Summary
Vivien Leigh is a star of old Hollywood, and her career as a leading lady spanned four decades, in which she frequently delivered award-winning performances. Born in British India, Leigh began her career in both theater productions and films. First appearing in four smaller parts in 1935, Leigh had her breakthrough in the 1937’s Fire Over England as Cynthia, where she also began a much talked about affair with Laurence Olivier which resulted in a 20-year marriage.
In 1939, Leigh received the role that would define her career, Scarlett O’Hara in the epic, famously long Gone with the Wind. The role brought massive attention and accolades, a success Leigh struggled with her whole life. Celebrated for her looks, Leigh pushed back against that and celebrity, considering herself first and foremost a serious actor (via Mediakron). Leigh won two Best Actress Academy Awards over the course of her career, one for Gone with the Wind and the second for A Streetcar Named Desire. She worked alongside some of the preeminent actors of the era and her filmography still stands up as an impressive tome.
10 21 Days Together (1940)
Vivien Leigh plays Wanda
Release Date January 7, 1940
Cast Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier
Runtime 1hr12min
In the 1940 melodrama 21 Days Together, Leigh teams up with her then-husband Olivier. The two were recently married, and their chemistry onscreen is excellent. After Larry Darrent (Olivier) accidentally kills the husband of his lover, Wanda (Leigh), someone else is mistakenly arrested. Larry and Wanda have just 21 days together before the trial. If the other man is found guilty, Larry plans to turn himself in. This means he will have to end his love affair with Wanda, which neither wants to do. Leigh and Olivier’s parting on-screen is particularly heartwrenching because of all the emotional the build-up.
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9 Caesar And Cleopatra (1945)
Vivien Leigh plays Cleopatra
Leigh performed in a variety of historical movies throughout her career, including the 1945 epic Caesar and Cleopatra. The film depicts the story of Roman general Julius Caesar (Claude Rains). He wants to control Alexandria, Egypt, but Caesar soon develops strong feelings for Cleopatra, and this might threaten his own political power. The production design is incredible for the era, but the film was unable to earn back its massive budget. Caesar and Cleopatra was nominated for an Oscar for Best Art Direction, and it’s a solid entry in the swords and sandals genre that was so popular at the time.
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8 Fire Over England (1937)
Vivien Leigh plays Cynthia
On the set of the 1937 historical romantic drama Fire Over England, Leigh met her future husband, Laurence Olivier, and the two had undeniable chemistry from the first day they met. The movie tells the story of Queen Elizabeth I (Flora Robson) and naval officer Michael Ingolby (Olivier) who volunteers to go undercover in Spain. Queen Elizabeth I develops feelings for Michael, but he in turn becomes infatuated with her lady-in-waiting, Cynthia (Leigh). Leigh might not have been the star of this film, but she steals every scene. Fire Over England was one of the first British-made films to find success in America and paved the way for English influence in Hollywood.
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7 The Roman Spring Of Mrs. Stone (1961)
Vivien Leigh plays Karen Stone
By the 1960s, Leigh considered the best part of her career past, which brought on depression and mental health issues (via Yahoo). It’s hard to discern what’s acting and what’s real in the 1961 romantic drama, The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone. Leigh plays a disheartened, aging actress, Karen Stone. After her husband’s death, she travels to Rome, where she meets an Italian gigolo, Paolo (Warren Beatty). Leigh impressed audiences with her heartbroken, realistic portrayal of an actress told that she’s past her prime and just wanted to feel beautiful again. Leigh’s personal life made the role a meta-commentary and indicates a certain self-reflection in this period of her life.
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6 Anna Karenina (1948)
Vivien Leigh plays Anna Karenina
Leo Tolstoy’s 1878 novel Anna Karenina has had many film adaptations, including the 1948 version starring Leigh and Ralph Richardson. The story follows Anna (Leigh), who is traveling on a train to visit her family. She meets Countess Vronsky (Helen Haye) and her son, Count Vronsky (Kieron Moore) when they arrive in Moscow, and they soon begin a passionate love affair. It’s an epic tale filled with romance and tragedy, and Leigh fits both moods perfectly. It’s not the first time Leigh played a signature character from an acclaimed work, and she again proves that she has the confidence and competence to do justice to an indelible character.
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5 Sidewalks Of London (1938)
Vivien Leigh plays Libby
Leigh wasn’t known as a comedic actress. She performed best in dramas, but the 1938 comedy-drama Sidewalks of London was an exception. In the movie, street performer Charles Staggers (Charles Laughton) befriends aspiring dancer Libby (Leigh). When they meet songwriter Harley Prentiss (Rex Harrison), Libby pursues him. The film has plenty of laughs and Leigh showcases that her talents don’t solely lie in the dramatic. She dances through the film, demonstrating an athletic presence that she doesn’t often get to show, and she holds her own in comedic scenes.
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4 Ship Of Fools (1965)
Vivien Leigh plays Mary Treadwell
Leigh made her final screen performance in the 1965 drama, Ship of Fools. The movie tells the story of a group of passengers aboard a cruise to Germany, pre-War World II. They form a unique society on board. A countess (Simone Signoret) is going to a German prison camp, another passenger has a fatal heart condition, and the recently divorced Mary Treadwell (Leigh) is trying to outrun time. Despite the lighthearted title, Ship of Fools is a grim drama. The film was nominated for eight Academy Awards, winning two in technical categories. Leigh’s paranoid performance is arresting but also tragic, considering the real-life physical and mental health problems she was dealing with.
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3 Waterloo Bridge (1940)
Vivien Leigh plays Myra
In the 1940 war romance Waterloo Bridge, a ballerina named Myra (Leigh) meets British officer Roy Cronin (Robert Taylor). They fall in love and Myra chooses to skip a ballet performance to meet with him. This decision has many consequences when she is dismissed from the ballet troupe and faces financial crises. This was Leigh’s first role after Gone with the Wind, and anyone who thought that she had simply lucked into an incredible role was proven wrong after seeing Leigh’s heartbreaking and modern performance. The sex work storyline was considered scandalous for the time, but Leigh and Waterloo Bridge proved that the film could handle more mature subject matter.
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2 A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Vivien Leigh plays Blanche Dubois
In her second most iconic film role, Leigh brilliantly portrays the troubled Blanche DuBois in the 1951 drama, A Streetcar Named Desire. Based on the 1947 play by Tennessee Williams, the story follows Blanche, who visits her sister, Stella Kowalski (Kim Hunter), in New Orleans. She immediately clashes with Stella’s abusive husband, Stanley (Marlon Brando). Blanche is flirtatious and seemingly perfect, but she’s a complex woman with more problems than she likes to admit.
Leigh delivered an emotional, heartbreaking performance that earned her an Academy Award for Best Actress. The movie had 12 Academy nominations and won four including Best Supporting Actor for Karl Malden as Mitch. In a movie filled with memorable and classic performances, Leigh stands above such venerated characters as Brando’s intimidating Stanley to make the movie her own.
Where To Watch
1 Gone With The Wind (1939)
Vivien Leigh plays Scarlett O’Hara
Release Date December 15, 1939
Cast Clark Gable, Olivia de Havilland, Vivien Leigh, Hattie McDaniel, Leslie Howard
Genres Romance, History, War, Drama
Even though she had a well-rounded film career, Leigh will always be known best for her role as Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 romantic drama, Gone with the Wind. The Civil War epic based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell tells the story of Southern belle Scarlett and her love triangle with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) and Rhett Butler (Clark Gable). The movie brought Leigh instant fame and attention. She was praised for her breathtaking performance, earning an Academy Award for Best Actress.
Gone with the Wind has been mired in controversy since its release and arguments regarding its treatment of Black voices and women continue today. There can be no question the film depicts slavery, consent, and Civil War myths in a problematic manner. However, it’s still the greatest performance Vivien Leigh ever had in her career and kick-started an epic and mesmerizing run of roles. Gone with the Wind is a product of its time and the morals it propagates should be regarded with scrutiny, but it’s also a worthy technical feat with incredible performances at the center.
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