Vivien Leigh: A Biography (Paperback)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

"Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm" Margaret Mitchell opened Gone with the Wind with this description of Scarlett O’Hara, but her words can hardly be applied to Vivien Leigh, the British actress who gave an unforgettable performance as the Southern belle. Leigh possessed a beauty that men seldom failed to recognize and a charm that caught many, but her life was far from being all beauty and charm.

This biography of the beautiful and tortured actress, from her birth and childhood in exotic India to her premature death in 1967, gives special attention to her development and career as a stage and film actress (which culminated in one Tony award and two Oscars). Her ambitious personality and her manic-depressive illness, including the sexual compulsion that haunted her life, her romantic and tragic marriage to Laurence Olivier, and her performances in, for instance, Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire, are all detailed.

About the Author

Book dealer Michelangelo Capua has worked in the fashion industry and as a New York correspondent for an Italian film magazine. He is also the author of Montgomery Clift: A Biography (2002) and lives in New York.

Product Details

• Paperback: 216 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (May 6, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786414979
• ISBN-13: 978-0786414970
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #745,892 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars There are better biographies, June 26, 2005

By	AGL (Auckland New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This short biography of Vivien Leigh will satisfy those looking for information about the bare bones of Vivien Leigh's career and some of the tabloid gossip surrounding her life but it never comes close to understanding who Vivien Leigh really was, what made her tick, and what made her a great star.

The problem with this biography is that it merely quotes verbatim what other biographies have already written, and when it does not it paraphrases. There is nothing to suggest the author thought deeply about his subject, no assessment of her achievements and flaws, no evaluation and little description- the information is regurgitated and presented like a high school research project. It fails in getting to the crux of Vivien's illness, her manic depression, or explaining her conflict with religious upbringing, or her worship for Laurence Olivier and the grand romancisatiion of their affair. There is scant meaningful historical context to go by, which, in a biography of someone who died almost 40 years ago, is everything to someone reading today. The writing style is also woefully adolescent, a fact you may have to forgive given this is a translation. For those looking for photographs, the selection is disappointingly stingy.

However, thankfully there are better biographies out there. I recommend Alexander Walker's excellent haunting portrayal of Vivien.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sad but insightful!, November 13, 2003

By	Simon Stonebrooke (San Diego, Ca) - See all my reviews

Sad but insightful -

I was saddened by parts of this detailed biography, disturbed by other parts of it, and also moved by other parts of it. I was fascinated by all of it. I ended up feeling as if I had lived it right along with Vivien - who was not only an intelligent, ambitious woman, but also a great actress and a terrible mother - a woman full of contradictions! A character greater than any she ever played! An enjoyable reading!

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Perfect Biography, October 25, 2003

By	Mark Kennedy (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews

I truly enjoyed this book. It is concise, clear and reports just the facts without any personal judgment. The way a biography should be written by someone who never met Vivien Leigh. It contains a very helpful bibliography and all its sources are revealed. Nice unusual photographs. I think it is a must for all Vivien's fans.