AYA * You don’t need to be a cinephile,
love old Hollywood movies or go to film school to know of Vivien Leigh. The work of Vivien Leigh
on screen is highly acclaimed to this day. Two of her most successful films, are still talked about
as cinematic and acting masterpieces. In addition they are historically and culturally significant.
And for them she holds the title of being a two time Oscar winner.*
AYA Not many may know of the personal
life of Vivien Leigh. Her mental and physical health deteriorated as her career took off.
Her turbulent romances with other film and theatre stars made headlines. And her long suffering life
ending suddenly at 53. Her personal life is quite sad. But the mission of Oscars Leading
Ladies is not to bash or focus on the bad things of these wonderful women’s lives,
but rather celebrate their achievements and glimpse into their on and off screen personas
to understand why these fantastic women qualify to be Oscars Leading Ladies. This is why you should
subscribe to this channel. AYA
Turns out that the actress known for her southern belle roles was British.
She was educated all around Europe and spoke french and Italian fluently. It was easy for
Vivien to do different types of accents and she enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
She made her stage and screen debut at the age of 22 in 1935 and fell in love with Shakespeare’s
work. She began performing at the Old Vic in London. And there she met Lawrence Olivier,
a well known actor. Although Leigh was already married and had a daughter by the time they met,
she started an affair with Olivier. (MORE)
AYA (CONT'D) Their whirlwind of a relationship
had started just as George Cukor and David O. Selznick started their nationwide search for
the infamous, unforgettable role of Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With The Wind. Let me tell you,
the hunt for the perfect Scarlett was a frenzy. * Everybody wanted to play Scarlett.
1,400 women were tested for this role. Previous Oscar winners like Katharine Hepburn,
Norma Shearer and Bette Davis rallied for the role. And it seemed like somebody established and
well connected like them would get the part. But no, after Leigh put her name in to be considered
through her American agent, Cukor gave her a screen test. He instantly knew she was the one.*
AYA As of that moment, the everlasting
legacy of Gone With The Wind began. With Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable as the major roles in the
film. Heres the catch: since Vivien Leigh was an unknown in Hollywood upon getting cast in the film
and Clark Gable was well you know, he was Clark Gable. She was paid $25,000 and Gable
$120,000. The gender pay gap still exists today unfortunately. In fact Leigh had a grueling time
working on Gone With the wind. She was shooting day in and day out from start to finish of
production. While Clark worked for 71 days. AYA
Anyway, to prove how powerful this film was, it to this day is the hugest grossing
film ever. Not Avatar, Titanic or Star Wars. But Gone With The Wind. And off course it made Vivien
an overnight success. Funnily enough, she loved the stage and throughout the duration of her life
she starred in only 19 films. (MORE)
2. AYA (CONT'D)
Once the 1940 Academy Awards arrived, Gone With The Wind won 8
awards and Vivien’s performance won her the Best Actress award. On top of this, she and Lawrence
divorced from their spouses and married each other finally. They started costarring in stage
productions and in films like That Hamilton Woman. Leigh continued her career on stage and on screen
throughout the 1940’s sporadically due to her health problems. The second pinnacle
of Leigh’s career happened in 1951. When the film adaptation of The Streetcar Named Desire came out.
This film is also a highly regarded film for its performances especially in film history.
The combination of Marlon Brando and Leigh was unstoppable. And for this emotionally draining
performance, Leigh received her second Academy Award in 1952. She was not able to attend this
time due to her tour of the Cleopatra play. She said this,”When I come into the theatre
I get a sense of security. I love an audience. I love people, and I act because I like trying to
give pleasure to people.” AYA
Despite her major achievements, Leigh battled bipolar disorder, tuberculosis,
miscarriages while working. As a result this made her stage and screen appearances infrequent.
* But what actually distinguished Leigh was her commitment to her work. Her ability to transform
into flawed and deeply complicated women. It made her magnetic. Her performances were powerful
and the two films she won Oscars for made huge waves in the movie industry.
On top of that she has been considered to be one of the most beautiful women.
I don’t know, I hold a lot of respect and sympathy towards Vivien Leigh.
(MORE) 3.
AYA (CONT'D) It was not easy being her and she
will forever be remembered in this eternal image of Scarlett and Blanche.*
“I'm not a film star, I am an actress. Being a film star is such a false life,
lived for fake values and for publicity.” 4.