wedding, which Olivier and Lee finally played in 1940, both hoped for joint projects and filming. The actors did not succeed in making this dream come true right away: for example, Vivien did not audition for the film Alfred Hitchcock"Rebecca", where Olivier played the main role. Only in 1941 did the couple play together in the melodrama Alexandra Korda"Lady Hamilton" He played the role Admiral Nelson, she is his beloved Emma. The story largely repeated their personal one - the characters in the film live together, despite Emma’s marriage.
Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable in the film " Gone with the Wind", 1939. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Not all of the couple's collaborations were successful. The Broadway production of Romeo and Juliet failed, and both actors received unflattering reviews in the press. Experiences related to work affected the health of Vivien Leigh, who fell ill with tuberculosis in 1944 and later suffered a miscarriage - during 20 years of marriage, she and Larry never had children. The actress’s mental state also deteriorated; she fell into depression, accompanied by severe emotional breakdowns. Olivier increasingly became the target of attacks. In 1947, after he was knighted and Vivienne became a lady, the couple went on tour together in Australia and New Zealand. On the tour, the purpose of which was to raise funds for the Old Vic Theater in London - Olivier was appointed its director - the couple played in several performances. Despite the audience's success, the tour was exhausting for both - daily performances affected Vivien Leigh's already fragile physical and moral health. Then even their stage partners noticed how tense the relationship between the lovers had become - they were no longer causing scandals closed doors, but in public.
Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando in the film A Streetcar Named Desire, 1951. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
However, the tour was a success and it helped Olivier and Leigh recover from previous failures. Moreover, the actress had a role ahead of her that would later become the main one in her career. The play was being staged in London Tennessee Williams“A Streetcar Named Desire” - the author and producer of the production, who had seen Vivien in other performances, approved the actress for the role Blanche Dubois, and her husband undertook to stage the play as a director. Both the play and the production became the subject of heated discussions - the author was accused of obscenity and excessive frankness, the actress - that she was not suitable for the role - how could a cold Englishwoman play a passionate American? The public, reading the reviews, sold out over and over again. Articles in the press did not influence world recognition both Tennessee Williams, who was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for this work, and Vivien Leigh, who was invited to Hollywood to shoot the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire. The main male role - Stanley Kowalski- played in the film Marlon Brando, who previously played in the New York theatrical production plays.
The film brought the actress her second Oscar, but completely undermined both her health and her relationship with Laurence Olivier. Vivien Leigh has said more than once that it was the role of Blanche Dubois that led her to madness and a psychiatric clinic, where the actress was forced to go to bed in 1953. This was preceded by a harrowing trip to Ceylon to film the film Elephant Walking. Olivier refused the proposed leading male role and took his place Peter Finch, who supported the actress. In the hot and humid climate, tuberculosis worsened, and on top of everything else, Vivienne was sad in the absence of her husband - as a result, the director decided to send Lee home and give her role Elizabeth Taylor. In London, Vivien, who had another attack on the way, was met by Olivier, who immediately took her not home, but to the clinic.
The treatment changed the actress almost beyond recognition. “She was becoming completely different from the woman I had once fallen in love with,” said Olivier. “She was now as foreign to me as one could imagine.” The actor confirmed his words with actions. While Vivienne was trying to cope with the attacks and the reactions of others to them, he started an affair with an actress Joan Plowright. Despite the fact that Olivier himself was the winner of two Oscars, a Golden Globe and a BAFTA Award, the success and recognition of Vivien Leigh in cinema exceeded his own - it was not easy for the great Larry to come to terms with this. And it was precisely at that moment that the actress needed his support as never before - she had to cope with her illnesses alone. Despite her husband’s inattention and her health deteriorating every day, she continued to act in films and play in the theater.Laurence Olivier asked for a divorce in 1960, sending Vivien Leigh a telegram and giving her a Rolls-Royce on the occasion of the separation. After the separation was made official, the actor almost immediately married Plowright, who subsequently bore him three children.
Still from the film “Lady Hamilton”, 1941. Photo: Still from the film. Vivien Leigh died in 1967 from another attack of tuberculosis, which recent years happened to her more and more often and were more severe each time. Until her death, she retained the title of lady, which she inherited from Olivier, and never married again, although she received proposals from a close friend, actor Jack Merivale. “She loved him [Olivier] to the very end, there is no doubt about that,” said Laurence’s son Tarquin. — His photograph was on her night table. He was the love of her life. She is his great passion."
Larry outlived his ex-wife by 22 years, won another Oscar, two Golden Globes and a couple of British Academy Film Awards. Despite the separation, he felt guilty towards Vivienne. This is recalled by Tarquin’s wife Olivier, who together with her husband visited his father in the last years of his life. “He was watching the film The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone (1961 film starring Vivien Leigh),” she recalled. “I cried and kept repeating: “What went wrong?”
This couple was a rare example of not only a unique, successful professional union, but also happy love, who has endured many trials. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were not only the most talented and successful actors in England, but also the most famous married couple - second only to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. They were admired, admired, envied - but as often happens, a fairy tale about love sooner or later ends in tragedy. It’s not for nothing that the writer Noël Coward said about them: “Glorified, successful, envied and adored, and immensely unhappy.”
Their story together began at the very end of 1934, when the aspiring actress Vivien Leigh - then, however, better known as Mrs. Vivian Holman, the wife of a lawyer, an aspiring actress and the mother of a one-year-old daughter - watched a play at the Royal Theater, where Laurence Olivier played the main role . A courageous handsome man with a strong-willed look and excellent playing technique instantly won Vivien’s heart. She turned to her friend and said: “This is the man I will marry!”
She did not remember her husband, lawyer Herbert Lee Holman, or the fact that Olivier was married, and his wife Jill Esmond was about to give birth. But Vivienne always knew what she wanted and knew how to achieve it.
Soon, Lee and Olivier starred together in the historical film “Flame Over England”: she played a maid of honor, and he played an officer in love with her. Olivier, sincerely convinced that joint love scenes could forever discourage actors from seeing each other, said before filming began: “Most likely, we will end up fighting.” But he was wrong: the passion that immediately flared up between Leigh and Olivier was not of the “one-film romance” variety. Forced to maintain decorum, the actors demonstrated the strength of family ties after filming, visiting each other with their halves and posing as a four for newspaper photographs. But after the next one collaboration in Hamlet - the Old Vic staged the play in Elsinore itself, and Olivier and Vivien Leigh were Hamlet and Ophelia - the actors decided not to return to their families.
True, they did not manage to get married. Jill Esmond not only refused to give Olivier a divorce, but also convinced Holman not to agree to a divorce. Olivier was tearing up and throwing: it seemed to him that the whole world had turned against him. Vivienne experienced things differently: she was tormented by a feeling of guilt before her family - her husband, mother, daughter - and the need to live in sin and deception. In order to somehow resolve the situation, she gave an unprecedentedly frank interview to Times magazine, where she honestly and in detail outlined the situation. And the public, whose condemnation both the lovers and their employers were so afraid of, supported Lee and Olivier. Holman even promised to give a divorce when his daughter grows up.
Vivien Leigh and Olivier continued to live and play together. In 1938, Olivier left to film in Hollywood: Vivienne felt abandoned, abandoned... And then she found out that her Larry had twisted his ankle on the set. Vivien rushed to him - and as it turned out, it was one of those fatal acts, random and unpredictable, but a chain of such accidents leads to a revolution in the world.
It was then in Hollywood that David Selznick began filming Gone with the Wind - without yet having an actress for the lead role. 1,400 actresses were screened, tens of thousands of dollars were spent - and all in vain. And then something happened that all film historians wrote about: during the filming of the fire in Atlanta, a young woman approached Selznick and introduced herself: “Hello, I’m Scarlett O’Hara.” The reflections of the flame played in her blue eyes, and Selznick realized that the heroine had been found.
For this role, Vivien Leigh received an Oscar, and her popularity soared to incredible heights. Laurence Olivier was amazed by her performance - after the premiere he said: “I didn’t expect her to be capable of this.” Soon, both actors finally received a divorce, and on August 31, 1940, in the town of Santa Barbara, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier officially became husband and wife. A few months later, the premiere of the film “Waterloo Bridge” with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor took place, which was enthusiastically received by critics and the public.
It seemed that now they could calm down - they had achieved what they had so passionately desired for several years. But the calm flow of their life was hampered by pitfalls, which over time grew into entire reefs, on which their ship of love crashed. Vivienne, who literally worked her butt off on the set, began to have breakdowns from overwork. The joint production of Romeo and Juliet, in which all the family money was invested, failed - critics praised Vivienne’s performance, but called Laurence Olivier “the worst Romeo in history.” Olivier suddenly realized that from the country's first actor he had turned into the wife of a celebrity, and Vivien, whom he was accustomed to consider only his student, had long surpassed him in acting, and in fame. Their films together, Lady Hamilton and Caesar and Cleopatra, were successful - but again critics praised her far more than him. Only Vivien’s incredible efforts saved their marriage from immediate collapse: she tirelessly praised him, refused advantageous offers, just not to leave “her Larry,” and spent much more energy playing the role of Olivier’s wife than caring about her own career. It is not surprising that her name soon found itself in his shadow again. "Richard III", which Olivier directed and played, was able to return him to the top of the pedestal of fame, and the Oscar for the film "Henry V" finally established Olivier's reputation as best actor England.
Olivier's character has changed noticeably: he has become more withdrawn, proud, power-hungry and selfish. The world fame, which he had been achieving for so long, crowded out his love for Vivienne from his heart. And she, although she continued to love him, could no longer spend so much energy on it. She began to have health problems: nervous exhaustion, two miscarriages, depression... In 1945, she was diagnosed with tuberculosis, and the treatment that was prescribed to her led to strong changes character: she became hot-tempered, irritable, she had seizures, after which Vivien Leigh ended up in psychiatric clinics several times. Electroshock treatment changed her so much that Olivier admitted that there was nothing left in her from the woman he once loved. They still continued to be together - for the sake of their careers, for the sake of money - but their marriage had long since died. On Vivienne's forty-fifth birthday, Olivier presented her with a Rolls-Royce and asked for a divorce: he intended to marry the young actress Joan Plowright. Vivienne had a very hard time with the divorce - until her death, she never came to terms with the fact that Larry was no longer with her...
In recent years, she has continued to work a lot and successfully - both on stage and in films. But as Noel Coward said, “she would rather live half her life with Larry than a whole life without him.” Vivien Leigh died on July 7, 1967 - she was fifty-three. In tribute to her memory, all London theaters dimmed their lights for an hour.
A beautiful girl should choose a smart and wealthy husband. This conventional wisdom is true for many, but not for British actress Vivien Leigh. She took as her life partner the actor Laurence Olivier, her equal not only in talent, but also in extraordinary natural beauty. And it was in vain that the charming Scarlett O’Hara did not believe that absolute beauty does not bring happiness...
Love at first sight
Late 1934, London, Theater Royal. On stage is a fashionable production starring Laurence Olivier. The hall is full of women who came to see the handsome actor. Among them is twenty-year-old Vivian Holman, an English housewife and student at the Academy of Film Arts. This was her first appearance after the birth of her daughter, so Vivian happily responded to her friend’s offer to go to the theater. She had long been bored with the role of a housewife, a young mother and an exemplary wife of a respected lawyer who was 13 years older than her. Stormy temperament and thirst for life turned out to be incompatible with her current situation. She dreamed of the stage, dreamed of becoming a real actress. Now, looking at Laurence Olivier through her monocle, she was captivated by his extraordinary performance, as well as his beauty and article. Here he is, her hero! Vivian, in love, whispered with a breath: “He will be my husband!”, to which a practical friend answered irritably: “You already have a husband!” But she could not even imagine how far Vivian could go in her determination. After the performance, the girl snuck into Olivier’s dressing room and expressed a lot of compliments to the surprised actor. Olivier was flattered and promised in return to come to Vivian’s performance as soon as the premiere took place. And he really came.
Like in the movies
Time passed, and fate brought the actors together on the set of the film “Flame Over England,” where they were supposed to play lovers. Vivien Leigh, who by that time had changed her name to something more sonorous for the actress, was jubilant! After all, she could not get the handsome Olivier out of her head. And now a real romance awaits her, albeit a movie one! The beautiful maid of honor and the brave officer literally burned with passion on the set, but Laurence Olivier, who was also married, did not share Vivienne’s enthusiasm for the possibility of continuing their romance: “We will most likely end up fighting!” However, he clearly underestimated the seductiveness of the young actress. Their romance turned into something more, captured both of them so much that each of them asked their other half for a divorce. However, neither Olivier's wife nor Lee's husband agreed to release the lovers. Despair and frustration forced Vivien to give a frank interview to the press, in which she not only admitted to an affair hidden from the public, but also poured out the whole soul of a woman in love who was unable to live in a legal marriage with her beloved man. Contrary to expectations, Puritan England sided with the traitors and supported the lovers. From now on, they lived in their mansion openly, without hiding.
Oscar Challenge
Soon Lawrence flew to America - he was invited to play the role of Rhett Butler in the Gone with the Wind saga. A bored Vivien rushed after him at the first news of Larry’s ill health. She read Margaret Mitchell’s book in one night and said the phrase that went down in history: “Even if Larry doesn’t play Rhett, but I will play Scarlett!” It was in vain that they tried to explain to her that auditions for the main role had been going on for two years already, one and a half thousand applicants had been looked at... As soon as Vivien, with her characteristic stubbornness and pride, written on her impeccably beautiful face, appeared before producer D. O. Selznick, he realized: “Here she is, Scarlett O’Hara!” The role of the American woman brought Vivien worldwide fame and an Academy Award. The whole world applauded her - everyone except Laurence Olivier, who was unable to hide his professional jealousy and resentment from his beloved. After the film's premiere, he said, "I didn't expect her to be able to do this." Deep down, Larry considered Vivien a beautiful fool and a mediocre actress, whom he tried to teach the skill from the height of his talent and professionalism. And of course - Oscar! To console her lover, Vivienne came up with a new use for the golden figurine: she propped it up on the bedroom door in their luxurious London mansion. Olivier relented, and their spouses finally signed divorce papers. This saved a relationship that was already cracking. The couple finally got married, almost secretly, in a small town, with only two witnesses present.
Vivien still loved Olivier - selflessly, to the point of stupor. She should leave the film industry and become a housewife. But she was afraid that then her beloved would become uninteresting. In addition, all her life she was haunted by complexes: she could not give her husband children, and therefore a full-fledged family, which he so often dreamed of when they were alone. Vivienne's two pregnancies ended in miscarriage.
Non-star disease
Vivienne's career blossomed: the public applauded her work in the films Waterloo Bridge and Lady Hamilton. In the latter, by the way, Laurence Olivier played Admiral Nelson, but few people mentioned him, which made the actor fly into a rage and become increasingly jealous of his wife... of her work. No matter how soft and tactful Vivienne tried to be, no matter how much she praised the talent of “her Larry,” she could not avoid family scandals. The couple began to sleep in separate bedrooms. The cheerful and optimistic Vivienne began taking antidepressants, and rumors spread throughout Hollywood that the actress was suffering from manic depression. Olivier only supported the gossip that working together with Vivien Leigh was hard labor for fellow actors, and the directors were tired of enduring the eternal hysterics of the “capricious Englishwoman.” It is not surprising that her name soon faded into obscurity. And then a terrible diagnosis thundered: tuberculosis. After treatment at a prestigious clinic, the disease subsided, and Vivienne returned to work. On the set of Caesar and Cleopatra, she found out that she was pregnant. It seemed that life had given her a second chance to improve her relationship with Larry. But, apparently, Vivien was too proud and proud: fate did not take pity on her. After the loss of her child, the actress suffered an emotional breakdown, which greatly affected her. After a long period of insomnia, Vivien begins to hallucinate.
Tired of family life, which has turned into a series of trials, Olivier sends his wife to resort treatment, knowing full well that the humid climate can again provoke an exacerbation of tuberculosis. Most of all, he worries about his well-being: his career took off, he was recognized as the best British actor and was even knighted. Now he is Lord Olivier. Why does he need a crazy wife? And Lady Olivier’s place, instead of Vivien Leigh, who wanders around clinics, is taken by the young actress Joan Plowright, with whom Olivier started an affair.
And Vivienne would never have been released from the clinic if not for her first husband, who forgave her but never stopped loving her. Hearing about Vivien’s trouble, Holman came to the clinic for her and literally snatched her from the clutches of the doctors who were treating the patient with ice. By that time, she was already on the verge of life and death. Next to her was another devoted man: actor John Merivale, who had long been in love with her. But Vivien could not answer his feelings: her heart belonged to Larry. Under the constant care of Merivale, as well as her ex-husband, mother and daughter, Vivienne began to recover... But the news of the divorce killed her.
Divorce is like death
Olivier easily ended seventeen years of marriage with Vivienne: to smooth over the unpleasant news, he gave her a luxurious Rolls-Royce. He did both for Vivien’s anniversary, on her 45th birthday. The poor woman couldn't bear the blow. The last straw was her second Oscar-winning role: in the film A Streetcar Named Desire, she played Blanche DuBois going crazy. Vivienne fell into madness. She locked herself in her house, did not answer calls and did not communicate with anyone. Vivien thought a lot about her life: she perceived her collapsed marriage with Olivier, the inability to have children and her illness as God’s punishment. For leaving her husband and daughter. For becoming an actress despite fate. For achieving fame and recognition. For always snatching from life everything it needed. Vivien often recalled her youth spent in a convent school, where she was placed by her parents who wanted to get rid of their daughter, who had become a burden to their disintegrating marriage. So everything repeats itself.
Vivienne's attacks of tuberculosis returned, but the actress refused medical help. On the same day, July 7, 1967, Scarlett O'Hara, Lady Hamilton, Cleopatra, Anna Karenina and Blanche Dubois died. Great actress Vivien Leigh passed away. On dressing table There was a photograph of Laurence Olivier next to her bed. Until her last breath, Vivien believed that her beloved would come to his senses and return to her.
Death ex-wife, seemed to have no impact on the life of Laurence Olivier. New wife She bore him three children, and in his third marriage he was happy. His acting and directing career was a success; he won a long-awaited Oscar, two Golden Globes and two prestigious BAFTA awards. He lived long life, outliving Vivien by thirty years. But in the memory of fans, he was and remains the husband of the brilliant actress Vivien Leigh. They say that before his death he watched her films every day...
(c) Tatyana Sukhoterin
July 11, 2018, at 12:53 pmUsually from the girls who are in early age sent to be raised in a monastery, they turn out to be quiet housewives, but the English Monastery of the Sacred Heart must have been special! Because two came out of its walls at once famous actresses: Maureen O'Sullivan, who later made a career in Hollywood and became the mother of the notorious Mia Farrow, and Vivien Leigh, who bore the surname Hartley in her convent childhood.
Vivien Leigh
Vivien had the appearance of an angel and restless, full of contradictions character. However, she was not short of optimism. Is that why the first film in which she starred was called “Things are looking up!”? For Vivien herself, things were going well on all fronts: already at nineteen, she managed to get married and give birth to a daughter, while simultaneously successfully graduating from the Academy of Dramatic Arts. And on the theater stage, where she performed in the play “The Mask of Virtue” (that’s it, monastic education!) Laurence Olivier himself noticed her. He had not yet really looked at the lively debutante, and she had already publicly declared: “I will marry him!”
Vivien herself was married by that time, and Olivier was married too... But fate clearly laid out straws for them in those places where sharp stones awaited others. To begin with, Vivienne and Olivier played in the same film - they got the roles of ardent lovers. The film was called Fire Over England. However, he lit a real flame in the hearts of the actors: without even thinking, they left their legal spouses and openly began to live together.
For six years, the lovers were happy: Lawrence staged plays, Vivien played in them. Her obviously crazy Ophelia in Hamlet was applauded by the public, but Vivien herself periodically committed such acts that those around her began to doubt the mental health of the actress.
One day a completely strange incident happened to her: instead of saying familiar words role, Vivien fell into a real rage, which had nothing to do with the performance. She splashed saliva and screamed, stomped her feet and insulted the dumbfounded Olivier. Instead of the usual angel with a sweet smile, an ugly witch with a distorted face raged in front of him, in no way resembling the mistress he had known until the last secret places. Olivier didn’t know this woman! The attack ended as suddenly as it began. It seemed that Vivienne herself did not understand what had happened to her: she stood silently, staring at one point on the wall. Lawrence turned around - there was nothing on the wall. There was also no emotion on the face of Vivien, who stood swaying on completely weak legs. It looked like it had been wiped with a rag.
If Vivienne set any goal for herself, everyone who stood in her way had to step aside: this little Englishwoman with her nose arrogantly turned up rushed forward with the speed of a cheetah and the power of a locomotive. Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell was her favorite book, and Scarlett was her dream role. Therefore, when Vivienne found out that a film would be made based on her favorite novel, she literally flew into a frenzy. She should have played Scarlett, she, she!
She achieved her goal. Although the shooting was difficult, her lover supported her. Lawrence had just gotten a job in New York. “Things are looking up!” - both in career and in personal life. She and Olivier received divorce papers and finally got officially married - modestly and without pomp. Their wedding in Santa Barbara was attended by only two witnesses: director Garson Kanin and actress Katharine Hepburn.
If Vivien Leigh had not gotten lost in the beauty contest, then Laurence Olivier, who is rightly called “the number one actor of the twentieth century,” would have easily blended in with any gray crowd: he, who had an amazing gift of transformation, was not outwardly anything special. Gray eyes, which were called “pewter”, ordinary features... However, Olivier had the kind of face that any mask could easily fit on. The actor himself simply adored the theatrical craft and all its attributes: false beards and wigs, historical costumes and... humps! Lawrence was especially successful in Shakespearean heroes.
On stage, Olivier was extremely demanding not only of himself, but also of Vivien: thus, playing the title roles with her in the play “Romeo and Juliet,” he accused his partner of “provincial intonations and the rattling voice of a fishmonger!” History is silent about how his wife answered him...
In 1948, “Hamlet” with Lawrence in the title role received an Oscar. The triumph is more than significant, since this British film was the first to receive such a high award. The award for Best Actor also goes to Olivier, and in the same year the actor receives a prize at the Venice International Film Festival.
Lawrence is happy, he does not part with his wife: the star couple played so inspiredly in the film “Lady Hamilton” that the film became the most popular film story in many countries for a long time. Olivier played Admiral Nelson, and Vivien played Emma. In England, the film literally created a sensation; Prime Minister Winston Churchill himself organized a private screening of it for a select circle, which included the head of another English-speaking power, Franklin Roosevelt. After Lady Hamilton, Lawrence and Lee became favorites of the powerful prime minister. They even say that Churchill had more than just friendly feelings for Vivienne...
Vivien’s own favorite film was “Waterloo Bridge,” a picture about love, and tragic, unfulfilled love. And it was at this time that the actress became seriously ill. She is diagnosed with tuberculosis, a disease that was difficult to treat at the time. Vivienne is in the clinic, but begs Olivier to take her away from there - she wants to play Cleopatra at the anniversary festival theatrical arts in London. Her husband follows her lead, and although the sick and weak Vivienne plays worse than usual, he does not dare make a single comment to her. Moreover, he deliberately lowers the bar of his own game so that Cleopatra Vivienne comes to the fore. Isn't this true love?!
In 1947, for his outstanding achievements for the benefit of Britain, the Queen awarded Lawrence a knighthood. Vivien now also has the right to be called “Lady Vivien,” but... the wife increasingly attacks her husband with unmotivated reproaches and behaves not at all like a lady - she scolds with the words of the last merchant and even uses her fists! Vivienne's daughter from her first marriage is being raised by her grandmother, away from such scenes. The actress herself desperately wants children in this marriage, but the pregnancy ends in miscarriage over and over again. Is it a mysterious illness that causes Vivien to lose her human appearance, or is the grueling filming schedule preventing her from bearing a child - who knows?
Life in constant tension makes itself felt: spouses are increasingly making scandals, sometimes even in public. Sir Olivier and Lady Vivienne shower each other with reproaches, but they professional qualities these scandals have almost no impact. Moreover, in the play A Streetcar Named Desire, in which Vivien gets the main role, her performance is beyond praise. The public flocks to the scandalous tragic play, which is full of scenes of drunkenness and homosexuality and hidden hints of rape. The play went through more than three hundred performances, always sold out, and Vivienne starred in a film with the same name, where Marlon Brando himself became her partner.
“It was simple and easy for me with Brando,” Vivienne admitted after filming. The filming itself, and especially the performances, were by no means as simple and easy: they exhausted the fragile actress, who had become so closely integrated with the role of Blanche Dubois that there was no longer any room left for Vivien’s personality... Moreover, Viv, to relieve the tension, she smoked and drank a lot, and she swore so much that she could give odds to any port loader!
The role of Blanche brought Vivien a long-awaited and well-deserved reward - a second Oscar, but it also ultimately led Lee to a serious mental disorder. During filming in exotic Ceylon in 1953, the actress began to hallucinate. It was decided not to take risks and not to treat the actress right there, but to transport her to London and place her in a clinic. However, during the flight, Vivien was so rowdy that she literally tore the plane’s cabin to pieces, even tried to jump out of it right in the air!
The actress, whose health already left much to be desired, was treated with shock therapy, a diet consisting exclusively of raw eggs, and wraps with ice sheets. The most terrible things were, of course, the endless electroshock sessions... But she herself, this fragile little woman, passionately wanted to be cured and return home, to her Larry, to step on the theater stage, so intoxicatingly smelling of success, to feel the dazzling spotlight on her face...
A completely different Vivienne returned from the hospital - inhibited, unsure of herself, suspiciously quiet. She slowly came to her senses, spending whole days in the company of her husband, but she would never be the same Lee... Viv, who smoked four packs of cigarettes a day and propped up the bedroom door with an Oscar, was gone, because, in her own statement, “ this ugly figurine was no longer suitable for anything else!
The new Vivienne drank a lot and disappeared at noisy parties - most likely, in order to forget how painfully she arched during an electric shock or how she cried helplessly at the window, realizing that the disease was still stronger than her. So can Lawrence be blamed for becoming infatuated with the young actress Joan Plowright in such an unbearable situation?
Divorce star couple was like the explosion of a multi-ton bomb and became one of the most scandalous divorces of the century. However, even after for many years, after Larry stopped calling her his sweet girl, she still kept a photo of him on her bedside table. She still loved him. And I went crazy about it...
Vivien Leigh died at the age of 53, as the newspapers wrote, “after a long illness.” Oh, how few people realized that this fatal illness for Viv was simply called love. Once, giving an interview after their breakup, she said: “I had to get used to a lot in this life, but the hardest thing was to get used to Lawrence’s absence.” There is not a drop of truth in these words - she was never able to get used to it.
However, Vivienne will subsequently visit the grown-up Suzanne, take her with her on trips and even come to her for tea. school teachers. And after the death of her mother, the matured Suzanne will tell how as a child she admired her aristocratic beauty, impeccable manners and style - and at the same time hated her because, more than anything else, she was eternally passionate about her work, friends and husband.
Despite everything, Lawrence and Vivien moved in together. The scandal even benefited Viv’s popularity: her name began to be mentioned more often in the press, and there were also more offers from directors. It was during this tense period that the first alarming signs appeared in the behavior of the 24-year-old actress. Lawrence came to her dressing room before the start of the performance of Hamlet, where she played Ophelia. Vivien, who had never objected to his visits, suddenly began to shout at her lover, and then froze, looking at one point. Then Olivier wrote it off as an ordinary nervous breakdown, although the bad feeling did not leave him for a long time.
In 1938, Lawrence set off to conquer America. Once his attempt to conquer failed, and now came finest hour: the actor was offered the role of Heathcliff in the film adaptation of Wuthering Heights. Vivien was very sad - she could not stay alone for long. The film's director, William Wyler, offered her minor role Isabella, but the ambitious actress agreed only with Katie. But since the role had already been given to Merle Oberon, Vivien had to stay in London.
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Without thinking twice, she canceled her London performances and followed Lawrence. And again Vivien's lover played the role of her guiding star. At that time, Hollywood was casting actors for the film adaptation. famous novel"Gone with the Wind." Margaret Mitchell's book was incredibly popular, and the film promised to be a success. Of course, provided the right choice actresses for the main role. The film's producer, David Selznick, was searching like an obsessive man for “the one” Scarlett. In February 1938, Vivien Leigh's American agent recommended her candidacy. Selznick watched all of Lee's films released in the UK. " New girl she’s very good, I hope for her,” he said.
As soon as Viv arrived in the United States, she was taken to auditions, after which the producer had virtually no doubts. "She's the real Scarlett - dark horse and looks damn attractive. I’m telling you in the strictest confidence: the field of contenders has narrowed to Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett and Vivien Leigh,” Selznick wrote to his wife.
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In the end, the role went to Vivienne. Filming was difficult: the actress was not used to working on camera, preferring the theater. The crazy rhythm of life of filmmakers exhausted her: work sometimes went on seven days a week from morning to night. Vivienne often quarreled with the director and Leslie Howard, who played her on-screen love, Ashley Wilkes. She also missed Olivier: although there was no longer an ocean between them, he worked in New York, and she worked in Los Angeles.
“How I hate acting in films!” Vivien wrote to her abandoned husband Herbert Holman, with whom, despite everything, she maintained friendly relations.
The actress’s torment paid off: the film, released in 1939, became a classic, outliving its creators, and Vivien herself received an Oscar for best female role. However, she never got used to the role of a star diva.
“I’m not a movie star,” said Vivien Leigh. - I'm an actress. Being just a movie star is like a fake life, lived in the name of fake values and fame. Acting lasts a long time and there are always great roles to play.”
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In February 1940 official spouse Laurence Olivier finally agreed to give him a divorce. Herbert Holman had no choice but to follow her example. In August of the same year, Olivier and Vivienne got married in the Californian town of Santa Barbara. Only two of their friends, Katharine Hepburn and Garson Kanin, were present at the ceremony.
Vivien was very attached to Lawrence - perhaps even too much. She wanted not only to be his wife in life, but also to constantly play his lovers in the movies. At times it even harmed her career. So, Lee was not accepted for the leading role in Hitchcock’s “Rebecca.” “She didn’t show any enthusiasm until Olivier was given the lead role,” the director complained. As a result, the main male role Vivien remained with her husband, but Joan Fontaine became Rebecca.
In 1941, they played together in the film “Lady Hamilton,” which was extremely popular all over the world, including in the USSR. The film was highly praised by British Minister Winston Churchill, and the actors became his favorites. Vivienne’s beauty did not leave the politician indifferent - until the end of his life he called her a model of femininity, and never missed an opportunity to invite her and her husband to a dinner party.