Vivien Leigh: A Biography

What can I say: I'm a fan.  I'm a big enough fan of Vivien Leigh to read a 36 year old biography of her.  Vivien Leigh: A Biography (1979) by Anne Edwards was an enjoyable read about the actress.

Vivian Mary Hartley was a troubled soul.  Born in 1913 to a British businessman in India and his staunchly Catholic wife, Vivian was packed off to a Catholic boarding school in England at a young age while her parents continued to live in India.  In 1932 she married Leigh Holman, a barrister.  The next year, in 1933, Vivian gave birth to a daughter, Suzanne.

Enjoying a smoke on the set of "Gone With the Wind"

Although her husband largely disapproved, Vivian began pursuing a career as an actress.  On the advice of an agent she changed her name to "Vivien Leigh," I guess because it read and sounded more sexy than "Vivian Holman."

Vivien Leigh in "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone" (1961)

The author, Ms. Edwards gives us a lot of facts, but she also gives us a lot of gossip.  And there's a lot to gossip about.  Vivien abandoned her husband and small daughter to pursue an affair with Laurence Olivier, who was also a married man with a wife and small child.  Vivien suffered from bi-polar disorder which became progressively worse as she got older.  Now days she could easily be treated with medication, but back then there was nothing but electric shock treatments.  Vivien also developed tuberculosis which eventually killed her in 1967.

She was a great beauty and a great actress.  I greatly enjoyed reading this old gossipy book about her.  Five out of Five stars.