classic film reviews vivien leigh

Review: Waterloo Bridge (1940)

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I always get excited when I have the opportunity to introduce my real life friends to my favorite films, especially when those films also introduce them to Vivien Leigh and/or Laurence Olivier.  Not many of the people I know in real life are as into old films as I am, and certainly no one in my close circle of friends knows as much about the Oliviers as I do.  However, most of my real life friends were fellow film studies majors, so it’s surprising to me that there isn’t more old movie love.  Even so, most of them are willing to watch some of these films with me on occasion. Today, felling bored, I decided to go hang out at my friend Cathy’s house.  She told me to bring some movies or tv shows because she still had some homework to finish.  I chose Waterloo Bridge, starring Vivien Leigh and Robert Talyor.  Cathy had only seen Vivien Leigh in A Streetcar Named Desire, and confessed to not having cared much for Blanche DuBois, but she was interested in seeing a different side of my favorite actress.

Waterloo Bridge is my second favorite Vivien film (Gone with the Wind being #1).  Directed by Wizard of Oz producer Mervyn LeRoy for MGM, it stars Vivien as Myra Lester, a sweet and charming ballerina in WWI London who has a whirlwind romance with a “Scottish” soldier named Roy Cronin played by Robert Taylor (I put Scottish in quotation marks because Taylor makes no attempt at any sort of accent what-so-ever).  When Roy is called to the front the day before their wedding, Myra goes to see him off at the station and misses her performance at the theatre, for which she is promptly sacked by the tyrannical Madame Kirowa (Maria Ouspenskaya).  Her friend Kitty (Virginia Field) is sacked along with her and the two eventually turn to prostitution to pay the bills after Myra sees Roy’s name on a newspaper casualty list.  It turns out Roy isn’t really dead, though, and when he returns, Myra’ has to battle is with her conscience.

Though Myra is in many ways the complete opposite of Scarlett O’Hara, Vivien plays her with an intensity and an air of sadness that is every bit as touching and interesting as her previous role.    There is one scene that particularly stands out for me in Waterloo Bridge:  Myra goes to Waterloo Station in search of the night’s customers.  She walks through the throngs of soldiers returning home from the front, coquettishly smiling at the men as they walk by.  The camera cuts to a line of men alighting the latest train and we see a flash of Roy’s familiar face and signature khaki trench coat.  Cut back to Myra and we see her face change in an instant from coquetry to disbelief as she sees what we see.  It’s all in Vivien’s eyes.  Robert Osborne of TCM has called this moment one of the greatest in film history, and I would have to agree.  Vivien played it with the vulnerability of a silent film star (a la Lillian Gish). It makes me think of the final scene in Chaplin’s City Lights when the girl realizes it was the Tramp who payed for her eye operation.  The way Charlie’s face just changes in an instant.  No words are needed.  Mervyn LeRoy directed it brilliantly and it’s perfect.

Vivien had good supporting help from fellow cast mates Robert Taylor and Virginia Field.  It’s funny because I always say I don’t think Robert Taylor could have acted his way out of a paper bag, and it should irk me that he’s supposed to be Scottish, but for some reason I always let it slide (until someone on a message board says Taylor was the best actor in the film, then I say ‘Did we watch the same thing?  You’re joking, right?”).  Vivien originally wanted Laurence Olivier to play Roy, and that would have made more sense given the fact that Olivier at least had a British accent, but Robert Taylor and Vivien work wonderfully as a romantic team in this film. I think it’s because Taylor played Roy with the right amount of charm and optimism that perfectly balanced Myra’s sadness.  They also looked really good together.   This is made evident in m favorite scene in the film, in which Myra and Roy meet for a date at the Candlelight Club.  Robert Taylor looks so sharp in his black military uniform, and Vivien is ethereal in a polka-dot chiffon gown by Adrian.  It’s enough to take your breath away watching to them dance to Auld Lang Syne as the orchestra puts out the candles and they share their first kiss.  There’s something infinitely romantic and nostalgic about the whole thing.

Apparently Waterloo Bridge was a favorite for both Leigh and Taylor, and they enjoyed working together for a second time (the first time being on A Yank at Oxford in 1938).  Watching this film, it is easy to see why the two stars had fond memories of it.  It will surely stick with you for a while.  I’ve seen it numerous times and never get tired of it.  I think it’s beautiful, and I do love a good wartime romance.  If you haven’t seen it yet, please do!

Rating: A

classic film photography the oliviers

Top 10 Favorite Vivien/Larry Photos from the 1930s

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I love going through photos of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh and trying to pick out my favorites.  There have been photo countdowns on this blog before, but let’s try doing it by decade this time! 😀  I’m just not feeling very creative with blog topics right now, haha.

Here are my favorite Larry/Vivien photos from the 1930s.

*I may or may not have cropped other people out of these pictures.

Capri, 1936. His shoes!

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classic film general discussion laurence olivier vivien leigh

Spotlight: David Niven

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The Oliviers’ Friends page at vivandlarry.com has been sadly dismal since the launch of this website. Part of it is my admitted laziness in updating new pages, but another part is also due to the fact that for some time I’ve been thinking of the best way to go about constructing said page. Just today, I figured it might be easiest to profile their famous friends here on the blog, and then link to these posts on the main website. How about it? Sounds good to me.

Let’s get to it, then!

March 1 marked the centenary of one of my all time favorite actors and personalities, David Niven. James David Graham Niven was born in London to a rather wealthy family. He was the youngest for four children and always a bit a troublemaker and a clown. After being sent to reform school owing to being expelled from Heatherdown and ruining his chances at being admitted to Eton, David found himself at the prestigious military school, Sandhurst, and then went into the Scottish Highland Light Infantry. He grew bored of the military after a few years and came to Hollywood in 1934. In his book, The Moon’s A Balloon, David recalls getting his first break in Hollywood with the help of none other than Clark Gable. How did this happen, you may ask? One of David’s first jobs upon landing in southern CA was helping out on fishing boats at Balboa (near Newport Beach, for my fellow OC neighbors). He claimed that Clark often went out on fishing trips on the boat he was working on, and took David under his wing. One of his first roles was a non-speaking part in the 1935 Academy Award-winning swashbuckler Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Gable and Charles Laughton.

David became friends with Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh in 1938 while filming Wuthering Heights for Sam Goldwyn. It was a friendship that would continue back in England during the war, and last the rest of their lives.

David and Vivien during the war
Basil Rathbone, Vivien Leigh, and David Niven

David was one of the first of the British actors in Hollywood to go back to the UK and enlist. In 1940, he had a true whirlwind wartime romance when he met and married Primula (Primmie) Rollo. The couple had two children, David Jr. (one of Vivien Leigh’s many godchildren) and Jamie.   In his autobiography, The Moon’s a balloon, he wrote of how good his famous friends were to Primmie, how Vivien and Primmie used to go furniture shopping together in Windsor, etc.  Sadly, Primmie was killed in a freak accident at Tyrone Power’s house in Hollywood in 1946.  During a game of hide and seek, Primmie opened a door she assumed led to a closet, but it turned out to be concrete steps down to the cellar.  She sustained head trauma during her fall and passed away in the hospital.  It was a life changing event for David, who spiraled into a deep depression and wrote about trying to commit suicide.

David visiting Vivien on the set of A Streetcar Named Desire

Not long after Primmie’s death, David married Hjordis Tersmeden, a Swedish model.  Though they made an excellent looking couple, and though he never mentioned anything negative about her in his own book, the recent authorized biography by Graham Lord (Niv) painted a different picture of their relationship.

Laurence Olivier, Mary Mills, David, Primmie Niven and ? in England, 1944

Despite the tragedies in his life, David became an A-lister in Hollywood, making many successful films including A Matter of Life and Death, Bachelor Mother, Casino Royale, Separate Tables (for which he won an Oscar),  Around the World in 80 Days, and The Bishop’s Wife.  But my favorite thing about David, aside from his many fabulous movies, is his sense of humor.  He once said, “Keep the circus going inside of you, keep it going, don’t ever take things too seriously.  It will all work out in the end.”  I feel like he had a witty quip for every situation.  Take this one for example:  when a streaker ran across the stage at the Academy Awards in which David was presenting, he candidly said “Isn’t it funny to think that the only laugh that man will ever get is by stripping down and showing his shortcomings.”

The Three Musketeers: Larry, David, John Mills in England

Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh adored David Niven, and he loved them in return.  After Vivien died, David wrote of how good a friend she was and how he admired her.  When David died, Larry said that of all the people who had gone before him, he’d miss David the most.

David and Larry snorkeling at Cap Farrat, France, 1960s

David died in 1983 from Lou Gehrig’s Disease at his chalet in Switzerland, but his spirit has never really left us.  His humor and presence are still very much alive in his films and the books he wrote.  If you haven’t read The Moon’s a Balloon or Bring on the Empty Horses, I’d really recommend both of them.  They’re sure to keep you up laughing into the wee hours of the night.

In 2009, I had the opportunity to speak with David Niven Jr. via phone about his dad and the Oliviers for a project I’m working on.  He was so sweet, and has the same sense of humor his dad had.  All in the family, I guess!

Hat’s off to you, David Niven, you were a gem.

classic film general discussion guest post the oliviers travel

Guest Post: Revisiting the San Ysidro Ranch

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Vivandlarry.com fan Shiroma from Australia has had the pleasure of visiting the San Ysidro Ranch in Santa Barbara, CA–the site where the Oliviers were married in 1940.  San Ysidro is a very she-she luxury resort today and often attracts A-list celebrities.  In the Oliviers’ day, the Ranch was owned by actor Ronald Coleman and his wife Benita.  Larry and Vivien, wanting to wed in private and doing their best to keep it from the press, were urged by the Colemans to get married outside of LA.  With Katharine Hepburn and Garson kanin in tow, Larry and Vivien drove up to Santa Barbara and were married just after midnight on August 30, 1940.  They honeymooned on the Coleman’s yacht out at Catalina, off the coast of Long Beach.

Shiroma now shares her story (and photos) of walking in the Oliviers’ footsteps with vivandlarry.com.  Thanks, Shiroma!

And as a side note, Santa Barbara s a beautiful town, and highly recommended for California visitors.

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Only Good Movies Interview

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The awesome people over at Only Good Movies apparently found this blog/website interesting, so I was asked to do a little interview for a series they do called “Critical Mass,” in which they interview film critics and bloggers about, well, film.  I thought it was fun.  Here’s what I had to say:

Kendra and Robert Osborne from TCM

Only Good Movies: What’s the first movie that you remember seeing?
Kendra Bean: Disney’s Sleeping Beauty. This was my favorite movie until I was about 6 years old. I would make my mom rent it from the video store (along with a VCR) every weekend.

OGM: What’s the most recent movie you’ve seen?
KB: Shutter Island in the theatre–I liked it, but probably not as much as many other people did. The ending reminded me a lot of Identity with John Cusack, and that was disappointing. The last movie I watched on DVD was Bright Star, a beautiful film.

OGM: Is there a particular film that you feel is criminally underrated?
KB: Wuthering Heights (1939). It was one of the most acclaimed films of cinema’s greatest year, 1939, and now it’s not even on DVD here in the US. It’s a lovely film, and it seems like the only people who really show any occasional love for it are the good people at TCM.

OGM: Which director do you feel has turned out the best overall body of work?
KB: Federico Fellini, and the Coen Brothers.

OGM: From an artistic standpoint, which film do you think is most important?
KB: I think there are a lot of films that are important from an artistic standpoint. As I’m currently very much interested in classic British cinema, I’ll say Laurence Olivier’s Henry V (1945). This was his first venture as actor/director, and it was an entirely new way of presenting Shakespeare on screen. It also established Olivier as a strong representative voice for wartime Britain.

OGM: All artsy considerations aside, which movie is your personal favorite?
KB: My personal favorite is Gone with the Wind. I will always credit it for helping me discover the world of classic films, and for making me want to pursue film in college and beyond.

OGM: In your opinion, which film is entirely overrated?
KB: Citizen Kane. It’s not that I don’t respect it, and I love Gregg Toland, the cinematographer, but I suppose any film that’s hailed as “the greatest American film of all time” is bound to annoy someone. It’s a good film (especially technically), but I don’t think it’s the “best” film, and it’s certainly not my favorite film.

OGM: Have you ever walked out of the theatre during a film? If so, what movie was playing?
KB: I don’t think I have, although I’m sure I’ve wanted to on occasion.

OGM: In your mind, what’s the ultimate goal of a movie critic?
KB: Aside from feeding their personal opinions to the masses, I think it’s to educate viewers on how to watch films; how to take notice of certain things that may make a film better or worse, how to see things with a critical eye.

OGM: Time to look into the future. Do you predict any major changes for the movie industry over the next 25 years?
KB: If things continue as they are now, I predict the death of cinema. Just kidding, but I do hope we can somehow go back to writing quality screenplays instead of always trying to pull the wool over people’s eyes with an overabundance of CGI. CGI and new technology are great, but I like to be engaged in the actual story. I like good dialog, good acting, and movies that actually have plots. Every time I run across an aspiring screenwriter, I always tell them to write good scripts. Right now, it really seems like mainstream Hollywood is scraping the bottom of the barrel when it comes to interesting material.

OGM: Here’s another chance to predict the future. Name a relatively unknown actor or actress who’ll be a huge star within five years.
KB: I’m a fan of Ben Whishaw. He was lovely as Sebastian in Brideshead Revisited and brilliant as John Keats in Jane Campion’s Bright Star. I think he’s really talented, and I hope he continues to get quality roles.

OGM: Who’s your favorite movie critic to read?
KB: Roger Ebert. I think he’s a great critic and a courageous person, as well. It’s obvious he loves cinema and I find him very inspiring. My other favorite is Peter Travers from Rolling Stone.