“She often reminded me of a bird of paradise. Now perhaps she can find her own.” — Noel Coward in a letter to Laurence Olivier following Vivien Leigh’s death
Vivien Leigh November 5, 1913–July 7, 1967
Vivandlarry.com will be celebrating both Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier’s contributions to pop culture this weekend by hosting the Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier Appreciation blogathon. Be sure to get signed up if you want to participate as a blogger!
A beautiful woman and a great actress. I will always miss her, she was special.
Vivien was Lady Olivier for EXACTLY twenty years,as Larry was knighted on this day in 1947.Spooky!!
I just watched “A Streetcar Named Desire” again last night. I always amazed each time I watch it at Vivien’s performance. I believe it to be one of the greatest performances ever captured on film.
.An highly complex , tormented and magnetic woman, an artist, a natural star.Larry never forgot her nor will movie audiences all over the world. I do hope she is at peace now.
Kendra, Noel Coward’s tender quote sums up Vivien Leigh so well. I’ve been so hideously busy (but with happy things, too, like swimming with my daughter now that school’s out for summer!) that I’ve been terribly remiss in keeping up with your wonderful blog. I don’t think I could do Viv and Larry justice in any blog post of my own (I’m such a Yank! :-)). If my dear mother were still with us, she’d have plenty to say about Vivien Leigh, especially since she particularly liked GONE WITH THE WIND and A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, but all I’d be able to provide would be an anecdote or two at best. In any case, I look forward to reading the contributions from those participating in the Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier Appreciation Blogathon!
Vivien was so breathtakingly beautiful that she didn’t have to be one of the best actresses of all time; but she was. Her Blanche DuBois and Olivia de Havilland’s “The Heiress” are the two greatest performances of all time. Nobody could play Southern women as well as Vivien- not Geraldine Page, not Joanne Woodward, not even the great Bette Davis. I was 24 when she died and I’ve been missing her ever since.