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Announcing: The Vivien Leigh & Laurence Olivier Appreciation Blog-a-thon!

The Vivien Leigh & Laurence Olivier Blog-a-thon

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most as a blogger is participating in classic film blog-a-thons. You may remember the Film Preservation blog-a-thon hosted by Ferdy on Films and the Self-Styled Siren, or the Japanese Cinema blog-a-thon to raise money for disaster relief. Tomorrow I’ll be taking part in the 1939 blogathon hosted by the Classic Movie Blog Association and YAM magazine, and in June the Queer Film blog-a-thon hosted by Garbo Laughs. This morning I thought it might be really fun to organize a blog-a-thon to celebrate none other than our own Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier.

That said, I’d like to introduce the Vivien Leigh & Laurence Olivier Appreciation Blog-a-thon! The goal is to celebrate Vivien Leigh’s and Laurence Olivier’s films and their lasting impact on popular culture. I’ve chosen the dates to correspond with the anniversaries of both their deaths (July 7 and July 11th, respectively). This will be a great way to show some love for the Oliviers, as well as to become more familiar with the film blogging community at large.

When: July 9-10, 2011

Where: The internet! Hosted by vivadlarry.com

Rules: This blog-a-thon is open to all film bloggers (and readers) around the internet. You can write about their films, theatrical contributions, your love of their beauty, fashion, etc., any aspect of Vivien Leigh’s and/or Laurence Olivier’s careers or lives. As per the usual blog-a-thon protocol, posts should be made to your own blog on the dates listed above, and a running list of links will be posted here at vivandlarry.com. Note: You do not have to write about a film that starred both Larry and Vivien. If you just want to write about Vivien, or just Larry, that’s totally fine.

One other thing: Although participants are welcome to write about any film or aspect of Vivien and Larry’s lives, it would be great if we can get posts about a variety of films rather than just the ones that are the most popular today such as Gone with the Wind.

Also find it on: Facebook

Not sure which films Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier starred in? Check out their imdb profiles below:

If you’d like to participate as a blogger, do let me know by leaving a comment on this post!  Below you can find some banners (250 x 150) to put on your own blog!

Participating Blogs:

Kendra has been the weblady at vivandlarry.com since 2007. She lives in Yorkshire and is the author of Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait, and co-author of Ava Gardner: A Life in Movies (Running Press). Follow her on Twitter @kendrajbean, Instagram at @vivandlarrygram, or at her official website.

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Comments (82)

  1. Not exactly a film blog but I’ll do a post, sounds like a lot of fun. And it’s always great to get some more appreciation for them both out there 🙂

  2. I love that you’re undertaking this! It’ll be the perfect weekend of Viv and Larry. I’m definitely going to participate, wherever I am at the time. I really, really want to so I’ll make it a priority. I’m not quite sure what I’ll write about yet, but I have quite a few ideas.

    I’ve never done a blog-a-thon per se – are we to publish a post on our blog on either of the dates (July 9, 10) or one post for each day? Sorry, just want to make sure I’m doing everything right!

    1. Yeay, I’m so glad you’re going to participate! You can do as many posts as you want over the course of the two day period. So, one post total is fine!

  3. I will definitely be participating! I’m pretty sure I will do so by watching one of Olivier’s films that are in my Netflix Queue that I’ve yet to watch (Hamlet and Henry V) or maybe Caeser and Cleopatra…or heck maybe all three, and then adding them to my film diary over @ http://kjfilmdiary.blogspot.com/
    Also, I might just have to blog about Gone With the Wind elsewhere, just to get it out of my system.

    I can’t wait to read everyone else’s!

  4. I’d love to participate in the Viv and Larry blogathon.

    If no one has not already chosen them, I would like to write about Vivien Leigh’s extraordinary performance in St. Martin’s Lane aka The Sidewalks of London (1938) and Olivier’s in The Demi-Paradise aka Adventure for Two (1943).

  5. I’m not much of a blogger (only recently started mine) and am still experimenting but I’d love love love to do/try this. Could you provide a little more information on what you’re supposed to do, for absolute newbies like me? Is it posting as many times as possible on either Vivien/Larry within the time frame or just once? (I’m so excited for My Week with Marilyn, it’s got me right back in my Vivien-fandom mood again!)

    1. Hi Gina,

      You can post as many times as you want during the set dates. There is no minimum number. During the set weekend, make a post about whatever subject you’d like about the Oliviers, just Vivien or just Larry and add the link to a new post I’ll be making when the event gets closer. I hope this helps!

  6. Hi,
    This is such a lovely idea, I can’t wait to see all the posts, it’s going to be great!

    Just a few questions because I’m kind of a bit new to all this:
    – Is it okay to blog on Tumblr?
    – Also, would it be alright if I did either Fire Over England or Rebecca?

    If so, count me in, because I can have a good long think about what I would like to blog about (because it usually takes me awhile to figure one out!)

  7. Now I’m going to have to remember where I left that blog I started so long ago. I may have to write about Lord Olivier’s later years, or, as I dub them, the “My Kids Need to Go to College Years.”

  8. This is a lovely idea!! Count me in! While I was first exposed to Miss Leigh through GWTW (being a Southern girl, watching the film and reading the book is a rite of passage for all young Southern ladies), I have seen other films she was in.

    I also respect Mr. Olivier and have comments about him as well.

    This is a wonderful site!

  9. I’m not sure what I’ll write….something about Viv’s costumes in one of her films, I suppose, but please count me in! Sounds brilliant! xxxx

  10. I’ve never done one of these before, but I’d love to have a go if it’s ok?

    Blog – kirstenelaine.tumblr.com

  11. I would love to participate! This will definitely help me understand the couple better! I’m thinking of writing about Viv’s bipolar disorder and how Larry dealt with it? And their rise to fame? And their lesser known films? What do you think? 🙂

    1. You can write about any or all of those things. If you choose to write about their lesser-known films, I’d recommend choosing one or two and really digging in to them,. But it’s up to you! Glad you have you on board!

  12. Kendra, Vinnie and I would love to do a Team Bartilucci team-up covering Laurence Olivier in SLEUTH, if it’s not already taken! Please let us know — sounds like fun!

  13. have never done any before,dear Kendra, if you only knew what pleasure you give me with all this——-in my days(about 100 years ago!) I think I simply would have exploded with pleasure that there are people willing and knowlegeable enough to talk about this rather “hallowed” subject.Please, count me in,though we are on hols at the moment I’ll try to participate.Best of luck and hopefully a lot of competent and enthused blogs! Renata

    1. Hey Renata,

      Do you have a blog? Unfortunately, only bloggers can participate as writers, but anyone can read the entries! The purpose is to get the film blog-o-sphere together to write about Larry and Viv 🙂

  14. What do you mean by “do you have a blog?” How would I get one? So far I’ve already written some commentaries as you know.What else is there to be had? Please , enlighten me.Renata

    1. The point of the blogathon is to get film bloggers (people who write about film on their own websites) talking about Larry and Vivien. This way, people who read the entries at vivandlarry.com (like you, you are a reader) can get perspectives on the Oliviers from people besides me. Participants need to have their own blog (for example, I’m the blogger at vivandlarry.com because I write the content here). To set up your own blog or website, you would have to register with a blogging platform like wordpress.com or blogger.com and design your own. Unfortunately, I can’t accept entries as comments on this blog. However, you are more than welcome to read everyone’s posts this weekend and leave comments accordingly.

  15. Kendra, we of Team Bartilucci are thrilled to participate in the Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier Appreciation Blogathon this weekend! Just one thing: you listed us as “Tales of the Falsely Distracted” instead of our true blog title “Tales of the Easily Distracted”! Are you trying to tell us something? 🙂 Anyway, we’re looking forward to the Blogathon; thanks for letting us join the fun!

  16. Kendra, we of Team Bartilucci just posted our SLEUTH blog post, “SLEUTH: Doppler Jeopardy,” on our blog site TALES OF THE EASILY DISTRACTED. Vinnie and I thank you for including us in your awesome Blogathon! If you have any questions or suggestions, please let us know at http://doriantb.blogspot.com.

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