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The Double Life of Vivien Leigh

Tops Magazine
February, 1955

The London audience that jammed the theatre to see Vivien Leigh enact the role of Blanche in the sizzling play version of A Streetcar Named Desire will never forget her starkly realistic portrayal of a sex-ridden woman.

Playgoers sat silently in rapt attention as she went through the uninhibited sexual gyrations of a nymphomaniac.

“Miss Leigh’s lust,” wrote one critic, “rolls off the stage like a tropical storm cloud, causing vague stirrings in old codgers far past their prime.”

But it was the closing minutes of the play that would later be regarded with such deep significance– when the sex-mad heroine, unable to satisfy her craving for more and more lascivious adventures, suffers a complete mental breakdown. Vivien Leigh’s real-life breakdown, years later, seems to parallel her Streetcar role in more ways than one.

On the London stage as Blanche Dubois

Even at the height of her success in this play, close friends of the actress were already noting how fervently she was throwing herself into the part. In gesture, in voice, in other ways, Vivien was even acting out the role of a tormented woman off the stage.

That Vivien Leigh was leading a strange double life first came to public notice a few months ago, when it was learned that the actress had made a trip to Paris in the company of playwright Terence Rattigan.

But Vivien’s Parisian adventure was not the only incident that has kept London’s West End tattlers gossiping about the actress’ dual personality.

Actually, it all began when she landed a part in a new play co-starring with one of England’s most rapidly rising young stars, Laurence Olivier.

Although Vivien was already married and the mother of a beautiful little girl, she was unable to resist the attentions of Olivier. During the successful run of the play, Fire Over London [Fire Over England], the most torrid love scenes undoubtedly took place backstage.

Friends of Vivien, aware of what was going on, were worried about her. They already knew that for her, love was an all-embracing and overpowering emotion. If sufficiently aroused, she could kick over the traces of her past life.

She did. She divorced her husband, bade her daughter a tearful farewell, and ended the first act of her real-life drama by throwing herself into Olivier’s eager arms.

For a while, all was serene. Olivier rapidly became England’s greatest actor, culminating in his remarkable production of Hamlet. For his superb artistry, he was knighted. And Vivien automatically became Lady Olivier.

But by now there were ugly rumours in Piccadilly that she was not conducting herself in a lady-like manner.

There were more rumours to the effect that Sir Laurence was keeping a tight rein on his lady-love in a desperate attempt to hold her on the straight-and-narrow.

The public got its first inkling that storm clouds were raging within the Olivier household when Paramount Pictures wired the couple an offer to co-star in Elephant Walk, which would be filmed in Ceylon.

Olivier glanced at the script and instantly turned it down. There was nothing unusual in this — Olivier had always made the decisions about what plays or scripts they would do.

But then Vivien rebelled — and accepted the female lead in the film!

Did her action stem from a genuine desire to play the part? Or was it a ruse to place herself beyond the watchful eye of her husband?

Olivier himself was the one who gave credence to this suspicion by insisting that a mutual friend, Peter Finch, be assigned to the picture– to keep an eye on Vivien.

Vivien Leigh, Peter Finch & Laurence Olivier

Finch obviously took his extracurricular job with a large grain of salt. Dana Andrews, who replaced Olivier in the co-starring role, was seen everywhere with her. And Vivien acted like a changed woman– happy, carefree, bent on having fun.

Then, something happened. The exact details may never be known, but it is reported that Andrews, her constant companion, was deeply concerned about her behaviour. He urged her to see a psychiatrist. Vivien turned up her beautiful nose at the idea.

“Psychiatrists cause more trouble than any other people in the world. I don’t believe in them,” she snapped.

At this stage, Peter Finch apparently decided matters had gone too far. He finally told the facts to Sir Laurence, who wasted no time in flying to Ceylon.

What transpired in the privacy of the room where Sir Laurence and his Lady conferred is another aspect of this drama that may forever be shrouded in mystery. The end result was that Vivien, Dana Andrews, and the rest of the company went off to finish the film in Hollywood. Sir Laurence took a plane back to England alone.

And now the scandal-sheets and rumour mongers really had something to go to work on.

One peep-hole artist literally crowed his discovery that, although Vivien was supposed to be living alone in a rented home, actually she was spending most of her time in the apartment of none other than Olivier’s trusted pal, Peter Finch!

Another discovered that Vivien was also seeing quite a lot of John Buckmaster, an English actor who was once married to Jan Sterling. Buckmaster and Vivien, so the story went, spent hours together while he taught her the mysteries of Yoga.

It was obvious even tot he technicians at the studio that Vivien’s real-life drama was fast nearing its climax.

The breakdown occurred on the set, where she collapsed in hysterics. A psychoanalyst was summoned. And Vivien Leigh’s condition became public knowledge. She was forced to withdraw from her role in Elephant Walk, and was replaced by Elizabeth Taylor.

Arriving back in England

What the public did not know was that Vivien’s derangement had the effect of erasing her identity as Vivien Leigh. She had become the nymphomaniac in A Streetcar Named Desire — right down to the sultry southern accent.

The double life of Vivien Leigh merged into a nightmare single entity –that of sex-ridden Blanche of the play.

Fortunately, the real-life drama of Vivien Leigh has a typical Hollywood ending. The actress is now completely well –thanks, mostly, to the devoted love and affection given her in her darkest moments by her husband, Laurence Olivier.

But it is unlikely that Vivien Leigh will ever forget the horrible weeks she spent living a fantastic double life.

Back cover of Tops Magazine

6 Comments

  • Unknown

    I'm one of Ms. Leigh's die-hard fans but I also believe in 'karma." The Free Dictionary by Farlex defined "karma" – Hinduism Buddhism the principle of retributive justice determining a person's state of life and the state of his or her reincarnations as the effect of past deeds. Another definition: Fate or destiny resulting from one's previous actions. As a follower of FB page, "Vivien Leigh And Laurence Olivier" & others about Ms. Leigh, I had read about her life from the beginning to the end. She was one of the people/celebrities we've all admired and loved as they rose in stardom and fame but unfortunately suffered tremendous misfortunes through it all.

  • magicalbeck

    This article paints Olivier as “Saint Larry” – hardly the case; they both had their vices, as did a majority of their peers – and throws around derogatory, sexist terms against Lady Olivier. I don’t even understand the point in focusing on things that would be deeply embarrassing to dear Viv. 🙁

  • Bonnie Sullivan

    The torments so many of our great Stars (they really were STARS) must have been terrible for them to suffer through without the whole World knowing about it like we do today . Everything is out in the open, no privacy even with receiving medical help. I am so glad to be able to read about the lives of these people and appreciate even more, how much they had to give up to be entertainers. Their acting was far superior to most of what we see today, and thanks to them we can watch fantastic movies of yesteryear with he actresses & actors who were the Best!

    • Suzanne Bosjolie

      I just saw an interview Vivian Leigh had on a program called “Small World” on YouTube.
      If someone already has seen it, could you please tell me, how they did this interview while Vivian was in London, two men were in NY and the other in California, and they were all interacting together. This is before the internet and Skype. I am dying to find out about this. Also would like to know the year of this interview. I couldn’t find it.
      Thank you!!! SB

  • Carole heath

    I liked Vivien Leigh she was a wonderful actress. She I think had it all talent looks and watchability. I liked her unsual speaking voice too. I really liked her as lady Hamilton with Laurence Olivier as Nelson
    He I liked to his shakespeare films they where brilliant he was an all rounder as an actor. And what a looker he was too. And his voice speaking of the verse in henry the fifth and hamlet was so Inspirational. And his Richard the third what a characterization. But I think it was sad their marriage ended and Vivien Leigh had that terrible illness bipolar disorder.

  • Carolyn Holston

    Lady Oliver was honored, Vivien was not treated as well as possible. But things were not as well treated then as now. That can’t be helped.
    I just hate that it seems that the root cause wasn’t addressed.

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