Manic depression a,so known as Bipolar disorder is a genetically transmitted chemical deficiency in the brain that untreated creates havoc for the sufferer. Litium was the first successful drug treatment.
Absolutely agree. This illness blighted her career (as well as her struggle with TB), and given the treatments available today her life would have been so different.
“That Hamilton Woman” is a perfect example of the chemistry between her and Laurence. It’s beautifully filmed and shows that even in black and white she is beautiful.
I differ on any time Vivien Leigh acts opposite Laurence Olivier that it's a good production for either of them They one-up each other way too much. The production will suffer. They will chew the scenery. Their personal life emotIons are brought in and those can be in appropriate for the material. It's something that they can't help Put them in productions with other people and they are outstanding. Vivien playing Blanche actually caused her damage. Laurence found Joan Plowright then he filled for a divorce. Jack Merrivale loved Vivien but he knew he wasn't the love. But he stayed anyway
Winston's Churchills favourite movie allegedly and one of mine too ...take it out of the collection of UN SURPASSABLE old black and whites. every now and then,..like the ORIGINAL 'Great Expectations" starring Alec Guinness ,John Mills, Valerie Hobson, and the Australian woman who played Miss Haversham...lets not forget the original "Rebecca" with Lawrence Oliver...all of which never date and far surpass anything plastic that comes out of the studios these days...a lot of those films were made in the Denham studious in London
Just so you know, the term “bipolar disorder” used to be called “manic depression”. I had heard this about her, but didn’t know the details. Mental illness was so stigmatized back then, and little was known about treating it. It’s really sad to hear of her and other stars, like Patty Duke, in such an unforgiving profession, being so very vulnerable, often with no one to understand.
The one thing I leraned she was a scoripon, I don't know if I spelled that right ,that explains a lot of her behaviour, them scoripons r somewhat like how she behaved ! An they do have a big sexaul appetite!!
Interesting, most people don't understand the market moves and tend to be mislead in facts like this and always depend on money in the bank. Very bad idea
She was beautiful, and played Scarlet to a 'T', embracing both the ingenue and mature version of the character so very convincingly. And she was in nearly every scene of the very long film. What a feat! Perhaps the most deserved academy award ever.
@@karancarnwright4312 Hepburn was always too full of herself to ever show the underlying vulnerability that Vivien Lee demonstrated through her total understanding of the character she portrayed. Perhaps Vivien Lee's personal vulnerabilities contributed to that accomplishment.
Probably the most beautiful actress EVER…Garbo, Hedy Lamarr, Gene Tierney, Ava Gardner were all stunningly beautiful actresses too, but none of them lit up the screen like Vivien….
All the women you mentioned were beautiful. But Vivien is a combination of great talent and beauty. Thats rare for an actress.theres something magical about her that spell bounds u to the screen.
Vivien was gorgeous and her expressions were readable without words being spoken, the tragedy of the miscarriages had to affect her deeply with the love she had for Lawrence. Then the TB, gosh, so much talent and beauty and heartache in one electrifying life, one cannot help to share her sorrow. The world lost a brilliant light when we lost her.
I can not understand why Larry or jack did not force her into hospital to Aradicate her TB once and for all,l am sure she could have lived longer if they did.
@@lawrencesait3432 Because an adult has the right to decide for themselves. She may not have wanted to endure the several months of drugs or her TB may have been the drug resistant variety. If she chose to not take drugs it may have been because they made her sick and she chose, what was in her mind, the lesser of two evils. Regardless, a competent adult can choose for self.
She didn’t just ‘happen’ to be vacationing in the USA to get casted as Scarlet. She came on a mission to get the part of Scarlet, and at the same time visit her paramour Larry who was filming a movie in Hollywood, I think it was Wuthering Heights. It wasn’t happenstance at all, it was all very calculated on Viv’s part to get it.
Vivian was absolutely stunning. It was sad she had a bi-polar disorder, and even more of a tragedy that she had contracted TB. But TB is so hard to treat, even today. She will always be remembered in a very favourable light.
@@jimjustice581 If you have TB of the lungs, then it is contagious as the bacteria are carried in aerosol form through the air whilst talking, breathing and singing. We still have terrible trouble treating this disease.
The author of this video mistakes George Cukor’s role in casting Vivien Leigh in GWTW. David Selznick was the producer and owner of the studio that made GWTW. It was he who cast Leigh and later fired Cukor as director. Leigh did not audition “on a whim.” She traveled from London to Los Angeles to see Laurence Olivier and to attempt to audition. Olivier’s agent was Myron Selznick, David’s brother.
Also, she didn’t have a miscarriage while making a film with her husband Lawrence Olivier. She was filming Caesar and Cleopatra, with Claude Raines, and fell during filming.
Nice video but I don't know how that mistake was made. Selznick's search for Scarlett was huge and Cukor's firing was big news as well. Vivien and Olivia would go to Cukor's home on Sundays for advice because they couldn't stand his replacement--Victor Fleming.
She was absolutely beautiful, Vivian along with Elizabeth Taylor have to be the most beautiful women ever. Sad life, unlucky in love, both of them . Her relationship with Sir Lawrence was epic. Nobody could have played Scarlet but her and she was wonderful in Street Car.
Im going with Maureen Ohara. Gorgeous. She was in those Swashbuckling movies with Errol Flynn. That red hair and green eyes. WOW!! This is really weird, but I watched Gone With The Wind 50 years ago or more and enjoyed it, but when I watched it again when the movie had its 40th Anniversary I didnt really enjoy it that much. It was the same with other things as well. Your tastes really do change over the years. Especially TV shows. Used to love Cagney and Lacey and Crossing Jordon, now not so much. Now its SVU and Rizzoli and Isles. Huge mistake to cancel that one. Nothing but garbage on TV anymore. Cancel all the good ones and leave on the trash. Except for all the games shows they bought back, I watch three shows a week. Greys Anatomy, SVU! And Outlander. And That one is only on about three months out of the year. They have already wrapped on season 6 but wont televise it until 2022. I dont get that. And I really hate to wait for anything. Sorry, I ramble on sometime, go off topic. 😄Have a good one!!
@@mariethereseascar4910 Lol, Grace Kelly Only looked good in certain angles and her jawline was too square. Her friends even said she was plain looking without makeup.
@@brennasmith5148 -- "Gone With The Wind" (the greatest movie ever made) came out in 1939. Elizabeth Taylor was born in 1932. No, Taylor did not play Scarlett O'Hara as a seven-year-old. It was Vivien Leigh.
Such a sensitive soul she was. If she had been able to carry their (Sir Laurence) children to life; it could have been a healing experience for her and their marriage. Feel sad it didn’t happen for them. I know he loved her deeply.😔😔
Dame Lewis - not really ... having a child doesn't heal mental illness or a broken marriage. My mom tried having a baby to fix her marriage. It didn't work. When a person has unstable mental health, adding a baby only adds to the stress and inability to cope with life's daily routines. Vivien Leigh had a daughter with her first husband; Leigh had very little to do with the raising of her only child.
That changed. It's good for all involved that VL and Suzanne became much closer as she grew up. I have read that Vivien kind of liked being Grandma to Suzanne's three boys. There is also a RUclips video made by Sophie, a great grand daughter who came to Los Angeles to speak with Tarquin Olivier and Trader Faulkner and some remaining friends of Ms. Leigh. Just to find out everything she could about her really famous great grandmother that she never had the opportunity to meet. It was a touching video. I am sure VL would have been proud.
@@jupru220 thank you! She may have been beautiful but she was a lousy mother to her only child Suzanne. She put herself before everything and everyone. She caused Laurence Olivier a lot of mental and emotional stress due to the numerous times she cheated on him during their marriage. I think he was relieved when their marriage ended to be fair!
VL wasn't the only one in the relationship that was a "lousy" parent or a philanderer; that was a two way street "to be fair.". Olivier was a consummate philanderer with wife #1, wife #2, and wife #3. Olivier was also a "lousy" dad to his first child Tarquin. As did he put himself above "everything and everyone else." I notice the venom is usually saved for the woman who wasn't a great parent. lol The English actress Sarah Miles wrote a book about her on/ off again affair for years with Olivier. Miles met Olivier on a movie set in '62. Isn't that when Olivier was married to wife #3, Joan Plowright? You notice that the Olivier estate or Joan Plowright never sued over said claims in Miles book? Why do you think that is? I have a pretty good idea why. lol VL had Jack Merivale in her life. While he may not have been the great passion that Olivier was, he was attentive and there for her. There is a whole lot to be said for being with someone whom you can get along with and have peace of mind with and not have to deal with the noted Olivier ego. Kind of reminds me what Lucille Ball said about living with Gary Morton after Desi Arnaz. js
One of the top 5 greatest actresses of all time. And one beautifully. Talented woman......and kudos to Laurence Olivier. He was. Fantastic. Also. And devilishly handsome.. ......Wuthering Heights. Still one all time classic
Withering Heights. My favourite novel. Did you know that Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon detested each other? It began on an earlier film. Imagine the acting chops it takes to play intense love scenes 2 inches away from someone with whom you do not get along!
@@filipchung2121 well. In MY opinion. Betty Davis. Katherine Hepburn., Elizabeth Taylor. And I'll have to include. (Modern times). Would be Meryl Streep
Vivien Leigh's later performances were also outstanding. Loved her in Ship of Fools and The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone. She was great and also stunning in looks.
@@theresadoll5374 I've seen "Waterloo Bridge" at least 3 times, maybe more. Sad story with beautiful background music. Most of Vivien Leigh's films were very sad and her performances in all of them were outstanding. I never tire of watching her.
@@catlover34fl , when Vivien and Laurence visited Australia ; to tour in the theatres. My mother and several other ladies were invited to the Lady Mayoress' garden party.. Vivien , arrived as the guest , and Mum said ; although Vivien appeared tired she was the most beautiful woman especially when she smiled. It was tragic what happened to her as the knowledge of mental illness was not known as well as today. Waterloo Bridge is an excellent film .
The only error I saw was that she is reported to have not only manic depression but also bipolar disorder. They are the same thing. The name of the illness was changed.
@@snicky58 - I think so, too. You know how all the doctors want to be progressive, hence the bipolar change, because they thought it sounded less threatening than manic-depression. So much for that!
She was stunning in her Red dress in Gone With The Wind. No one else could of performed as proficient and brilliant as the beautiful Scarlett O'Hara as she did. ❤
@@kristiwallace2089 I have to look up Waterloo Bridge. I haven't seen it. The actresses and actors back then we're truly "movie stars" and they became their characters beautifully without nudity and without the language used today. They were great and mysterious.
I didn't remember Vivien being in "Waterloo Bridge." I looked it up on imdb. There are two versions of WB. One from 1931, and the 1940 one with Vivien. I have the older one.
She was perfect in her role of Scarlett Other. Also as Blanche in Street car name Desire. It was really a shame that she suffered from By Polar and depression. She was so beautiful and talented.
I believe she went through hell when Marilyn made it big. Hollywood made a huge debacle of blonde bombshells. I'd be depressed too! Hence Vivien being a blonde in Street Car. I dont think I'm wrong.
Bi polar is what used to be termed manic depression.The commentator got things a little muddled. Whatever you call it though, it is a heavy burden and more so back then when it was little understood and treatment was often hit or miss.
Vivien Leigh / Natalie Wood ... twins of talent both leaving similar impressions writing on our hearts in stage and cinema ... will we see their likes again, we can only wish for such to happen.
She was beautiful and ethereal and a bloody good actress. Incidentally, "manic depression" and bi-polar disorder are the same thing; manic depression was the old term prior to the DSM being developed. I still remember my mum taking me to see "Gone with the Wind" at a revival theatre when I was a little girl. It was magic.
Vivien's mother, Gertrude Hartley, was half Armenian, half Anglo-Irish. Gertrude's father was a full-blooded Armenian railway clerk in Calcutta. This mixed ethnic ancestry gives Vivien her slightly exotic, dark beauty. Also, her trip to Hollywood was not a whim. Zelznick had seen all her British films, confirmed by his secretary Marcella Rabwin, but considered her too light and fluffy for Scarlett. (If you've seen her pre-GWTW films, you'll understand why. They give no indication of her power, range, and depth as an actress.) Vivien had read GWTW and told people she was going to California to audition and would get the part, including reporter Caroline Lejeune. Prior to meeting David Zelznick in person during the burning of Atlanta on the studio backlot, she had met with his brother, agent Myron, about representation. Myron accompanied her to that first meeting with Zelznick. When George Cukor witnessed her first line readings for Scarlett, he knew she had it. My favorite Vivien Leigh performance is Scarlett O'Hara.
@@lemorab1 WOW. Thanks for all the information. You must be a real fan. I think my favorite movie with Leigh was "Waterloo Bridge"....or maybe "that Hamilton Woman" (not sure that's the correct title, but you know the one I mean.
@@katestevens86 It was a toss up between GWTW and "Waterloo Bridge." In "That Hamilton Woman," I get the feeling that Vivien is ad-libbing a lot of her lines, and the film was made to capitalize on the Leigh-Olivier romance. Okay, that and to stir up patriotism for the Allied cause. The most powerful scene, for me, is the very beginning when a middle-aged Emma, broken by life, begins telling her story: "There is no before, there is no after."
@@lemorab1 I feel like hollywood capitalized on the demons that Vivien Leigh fought throughout her life as a result of having bi-polar disorder. And not in a nice way. I remember reading a biography of Leigh way back when; it was very detailed and discussed her mental health issues at length. I think the last name of the biographer was Edwards.
@@katestevens86 I read it too, in 1979. That dreadful book by Anne Edwards cannot be taken seriously. To be fair, Edwards' biography suffered from a lack of access. People who had been close to Vivien adopted a "circle the wagons" attitude and did not want her struggles with mental illness to become public knowledge. Also, Olivier was very much against it, and they didn't want to offend him. So, Edwards did the best she could. But, also, she is (to me) a very irritating writer, believing she can read her subject's thoughts, e.g. "Vivien felt that.... Vivien wanted to....." Alexander Walker wrote a very good biography in the 1980's, "Vivien." But, the best one to get is "Vivien Leigh" by Hugo Vickers, written in about 1990. He goes into the greatest detail of any biographer of her parents' marriage and her childhood. This explains A LOT. Also, Vickers had access to the Oswald Frewen diaries, which makes all the difference. With Olivier's death, many people were willing to talk on the record who had heretofore been reticent. (To date, no one has been allowed access to Olivier's private correspondence.) You should also check out the Armenian Ancestry Blog, which goes into exhaustive detail about Vivien's maternal ancestry.
Her performance in Streetcar is unrivaled. I'm her mouth Williams's language soars into great poetry, and the tragic end is a punch in the stomach. What a great actress!
She had many outbursts in her manic depressive state. She was very beautiful when she was young. She was in and out of mental wards. Laurence Olivier, finally divorced her, because he couldn't handle it anymore. RIP!
It was David O' Selznick looking for Scarlett O'Hara and he was solely responsible for all major decisions on GWTW. . George Cukor was the first director and was fired and eventually replaced by Victor Fleming.
@@rhondablack8079 It still turned out to be a masterpiece due to the tenacity of David O'Selznick and the casting. Vivien Leigh's performance astounds me each time I watch it.
Vivian Leigh was a stunningly beautiful and amazing talent! And I could never imagine anyone else playing the role of “Scarlett” better than she did…..as IMO she IS Scarlett…..and always will be!!! May she RIP and May God Bless her Forever in Heaven!!!
She was absolutely exquisite in Gone with the Wind! Her life ended far too soon, she was in her prime when she left us. RIP Vivien, hopefully your soul is resting in peace, and your better now!!
My favorite role of Vivien Leigh is as Emma, Lady Hamilton, in "That Hamilton Woman," in which she co-starred with Lawrence Olivier. who played Lord Nelson.
I LOVE Gone with the wind! I always say that I might be the only black woman who HAS ALWAYS had this movie at the top of her top five movie list but there it is. I read the book as a young girl and loved it too. Vivien is marvelous! I have ALL of her movies on DVD. My second favorite is 21 days.
@@christiandelavega7497 I don't think it is but some purposed it was. Suggesting it made the south appear a place of charm that it romanticized slavery. I disagree ofcourse with that but that was the opinion of some.
She didn’t fall rehearsing from a play, she slipped on the set of Caesar and Cleopatra. She was incredibly brave, and endured primitive and barbaric treatments for her bipolar. She would have had a very different life, had she been born 50 years later.
I watch Vivien Leigh in anything she has done, over and over again. She is truly mesmerizing not only in beauty but in her acting. It is truly sad that she suffered from mental illness.
Aside from being beautiful... so many Hollywood Stars were beautiful (most in their own way that makes comparisons petty) but She was an ACTOR!!! Not just an embellishment of her own personality but She took on roles and made them her own! The real test is STAGE! No cuts. No edits. No flattering angles or carefully curated lighting... She could walk on stage and hush an audience for an hour or two or three... seriously, how many Hollywood “stars” could have done that? How many did? How many can today and not look very very small... Vivien Leigh WAS the REAL DEAL and left us two moments of film that will live vas long as the digital prints survive extinction.
Vivien Leigh's last film role was Mary Treadwell in Stanley Kramer's Ship Of Fools a novel written by Katherine Ann Porter. Vivien Leigh had battled mental illness and tuberculosis for much of her life and it would be the tuberculosis which eventually killed her on July 8, 1967. Producer and director Stanley Kramer had planned to star Vivien Leigh but was initially unaware of how fragile her mental and physical health was. The film proved to be her last film and in later recounting her work, he remembered her courage in taking on the difficult role, "She was ill, and the courage to go ahead, the courage to make the film - was almost unbelievable." Kramer did not regret casting her in his film. He admired her fortitude, later saying, "She was taking shock treatments at the time plus, she was also highly nervous but despite her illness she never let it intrude. She would occasionally go off to one side of the sound stage and actually be shaking, she would try to control herself, go back to the scene that she was doing, manage it and do it without having to do a retake and then go back to being nervous again it was something truly indescribable. Leigh's performance was tinged by paranoia and resulted in outbursts that marred her relationship with other actors, although both Simone Signoret and Lee Marvin were sympathetic and understanding. In one unusual instance, she hit Marvin so hard with a spiked shoe, that it marked his face. There are two scenes in the film that standout: the first one is where Vivien is walking down the long passageway to her stateroom and she does a Charleston dance step in hallway and then continues on to her stateroom as if nothing had happened. That's when the other scene takes place as she removes her make-up she starts talking to her reflection about growing old and acting her age. Vivien's performance in this scene evokes mere glances of Scarlett O'Hara, Blanche DuBois, and Karen Stone from the film The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone (1961, Warner Brothers). At this moment Lee Marvin breaks into her room and attempts to have his way with her. She will have none of that and beats him off with her high-heeled shoe. When the ship reaches its destination they both disembark separately, his face covered in band-aids and Vivien coolly walks down the gangplank with her head held high making her grand exit -- from you might say from film itself.
An unrivaled performance in "Streetcar Named Desire." When I was studying abroad in Wales in 1989, I saw a documentary on Olivier's life who had just passed way. A servant mentioned that Olivier became afraid of Vivien, fearing she would physically attack him due to her mental instability. That was the reason they separated and divorced. Very sad. My favorite actress. A beautiful, talented, and legendary actress. RIP Vivien 🧡🙏
How odd that being bipolar is discussed so much about Vivian. Coughing up blood, feeling like crap, & knowing it's a death sentence, is Depressing. An outstanding beautiful woman, with a vibrant personality, that through energy all over the big screens, & stages, accomplishing a mountain of work in her lifetime. Between life's tragedies. An excellent example of a fighting spirit to us all.
why the comparison..?! They both are beautiful and talented in their own way..! if you compare vivien with kathrine Hepburn or bette davis than i would say yes vivien is beautiful..!
@@maanasadevi4859 I will add that when people are attractive or beautiful at a young age,they are usually the opposite when time passes. The opposite is true for average or plain looking people, they are handsome or beautiful as time passes.
She was one of my favorite actresses and I have a lot of empathy for her bipolar disorder struggle -- it's such a brutal, disruptive, painful thing to live with (I know). I remember learning years ago that lithium wasn't approved as a treatment for bipolar disorder (in the US, anyway) until 1970 -- unfortunately, too late for Vivien. I had to stop taking lithium after a couple years because of severe side effects that developed, but if you can tolerate it, it has a good track record in general -- it's even believed to reduce suicides.
She is definitely one of my all time favorite actresses. I love most films she's been in. It's impossible for me to chose one particular performance when she was amazing in all of them.
@@fredsmith3456 ,I find that film rather trashy and distasteful but have to admit it is quite viewable and reach for the DVD whenever I am in a strangely downbeat mood.Vivien ended up going to the dogs in many of her films and she certainly topped it all off as Mrs.Stone.
@@davidallen508 I'm curious how others interpret the ending of Mrs. Stone. Do you think when she threw the key down to the man she expected him to kill her or was it for sex?
@@kimberlymclees8189 , I felt she was prepared to go as low as she could.She may have started by suggesting the vagrant take a good shower and then trying Warren Beatty’s clothes on him.He had no reason to kill her.Who knows ?
@@davidallen508 Thanks for sharing your insight! I think I got the idea of murder because of an incident or story that had been told earlier in the film. It's been quite a while since I've seen it. I'd like to think she cleaned him up and had a good time. I guess any man can be Warren Beatty in the dark.
@@bluechip297 Oh yeah, she was waaaaaay more than just "attractive." But hey, to each their own. lol Vivien Leigh was absolutely drop dead gorgeous in her prime. And also a very talented and iconic actress. Very good on stage as well.
Brilliant actress. Olivier said many didn't take her seriously in her craft because she was such a great beauty. But that Hamilton Women, Gone with the wind, and streetcar (even ship of fools) shows you how brilliant she was. a haunted woman with great talent.
Vivien was natural beauty coupled with great talent. Vivien's acting in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire has cemented her icon status. Her real life suffering made her a more potent actress - she could be vunerable & haughty at the same time.
I never new this about her. I love all those movies she was in, i still watch her to this day when ever i fine her on. I love the old black and white movies stars very much. I loved Gone With the Wind even when they colorized it.
I adore this lady.. I have watched gone with the wind over a 120 times.. I have seen everything she's ever done.. the kind of magic she had With Lawrence... It was just that pure magic.. that I am sure.. Was rekindled... When he finally passed.. there Passion.. For the stage.. And the respect.. for acting.. Was only rivaled by their love for each other... mental illness was only an interruption.. because a love like that just never dies... she suffered greatly... She was in my book a first class lady...
I saw her in Adelaide in the play "Lady of the Camilias". Brilliant performance based on La Traviata. She was no longer with Olivia. Cried my eyes out, the performance was brilliant as a stage actress she was superb. Never will forget.
You literally saw VL on stage? Wow! Interesting, can believe you would never forget it. She was older then and not in great health. She was something else. Talented, great actress.
I'll never criticize someone for not being able to sustain a relationship with a mentally ill partner. Nobody knows the pain and heartache that might come from dealing with the specific dynamics of any individual relationship. The best that can be done is to offer support and encouragement. So sad!
I totally agree. When two people marry they don’t know everything about each other. They Only know that they are in love. Love alone is not enough. Not by a long shot.
Bipolar is such a wicked disease , Iv watched my son suffer for 7 years till they got his meds right. It’s not as simple as giving them a pill and it goes away. Even in this day and age. I also watched my grandfather go through it for 40 years and in the end he had to be admitted to a care home for people with mental illness where he died at 86.
Despite all her natural beauty and hard earned accolades, Vivien Leigh suffered. Both of her diagnosis were untreatable when she was alive,TB kills even today,it is a nasty disease, now becoming antibiotic resistant due to patients not taking the drugs correctly. Bipolar disease is treatable but still takes it toll on interpersonal relationships. She suffered so much.
It is so easy to erroneously judge relationships (before, during and after) without knowing some or all of the details relating to it. However it can be a classic case of judging a book by the cover. Clearly there was much love between VL and LO and I for one misjudged, without realising how that love continued after their divorce. Having watched this video and learned new details I now regret my previous judgements. May Miss Leigh rest in peace.
💕♥️……Even better than “Gone With The Wind”..Was “That Hamilton Woman”..I believe based on True Historical Figure….Starring she and her Husband…I’ve seen it many times Sad Love Story…one of the best ever…and I love GWTW….💔
Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but a voice like velvet. So many stars had voices that sounded like a knife on a plate.
She was soooo extremely gorgeous!!! I personally think she’s the most beautiful woman ever. Even over Liz Taylor, which I get 💩 for once in awhile lol
"Scarlett", was the perfect role for Vivien. In fact, she WAS the original person!
absolutely
If you read the first page of the book you'll see Scarlett wasn't described as beautiful in the book. And Vivien was gorgeous
Right little raver always sleeping around!Party animal beautiful available always 😉
Agree!!!! Vivien IS Scarlett.
So sad there were no real treatments for bipolar back then. How different her life might have been. She was so beautiful and talented.
Laura Harris Do you have research sites? I need to read up in this. Thank you.
yes and also for the TB
Manic depression a,so known as Bipolar disorder is a genetically transmitted chemical deficiency in the brain that untreated creates havoc for the sufferer. Litium was the first successful drug treatment.
I personally think it’s a wiring of the brain from infancy, that creates the imbalance, along with unhealed trauma.
Absolutely agree. This illness blighted her career (as well as her struggle with TB), and given the treatments available today her life would have been so different.
“That Hamilton Woman” is a perfect example of the chemistry between her and Laurence. It’s beautifully filmed and shows that even in black and white she is beautiful.
We agree, Nancy!
That film was a special favourite of Churchill's.
Thank you for the reminder that film was great.
I differ on any time Vivien Leigh acts opposite Laurence Olivier that it's a good production for either of them
They one-up each other way too much. The production will suffer. They will chew the scenery. Their personal life emotIons are brought in and those can be in appropriate for the material. It's something that they can't help
Put them in productions with other people and they are outstanding.
Vivien playing Blanche actually caused her damage.
Laurence found Joan Plowright then he filled for a divorce.
Jack Merrivale loved Vivien but he knew he wasn't the love. But he stayed anyway
Winston's Churchills favourite movie allegedly and one of mine too ...take it out of the collection
of UN SURPASSABLE old black and whites. every now and then,..like the ORIGINAL 'Great Expectations" starring
Alec Guinness ,John Mills, Valerie Hobson, and the Australian woman who played Miss Haversham...lets not forget the original "Rebecca" with Lawrence Oliver...all of which never date and far surpass anything plastic that comes out of the studios these days...a lot of those films
were made in the Denham studious in London
Its rare to see an actress so beautiful and with great talent.
Just so you know, the term “bipolar disorder” used to be called “manic depression”. I had heard this about her, but didn’t know the details. Mental illness was so stigmatized back then, and little was known about treating it. It’s really sad to hear of her and other stars, like Patty Duke, in such an unforgiving profession, being so very vulnerable, often with no one to understand.
The one thing I leraned she was a scoripon, I don't know if I spelled that right ,that explains a lot of her behaviour, them scoripons r somewhat like how she behaved ! An they do have a big sexaul appetite!!
Vivian Leigh was just perfect in Gone with the Wind. An absolute delight.
That film was (and still is) a MASTERPIECE !!!
@@ollieallard808 q
❤👆
YES
Vivien
She was striking in that white & green dress, as well as the red one! She glowed from the inside out
Interesting, most people don't understand the market moves and tend to be mislead in facts like this and always depend on money in the bank. Very bad idea
That green and white "BBQ" dress is my favorite, along with that fabulous hat!
The red one was perfection !
I like the white and blue one the best
She was beautiful, and played Scarlet to a 'T', embracing both the ingenue and mature version of the character so very convincingly. And she was in nearly every scene of the very long film. What a feat! Perhaps the most deserved academy award ever.
Could u imagine Kathryn Hebern(spelling) playing Scarlett? No way that would have been a destaster!!!
@@karancarnwright4312 Hepburn was always too full of herself to ever show the underlying vulnerability that Vivien Lee demonstrated through her total understanding of the character she portrayed. Perhaps Vivien Lee's personal vulnerabilities contributed to that accomplishment.
I read once that Olivier could never discuss Vivien Leigh without stuttering. That's emotional damage extraordinaire.
I don't think that's true. I've seen him in interviews where he's talking about her just fine.
Probably the most beautiful actress EVER…Garbo, Hedy Lamarr, Gene Tierney, Ava Gardner were all stunningly beautiful actresses too, but none of them lit up the screen like Vivien….
What about Audrey Hepburn
Heady is just as beautiful. I love them both
All the women you mentioned were beautiful. But Vivien is a combination of great talent and beauty. Thats rare for an actress.theres something magical about her that spell bounds u to the screen.
I much prefer Paulette Goddard's Beauty. She starred in 1947's "The Unconquered" with Gary Cooper.
Rita Hayworth another beautiful actress with a tragic ending.
No one could have played gone with the wind better.
We agree, Rema!
No one- look at the sequel they tried a travesty
Her facial expressions in Gone with the wind were just perfect
Vivien was gorgeous and her expressions were readable without words being spoken, the tragedy of the miscarriages had to affect her deeply with the love she had for Lawrence. Then the TB, gosh, so much talent and beauty and heartache in one electrifying life, one cannot help to share her sorrow. The world lost a brilliant light when we lost her.
I can not understand why Larry or jack did not force her into hospital to
Aradicate her TB once and for all,l am sure she could have lived longer if they did.
@@lawrencesait3432 Because an adult has the right to decide for themselves. She may not have wanted to endure the several months of drugs or her TB may have been the drug resistant variety. If she chose to not take drugs it may have been because they made her sick and she chose, what was in her mind, the lesser of two evils. Regardless, a competent adult can choose for self.
Her mental illness may have been a factor in not seeking treatment. Very sad, regardless .
She didn’t just ‘happen’ to be vacationing in the USA to get casted as Scarlet. She came on a mission to get the part of Scarlet, and at the same time visit her paramour Larry who was filming a movie in Hollywood, I think it was Wuthering Heights. It wasn’t happenstance at all, it was all very calculated on Viv’s part to get it.
Glad she did.
Calculated, but meant to be. I couldn't imagine anyone else (past or present) in that role.
Exactly! What a stupid thing to say - auditioning "on a whim"...! Her ambition and drive were a very pivotal element of her character
It was Wuthering Heights. Vivien had wanted to play Catherine but didn't get the part.
She sounds a lot like Megan Markle!
She was very pretty. Seem like actors had true talent back in this era...
Listened to a video recently The speaker stated, talent is no longer required in Hollywood. Its who you know. The liberal elite run the show.
@@ritagamez3732 It has nothing to do with politics. It's about talent not being a prerequisite to succeed.
Prertty? Are you kidding me? She is the most beautiful woman who ever lived.
@@ritagamez3732 I agree 100%.
That's true they did. Today it's all about who can and will take their clothes off the fastest. Sad.
She was amazing in Gone With the Wind.
Yes. My favorite of hers.
@ Earl Bowen She was Scarlett!
@@lauramalizia9636 yes especially when I learned from her facing problems (I think about it tomorrow!)
I learnt well!!😄😄😄
Brilliant actress! She immortalized Scarlet O'Hara!
She was perfect for Scarlett❤️
Vivian was absolutely stunning. It was sad she had a bi-polar disorder, and even more of a tragedy that she had contracted TB. But TB is so hard to treat, even today. She will always be remembered in a very favourable light.
There are multiple botanical treatments for all infectious diseases. :-) ;-)
what tb?!
@@messianic_scam Royal Scam -- What are you saying?
I was under the impression that TB is contagious. Is that wrong?
@@jimjustice581 If you have TB of the lungs, then it is contagious as the bacteria are carried in aerosol form through the air whilst talking, breathing and singing. We still have terrible trouble treating this disease.
She was so stunningly beautiful
Absolutely
@NateDawg I agree plus she was a hussy
She sure was
No
@@allan9603 you do not think she was beautiful?!?!?
The author of this video mistakes George Cukor’s role in casting Vivien Leigh in GWTW. David Selznick was the producer and owner of the studio that made GWTW. It was he who cast Leigh and later fired Cukor as director. Leigh did not audition “on a whim.” She traveled from London to Los Angeles to see Laurence Olivier and to attempt to audition. Olivier’s agent was Myron Selznick, David’s brother.
Truth!😄
Correct!
Also, she didn’t have a miscarriage while making a film with her husband Lawrence Olivier. She was filming Caesar and Cleopatra, with Claude Raines, and fell during filming.
Mercy be for those who know the facts.
Nice video but I don't know how that mistake was made. Selznick's search for Scarlett was huge and Cukor's firing was big news as well. Vivien and Olivia would go to Cukor's home on Sundays for advice because they couldn't stand his replacement--Victor Fleming.
She was absolutely beautiful, Vivian along with Elizabeth Taylor have to be the most beautiful women ever. Sad life, unlucky in love, both of them . Her relationship with Sir Lawrence was epic. Nobody could have played Scarlet but her and she was wonderful in Street Car.
I would have to put Ava Gardiner to!
And Grace Kelly
Im going with Maureen Ohara. Gorgeous. She was in those Swashbuckling movies with Errol Flynn. That red hair and green eyes. WOW!! This is really weird, but I watched Gone With The Wind 50 years ago or more and enjoyed it, but when I watched it again when the movie had its 40th Anniversary I didnt really enjoy it that much. It was the same with other things as well. Your tastes really do change over the years. Especially TV shows. Used to love Cagney and Lacey and Crossing Jordon, now not so much. Now its SVU and Rizzoli and Isles. Huge mistake to cancel that one. Nothing but garbage on TV anymore. Cancel all the good ones and leave on the trash. Except for all the games shows they bought back, I watch three shows a week. Greys Anatomy, SVU! And Outlander. And That one is only on about three months out of the year. They have already wrapped on season 6 but wont televise it until 2022. I dont get that. And I really hate to wait for anything. Sorry, I ramble on sometime, go off topic. 😄Have a good one!!
Even though many many actresses went blond, the true beauties seem to be raven haired.
@@mariethereseascar4910 Lol, Grace Kelly Only looked good in certain angles and her jawline was too square. Her friends even said she was plain looking without makeup.
Gone With The Wind is without a doubt a cinematic triumph, highlighted by Vivien Leigh's classic portrayal of Scarlett O'Hara
Except it was Elizabeth Taylor
@@brennasmith5148 -- "Gone With The Wind" (the greatest movie ever made) came out in 1939. Elizabeth Taylor was born in 1932. No, Taylor did not play Scarlett O'Hara as a seven-year-old. It was Vivien Leigh.
@@brennasmith5148 I don't think Taylor could have carried that role even as good an actor as she was.
Bipolar disorder and manic depression? They are one and the same.
@@GlennaVan I agree.
Such a sensitive soul she was. If she had been able to carry their (Sir Laurence) children to life; it could have been a healing experience for her and their marriage. Feel sad it didn’t happen for them. I know he loved her deeply.😔😔
Investing for today is priceless because tomorrow isn't promised, trading bit-coins, gold, silver and crypto secures a better tomorrow.
Dame Lewis - not really ... having a child doesn't heal mental illness or a broken marriage. My mom tried having a baby to fix her marriage. It didn't work. When a person has unstable mental health, adding a baby only adds to the stress and inability to cope with life's daily routines. Vivien Leigh had a daughter with her first husband; Leigh had very little to do with the raising of her only child.
That changed. It's good for all involved that VL and Suzanne became much closer as she grew up. I have read that Vivien kind of liked being Grandma to Suzanne's three boys. There is also a RUclips video made by Sophie, a great grand daughter who came to Los Angeles to speak with Tarquin Olivier and Trader Faulkner and some remaining friends of Ms. Leigh. Just to find out everything she could about her really famous great grandmother that she never had the opportunity to meet. It was a touching video. I am sure VL would have been proud.
@@jupru220 thank you! She may have been beautiful but she was a lousy mother to her only child Suzanne. She put herself before everything and everyone. She caused Laurence Olivier a lot of mental and emotional stress due to the numerous times she cheated on him during their marriage. I think he was relieved when their marriage ended to be fair!
VL wasn't the only one in the relationship that was a "lousy" parent or a philanderer; that was a two way street "to be fair.". Olivier was a consummate philanderer with wife #1, wife #2, and wife #3. Olivier was also a "lousy" dad to his first child Tarquin. As did he put himself above "everything and everyone else." I notice the venom is usually saved for the woman who wasn't a great parent. lol The English actress Sarah Miles wrote a book about her on/ off again affair for years with Olivier. Miles met Olivier on a movie set in '62. Isn't that when Olivier was married to wife #3, Joan Plowright? You notice that the Olivier estate or Joan Plowright never sued over said claims in Miles book? Why do you think that is? I have a pretty good idea why. lol
VL had Jack Merivale in her life. While he may not have been the great passion that Olivier was, he was attentive and there for her. There is a whole lot to be said for being with someone whom you can get along with and have peace of mind with and not have to deal with the noted Olivier ego. Kind of reminds me what Lucille Ball said about living with Gary Morton after Desi Arnaz. js
One of the top 5 greatest actresses of all time. And one beautifully. Talented woman......and kudos to Laurence Olivier. He was. Fantastic. Also. And devilishly handsome.. ......Wuthering Heights. Still one all time classic
Withering Heights. My favourite novel. Did you know that Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon detested each other? It began on an earlier film. Imagine the acting chops it takes to play intense love scenes 2 inches away from someone with whom you do not get along!
@ Kay Thomas who were the other four greatest actresses of all time ?
@@filipchung2121 well. In MY opinion. Betty Davis. Katherine Hepburn., Elizabeth Taylor. And I'll have to include.
(Modern times). Would be Meryl Streep
And yes. There were plenty.of others
I'm forgetting Ingrid Bergman
Vivien Leigh's later performances were also outstanding. Loved her in Ship of Fools and The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone. She was great and also stunning in looks.
I love That Hamilton Woman where she and her hubby star together. Waterloo Bridge is also very good by has a sad ending.
@@paxdomini6061 She said Waterloo Bridge was her favorite film.
If you haven’t seen it yet please please please watch ”Waterloo Bridge”
@@theresadoll5374 I've seen "Waterloo Bridge" at least 3 times, maybe more. Sad story with beautiful background music. Most of Vivien Leigh's films were very sad and her performances in all of them were outstanding. I never tire of watching her.
@@catlover34fl , when Vivien and Laurence visited Australia ; to tour in the theatres.
My mother and several other ladies were invited to the Lady Mayoress' garden party..
Vivien , arrived as the guest , and Mum said ; although Vivien appeared tired she was the most beautiful woman especially when she smiled.
It was tragic what happened to her as the knowledge of mental illness was not known as well as today.
Waterloo Bridge is an excellent film .
The only error I saw was that she is reported to have not only manic depression but also bipolar disorder. They are the same thing. The name of the illness was changed.
You beat me to it. 😉 I kinda wish they hadn't changed the name personally -- I think manic-depressive illness is more accurate.
@@snicky58 - I think so, too. You know how all the doctors want to be progressive, hence the bipolar change, because they thought it sounded less threatening than manic-depression. So much for that!
@@festivelady826 probably it's correlation to "mania" and "maniac."
It’s said Marilyn Monroe suffered the same as well.
bipolar can also mean 2 diametrically opposed conditions, such as obsessive compulsive etc...
She was stunning in her Red dress in Gone With The Wind. No one else could of performed as proficient and brilliant as the beautiful Scarlett O'Hara as she did. ❤
We agree, Pixie!
She was absolutely STUNNING! So many sad endings for GREATS!!
The most beautiful actress ever and one of if not the best actors
I totally agree👍
My PERSONAL favorite - 'Waterloo Bridge'.
I've charished her flow in it for decades...
I have the video. I love it too, although it's so sad I have to steel myself to watch it! Such a beautiful actress.
Thank you! Thought I was the only one who held that opinion!
That movie is fantastic, but doesn't seem to get mentioned often. I love it.
@@kristiwallace2089 I have to look up Waterloo Bridge. I haven't seen it. The actresses and actors back then we're truly "movie stars" and they became their characters beautifully without nudity and without the language used today. They were great and mysterious.
I didn't remember Vivien being in "Waterloo Bridge." I looked it up on imdb. There are two versions of WB. One from 1931, and the 1940 one with Vivien. I have the older one.
She was perfect in her role of Scarlett
Other. Also as Blanche in Street car name Desire. It was really a shame
that she suffered from By Polar and depression. She was so beautiful and
talented.
bipolar
I believe she went through hell when Marilyn made it big. Hollywood made a huge debacle of blonde bombshells. I'd be depressed too! Hence Vivien being a blonde in Street Car.
I dont think I'm wrong.
it's bipolar....I have it, too.
Bi polar is what used to be termed manic depression.The commentator got things a little muddled. Whatever you call it though, it is a heavy burden and more so back then when it was little understood and treatment was often hit or miss.
I love the movie Gone with the Wind, I have read the book twice and seen the movie 4 times on screen. I also I bought the DVD.
Nice
Vivien Leigh / Natalie Wood ... twins of talent both leaving similar impressions writing on our hearts in stage and cinema ... will we see their likes again, we can only wish for such to happen.
Both of them starred in movies with Warren Beatty.
Today they would have to bleach their hair blonde. Back then women were naturally beautiful as individuals. Today they're all clones.😀
She was beautiful and ethereal and a bloody good actress. Incidentally, "manic depression" and bi-polar disorder are the same thing; manic depression was the old term prior to the DSM being developed. I still remember my mum taking me to see "Gone with the Wind" at a revival theatre when I was a little girl. It was magic.
Vivien's mother, Gertrude Hartley, was half Armenian, half Anglo-Irish. Gertrude's father was a full-blooded Armenian railway clerk in Calcutta. This mixed ethnic ancestry gives Vivien her slightly exotic, dark beauty. Also, her trip to Hollywood was not a whim. Zelznick had seen all her British films, confirmed by his secretary Marcella Rabwin, but considered her too light and fluffy for Scarlett. (If you've seen her pre-GWTW films, you'll understand why. They give no indication of her power, range, and depth as an actress.) Vivien had read GWTW and told people she was going to California to audition and would get the part, including reporter Caroline Lejeune. Prior to meeting David Zelznick in person during the burning of Atlanta on the studio backlot, she had met with his brother, agent Myron, about representation. Myron accompanied her to that first meeting with Zelznick. When George Cukor witnessed her first line readings for Scarlett, he knew she had it. My favorite Vivien Leigh performance is Scarlett O'Hara.
@@lemorab1 WOW. Thanks for all the information. You must be a real fan. I think my favorite movie with Leigh was "Waterloo Bridge"....or maybe "that Hamilton Woman" (not sure that's the correct title, but you know the one I mean.
@@katestevens86 It was a toss up between GWTW and "Waterloo Bridge." In "That Hamilton Woman," I get the feeling that Vivien is ad-libbing a lot of her lines, and the film was made to capitalize on the Leigh-Olivier romance. Okay, that and to stir up patriotism for the Allied cause. The most powerful scene, for me, is the very beginning when a middle-aged Emma, broken by life, begins telling her story: "There is no before, there is no after."
@@lemorab1 I feel like hollywood capitalized on the demons that Vivien Leigh fought throughout her life as a result of having bi-polar disorder. And not in a nice way. I remember reading a biography of Leigh way back when; it was very detailed and discussed her mental health issues at length. I think the last name of the biographer was Edwards.
@@katestevens86 I read it too, in 1979. That dreadful book by Anne Edwards cannot be taken seriously. To be fair, Edwards' biography suffered from a lack of access. People who had been close to Vivien adopted a "circle the wagons" attitude and did not want her struggles with mental illness to become public knowledge. Also, Olivier was very much against it, and they didn't want to offend him. So, Edwards did the best she could. But, also, she is (to me) a very irritating writer, believing she can read her subject's thoughts, e.g. "Vivien felt that.... Vivien wanted to....."
Alexander Walker wrote a very good biography in the 1980's, "Vivien." But, the best one to get is "Vivien Leigh" by Hugo Vickers, written in about 1990. He goes into the greatest detail of any biographer of her parents' marriage and her childhood. This explains A LOT. Also, Vickers had access to the Oswald Frewen diaries, which makes all the difference. With Olivier's death, many people were willing to talk on the record who had heretofore been reticent. (To date, no one has been allowed access to Olivier's private correspondence.) You should also check out the Armenian Ancestry Blog, which goes into exhaustive detail about Vivien's maternal ancestry.
Her performance in "Waterloo Bridge", broke my heart! She was paired beautifully w Robert Taylor.
One of my favourite films What a presence ànd magic Vivian had
That was a good movie. You just watch and get into the movie.
She changed our lives with her acting performances, I will never forget her !
We agree, Theresa!
My FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL! CLARK CABLE WAS THE MOST HANDSOME OF ALL...THEY MADE THAT MOVIE FAMOUS...LOVE THEM BOTH!
They complemented each other in GWTW💙💕
Will never understand why Clark Gable did not win the Oscar for Mrs Scarlett O’ hara.
Her performance in Streetcar is unrivaled. I'm her mouth Williams's language soars into great poetry, and the tragic end is a punch in the stomach.
What a great actress!
I cried my eyes out in the tragic Waterloo Bridge. She was young and well and lovely. Sad she passed so young.
"Waterloo Bridge" was her best performance. Fact the entire cast was amazing. No one today comes close. All pretenders
Thanks for sharing this, RF!
She had many outbursts in her manic depressive state. She was very beautiful when she was young. She was in and out of mental wards. Laurence Olivier, finally divorced her, because he couldn't handle it anymore. RIP!
Laurence Olivier eventually fell in love with actress Joan plowright.
@@harperstacey9604Both Vivien and Joan were Scorpio's. I wonder if their "better" temperaments were similar and is what attracted Larry?
Iconic! Can't even imagine anyone else playing the role of Scarlet ❤️
It was David O' Selznick looking for Scarlett O'Hara and he was solely responsible for all major decisions on GWTW. . George Cukor was the first director and was fired and eventually replaced by Victor Fleming.
Vivien was very upset George Cukor was fired
@@rhondablack8079 It still turned out to be a masterpiece due to the tenacity of David O'Selznick and the casting. Vivien Leigh's performance astounds me each time I watch it.
She was best, great actress of all the time, God bless her.
Such a beautiful talented actress...she was sensational in Gone With The Wind...
Vivian Leigh was a stunningly beautiful and amazing talent! And I could never imagine anyone else playing the role of “Scarlett” better than she did…..as IMO she IS Scarlett…..and always will be!!! May she RIP and May God Bless her Forever in Heaven!!!
We agree, MidnightSopFlame!
She was absolutely exquisite in Gone with the Wind! Her life ended far too soon, she was in her prime when she left us. RIP Vivien, hopefully your soul is resting in peace, and your better now!!
My favorite role of Vivien Leigh is as Emma, Lady Hamilton, in "That Hamilton Woman," in which she co-starred with Lawrence Olivier. who played Lord Nelson.
I LOVE Gone with the wind! I always say that I might be the only black woman who HAS ALWAYS had this movie at the top of her top five movie list but there it is. I read the book as a young girl and loved it too. Vivien is marvelous! I have ALL of her movies on DVD. My second favorite is 21 days.
That's interesting you don't think it was racist?
@@evaschroeder4020 I think she’s above that bull$hit!
@@suziecreamcheese211 that's good then in the era of cancel culture you can't say anything
@@evaschroeder4020 How on Earth is this movie Racist? And this is coming a Gay Brown Latin Bottom + ,a millennial.
@@christiandelavega7497 I don't think it is but some purposed it was. Suggesting it made the south appear a place of charm that it romanticized slavery. I disagree ofcourse with that but that was the opinion of some.
She war a great gift from God to us. God bless you, Vivien!
She didn’t fall rehearsing from a play, she slipped on the set of Caesar and Cleopatra. She was incredibly brave, and endured primitive and barbaric treatments for her bipolar. She would have had a very different life, had she been born 50 years later.
I have adored Vivien Leigh my entire life and I must say, this video was very well done, respectfully so. Thank you for posting.
I watch Vivien Leigh in anything she has done, over and over again. She is truly mesmerizing not only in beauty but in her acting. It is truly sad that she suffered from mental illness.
Old Hollywood photography was impressive…. They knew how to use the light to draw interest. Love it
Aside from being beautiful... so many Hollywood Stars were beautiful (most in their own way that makes comparisons petty) but She was an ACTOR!!! Not just an embellishment of her own personality but She took on roles and made them her own! The real test is STAGE! No cuts. No edits. No flattering angles or carefully curated lighting... She could walk on stage and hush an audience for an hour or two or three... seriously, how many Hollywood “stars” could have done that? How many did? How many can today and not look very very small... Vivien Leigh WAS the REAL DEAL and left us two moments of film that will live vas long as the digital prints survive extinction.
Beautiful woman. The most stunning actress ever. There are lots of beautiful ones but I think she’s #1
I absolutely adore her! 🥰🥰🥰 Love her performance in Gone with the wind. Such classic! 💕💕💕
She's the greatest actress of all time.
Vivien Leigh's last film role was Mary Treadwell in Stanley Kramer's Ship Of Fools a novel written by Katherine Ann Porter. Vivien Leigh had battled mental illness and tuberculosis for much of her life and it would be the tuberculosis which eventually killed her on July 8, 1967. Producer and director Stanley Kramer had planned to star Vivien Leigh but was initially unaware of how fragile her mental and physical health was. The film proved to be her last film and in later recounting her work, he remembered her courage in taking on the difficult role, "She was ill, and the courage to go ahead, the courage to make the film - was almost unbelievable." Kramer did not regret casting her in his film. He admired her fortitude, later saying, "She was taking shock treatments at the time plus, she was also highly nervous but despite her illness she never let it intrude. She would occasionally go off to one side of the sound stage and actually be shaking, she would try to control herself, go back to the scene that she was doing, manage it and do it without having to do a retake and then go back to being nervous again it was something truly indescribable.
Leigh's performance was tinged by paranoia and resulted in outbursts that marred her relationship with other actors, although both Simone Signoret and Lee Marvin were sympathetic and understanding. In one unusual instance, she hit Marvin so hard with a spiked shoe, that it marked his face.
There are two scenes in the film that standout: the first one is where Vivien is walking down the long passageway to her stateroom and she does a Charleston dance step in hallway and then continues on to her stateroom as if nothing had happened. That's when the other scene takes place as she removes her make-up she starts talking to her reflection about growing old and acting her age. Vivien's performance in this scene evokes mere glances of Scarlett O'Hara, Blanche DuBois, and Karen Stone from the film The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone (1961, Warner Brothers). At this moment Lee Marvin breaks into her room and attempts to have his way with her. She will have none of that and beats him off with her high-heeled shoe. When the ship reaches its destination they both disembark separately, his face covered in band-aids and Vivien coolly walks down the gangplank with her head held high making her grand exit -- from you might say from film itself.
Beautifully said!
Her performance in A Streetcar Named Desire was heartbreaking.
She put her heart and soul into the film.
She's my favorite actress of all times!
She was a great beauty.
So tragic that such a talented beauty and acting icon fell out of her beautiful life in mental illness. She was unforgettable.
her performance in `` THAT HAMILTON WOMAN `` was absolutely remarkable
How gorgeous 😍 she is...loved her in Gone with tge Wind
An unrivaled performance in "Streetcar Named Desire." When I was studying abroad in Wales in 1989, I saw a documentary on Olivier's life who had just passed way. A servant mentioned that Olivier became afraid of Vivien, fearing she would physically attack him due to her mental instability. That was the reason they separated and divorced. Very sad. My favorite actress. A beautiful, talented, and legendary actress. RIP Vivien 🧡🙏
How odd that being bipolar is discussed so much about Vivian. Coughing up blood, feeling like crap, & knowing it's a death sentence, is Depressing.
An outstanding beautiful woman, with a vibrant personality, that through energy all over the big screens, & stages, accomplishing a mountain of work in her lifetime. Between life's tragedies.
An excellent example of a fighting spirit to us all.
Ordinary people did the same thing.
Gone with the Wind has to be my favorite for Viven.
Vivian was "FLAWLESS" in Gone With The Wind. One of my favorites😊
If she had been about 20 years younger, she'd knocked Liz off the title for most beautiful.
I'll always feel Vivien was the most beautiful of the two.
why the comparison..?! They both are beautiful and talented in their own way..! if you compare vivien with kathrine Hepburn or bette davis than i would say yes vivien is beautiful..!
@@maanasadevi4859 Beauty is always in the eye of the beholder. As far as adding character and morality to the beauty mix, Liz would be at the bottom.
@@maanasadevi4859 I will add that when people are attractive or beautiful at a young age,they are usually the opposite when time passes. The opposite is true for average or plain looking people, they are handsome or beautiful as time passes.
They would have tied with Ava Gardner ,they are all a very similar type. Dorothy Dandridge, was the most beautiful in my opinion.
She was one of my favorite actresses and I have a lot of empathy for her bipolar disorder struggle -- it's such a brutal, disruptive, painful thing to live with (I know). I remember learning years ago that lithium wasn't approved as a treatment for bipolar disorder (in the US, anyway) until 1970 -- unfortunately, too late for Vivien. I had to stop taking lithium after a couple years because of severe side effects that developed, but if you can tolerate it, it has a good track record in general -- it's even believed to reduce suicides.
She was really stunning. Very beautiful ❤️
She was absolutely beautiful.
She is definitely one of my all time favorite actresses. I love most films she's been in. It's impossible for me to chose one particular performance when she was amazing in all of them.
One of the classiest & best actress & most lovely. Unfourtunately suffered from,bipolar disorder. Same as I.....
Last great performance.” The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone” with a young Warren Beatty, great movie and acting performance
If you have not seen the Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone, please rent and watch.
@@fredsmith3456 ,I find that film rather trashy and distasteful but have to admit it is quite viewable and reach for the DVD
whenever I am in a strangely downbeat mood.Vivien ended up going to the dogs in many of her films and she certainly
topped it all off as Mrs.Stone.
@@davidallen508 I'm curious how others interpret the ending of Mrs. Stone. Do you think when she threw the key down to the man she expected him to kill her or was it for sex?
@@kimberlymclees8189 , I felt she was prepared to go as low as she could.She may have started by suggesting the vagrant
take a good shower and then trying Warren Beatty’s clothes on him.He had no reason to kill her.Who knows ?
@@davidallen508 Thanks for sharing your insight! I think I got the idea of murder because of an incident or story that had been told earlier in the film. It's been quite a while since I've seen it. I'd like to think she cleaned him up and had a good time. I guess any man can be Warren Beatty in the dark.
Loved her in Waterloo Bridge with Robert Taylor. Of course Gone With The Wind. Beautiful actress.
She was Georgeous♥️🌟💕
She was absolutely gorgeous!
She was beyond beautiful!
Definitely. She had an "other worldly" beauty.
No she wasnt. She was an attractive woman, no more no less.
Extremely talented though.
@@bluechip297 that’s a strange comment and one I totally disagree with!
@@bluechip297 Oh yeah, she was waaaaaay more than just "attractive." But hey, to each their own. lol Vivien Leigh was absolutely drop dead gorgeous in her prime.
And also a very talented and iconic actress. Very good on stage as well.
Vivian Leigh to this day is one of the most beautiful women to ever walk the earth. I can watch Gone with the wind over and over. God bless.
Thanks for watching!
No one looks like her now. Her beauty is timeless
Her ravishing beauty can only be compared to Gene Tierney's ♥️RIP
She is beautiful
Over 80 years later this movie is still talked about
I loved Vivien's portrayal of Scarlet. Delicate and strong, she was amazing!!!
Brilliant actress. Olivier said many didn't take her seriously in her craft because she was such a great beauty. But that Hamilton Women, Gone with the wind, and streetcar (even ship of fools) shows you how brilliant she was. a haunted woman with great talent.
Vivien was natural beauty coupled with great talent. Vivien's acting in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire has cemented her icon status. Her real life suffering made her a more potent actress - she could be vunerable & haughty at the same time.
Vivien Leigh was very unlucky with her mental health problems and contacting TB, in my apinion she was the best.
I never new this about her. I love all those movies she was in, i still watch her to this day when ever i fine her on. I love the old black and white movies stars very much. I loved Gone With the Wind even when they colorized it.
Beautiful, for sure. She had a rough time thru her life. So many actors have rough lives.
What's your favorite memory of her, Lyn?
Yes they do that is true. Just because you’re beautiful does not mean you are going to I have a stress free life. Far from it.
I adore this lady.. I have watched gone with the wind over a 120 times.. I have seen everything she's ever done.. the kind of magic she had With Lawrence... It was just that pure magic.. that I am sure.. Was rekindled... When he finally passed.. there Passion.. For the stage.. And the respect.. for acting.. Was only rivaled by their love for each other... mental illness was only an interruption.. because a love like that just never dies... she suffered greatly... She was in my book a first class lady...
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Spot on,we all love our Vivien.
I saw her in Adelaide in the play "Lady of the Camilias". Brilliant performance based on La Traviata. She was no longer with Olivia. Cried my eyes out, the performance was brilliant as a stage actress she was superb. Never will forget.
You literally saw VL on stage? Wow! Interesting, can believe you would never forget it. She was older then and not in great health. She was something else. Talented, great actress.
I'll never criticize someone for not being able to sustain a relationship with a mentally ill partner. Nobody knows the pain and heartache that might come from dealing with the specific dynamics of any individual relationship. The best that can be done is to offer support and encouragement. So sad!
I think Olivier exacerbated her illness. He had many more affairs than she did. Their's was no great love story.
I totally agree. When two people marry they don’t know everything about each other. They Only know that they are in love. Love alone is not enough. Not by a long shot.
Lawrence Olivier was my favorite actor. To me he was at Chamaeleon.
She was absolutely beautiful 🤩 what a shame. 🙏🙏🙏🙏❤️😢
Bipolar is such a wicked disease , Iv watched my son suffer for 7 years till they got his meds right. It’s not as simple as giving them a pill and it goes away. Even in this day and age. I also watched my grandfather go through it for 40 years and in the end he had to be admitted to a care home for people with mental illness where he died at 86.
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David Selznick chose Vivien for GWTW. Not Cukor.
Cukor was the first director who discovered and auditioned her
Love all your blogs, hope you never run out of them.
Despite all her natural beauty and hard earned accolades, Vivien Leigh suffered. Both of her diagnosis were untreatable when she was alive,TB kills even today,it is a nasty disease, now becoming antibiotic resistant due to patients not taking the drugs correctly. Bipolar disease is treatable but still takes it toll on interpersonal relationships. She suffered so much.
It is so easy to erroneously judge relationships (before, during and after) without knowing some or all of the details relating to it. However it can be a classic case of judging a book by the cover. Clearly there was much love between VL and LO and I for one misjudged, without realising how that love continued after their divorce. Having watched this video and learned new details I now regret my previous judgements.
May Miss Leigh rest in peace.
Love Gone with the wind. My favorite movie ever. So sad for Vivian Leigh. So very beautiful
💕♥️……Even better than “Gone With The Wind”..Was “That Hamilton Woman”..I believe based on True Historical Figure….Starring she and her Husband…I’ve seen it many times Sad Love Story…one of the best ever…and I love GWTW….💔
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I loved her in gone with the wind she played such a brat so in love with ashly omg I loved it she played that roll very well RIP
I really liked how she look so classy with the dress that she made out of those curtains that was smart still classy....