Customer Reviews

Vivien Leigh: A Biography

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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.

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!

this seems to be a collection of highlights of previous biographies and not written with particular affection or interest in the actress. not an interesting book and also rather expensive for its printed quality.

I bought this used and i'm glad I did. I wasn't completly happy with it. The book seemed to be a quick insight of Vivien Leigh's life. Also I was aware she did alot of Shakespeare play's but I thought it focused alot on this soley. Yes, it's good to know, but I like books that focus on "the life" of a star not more on the play's. I almost couldn't keep up with all the traveling talk either. Just happy I didn't spend the actuall cost of this book.

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.

I am a big Vivien Leigh fan and was excited to see a new biography of her. However, I was disappointed. There was not a lot of new material presented. I also felt Leigh was drawn rather negatively. It was not a "hit piece," but it was not terribly sympathetic.

Vivien Leigh was not an angel by any means, but much of her behavior could be explained by her mental illness. I thought the writer should have stressed that more.

Finally, for the price I paid, I felt the book itself wasn't worth it. The pictures were decent, but not having a separate, glossy-papered photo section detracted from them greatly.

As a fan, I recommend Alexander Walker's "Vivien" as the best Vivien Leigh biography I have read.

Olivier did NOT fall in love with Danny Kaye. This was a rumor started when Olivier mentioned that he thought Kaye was very attractive. Despite his attraction to Kaye (which never went further than attraction; they didn't even know each other), Olivier was still attracted to women. And Olivier's attraction to Kaye did NOT involve gender confusion, but rather sexuality confusion, if anything.

Not a great book.

I really like the cover photo of this book. However, the other photos
are not high quality printing. It looks like a photocopied book of another book The text is interesting too read I don't think the use of profanity in the book is necessary at all. Vivien Leigh is a complex, beautiful person and this book barely does justice to her.

Still waiting for a biography acknowledging what I think was her real underlying problem. Tuberculosis. Suffered from it nearly her whole life long. Aggravated it by smoking heavily, etc. TB KILLED her (in 1967??). Medications prescribed at the time could cause psychotic reactions. Add that to a highly intelligent, driven, complex personality, miscarriages, grueling work schedules, marital problems ... that doesn't up to mental illness to me. Particularly since she rarely missed any performances. Just not possible. Someday, one author won't put the cart before the horse and give this remarkable woman her due.

The author,Michelangelo Capua, researched his subject from her
birth in colonial India until her untimely death at 53 years.
An unusual beauty even at three years of age.She was the only
child born to an English father and mother of mixed backround, English and Indian.This was unacceptable when making Gone With The Wind,because the South had objections to an English actress playing Scarlet. However, when they were told Miss Leigh was of French and Irish descent,as was the character, they relented. As long as it was not a Yankee woman, to play the part that made her famous.
In her very early years she left India,to be educated in a Convent boarding school.She was only five or six years old.She became the pet of the sisters who taught her who let her keep a kitten,to take to bed.Vivien later stated these were her happiest days.Although, the bi-polar illness is believed to be chemical, the early separation, although she did not mention it,seemed very cruel.She loved her father but did not see him for years. Her mother visited once a year.Strange way to treat an only child that was doted upon.
During her teen years she went to finishing schools like all upper class English girls.Her mother began to notice a
change in her daughters behavior.Vivien was very restless, and acting inappropiate at the time with men.
Acting lessons at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts used
her great energy and she married Leigh Holman and gave birth
by age twenty to a daughter.She would not leave the RADA,
and her mother raised her child.
Vivien was a success in England, and fell in love with
another actor becoming famous.This became the great love
affair of Sir Laurence Olivier who also was married.
Vivien came to America specifically for the most coveted
role in the History of the film industry and she won it.
Because of the advent of world war ll,the movie became
a box office success seen by everyone. It had War. Romance,
Destruction of a Civilization and its re-bith.Vivien was an
overnight success and now she wanted her man,Larry.
He became divorced from his English wife and the two were
happy for awhile.
Both great actors,but troubled people they stayed in the
marriage for twenty years.Vivien suffered a miscarriage
and grieved and went into post-partum depression.
Her husband had problems with his gender, and was falling
in love with Danny Kaye, the entertainer.
Vivian won another oscar for playing Blanche DuBois, but
it cost her to drift into unreality.
Unable to make "Elephant Walk" in India(one wonders
about the significance if any),she returned to her home
called Notley Abbey.In later years,Larry and Vivien split.
She did return once to India for a pleasant visit.They
thought she was Scarlet.She made more movies and plays and
was friends with the upper class English.She was always
in frail health with a form of tuberculosis but she
enjoyed her grandsons,and continued to travel calling
herself, a citizen of the world.I think we all will remember
her as Scarlet,in "Gone With the Wind."