Isn’t it nice to know that, a full year after the fanfare surrounding Vivien Leigh’s centenary, her contributions to popular culture are still being celebrated? Because that’s exactly what’s happening in England next month.
London-based event company Fashion & Cinema is hosting “Dressing Vivien Leigh” a series of talks and screenings focused on Vivien’s relationships with costume designers. On Friday, December 5, V&A curator Keith Lodwick will be presenting on this very topic. Having been to a few of Keith’s lectures in the past, I’d highly recommend attending this one. This will be followed by screenings of The Roman Spring of Mrs Stone (Saturday, December 6) and A Streetcar Named Desire (Sunday, December 7). The screenings will be introduced by myself and Tennessee Williams biographer John Lahr, author of the National Book Award-nominated Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh.
For the full program, including times and locations, please see the schedule on the Fashion & Cinema website. I’m so excited to have been invited to participate in this event. It’s a great way to introduce different aspects of Vivien’s career, as well as to meet new people and sell books (signings or Mad Pilgrimage and Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait will follow the respective screenings – hopefully).
If you’re in London from the 5th-7th of December, please consider attending. It’ll be a great time!
Tickets are currently on sale. Hope to see you there!
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Another great post, Kendra. I wish I could be there to hear your introduction to “The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone” … I know it’s not your favorite of Vivien’s films, and I’d love to hear what you have to say about it. I know you will be kind but never less than completely forthcoming with your true feelings! Still, I wonder if your opinion of it has changed at all since the last time we discussed it. I didn’t fully appreciate it when I was younger, but now it’s one of my favorites of Vivien’s performances. If anyone records your comments in these introductions I really hope you will post them here on your website. At any rate, good luck with it … you’re the perfect person to do this!
DAVID
PS: Tell John Lahr he owes you one … thanks to this post, I ordered a copy of his Tennessee Williams book!
I’ll tell John Lahr, David! And I’ll post the text to my RSMS intro. My feelings about the film haven’t changed much. It’s still not one of my favorites, but I appreciate Vivien’s performance and the way she wasn’t afraid to look “older” because it suited the character.
PS, very nice to hear from you!
Hey Kendra … Can’t wait to read what you had to say about Mrs. Stone! I wish Mr. Lahr had had more to say about her … at least as far as Vivien was concerned. I’m enjoying his Tennessee Williams book very much, and I agree with all the praise it’s received, but I’ve been disappointed there isn’t more about Vivien in it. Her name is mentioned very briefly only three times, and there’s nothing about Tennessee Williams’ opinion of her performances in ‘Streetcar’ (play OR film) or her role as Mrs. Stone. Of course, TW’s feelings in this regard are on record elsewhere, but I expected a book of this magnitude would have delved into that a bit. Still, it’s an interesting read and I’m enjoying it very much, so thanks for the tip!
Hope you have a great Christmas, Kendra … all the best to you as always!
DAVID