Vivien Leigh: Part 1
Author: Trudy Stroup
"Gone with the Wind" is one of the most iconic movies of all time. Set in the South during one of the most trying times our country has ever seen, this movie touched hearts on multiple levels. It was the first movie to be nominated for and win 10 Academy Awards; an accomplishment that was made possible by a beautiful, doe eyed, English actress who was new to the American movie scene. Let's take a look at her journey.
Born November 5, 1913, Vivian Mary Hartley had an idealistic childhood. Stationed at the time in Darjeeling, India, her father, Ernest Richard Hartley, was an English officer in the Indian Calvary. Her mother, Gertrude Mary Frances Yackjee, was a homemaker who participated in an amateur theatre group. Vivian was a doted upon child who went everywhere with her mother. She wore ribbons in her hair and ruffles on her socks and beautiful dresses. At three years old, Vivian performed onstage with her mother's theatre group, reciting "Little Bo Peep" for the audience.
When she was six, Ernest's commission was over and he moved the family back to England. Vivian was enrolled in boarding school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart. At the age of seven, she told schoolmate, Maureen O'Sullivan, that she would be famous one day. But to get there, she would endure quite a different life than she had experienced in India. She was the only little girl who didn't go home for holidays or have visitors on family day. In fact, she only saw her parents when her father was stationed to a different country and she was moved to a new boarding school. She attended school in Germany, France, and Italy as well as England. Consequently, she could speak four languages. Eventually, she was moved back to The Convent of the Sacred Heart and finished her education there in 1932.
Right after graduation, Vivian was visiting school friends Mills, Dulcie, Clare and Hilary Martin, at their country manor. A horse and rider passed nearby and Vivian asked who he was. Hilary waved at him and he saluted her. Hilary told Vivian his name was Herbert Leigh Holman. At that moment, Vivian proclaimed to her friends "he is the perfect English gentleman and I'm going to marry him". Unknown to Vivian, Leigh had been courting Dulcie, but that didn't matter to Vivian. She sought him out at every social opportunity. Vivian enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts that spring to begin her road to stardom. By June, she and Leigh were engaged and on December 20th, they were married. Vivian was 19 and Leigh was 31. At his insistence, she quit attending the RADA and they left for their honeymoon in Switzerland. Ten months later, in 1933, she gave birth to her only child, a daughter she named Suzanne.
However, Vivian didn't want to be a mother, she wanted to be an actress. Domesticity didn't sit well with her. She felt trapped and smothered. Friends suggested she take a small part in the film "Things Are Looking Up". It was an unaccredited role, but she found her breath of life. Much to the dismay of her husband, Vivian returned to the RADA and was soon onstage. One play led to another and soon, she was accepting a part on a big stage in London. Unfortunately, her voice was too soft for the big stage, and didn't reach past the first couple of rows, so the part was given to another actress. Devoted to her art, Vivian returned to the small stage and worked on her delivery. She was back in the large theatres in no time at all and then came an offer for a movie role. Her agent, John Gliddon, suggested she change her name because the name Vivian Holman was not the name of a famous actress. He suggested she take the name April Morn. In an effort to placate her husband, she took his name as her surname and changed the "a" in her first name to an "e" and she became Vivien Leigh. Her agent, Gliddon, recommended her to film producer Alexander Korda, but Korda wasn't sold on the idea and rejected her. However, after seeing her onstage, Korda changed his mind and for the next couple of years, Vivien bounced between the stage and film.
She enjoyed the immediate gratitude of a live audience and also enjoyed filming movies; which gave her the opportunity to perfect a scene through retakes. As Vivien was enjoying her newfound fame both on stage and screen, she spent less and less time with her family. Her stage and screen cohorts became her family. Somewhere along the way, she let go of the life that she found confining and stifling and began building the family she always wanted; a family that was, at the same time, different and the same with every production; unlike her husband who never approved of the theatre and unlike her daughter who demanded her time and attention.
It was 1935 and Laurence Olivier, a fellow thespian, was in the audience during the production of "The Mask of Virtue" where Vivien was the leading lady. Larry was impressed by her performance…so impressed that he attended her next production "The Happy Hypocrite" the following year. After the closing curtain, Larry went backstage to meet Vivien and tell her how impressed he was with her skill as an actress. The attraction was immediate. There was only one problem; they were both married with children. Larry's wife, Jill Esmond, was six months pregnant and Vivien had two year old Suzanne. By 1937, the two were embroiled in an affair. They asked their respective spouses for a divorce and both refused. Then, later that year, Larry was called to a part in a movie in New York. That part was Heathcliff in the movie version of "Wuthering Heights". He departed for New York, leaving both Jill and Vivien in England. Vivien wouldn't be left behind and had her agent contact the producers of the film and seek a part for her. They offered her the part of Isabella, a secondary part. Vivien demanded the part of Cathy, but the part was cast and contracts were signed. Vivien refused the part of Isabella, thinking it beneath her.
The producer knew of a movie in Hollywood that was being cast and accepting auditions at that time. Vivien had read the book the previous year and was certain she was right for the role of Scarlet O'Hara. She felt confident that the part was all hers; never entertaining the idea that there might be competition. In 1938, Vivien read for the part and producer Myron Selznick wrote to his wife "Not for anyone's ear but your own: it's narrowed down to Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett and Vivien Leigh." After a discussion with director, George Cukor, Selznick told Vivien she had the part. At least she would be on the same continent as Larry.
© 2015-2016 Trudy Stroup. All rights reserved.
Author: Trudy Stroup
"Gone with the Wind" is one of the most iconic movies of all time. Set in the South during one of the most trying times our country has ever seen, this movie touched hearts on multiple levels. It was the first movie to be nominated for and win 10 Academy Awards; an accomplishment that was made possible by a beautiful, doe eyed, English actress who was new to the American movie scene. Let's take a look at her journey.
Born November 5, 1913, Vivian Mary Hartley had an idealistic childhood. Stationed at the time in Darjeeling, India, her father, Ernest Richard Hartley, was an English officer in the Indian Calvary. Her mother, Gertrude Mary Frances Yackjee, was a homemaker who participated in an amateur theatre group. Vivian was a doted upon child who went everywhere with her mother. She wore ribbons in her hair and ruffles on her socks and beautiful dresses. At three years old, Vivian performed onstage with her mother's theatre group, reciting "Little Bo Peep" for the audience.
When she was six, Ernest's commission was over and he moved the family back to England. Vivian was enrolled in boarding school at the Convent of the Sacred Heart. At the age of seven, she told schoolmate, Maureen O'Sullivan, that she would be famous one day. But to get there, she would endure quite a different life than she had experienced in India. She was the only little girl who didn't go home for holidays or have visitors on family day. In fact, she only saw her parents when her father was stationed to a different country and she was moved to a new boarding school. She attended school in Germany, France, and Italy as well as England. Consequently, she could speak four languages. Eventually, she was moved back to The Convent of the Sacred Heart and finished her education there in 1932.
Right after graduation, Vivian was visiting school friends Mills, Dulcie, Clare and Hilary Martin, at their country manor. A horse and rider passed nearby and Vivian asked who he was. Hilary waved at him and he saluted her. Hilary told Vivian his name was Herbert Leigh Holman. At that moment, Vivian proclaimed to her friends "he is the perfect English gentleman and I'm going to marry him". Unknown to Vivian, Leigh had been courting Dulcie, but that didn't matter to Vivian. She sought him out at every social opportunity. Vivian enrolled at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts that spring to begin her road to stardom. By June, she and Leigh were engaged and on December 20th, they were married. Vivian was 19 and Leigh was 31. At his insistence, she quit attending the RADA and they left for their honeymoon in Switzerland. Ten months later, in 1933, she gave birth to her only child, a daughter she named Suzanne.
However, Vivian didn't want to be a mother, she wanted to be an actress. Domesticity didn't sit well with her. She felt trapped and smothered. Friends suggested she take a small part in the film "Things Are Looking Up". It was an unaccredited role, but she found her breath of life. Much to the dismay of her husband, Vivian returned to the RADA and was soon onstage. One play led to another and soon, she was accepting a part on a big stage in London. Unfortunately, her voice was too soft for the big stage, and didn't reach past the first couple of rows, so the part was given to another actress. Devoted to her art, Vivian returned to the small stage and worked on her delivery. She was back in the large theatres in no time at all and then came an offer for a movie role. Her agent, John Gliddon, suggested she change her name because the name Vivian Holman was not the name of a famous actress. He suggested she take the name April Morn. In an effort to placate her husband, she took his name as her surname and changed the "a" in her first name to an "e" and she became Vivien Leigh. Her agent, Gliddon, recommended her to film producer Alexander Korda, but Korda wasn't sold on the idea and rejected her. However, after seeing her onstage, Korda changed his mind and for the next couple of years, Vivien bounced between the stage and film.
She enjoyed the immediate gratitude of a live audience and also enjoyed filming movies; which gave her the opportunity to perfect a scene through retakes. As Vivien was enjoying her newfound fame both on stage and screen, she spent less and less time with her family. Her stage and screen cohorts became her family. Somewhere along the way, she let go of the life that she found confining and stifling and began building the family she always wanted; a family that was, at the same time, different and the same with every production; unlike her husband who never approved of the theatre and unlike her daughter who demanded her time and attention.
It was 1935 and Laurence Olivier, a fellow thespian, was in the audience during the production of "The Mask of Virtue" where Vivien was the leading lady. Larry was impressed by her performance…so impressed that he attended her next production "The Happy Hypocrite" the following year. After the closing curtain, Larry went backstage to meet Vivien and tell her how impressed he was with her skill as an actress. The attraction was immediate. There was only one problem; they were both married with children. Larry's wife, Jill Esmond, was six months pregnant and Vivien had two year old Suzanne. By 1937, the two were embroiled in an affair. They asked their respective spouses for a divorce and both refused. Then, later that year, Larry was called to a part in a movie in New York. That part was Heathcliff in the movie version of "Wuthering Heights". He departed for New York, leaving both Jill and Vivien in England. Vivien wouldn't be left behind and had her agent contact the producers of the film and seek a part for her. They offered her the part of Isabella, a secondary part. Vivien demanded the part of Cathy, but the part was cast and contracts were signed. Vivien refused the part of Isabella, thinking it beneath her.
The producer knew of a movie in Hollywood that was being cast and accepting auditions at that time. Vivien had read the book the previous year and was certain she was right for the role of Scarlet O'Hara. She felt confident that the part was all hers; never entertaining the idea that there might be competition. In 1938, Vivien read for the part and producer Myron Selznick wrote to his wife "Not for anyone's ear but your own: it's narrowed down to Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett and Vivien Leigh." After a discussion with director, George Cukor, Selznick told Vivien she had the part. At least she would be on the same continent as Larry.
© 2015-2016 Trudy Stroup. All rights reserved.