Photograph also used in article dated July 6, 1959.; Photograph was edited for publication purposes.; Title supplied by cataloger. Vivien Leigh (Vivian Mary Hartley, Lady Vivien Leigh Olivier; Vivien Leigh, Lady Olivier; 1913-1967) was an English actress best known for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois in "A Streetcar Named Desire" as well as Scarlett O'Hara in "Gone with the Wind." She married Herbert Leigh Holman, a barrister who was 13 years her senior, in 1932 and that union produced a daughter, Suzanne. She met Laurence Olivier in 1937 and the two began an affair while they were both married to their respective spouses, who refused to grant them divorces. By early 1940, the divorces were agreed upon and in August 1940 Leigh and Olivier were married. The husband and wife would go on to collaborate together in several plays and films for the duration of their marriage; they divorced in 1960. Sadly, for much of her adult life Leigh suffered from chronic tuberculosis and bipolar disorder, which crippled her to the point of suffering breakdowns and long bouts of depression. Though beset by depression, she continued to work in theater and film. In May 1967 she suffered a recurrence of tuberculosis, and following several weeks of rest, she seemed to recover. On the night of July 7, 1967, Jack Merivale, whom she had had an affair with while married to Olivier and whom was still extremely close to, discovered her body on the floor of her bedroom. She had been attempting to walk to the bathroom and, as her lungs filled with liquid, collapsed and died. Leigh was cremated and her ashes were scattered on the lake at her home in East Sussex, England. Photograph caption dated February 26, 1953 reads, "The Better To See 3-D Films - Actress Vivien Leigh carries fancy polaroid longnette [sic] she bought in Paris as she arrived here by plane today for starring role with Dana Andrews and Peter Finch in Paramount's "Elephant Walk." She'll use lorgnette to look at new three-dimension films. Andrews and Finch accompanied her. She has been on location in Ceylon. Husband, Sir Laurence Olivier, will join her soon."
Type
Image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;26 x 21 cm. Photographic prints
Leigh, Vivien,--1913-1967 Los Angeles International Airport Motion picture actors and actresses--England Air travel Airports--California--Los Angeles Airplanes--California--Los Angeles Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles Evening Herald Express photographs Herald-Examiner Collection photographs Portrait photographs Night photographs
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
