Vivandlarry.com was designed and launched in April 2007 as an online space to discuss classic film and theatre couple Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. I first became interested in the Oliviers after reading and watching Gone with the Wind at the age of 18. My fascination with Margaret Mitchell’s story and Victor Fleming’s film led me to start reading anything and everything I could find about the production and its stars (Clark Gable and Vivien). In reading more about Vivien Leigh, I came to appreciate Laurence Olivier and soon became quite interested in their personal and professional relationship, as well as the personalities with whom they surrounded themselves.
I was quite disappointed by the lack of information about Vivien and Larry on the Internet. There were a few sites that focused solely on Vivien, but most had ceased to be updated anymore and none of them really focused much on the Oliviers’ time together. I thought they both deserved equal representation, and quickly found that there was a wealth of information published about them during their time. For nearly 25 years, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier never left the spotlight.
What started as an exercise in graphic and web design with some basic information and a handfull of photos has quickly grown into a large database and meeting point for fans of the Oliviers. The main aim of the site is to bring history to people around the world using new media and technology, and to collect and assemble as many bits of information, photos, and other media related to the Oliviers in one central space online in effort to keep their memory alive. A few of the key facets of vivandlarry.com include articles from vintage and modern magazines, a cinema library housing rare video footage of Vivien and Larry, a photo gallery with over 24,000 pictures, and a facebook fan page.
VivandLarry.com has been and will continue to be under construction in some shape or form as long as new information and media continue to be made available.
Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy the efforts that go in to the site.
Cheers,