More than love between Olivier and Vivien Lee. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier: swept away by glory

It was the end of 1934, in Royal Theater Another performance was sold out. The magnificent Laurence Olivier, who by that time was considered the “king” of the English stage, reigned on the stage. And the aspiring actress Vivien Leigh, who was sitting in the stalls, completely agreed with this, although at that time she was better known as Mrs. Vivian Holman. She was married to an excellent lawyer and they had a one-year-old daughter.
But at that moment, looking at the courageous handsome man with a strong-willed look, who also had excellent playing technique, Vivienne forgot about everything. In a fit of delight, she said to her friend:

This is the man I will marry!

But you already have a husband.

- her friend reminded her in response.

Yes, Lawrence himself is married.

But Vivien didn’t even raise an eyebrow - she always knew how to achieve what she wanted. And now she wanted Laurence Olivier like no one else in the world.

And from that very evening she tried to get to every performance with his participation. One day, Vivien even managed to get behind the scenes and personally meet Olivier. He was very flattered by such attention beautiful girl. Therefore, Lawrence, as a sign of mutual sympathy, also comes to see her on stage - in the play “The Mask of Virtue” and Lawrence was amazed at how much Vivienne can hold the audience with the power of her charm. And a little later, contracts concluded with the famous producer Alexander Korda pitted them against each other film set film "Flame Over England". The film was about beautiful love the queen's maid of honor and the brave naval officer. Of course, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh played the main roles in it.

It must be said that Olivier was always sincerely convinced that joint love scenes only capable of discouraging the actors playing together from even seeing each other.

We'll probably end up fighting.

- this is what he said before the start of filming. And I was very wrong. Cupid had other plans for them.
The passion between them flared up immediately and turned out to be far from being a “one-film romance.” But the actors in love were forced to maintain decorum and demonstrate the strength of family ties. That they even went to visit each other with their spouses and periodically posed with the four of them in front of reporters’ flashes. But it takes a long time to hold back strong feelings It was impossible and after the joint performance of “Hamlet”, in which they were Ophelia and Hamlet, Vivien Leigh and Lawrence decide to leave their families.

They just couldn't get married. Jill Esmond, Olivier's wife, not only did not give him a divorce, but also convinced Holman, Vivien's husband, not to agree to it. Although in the end he promised that he would give it when his daughter grew up. Meanwhile, Olivier and Vivien Leigh played in six joint performances, and he was even invited to act in America, where Larry flew away, and Vivien was left alone in their large London mansion.

And then His Majesty decided to speak up by chance, although at first it was slightly unfortunate: Olivier twisted his ankle on the set, and Vivienne, concerned about this, also flew to America to see her Larry.
America then lived only on one thing - the search for an actress on main role in film " gone With the Wind", filmed on novel of the same name, which became a cult classic in an instant. Two years have already passed in this search, and more than 1,400 applicants have been auditioned.
Vivien read Margaret Mitchell's book in two nights and firmly decided that only she would play Scarlett. For David Selznick himself to be convinced of this, just one glance at her was enough. Standing in front of him was the determined, incredible and unbending Scarlett - he believed this immediately.

The filming of the film was difficult, lasting from early morning until late at night. Spotlights haunted Scarlett even in her dreams; she began to hate Hollywood. But it was worth it. With the release of the film, Vivien Leigh ascended to the pantheon of movie goddesses. After that there was nothing more to do. It has already remained for centuries. Even if we say that the success was grandiose and dizzying, it would still be putting it mildly.
Vivienne receives an Oscar, and her popularity soars to fantastic heights.

What about Lawrence? He was also amazed by her performance.

I didn't expect her to be capable of this.

- Olivier told her after the premiere. Until now, he considered himself more talented than his girlfriend.
And her Oscar even jarred him, but at that time the love was still stronger. Moreover, they finally filed for divorce. Vivien and Lawrence were able to officially get married. True, very modestly - in Santa Barbara in the presence of only two witnesses: Garson Kanin and Katharine Hepburn.

And just a few months later the premiere took place famous film“Waterloo Bridge” with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor, received with the same incredible enthusiasm by critics and the public.
At the same time, Alexander Korda invites the newlyweds to play the main roles in the film “Lady Hamilton”. And again, Vivien Leigh manages to endow the image of the very calculating Lady Hamilton with such charm, strength and innocence that Olivier, in the image of the brave sea wolf, somewhat fades next to her. In the future, with each new film and performance, the difference in the performance and approach of both actor-spouses becomes more and more striking, as the crack in their relationship grows.

All the family money was invested in the joint production of Romeo and Juliet, but it failed, despite the fact that critics praised Vivien’s performance and Lawrence was called “the worst Romeo in history.” And Olivier suddenly comes to the conclusion that from the first actor in Britain he has turned into the wife of a star, and Vivienne, whom he has long been accustomed to consider only his student, has long begun to surpass him both in acting skills and in fame.
The joint film “Caesar and Cleopatra” still had big success– but critics again praise her much more than him.

Only the incredible efforts of Vivienne herself saved their marriage from creeping collapse: she always and tirelessly praised Olivier, refused lucrative offers, just so as not to leave “her Larry.” And as a result, it took Vivienne much more to play the role of Olivier’s wife. more strength what when she was doing creative career. For example, she modestly propped up the bedroom door with the Oscar she received for her role as Blanche Dubois, showing her husband that these awards and fame meant nothing to her.

It is not surprising that her name soon fell into his shadow again. Moreover, “Richard III,” directed and played by Lawrence, was able to return him to the top of the acting pedestal, and the Oscar for the film “Henry V” finally established Olivier’s reputation as the best British actor. In 1947, Laurence Olivier was knighted. Vivien became Lady Olivier (and even after the divorce she retained this title).

And yet the relationship between the spouses deteriorated more and more. They were never able to have children together during their 20 years of marriage. And Olivier dreamed about them so much. Two attempts ended in miscarriage. And in 1944, another misfortune came to the family - the active and cheerful Vivienne fell ill with tuberculosis. Doctors prescribed her hospital treatment and bed rest, but she was eager to go on stage and asked Lawrence to take her home.

For me work means life.

The medications that were prescribed to her have a detrimental effect on Vivien and she begins to fall into frequent depression, and scandals arise between the spouses more and more often. She wins her second Oscar for her brilliant performance in A Streetcar Named Desire, but at the same time the role further aggravates her mental state.
In 1953, during filming in Ceylon, Vivien begins to hallucinate and is put in the best psychiatric clinic England, where they even use shock therapy on her.
As a result, a completely different woman returns from the clinic - depressed and scared.
Meanwhile, Lawrence meets the young actress Joan Plowright and becomes seriously interested in her, although Vivienne has no idea about anything.

On Vivienne's 45th birthday, Olivier gives her a Rolls-Royce and asks for a divorce: he wants to marry Joan. Vivienne had a very hard time with the divorce - it ended up being loud and scandalous. But until the very end, she sincerely believed that Olivier would return to her, took care of her title and did not remove Lawrence’s photograph from her dressing table.

I had to get used to a lot of things in this life, but the hardest thing to get used to was Lawrence’s absence.

And yet she managed to continue to work successfully both on stage and in films.
Vivien Leigh died as a result of a serious illness on July 7, 1967 - she was only 53 years old. That day, all London theaters dimmed their lights for an hour.

Laurence Olivier, after her death, lived happily for another 30 years with Joan and the three children who appeared in this marriage.
The only thing is that all these years he often watched films with Vivien Leigh in the evenings. Especially often - “Waterloo Bridge”...

It was the end of 1934, and another performance was on at the Royal Theater to a full house. The magnificent Laurence Olivier, who by that time was considered the “king” of the English stage, reigned on the stage.

And the aspiring actress Vivien Leigh, who was sitting in the stalls, completely agreed with this, although at that time she was better known as Mrs. Vivian Holman. She was married to an excellent lawyer and they had a one-year-old daughter.
But at that moment, looking at the courageous handsome man with a strong-willed look, who also had excellent playing technique, Vivienne forgot about everything. In a fit of delight, she said to her friend:
This is the man I will marry!
But you already have a husband.
- her friend reminded her in response.
Yes, Lawrence himself is married.

But Vivien didn’t even raise an eyebrow - she always knew how to achieve what she wanted. And now she wanted Laurence Olivier like no one else in the world.

And from that very evening she tried to get to every performance with his participation. One day, Vivien even managed to get behind the scenes and personally meet Olivier. He was very flattered by the attention of such a beautiful girl. Therefore, Lawrence, as a sign of mutual sympathy, also comes to see her on stage - in the play “The Mask of Virtue” and Lawrence was amazed at how much Vivienne can hold the audience with the power of her charm. And a little later, contracts concluded with the famous producer Alexander Korda brought them together on the same set of the film “Flame Over England.” The film was about the beautiful love of the queen's maid of honor and a brave naval officer. Of course, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh played the main roles in it.

It must be said that Olivier was always sincerely convinced that joint love scenes can only discourage the actors playing together from even seeing each other.

We'll probably end up fighting.
- this is what he said before the start of filming. And I was very wrong. Cupid had other plans for them.
The passion between them flared up immediately and turned out to be far from being a “one-film romance.” But the actors in love were forced to maintain decorum and demonstrate the strength of family ties. That they even went to visit each other with their spouses and periodically posed with the four of them in front of reporters’ flashes. But it was impossible to restrain strong feelings for a long time, and after the joint performance of Hamlet, in which they were Ophelia and Hamlet, Vivien Leigh and Lawrence decide to leave their families.

And then His Majesty decided to speak up by chance, although at first it was slightly unfortunate: Olivier twisted his ankle on the set, and Vivienne, concerned about this, also flew to America to see her Larry.
America then lived with only one thing - the search for an actress to play the main role in the film “Gone with the Wind,” based on the novel of the same name, which became a cult classic in an instant. Two years have already passed in this search, and more than 1,400 applicants have been auditioned.
Vivien read Margaret Mitchell's book in two nights and firmly decided that only she would play Scarlett. For David Selznick himself to be convinced of this, just one glance at her was enough. Standing in front of him was the determined, incredible and unbending Scarlett - he believed this immediately.

What about Lawrence? He was also amazed by her performance.

I didn't expect her to be capable of this.
- Olivier told her after the premiere. Until now, he considered himself more talented than his girlfriend.
And her Oscar even jarred him, but at that time the love was still stronger. Moreover, they finally filed for divorce. Vivien and Lawrence were able to officially get married. True, very modestly - in Santa Barbara in the presence of only two witnesses: Garson Kanin and Katharine Hepburn.

And just a few months later, the famous film “Waterloo Bridge” with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor premiered, which was received with the same incredible enthusiasm by critics and the public.
At the same time, Alexander Korda invites the newlyweds to play the main roles in the film “Lady Hamilton”. And again, Vivien Leigh manages to endow the image of the very calculating Lady Hamilton with such charm, strength and innocence that Olivier, in the image of the brave sea wolf, somewhat fades next to her. In the future, with each new film and performance, the difference in the performance and approach of both actor-spouses becomes more and more striking, as the crack in their relationship grows.

All the family money was invested in the joint production of Romeo and Juliet, but it failed, despite the fact that critics praised Vivien’s performance and Lawrence was called “the worst Romeo in history.” And Olivier suddenly comes to the conclusion that from the first actor in Britain he has turned into the wife of a star, and Vivienne, whom he has long been accustomed to consider only his student, has long begun to surpass him both in acting skills and in fame.
The joint film "Caesar and Cleopatra" was still a great success - but critics again praise her much more than him.

Only the incredible efforts of Vivienne herself saved their marriage from creeping collapse: she always and tirelessly praised Olivier, refused lucrative offers, just so as not to leave “her Larry.” And as a result, Vivienne began to spend much more energy playing the role of Olivier’s wife than when she was pursuing a creative career. For example, she modestly propped up the bedroom door with the Oscar she received for her role as Blanche Dubois, showing her husband that these awards and fame meant nothing to her.

For me work means life.

I had to get used to a lot of things in this life, but the hardest thing to get used to was Lawrence’s absence.
And yet she managed to continue to work successfully both on stage and in films.
Vivien Leigh died as a result of a serious illness on July 7, 1967 - she was only 53 years old. That day, all London theaters dimmed their lights for an hour.

Laurence Olivier, after her death, lived happily for another 30 years with Joan and the three children who appeared in this marriage.

The only thing is that all these years he often watched films with Vivien Leigh in the evenings. Especially often - “Waterloo Bridge” And sometimes a lonely tear slowly slid down his cheek.......

Used:vev

He desperately envied her all his life, considered her popularity a “betrayal” towards himself, called her a psychopath and a neurasthenic. She disparagingly called him a homosexual, mocked his expressionless appearance, threw hysterics at him and loved him to death.

Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier met in 1935, when the play “Romeo and Juliet” was a triumph on the London theater stage. The role of Romeo seemed as if it was specially created for Lawrence; the audience cried and overwhelmed him with declarations of love. He was generally famous for his presentation of Shakespearean characters on stage - he managed to breathe into them such an amount of life, sincerity and genuine passion that it was impossible to remain indifferent to his performance...

...and Vivien didn’t stay. The young actress, by that time experiencing the rise of her own theatrical career, managed to sneak into Olivier’s dressing room to meet him. Lawrence was flattered by the attention of the young and attractive person and agreed to come to the play “The Mask of Virtue”, in which Vivien played the main role. And when he saw Lee on stage, he instantly lost his head.

Soon both of them found themselves on the set of the film Fire Over England. It was there that their romance of the century began. Vivien has a daughter and a husband, Lawrence has a wife and a newborn son. And yet, Vivienne confidently told her friends that she would marry Olivier.

She was not one to waste words. Lee and Olivier really got married - five years later, against the will of their relatives, having gone through scandals and general condemnation, with difficulty obtaining a divorce from their lawful halves. And even before that, Vivien became Scarlett...

Everything happened absolutely by chance - as it always happens if... Providence intervenes. Lawrence was offered a role in the film “How to Steal a Million” and he went to America to film. Vivien was left alone in the London mansion, but soon she was forced to rush to the States - she was informed that her precious Larry had injured his leg on the set.

Soon after arriving in America, she meets the brother of producer David Selznick, who has been trying to find a suitable actress for the role of Scarlett O'Hara for almost two years. Cast an Englishwoman as the symbol of America? You must be joking? And yet, after reading Margaret Mitchell’s novel in two nights, Vivien showed up for the audition and... she was chosen.

Lee's participation in Gone with the Wind was also opposed by the actress's husband, Herbert Lee Holman, who was still official at that time, and Laurence Olivier. However, she decided that she would act in the film - moreover, she categorically stated that “Larry Rhett Butler will not play.”

The film was released... and the actress woke up famous. It was a heroine like Scarlett - strong, decisive, resourceful - who became the ideal that the country needed so much during the Great Depression.

The audience adored her. And Lawrence - the same Lawrence with whom they finally got married - was desperately envious and jealous of her - for her fame, for recognition, for success. When Vivien receives an Oscar, he creates an ugly scandal at home, and the statuette flies out the window - after all, Vivien loves her Larry so much that no glory or recognition is important to her...

IN Soon, Lee and Olivier find themselves on the set of the film “Lady Hamilton,” where the couple will play almost their own story love, embodying Admiral Nelson and the ambassador's wife Emma Hamilton, who were connected by forbidden feelings.

Vivienne, imbued with the tragedy of her heroine, embodies her image with such strength and passion that she completely eclipses Lawrence, who, of course, cannot forgive her for this.

Their marriage begins to crumble literally before our eyes. Vivienne has had two miscarriages and the doctors’ verdict is that she will not be able to have children. Young actresses whom Olivier is interested in again and again. Constant quarrels and scandals. And, in the end, Vivienne is diagnosed with tuberculosis.

However, and that’s not all - the drugs that doctors prescribe to the actress have a strong side effect and completely break Vivien’s already fragile psyche. She ends up in a psychiatric clinic with a seizure manic depression.

Lawrence, exhausted to the limit by all his personal troubles, files for divorce and, in order to sweeten the pill, presents his grief-stricken wife, exhausted by illness, with a luxury car...

Until her death she loved him. His photograph stood on her dressing table - and, against all odds, Vivien hoped that Lawrence would come to his senses and return to her.

She died at age 53, in 1967. He outlived her by twenty seconds extra years and died at the venerable age of 82 in the arms of his third wife and children. And yet, as his friends said, he watched films with her participation hardly every day, until his death.

"The Mask of Virtue"

If the girl is in early childhood sent to a monastery, it is unlikely that she will become an actress in the future. But in this glorious English Monastery of the Sacred Heart, two actresses grew up at once: Maureen O. Sullivan and Vivien Leigh, known in childhood as Vivian Hartley.

She was in such a hurry to live - she got married at 19, gave birth to a daughter, while simultaneously graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, and was finally able to say: “Things are looking up”! That was actually the name of the film in which actress Vivian Leigh made her debut.

On theater stage It was in the play “The Mask of Virtue” that the incomparable Laurence Olivier noticed her. Somehow they immediately liked each other. And Vivienne, with her characteristic prophetic habit, immediately declared: “I will marry this man!”

She herself is married, he is married... Adventurism clean water! But she said and followed the planned course. And here’s another wonderful case - they played two passionate lovers in the film “Fire Over England” or “England on Fire.” No ethical obstacles could extinguish this love fire. They began to live together, despite the weak resistance of their offended spouses.

This went on for six whole years: Lawrence successfully staged plays, Vivienne successfully played in them. Ophelia in Hamlet was the first crazy woman in a series of heroines she played. It was then that Lawrence first noticed some inadequacy in the behavior of his tender beloved. One day, without yet uttering a word from her familiar role, Vivienne suddenly transformed. She blushed, stamped her feet and screamed at her lover in a bad voice. Olivier was dumbfounded - there was nothing in common with a gentle and affectionate dove in this ugly woman. The attack of inexplicable rage did not last long and ended with a strange dullness and immobility. Beautiful blue eyes were emptyly directed towards one point. A thick, dark silence hung in the air.

The crumpled mask of virtue lay indifferently in the corner of the dressing room...

Scarlett, wedding, happiness

Vivien read Margaret Mitchell’s book “Gone with the Wind” in two nights and firmly decided that only she would play Scarlett. And she convinced journalists of this. And about Lawrence she again prophetically remarked: “Larry Rhett Butler will not play.”

Meanwhile, all of America was actively selecting candidates for the role of Scarlett: Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joanna Bennett? But this little Englishwoman with a perky upturned nose and a shock of brown hair stepped into the filming circle so boldly that the slightest doubt disappeared. She is, of course, just her!

At this time, Lawrence, waiting for his long-time dream to come true, was filming in America. Vivienne dreamed of being next to him and dreamed of starring in “Swept Away.” Everything coincided happily! True, by the time her work began, Olivier had left for New York, but it was no longer overseas.

Filming was difficult. Working until late at night under the spotlights will drive anyone crazy! Vivien was wildly tired and in the evenings she would quietly whine in the corner of the dressing room. And in letters to her legal husband Holman, whose friendship she still valued, she admitted with quiet rage: “I hate Hollywood! I hate acting in movies!” But melancholy, fatigue and quiet hatred melted into something beautiful, which forced the Academy to recognize both the film and the role of Scarlett as worthy of an Oscar.

And then there were divorces. Vivienne and Lawrence were finally able to officially get married. Modestly, very modestly, they entered into a marriage in Santa Barbara. And only two witnesses were at this belated ceremony - Garson Kanin and Katharine Hepburn. The rest of the world was sure that everything had been in order with the official side of life for this wonderful couple for a long time.

"Shakespeare's Lovely Tragedies"

“A comedian by nature and a tragedian by profession” - that’s what they called this multifaceted actor Olivier. He did not have a demonic appearance, was neither handsome nor ugly - in life he looked ordinary gray man, with expressionless pewter eyes. He had to spend a long time and carefully putting on makeup in order to embody Shakespearean images on stage. He loved wigs, false shoulders and humps.

He was even considered less talented than Marlon Brando, Paul Scofield or John Gielgud. “Why did Olivier become the number one actor of the twentieth century? – the critics asked. “Because he wanted it. His passion, education, hard work, determination and courage led him to victory.”

This is what Lawrence was like, Vivienne’s husband. Many years later, in 1982, he released his own handwritten “Confession of an Actor” - completely soberly deciding that it was better to do it himself... Because:

“What is acting if not a lie, and what is good game, if not a convincing lie?

How many lies were poured out about their alliance with Vivien! And what criticism their joint productions of Shakespeare’s plays were subjected to!

The play "Romeo and Juliet" on Broadway is a love story performed by two lovers. And Vivienne is accused of provincial intonations and the rattling timbre of a market trader in the most exciting scenes.

But finally, in 1948, Olivier's film Hamlet, starring Lawrence, became the first British film to win an American Oscar. Olivier also won the award for Best Actor. And in the same year - a prize at the Venice International Film Festival.

Why the idle talk?

Lady Hamilton and Sir Olivier

In the film Lady Hamilton, Lawrence played Admiral Nelson, and Vivien played Emma. It was a love story played so inspiredly that it became the most popular film story on two continents for a long time. In America, the film was considered an example of box-office cinema, in the Soviet Union - an example of impeccable love.

Winston Churchill organized a private screening of the film, to which he invited Franklin Roosevelt. He was extremely pleased to demonstrate to the head of a powerful allied power an example of the best English film production.

From now on, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh became the prime minister's favorites, and he even began to experience an unprotocol affection for Vivien.

"Waterloo Bridge" - sad story Unfulfilled Love became Vivienne's favorite film. It is impossible even today to forget those eyes - filled first with hope, then with disappointment, then with mortal melancholy...

It was at this time that Vivien became seriously ill. She is diagnosed with tuberculosis and begins treatment, quite cruel, but the only correct one for those times.

She begs her husband to take her from the hospital; she dreams of playing Cleopatra. And Olivier, preparing for the anniversary festival in London, ventured into a double production of Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra and Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra. Performances alternated from evening to evening. The two Cleopatras were on stage for four whole months. The public, like most critics, believed that Olivier played both Caesar and Antony well below their capabilities in order to better highlight Vivien in the role of Cleopatra.

Hand in hand, hand in hand they had to walk through life and across the stage...

In 1947, Laurence Olivier was knighted. Vivien became Lady Olivier and even after a scandalous divorce she retained this title.

Disease, or "Dark Journey"

"Dark Voyage" was the name of the film in which Vivien Leigh starred in 1937. And the year was gloomy, and a gloomy illness made its way to the beauty through secret paths.

40s. Vivien increasingly falls into an inexplicably deep depression. For no reason, she attacks her dumbfounded husband with abuse and even fists. And one day he literally knocks him to the floor, bringing him to helpless sobs.

Her daughter from her first marriage is being raised by her grandmother. Vivienne wants children from Larry, but fate does not give her the opportunity to carry a child to term. And how could she give birth and feed a child, spending last strength during grueling filming.

Increasingly, scandals arise between spouses even before performances. It's strange, but they are already used to them. After exchanging slaps, the actors, as if nothing had happened, go on stage to play love.

Olivier is directing Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire. Vivien gets the role of Blanche Dubois with all its tragic content. Hints of rape, homosexuality and direct scenes with the heroes drinking plunge the respectable audience into a state of shock. But Vivien's performance is beyond criticism.

After three hundred brilliant performances, Vivien, together with Marlon Brando, starred in a film based on the same play. It was simple and easy for her with Brando. In addition, for all her angelic appearance, she loved to swear obscenely and smoke like the last longshoreman. But they say that she had an affair with director Elia Kazan. difficult relationships. In fact, by that time she had difficult relationships with almost everyone. And above all with own husband. The role of Blanche was so closely tied to her own essence that it completely exhausted her. “For nine months I was Blanche DuBois, and she still controls me,” the actress admitted.

This role brought her a second Oscar in the category “Best Actress” and ultimately led to a serious mental disorder.

In the winter of 1953, while filming in Ceylon, Vivienne began hallucinating. It was decided to place her in the best psychiatric clinic in England. During the flight, she had a terrible attack, she began to tear her clothes and even tried to jump out of the plane.

To the gentle and fragile actress was applied shock therapy. She was wrapped in ice sheets, and her diet consisted exclusively of raw eggs. But the real shock, of course, was the treatment with electric discharges, which was more like torture. She had to endure everything to return home to Larry, to return to the stage, to return to the screen...

A completely different woman returned from the hospital - depressed, scared, unsure of herself. At home, she gradually and very slowly returned to her former self. But she will never be the same Vivienne again...

Goldfish in an aquarium

“The actor is imprisoned in an aquarium, like goldfish“It always offended me,” Olivier admitted. And many other things began to irritate him. The capricious and uncontrollable wife became a world star, and they started talking about him as Vivien Leigh’s husband. She even had to hide her Oscar statuettes away, out of sight. She simply propped up the bedroom door with one of them. There was no need to worry Larry further. For what?

What saved her in those years? They say he has an indestructible sense of humor. And also friends - she loved noisy companies, cheerful parties. She drank a lot, smoked four packs of cigarettes a day, as if deliberately burning herself out in a race against the disease. It was her own antidepressant - dark, sexy, deadly...

In the late fifties, Lawrence met the young actress Joan Plowright and became seriously interested in her. Vivien still has no idea about anything. She cannot even imagine what kind of trip fate has prepared for her.

When it finally became impossible to hide Olivier’s relationship with Joan, a divorce was overdue. He simply could not be peaceful and calm, and he became one of the most scandalous divorces among star couples.

But for many years after the divorce and until her death, Vivien did not remove Larry’s photograph from her dressing table. He remained her most beloved man.

Vivien Leigh died in 1967 at the age of 53, as the official statement said, "as a result of serious illness."

Laurence Olivier, lived happy life with Joan and the three children born to this marriage, he died of cancer in 1989 at the age of 82. A few years before his death, he came up with his own epitaph: “He was funny.”

He regularly communicated with Vivienne, watching films with her participation. Especially often – “Waterloo Bridge”. The final…

They were called the most beautiful and lucky couple in Hollywood. They loved each other in life, on stage and in films, together they went through the disapproval of loved ones and the idle speculation of others.

America, 30s. The country was not worried better times, when, in unison with the chaos that reigned around, the premiere of the film based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell “Gone with the Wind” thundered. main character- purposeful and charming Scarlett O'Hara - became the embodiment American dream and hope for the best. Young Englishwoman Vivien Leigh, who inhaled eternal life into the most controversial southern woman in the history of literature, she instantly became a global star. The audience applauded in delight, and only one person suffered from the stunning success of the beautiful Li. Her husband and famous actor Lawrence was never able to forgive his beloved woman for her “treacherous” fame.

“It’s impossible not to fall in love with her”

In 1935 at the London theater stage in triumph there's a performance going on“Romeo and Juliet”, in the role of Romeo - courageous and passionate Laurence Olivier. He has already gained the signature fame of an actor who has radically changed the traditional presentation of Shakespeare's text on stage. He gave his characters more life, sincerity and emotions than was customary in such plays. This is how Vivien Leigh saw him, who at that time was experiencing the beginning of her takeoff own career in the theatre. The image of the temperamental and sparkling Romeo performed by Olivier firmly settled in the soul of the young actress. This was the prince she was looking for in her girlish dreams.

From that moment on, Vivien strives to get to every performance with the participation of her favorite actor. She even gets behind the scenes and meets Olivier personally. Flattered by the attention of a beautiful girl, Lawrence reciprocates the actress’s feelings, comes to her performance “The Mask of Virtue” and drowns in the ocean of charm and grace that Vivien radiates on stage. The eyes of the audience in the entire hall were focused only on her. Soon, a contract concluded with the famous producer Alexander Korda brings the actors together on the set of the film “Flame Over England,” a film about romantic love a royal maid of honor and a desperate naval officer. Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier played the main roles in it.

Still from the film “Flame Over England”

It's hard to resist when life itself presents an old dream on a silver platter. Over the course of three months of filming, love on the screen grew quite naturally and effortlessly into real life. Vivien and Lawrence did not hide their feelings, often secluded themselves, and their burning eyes betrayed the whole gamut of emotions and love experiences. “It was impossible not to fall in love with her,” Olivier later said about Lee. Everything was almost perfect, except for one noticeable “but”. Both actors were not free. Vivien has a respectable husband and little daughter Suzanne, and Olivier was married to actress Jill Esmond and recently became a happy father...

Test of Glory

Lawrence's wife and the actress's husband, Herbert Lee Holman, refused to give the lovers a divorce, and Vivien's mother was horrified when she learned of her daughter's plans to divorce and marry the actor. Such actions do not suit a good Catholic and a convent girl! However, outwardly tactful, neat and attentive, Vivien Leigh had iron stubbornness, will and a fair amount of willfulness. For the sake of her beloved Larry, she was ready to turn away from her family and church. While still officially married, the actors began to live together.

When Hollywood directors offered Larry a role in the film “How to Steal a Million,” he flew to America, and Vivienne was left alone in their London mansion. Suddenly news of an accident arrived: Olivier injured his leg while filming. Concerned, Vivienne flies to Larry in America and meets the brother of producer David Selznick, who has been unsuccessfully looking for an actress for the lead role in the Hollywood film Gone with the Wind for two years. Lee came to the audition and outshone the other contenders. It couldn't be any other way! Vivien was sure that the role of Scarlett O'Hara was intended for her. A daring look, eyebrows flying, courage and inexhaustible Vital energy related Vivienne to her heroine. Official husband The actresses and Olivier were against her participation in the film, but the girl was adamant and eventually signed the contract.

Still from the film “Gone with the Wind”

Heavy and tedious filming and endless development of the lines of the main characters began. “I lived with Scarlett for almost six months, from early morning until late evening,” the actress shared her revelations. “I wanted every movement, every gesture of mine to belong to Scarlett, and I had to feel that even those actions of Scarlett that are worthy of contempt were committed by me.” In September 1939, at the first official screening of the film, viewers were able to appreciate the actress’s talent and raised it to the skies. IN next year Vivien wins the Oscar for Best female role, but a scandal awaits her at home. Larry's pride was greatly hurt by the fact of Vivienne's worldwide recognition as an actress, and the well-deserved statuette flies out the window.

I'm going crazy without your love...

In this round, love triumphed over envy, and after Vivienne received a divorce in 1940, the couple secretly got married. Alexander Korda invited the newlyweds to play the main roles in the film "Lady Hamilton", history forbidden love Admiral Nelson and the Ambassador's wife Emma, who was too similar to their own. Vivien Leigh managed to endow the image of the calculating Lady Hamilton with such light and innocence that Lawrence, in the role of the brave sea wolf, noticeably faded next to her. Subsequently, with each new performance and film, the difference in performance and approach of both actors to the role became more and more striking. Olivier thought acting business, Vivien gave her whole soul to this art, living every moment of the hero’s life as her own.

Still from the film "Lady Hamilton"

Critics increasingly praised the work of “Miss Vitamin B” - as Vivienne was called by fans, and tore Olivier’s work to smithereens. The actress has always tried to downplay her successes in the world of theater and cinema. For example, with the Oscar she received for the role of Blanche Dubois, she modestly propped up the bedroom door, showing her husband that the award meant nothing to her. However, the couple's relationship continued to deteriorate before our eyes. Over 20 years of marriage, they were never able to have the children Olivier dreamed of; both attempts ended in miscarriage. And in 1944, another misfortune befell the family. Cheerful and active Vivienne fell ill with tuberculosis. Doctors prescribed her bed rest and treatment in the hospital, but she longed to perform on stage, work, and ignored all the doctors’ advice. “For me, work means life,” was her answer.

Lee continued to play the role of a hospitable hostess and an exemplary wife, and Larry tried to look like an ideal husband. However, the forced treatment to which the actress was nevertheless subjected produced disastrous results. It later turned out that she was prescribed psychotropic drugs that cause attacks of manic depression. Tired of his wife’s hysterics, Olivier began to increasingly look at young actresses. He sends Vivien to Ceylon to film “The Elephant Trail,” knowing that the island’s humid climate is contraindicated for the actress. Lee's condition deteriorated rapidly and she was replaced.

In 1960, Vivienne received a divorce and a luxurious Rolls-Royce from Olivier; he received freedom and the opportunity to marry another woman. Until her death, the actress sincerely believed that Larry would return to her, and retained her title of “Lady Olivier,” which she had held since 1947. Lawrence outlived Vivien by 30 years and, they say, often watched films with the participation of the one whom he had previously passionately loved.