The year was 1934. On August 21st, Vivien arrived at Lime Grove Studios to begin work on her first film, Things are Looking Up. Work progressed slowly and when the film was finished, her one line of dialogue was cut from an already small role. In September, Vivien went to see a play called Theatre Royal starring a popular new stage actor, Laurence Olivier. She returned several times to see him act, intrigued by his good looks and stage presence. She even said to a girlfriend, 'that's the man I'm going to marry', knowing quite well that both she and her new matinee idol were already married. For the next several months Vivien worked on stage and appeared in two minor films; The Village Squire, a comedy, and Gentleman's Agreement, in which she played an unemployed typist. Her husband Leigh, felt this was just a fling with acting - one that would soon get out of her system. He hoped she would return to her domestic role of wife and mother, but it now seemed unlikely - Vivien was determined to continue acting. In the spring of 1935, Vivien's talent agent succeeded in getting her a part in a comedy entitled Look Up and Laugh, starring Gracie Fields - George Burns wife and comedy partner. During this time, she auditioned for a leading role in a costume play called The Mask of Virtue. Her acting skills from her work at the academy had improved enough that Vivien succeeded in winning the part. After several months of rehearsals while continuing to work in the studio on her 4th film, the The Mask of Virtue opened on May 15th, 1935. The play was a great success and Vivien became an overnight sensation. Alexander Korda, the famous European film producer, happened to be present on opening night (invited by the play's director) and he asked her to sign a contract that would guarantee 50 thousand pounds over a 5 year period. This contract, if it had been completed, would have resulted in 10 films in Britain from the period between 1935 and 1940. Vivien ended up making only 6 films before leaving for Hollywood in 1938. After The Mask of Virtue ended its run, Vivien waited for another success to feed her new found fame, but it did not arrive as easily. The remainder of 1935 was slow, and she performed in a few more plays of less importance. One thing of note did occur however - she was introduced to her matinee idol, Laurence Olivier, at the trendy Savoy Grill in London. Laurence Olivier was 7 years her elder, born in Dorking, England, of Anglo-Catholic parents. He obtained a scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama, and made his way to the London stage by the time he was 21. He married his first wife, Jill Esmond Moore, also an actress in July of 1930. When Olivier was 28, he went to Hollywood and made three minor films, returning to England in 1932, unhappy with the results. Soon after, he acquired success as a matinee stage idol, performing in various works including Shakespeare. In August 1936, he was asked to co-star in what would be Vivien's first film for Alexander Korda, Fire Over England. Olivier played a sailor sent to Spain on an important mission for the Queen. Vivien played Cynthia, the Queen's lady-in-waiting, and his new found love. This film gave the two rising stars time to spend with each other on screen and off, and their relationship grew stronger. It was long hours of work and they spent whatever chance they could together alone. Shooting Dark Journey started immediately afterward for Vivien, co-starring Conrad Veidt. She had the leading role in a spy drama about a clothing shop owner who worked secretly for the government. To continue her new film contract, Vivien was then due to star in Storm in a Teacup, the first of two films working opposite Rex Harrison. She took a short break in Rome with Olivier before returning to the studio to begin shooting. During this period Vivien read a great deal during breaks on set and found a new favourite novel that she re-read several times - Gone With the Wind. She even asked her agent to submit her name to the widely publicized search to find an actress for Scarlett O'Hara. This request was returned with a reply: I have no enthusiasm for Vivien Leigh. Maybe I will have, but as yet have never even seen photograph of her. I will be seeing Fire Over England shortly, at which time will of course see Leigh. - David O. Selznick Somebody turned to Olivier and said, 'Larry you'd be marvelous as Rhett Butler.' He laughed it off, but the suggestion was not too preposterous.. discussion of the casting went on in a desultory fashion, until the new girl, Vivien Leigh, brought it to a sudden stop. She drew herself up on the rain-swept deck, all five feet nothing of her, pulled a coat round her shoulders and stunned us with the sibylline utterance: "Larry won't play Rhett Butler, but I shall play Scarlett O'Hara. Wait and see..." 2 - Caroline Lejeune, film reporter Since Vivien was now living with Olivier, her daughter Suzanne was in the care of Gertrude, Vivien's mother. The next few years for the new couple would be spent waiting for an official divorce. Vivien was loaned to MGM to make A Yank at Oxford to increase her American exposure - a move that would benefit both Alexander Korda's role as her producer and Vivien's career, especially if she was to be considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara. She worked on A Yank at Oxford during the autumn of 1937 with her former convent schoolmate, and now actress, Maureen O'Sullivan, while Olivier shot The Divorce of Lady X with Merle Oberon. 1937 had ended and a new year of work began. Vivien started shooting St. Martin's Lane in January 1938. This was her 9th film, and co-starred Charles Laughton and Rex Harrison. She played a busker that rises to stardom in London. When it was released, the reviews were positive, stating that Vivien had improved her acting enough to stand alongside Charles Laughton on screen. Laurence Olivier was just as busy. He was asked to play the part of Heathcliff opposite Merle Oberon in a Hollywood production of Wuthering Heights. Accepting this offer, he left England on November 5th 1938 - Vivien's 25th birthday. Wanting to be with him as soon as possible, she abandoned her winter plan of performing in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Old Vic, and left heading towards California on Saturday November 27th for a two week trip "…partly because Larry is there, and partly because I intend to get the part of Scarlett O'Hara". It was a journey that would not only change Vivien's career - but would change the search for Scarlett forever… 'I'm reading Gone With the Wind, but if I brought it here I shouldn't be able to start working. I've never been so gripped by anything in my life. It's the finest book I've ever read, what a grand film it would make! I've cast myself for Scarlett O'Hara. What do you think?' - Vivien on the set of Twenty-One Days, 1937 talking to a film reporter from The Evening News. Margaret Mitchell's book, Gone With the Wind had sold 326,000 copies during the first six weeks of publication and won The Pulitzer Prize of 1937. Taking four years to write, it has sold millions more copies in the decades that followed, and started a world wide phenomenon. Still a recent best-seller in 1938, Vivien re-read the book on her journey towards Hollywood to visit Laurence Olivier. "You will never guess what has happened and no one is more surprised than me. You know that I only came out here for a week. Well just two days before I was supposed to leave, the people who are making Gone With the Wind saw me and said would I make a test - so what could I do and now I am working frantically hard and rehearsing, and studying a Southern accent which I don't find difficult anyway... The part has now become the biggest responsibility one can imagine and yet it would be absurd not to do it given the chance..." Vivien spent time at a beach house for relaxation, and took piano lessons in the evenings while Olivier was away in New York performing in No Time for Comedy. She disliked Hollywood immensely saying, "I could not stay here half the year…the more I see of Hollywood the less possible it becomes." This was a trying time for their relationship, and they saw little of each other during the early months of 1939. She kept a copy of Margaret Mitchell's book nearby on the set, and resented if writers diverged from the original text during the constant re-writes of the script. Vivien completed her work on June 27th and as they say, the rest is history. Her performance carried the film and helped create the success and popularity that would never cease, even today, six decades later. Visits: Return To Intimate Portraits Return To Index This page hosted by
For the next several months Vivien worked on stage and appeared in two minor films; The Village Squire, a comedy, and Gentleman's Agreement, in which she played an unemployed typist. Her husband Leigh, felt this was just a fling with acting - one that would soon get out of her system. He hoped she would return to her domestic role of wife and mother, but it now seemed unlikely - Vivien was determined to continue acting.
In the spring of 1935, Vivien's talent agent succeeded in getting her a part in a comedy entitled Look Up and Laugh, starring Gracie Fields - George Burns wife and comedy partner. During this time, she auditioned for a leading role in a costume play called The Mask of Virtue. Her acting skills from her work at the academy had improved enough that Vivien succeeded in winning the part. After several months of rehearsals while continuing to work in the studio on her 4th film, the The Mask of Virtue opened on May 15th, 1935. The play was a great success and Vivien became an overnight sensation. Alexander Korda, the famous European film producer, happened to be present on opening night (invited by the play's director) and he asked her to sign a contract that would guarantee 50 thousand pounds over a 5 year period. This contract, if it had been completed, would have resulted in 10 films in Britain from the period between 1935 and 1940. Vivien ended up making only 6 films before leaving for Hollywood in 1938.
After The Mask of Virtue ended its run, Vivien waited for another success to feed her new found fame, but it did not arrive as easily. The remainder of 1935 was slow, and she performed in a few more plays of less importance. One thing of note did occur however - she was introduced to her matinee idol, Laurence Olivier, at the trendy Savoy Grill in London.
Laurence Olivier was 7 years her elder, born in Dorking, England, of Anglo-Catholic parents. He obtained a scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama, and made his way to the London stage by the time he was 21. He married his first wife, Jill Esmond Moore, also an actress in July of 1930. When Olivier was 28, he went to Hollywood and made three minor films, returning to England in 1932, unhappy with the results. Soon after, he acquired success as a matinee stage idol, performing in various works including Shakespeare. In August 1936, he was asked to co-star in what would be Vivien's first film for Alexander Korda, Fire Over England. Olivier played a sailor sent to Spain on an important mission for the Queen. Vivien played Cynthia, the Queen's lady-in-waiting, and his new found love. This film gave the two rising stars time to spend with each other on screen and off, and their relationship grew stronger. It was long hours of work and they spent whatever chance they could together alone. Shooting Dark Journey started immediately afterward for Vivien, co-starring Conrad Veidt. She had the leading role in a spy drama about a clothing shop owner who worked secretly for the government.
To continue her new film contract, Vivien was then due to star in Storm in a Teacup, the first of two films working opposite Rex Harrison. She took a short break in Rome with Olivier before returning to the studio to begin shooting. During this period Vivien read a great deal during breaks on set and found a new favourite novel that she re-read several times - Gone With the Wind. She even asked her agent to submit her name to the widely publicized search to find an actress for Scarlett O'Hara. This request was returned with a reply:
I have no enthusiasm for Vivien Leigh. Maybe I will have, but as yet have never even seen photograph of her. I will be seeing Fire Over England shortly, at which time will of course see Leigh. - David O. Selznick
Somebody turned to Olivier and said, 'Larry you'd be marvelous as Rhett Butler.' He laughed it off, but the suggestion was not too preposterous.. discussion of the casting went on in a desultory fashion, until the new girl, Vivien Leigh, brought it to a sudden stop. She drew herself up on the rain-swept deck, all five feet nothing of her, pulled a coat round her shoulders and stunned us with the sibylline utterance: "Larry won't play Rhett Butler, but I shall play Scarlett O'Hara. Wait and see..." 2 - Caroline Lejeune, film reporter
Since Vivien was now living with Olivier, her daughter Suzanne was in the care of Gertrude, Vivien's mother. The next few years for the new couple would be spent waiting for an official divorce. Vivien was loaned to MGM to make A Yank at Oxford to increase her American exposure - a move that would benefit both Alexander Korda's role as her producer and Vivien's career, especially if she was to be considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara. She worked on A Yank at Oxford during the autumn of 1937 with her former convent schoolmate, and now actress, Maureen O'Sullivan, while Olivier shot The Divorce of Lady X with Merle Oberon. 1937 had ended and a new year of work began. Vivien started shooting St. Martin's Lane in January 1938. This was her 9th film, and co-starred Charles Laughton and Rex Harrison. She played a busker that rises to stardom in London. When it was released, the reviews were positive, stating that Vivien had improved her acting enough to stand alongside Charles Laughton on screen. Laurence Olivier was just as busy. He was asked to play the part of Heathcliff opposite Merle Oberon in a Hollywood production of Wuthering Heights. Accepting this offer, he left England on November 5th 1938 - Vivien's 25th birthday. Wanting to be with him as soon as possible, she abandoned her winter plan of performing in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Old Vic, and left heading towards California on Saturday November 27th for a two week trip "…partly because Larry is there, and partly because I intend to get the part of Scarlett O'Hara". It was a journey that would not only change Vivien's career - but would change the search for Scarlett forever…
Margaret Mitchell's book, Gone With the Wind had sold 326,000 copies during the first six weeks of publication and won The Pulitzer Prize of 1937. Taking four years to write, it has sold millions more copies in the decades that followed, and started a world wide phenomenon. Still a recent best-seller in 1938, Vivien re-read the book on her journey towards Hollywood to visit Laurence Olivier.
Vivien spent time at a beach house for relaxation, and took piano lessons in the evenings while Olivier was away in New York performing in No Time for Comedy. She disliked Hollywood immensely saying, "I could not stay here half the year…the more I see of Hollywood the less possible it becomes." This was a trying time for their relationship, and they saw little of each other during the early months of 1939. She kept a copy of Margaret Mitchell's book nearby on the set, and resented if writers diverged from the original text during the constant re-writes of the script. Vivien completed her work on June 27th and as they say, the rest is history. Her performance carried the film and helped create the success and popularity that would never cease, even today, six decades later.
