Customer Reviews (19)

BORING BOOK GOOD CONDITION
THIS BOOK WAS NOT GOOD.THE CONDITION AND THE SPEED IN WHICH I RECIEVED IT WAS GREAT.

Amazing Biographer
I love this book! I think a lot of biographies are boring, without a lot of real insight into the person's character. This one was fun and entertaining all the way through, and didn't go on too much with details we don't care about. Great look into a fascinating lady.

like wading through mud
This is very poorly written, which makes reading it quite unpleasant. The prose is plodding and burdened by much unnecessary anecdote. I simply can't finish it, and I'm very disappointed.

Great!!
I love Vivien Leigh, so this book was quite fascinating to me. She certainly had a full life. Sometimes though, I felt a little sorry for her.

Classic example of what a bio should be
VIVIEN is a remarkable biography. Alexander Walker clearly approached his subject with sympathy, but it didn't cloud his objectivity in presenting a portrait of Vivien Leigh that is fair and objective.
Exhaustively researched, Walker had access to Leigh's papers and was able to interview Leigh's family, friends, and contemporaries and flesh out a very real story that resonates with this reader.
Vivien Leigh's story is probably as interesting as her most compelling stage and screen roles. While Leigh had a fairly normal upbringing for an upper middle class girl in her time, she had a restless nature that lead her initially to the theater and later movies and from that point on her life was anything but normal. She had an early marriage which was probably a big mistake as she continued to evolve from a child-wife to an actress. Her only child was raised by her ex-husband. She became Scarlett O'Hara which was a career defining role and married Laurence Olivier after a tempetuous and scandalous affair. Leigh triumphed as an actress and she and Olivier became the 'in' acting couple, but at a certain point things began to unravel at an alarming rate. Plagued by manic depression, miscarriages, and out-of-control behavior, she was involved in numerous infidelities and the marriage to Olivier collapsed. Poor health plagued her and near the end she settled into a quieter life until death claimed her at a relatively early age.
What I particularly liked about this book was the amount of research that Walker did as he approached his subject. There weren't any gaps in time and he was able to document what was going on in Leigh's life at any given time. He managed to get under her skin and I had the feeling that he came to know Leigh better than anyone had on a personal level. I guess it might be said that he was able to put the pieces of Leigh's life together and complete the puzzle.
This book is a biography which reads like a novel, but avoids being judgemental. I'd recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Vivien Leigh or interested in movies and/or movie actors. ... Read more

Product Description
The tempestuous, scandalous love affair of the 20th century's Romeo and Juliet was second in fame and notoriety only to that of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and by many accounts, even more corrupt. Even though the spotlight shone on this famous pair throughout most of their tabloid-fueled careers, much of what went on behind the velvet curtain remained hidden from view until the publication of this ground-breaking biography. For the first time, the sexual excesses and interpersonal anguish of this impossibly famous team of actors are exposed in graphic, sometimes wrenching detail. ... Read more

Product Description
Biography of the actress, Vivien Leigh. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A sympathetic biography of the great movie star
I have read both the Alexander Walker bio of Vivien Leigh, and this bio of Vivien Leigh by Anne Edwards.This book is much more sympathetic in tone toward Miss Leigh.One feels great sadness that such a beautiful and talented star had the misfortune of having manic-depressive illness during a time when very limited treatment options were available.

But one also feels deep sympathy for this great star.She always felt that as a stage actress, she was an inferior talent to her husband Laurence Olivier.However it is generally accepted that Vivien was the far better actress in film than was Olivier.Too bad she never fully appreciated that fact during her lifetime.

not happy
I purchased this book on 12/13/08 for my daughter for Christmas, never received it until 1/8/09.I was suppose to be new, my receipt states new but when the book finally arrived it was missing thecover was old and had writing in it.When I e-mailed the seller they said to return it for a full refund but it's not worth my time at this point, won't order from them again.

Beautiful and Tormented
Scarlett O'Hara will live as long as women dream romantic dreams.And Vivien Leigh, the young woman who won that part in the 1939 movie,"Gone With The Wind,"after a long and brilliant campaign,thereby coming to embodythe dream for as long as celluloid lasts, must be considered one of the world's great beauties.

Yet, as this excellent biography by Anne Edwards makes clear, Leigh's life eventually took on a darker tinge.Anyone simply enjoying her high-spirited flirtatiousness at Scarlett's Tara, or her highly-charged scenes with Clark Gable's Rhett Butler,
could never imagine the ultimate sadness of her life.

Like almost any other beautiful woman who's ever been queried on the subject, Leigh did not think herself beautiful. She thought her hands too big, her neck too long, her legs too fat.And though she gave the world superlative performances on stage as Ophelia and Cleopatra, and onscreen in "That Hamilton Woman," and "A Streetcar Named Desire," as well as "Gone With The Wind," she never felt herself to be a good actress.

She also never thought herself worthy of Laurence Olivier, the Prince of English Players, whom she won, as lover and husband, after another long and brilliant campaign and a notorious love affair.

Leigh once spent six hours in a dress-fitting session, insisting the designer hide her "too-long" neck: clearly, she thought she had to be perfect.

She loved Olivier with a passionate, tremulous intensity, and felt their life together must also be perfect.If he was the Prince, then the King of Players,she must be the Queen. So she deprived herself --and us--of numerous film parts, making movies only when she needed the money.She hid her Oscar for "Gone With The Wind" until Olivier had one of his own, and so would no longer be jealous.She, in fact, stayed with him regardless, while he thought only of his career.

Mind you, he repaid her love and loyalty for many years, staying with her even after her serious emotional problems became apparent.She drank too much, smoked too much, worked too hard, and slept too little.

Friends and family learned to chart the terrible manic/depressive cycles.She'd fight the onset of her attacks courageously, then be overwhelmed-- scream obscenities and groundless accusations against her friends.Tear her clothes off and have to be physically restrained.She fantasized "guiltless sex" with working class men, made advances to taxi drivers and delivery men.She identified herself so strongly with Blanche du Bois, her part in "Streetcar Named Desire," that she used Blanche's dialogue as her own, without realizing it.

The treatments prescribed for her illness were as terrible as the attacks; electroshock, immersion of her body in ice, then in water as hot as she could stand.However, she never lost her courage, even after Olivier left her for another woman.Her final illness left an important part open for Elizabeth Taylor in "Elephant Walk."

Edwards has handled Leigh's life with remarkable sensitivity amd perception.She's fair to Leigh, and to the other people in her life, most especially Olivier.Her language is sometimes lazy-- how many times can you describe Olivier as "manly," or say that Leigh "had never looked more beautiful," but I have to say, this is that rare book that's even better than its jacket promises. ... Read more

Product Description
‘I will play Scarlett O'Hara' she said, even while the novel of Gone with the Wind was being reviewed – and she did. While a barrister's wife with an infant daughter she saw a handsome actor and immediately announced ‘I will marry him' – and she did. From 1940 until they divorced in 1960 Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were the ‘royal' couple of the stage in two continents, yet were steadily being consumed by Vivien's manic depression which led her into follies and affairs.

Drawing on the memories and anecdotes of her family, friends and fellow players, as well as on his own conversations with Vivien just before her death, Alexander Walker has written the definitive biography ofVivien Leigh. ... Read more

Product Description
Vickers makes use of hundreds of interviews to convey a portrait of the controversial actress. He portrays a woman more believable than in previous accounts. ... Read more

Product Description
A Vivien Leigh figure and 28 costumes from a dozen films, all in full color on heavy stock, provide an incredibly life-like rendering of the enchanting actress and recapture a part of the shimmering magic which marked her entire career. Introduction.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Just Beautiful
Tom Tierney's "Vivien Leigh Paper Dolls in Full Color" recreates all the highlights of this beautiful woman's long career.Fans of "Gone With the Wind" will love the costumes from this film (8 in total, but it's a pity that the ruffled white gown from the first scene is not one of them).Other excellent illustrations feature costumes from "Waterloo Bridge", "Caesar and Cleopatra", "Anna Karenina" and "A Streetcar Named Desire".
The style of illustration is classic early Tierney, with bold use of colour and superb line work.The doll closely resembles the more mature Vivien Leigh.
The plates in this book are worthy of framing!

Where is theRed Dress?
Where is that infamous red dress from Gone with the Wind. I looked from the front to the back, thinking that I had missed it to the back to front. Kudos to adding outfits from obscure movies like A Yank at Oxford, but that adds more to the question, "Where is the red dress?"

A Must Have for Vivien Leigh Fans!
I am a HUGE fan of Vivien Leigh who collects her films and biographies. This was a terrific addition to my collection. The dolls and outfits are beautifully drawn, and capture various film roles including Gone with the Wind. There are even outfits in the book from never-before-released-on-video The Deep Blue Sea. Since many of her films were in black and white, it is interesting to see outfits from those films colorized. ENJOY!

Vivien Leigh is hard to capture in image...
I love paper dolls and always have!I found this book to be wonderful. Ithink Vivien Leigh's beauty is hard to capture exactly, though, and I'veseen some terrible images of her in other books. But, all in all, this bookis a winner! I just wish the creator would become familiar with anotherincredibly beautiful and talented young lady by the name of Natalia Melony, and create a paper doll of her! I think if she had been born back then,she would have given Vivien some real competition for the role of Scarlett! Paper doll lovers, I don't think you can go wrong purchasing this. And ifyou are a Gone With The Wind buff, you will treasure it for yourcollection.By the way, I was named after one of Scarlett's sisters! -Careen O'Brian

A must for Leigh fans
This is the first of Tom Tierney's paper doll books I bought--probably a decade and a half ago!--and I've become a big fan of his paper dolls in general for their beauty and accuracy.Unlike many of his later paperdolls (Garbo, Joan Crawford, etc.) the Vivien Leigh book contains only one"doll," and the likeness, while good, doesn't quite capture herincredible beauty.(Do, however, note the brunette doll in hisSouthernBelle paper doll book, who is a dead ringer for Leigh--perhaps Tierneydecided to have another go?) This book contains many costumes from _Gonewith the Wind_--the green-sprigged dress, green velvet "drapery"dress, scandalous red dress, and mourning dress from the Atlanta bazaarsequence among them.There are also plenty of beautiful costumes from manyof VL's other movies (including two from Waterloo Bridge and two fromStreetcar).The color in some editions is a little washed-out (I have gonethrough several copies over the years!) but fans of Vivien Leigh and GWTWshould really enjoy this.I only wish it could have contained _all_ VL'scostumes from GWTW. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Worth The Wait
I had been looking for this book for years as I'm a huge Vivien Leigh fan so to finally find it and have it arrive in such a quick time after the long wait was worth it.I'm eating up every page of it and finding out interesting tidbits about the classic romantic couple that I didn't know and refreshing myself on things I did already.It's like I'm there with them and getting to know them a bit each page, right in the same room.Great read, I highly recommend this to anyone who knows Vivian is more than just Scarlett O' Hara and Blanche Dubois but the beautiful person who also suffered in her own way but found happiness in the arms and life of the one she truly loved, Sir Laurence Olivier.

Beautifully told tale of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh
I really enjoyed reading this book. Some biographies get a bit dull in the details, but this book told the tale in very interesting tidbits from people who knew both actors. Lasky's details are superb regarding Vivien's manic depressive psychosis and lets readers get the feel for the disease by telling what Vivien did and said that showed the psychosis, rather than just saying she has manic depression/bipolar.

I'm studying bipolar and unipolar depression in actresses and did not know until I read an earlier biography that Vivien had it. She's been one of my favorite actresses, along with Marilyn Monroe, who I'm also studying regarding her depression. Lasky does a very good depiction of bipolar in this book that leaves a reader without any doubt of its nature.

Love Scene has many photos, which also tell the tale, and interviews with people who knew the couple closely, including directors, producers and other actors and actresses. A fast read and one that gives an eye view into theatre and cinema. You won't have any doubt this couple was made for each other by reading this book. The bipolar finally is Vivien's undoing when she, in a manic episode, makes an unfortunate comment on camera about Olivier that he can't forgive.

A sad but lovely story. ... Read more

Product Description
"Scarlett O’Hara was not beautiful, but men seldom realized it when caught by her charm" Margaret Mitchell opened Gone with the Wind with this description of Scarlett O’Hara, but her words can hardly be applied to Vivien Leigh, the British actress who gave an unforgettable performance as the Southern belle. Leigh possessed a beauty that men seldom failed to recognize and a charm that caught many, but her life was far from being all beauty and charm.

This biography of the beautiful and tortured actress, from her birth and childhood in exotic India to her premature death in 1967, gives special attention to her development and career as a stage and film actress (which culminated in one Tony award and two Oscars). Her ambitious personality and her manic-depressive illness, including the sexual compulsion that haunted her life, her romantic and tragic marriage to Laurence Olivier, and her performances in, for instance, Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire, are all detailed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Not the best....
I am a big Vivien Leigh fan and was excited to see a new biography of her.However, I was disappointed.There was not a lot of new material presented.I also felt Leigh was drawn rather negatively.It was not a "hit piece," but it was not terribly sympathetic.

Vivien Leigh was not an angel by any means, but much of her behavior could be explained by her mental illness.I thought the writer should have stressed that more.

Finally, for the price I paid, I felt the book itself wasn't worth it.The pictures were decent, but not having a separate, glossy-papered photo section detracted from them greatly.

As a fan, I recommend Alexander Walker's "Vivien" as the best Vivien Leigh biography I have read.

Still waiting
Still waiting for a biography acknowledging what I think was her real underlying problem. Tuberculosis. Suffered from it nearly her whole life long. Aggravated it by smoking heavily, etc. TB KILLED her (in 1967??). Medications prescribed at the time could cause psychotic reactions. Add that to a highly intelligent, driven, complex personality, miscarriages, grueling work schedules, marital problems ... that doesn't up to mental illness to me. Particularly since she rarely missed any performances. Just not possible. Someday, one author won't put the cart before the horse and give this remarkable woman her due.

Only Fair
I really like the cover photo of this book. However, the other photos
are not high quality printing. It looks like a photocopied book of another bookThe text is interesting too read I don't think the use of profanity in the book is necessary at all.Vivien Leigh is a complex, beautiful person and this book barely does justice to her.

There are better biographies
This short biography of Vivien Leigh will satisfy those looking for information about the bare bones of Vivien Leigh's career and some of the tabloid gossip surrounding her life but it never comes close to understanding who Vivien Leigh really was, what made her tick, and what made her a great star.

The problem with this biography is that it merely quotes verbatim what other biographies have already written, and when it does not it paraphrases. There is nothing to suggest the author thought deeply about his subject, no assessment of her achievements and flaws, no evaluation and little description- the information is regurgitated and presented like a high school research project. It fails in getting to the crux of Vivien's illness, her manic depression, or explaining her conflict with religious upbringing, or her worship for Laurence Olivier and the grand romancisatiion of their affair. There is scant meaningful historical context to go by, which, in a biography of someone who died almost 40 years ago, is everything to someone reading today.The writing style is also woefully adolescent, a fact you may have to forgive given this is a translation. For those looking for photographs, the selection is disappointingly stingy.

However, thankfully there are better biographies out there. I recommend Alexander Walker's excellent haunting portrayal of Vivien.

Not what I thought it would be
I bought this used and i'm glad I did. I wasn't completly happy with it. The book seemed to be a quick insight of Vivien Leigh's life. Also I was aware she did alot of Shakespeare play's but I thought it focused alot on this soley. Yes, it's good to know, but I like books that focus on "the life" of a star not more on the play's. I almost couldn't keep up with all the traveling talk either. Just happy I didn't spend the actuall cost of this book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Obsolete now; a period piece
This book has been lionized as a labor of love, and I suppose it is-- a certain fondness approaching idolatry appears in every chapter.For all that, and despite a promising first chapter where we're introduced to Vivien as she meets David Selznick at the "burning of Atlanta" and he realizes he's found his Scarlett!-- this is a dull book.

but worse than that for anyone really interested in her life, it's a book missing very important facts.That's not Edwards' fault-- of all the people she acknowledges at the end of the book, Laurence Olivier, Viv's second husband and the man who was there as her manic-depressiveness began to take over, is not listed.Olivier did not speak much about Vivien until after he'd written his won two volumes of autobiography, in the 80s.(On Acting and its companion).

So, the notorious affair with Peter Finch, for example, is not described, or worse-- described as just a mild flirtation.Far too much is missing from the biography.

Alexander Walker's book VIVIEN, published after both Olivier and Leigh were dead, is a much better choice, and its style is also far more comprehensive.Walker spends less time speculating and more time grounding his ideas with citations and sources.There's also a book coming out in the spring of 2003 which promises to be complete.

In short, this must have been a very welcome book in 1977, 10 years after Viv's death, but it's obsolete now.I gave it two stars because in its time it did represent a great deal of labor and research, and the writing style works hard (unsuccessfully, for me) to keep the reader engaged.But for anyone who really needs to research her life and the lives of the many famous people in her life, it's missing too much.

As Stunning as the Lady Herself
"Gone With The Wind" is my all-time favorite movie, which I've seen probably a million times now. I "blame" Vivien Leigh for the movie's success and for being so strong in my heart. Besides being the mostbeautiful woman I've ever seen, Vivien's acting is so wonderful, you reallybelieve she IS Scarlett O'Hara. At least, she always will be for me. BUT,little did anyone know Ms. Leigh's hidden secret -- her mental illness,which made her success all the more enthralling. Despite bouts of"craziness" and bouts of fear so great she hid in corners, Leighbecame America's sweetheart. Her portrayal of Scarlett was one of a womanyou love and hate. Folks note in the biography that after Vivien got overone of her "crazy" spells, she was so kind to everyone and quickto apologize that everyone just loved her and felt the need to protect herall the more. This book is wonderful in its portrayal of mental illnesswhile describing the star's romantic life with star Laurence Olivier -- wholater leaves her because he can't handle her mental instability. This wasall before medication could have brought some dignity back to this diva'slife. Author Edwards sure did her homework in describing a true lady whostruggled to succeed while struggling for her life. ... Read more

Product Description
Just to say the name Vivien Leigh invokes two quick images to anyone familiar with motion pictures--Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche DuBois. Yet, Vivien Leigh did not want to be remembered wholly for her screen performances in Gone with the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire. The author of this comprehensive bio-bibliography brings Miss Leigh's life, performances on stage and screen, and accomplishments into a single reference source. A listing of her stage, television and radio appearances, as well as a discography accompany the biography, a chronology and a filmography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great reference on Vivien Leigh
This book is very expensive, but is a must have for serious Vivien Leigh fans or for the researcher. The book contains only 2 photographs of Miss Leigh but is jam packed with information about the actress. The beginning of the book consists of a concise 110 page biography. Surprisingly, the biography contained information I did not know about the actress. Molt includes some rare information about the late actress. The other sections that make up this 303 page book are Chronology, Stage Appearance, Filmography, Unrealized Projects (very interesting), Awards & Nominations, Videography, Radio Appearances, TV Appearances, Discography, Collectibles, Bibliography (great books included), Archives, and Posthumous Tributes. I highly recommend this book; it will not disappoint! ... Read more

Product Description
Weidenfeld & Nicolson, copyright 1987 with 342 pages. This edition has black & white photographs. "My birth sign is Scorpio and they eat themselves up and burn themselves out. I swing between happiness and misery. I am part prude and part nonconformist. I say what I think and I don't pretend and I am prepared to accept the consequences of my actions." Vivien Leigh When Vivien Leigh died in 1967, headlines around the world proclaimed, "Scarlett O'Hara is Dead!" Based on previously unpublished interviews with her friends, family, and colleagues, as well as with Vivien Leigh herself. With its telling anecdotes, fascinating insights, and unforgettable glimpses into Hollywood's heday. ... Read more

Product Description
'Leigh discovers her mother, gorgeous Irishmen, and a possible acting career during one great summer!' -Kate Cann, bestselling author of Grecian Holiday Leigh can think of a million ways she'd rather spend a summer besides visiting her movie star mother, Annika. But her dad insists the two need some 'mother/daughter bonding time,' and packs fifteen-year-old Leigh off to Ireland, where she'll be her mom's personal assistant on the set of her latest film, 'Danny Boy.' It could be worse. Leigh's mother may be a distant, self-absorbed diva, but the hot young co-star Sean has a brogue to die for, and things heat up when Leigh lands a bit-part in the movie. Soon, Leigh and Annika are sharing scenes, scripts-and the spotlight-and the leading lady is regarding her daughter's youth and beauty as a threat. With tensions rising on the set, Annika and Leigh must finally grow into their most demanding roles: mother and daughter. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Just right about teens and their parents
There's a genre out there now about teens and their parents, often set in difficult situations of divorce or widowhood. I guess this one is divorce, because the mother is a small-time movie star who left the 15-year-old girl's accountant father years earlier. Now for some reason the dad sends her daughter to go stay with her mother for the summer. Daughter of the Diva manages to be tamer than prime time TV, while still showing rebellious and conflicted emotions on the part of the daughter, and the balance of self-centeredness and parental concern on the part of the mother, in an engaging story. There's no point going further into the details -- for that, just enjoy the book. I can warmly recommend it though, for daughters (and sons) and their dads and moms -- each can read it and then have fun talking about it together.

Fun book even for an adult!
I am a 41 year old mother of 3 teenagers and was fortunate to have purchased this book at a thrift store.

Although it is a teen book, I really enjoyed the fun storyline of a somewhat defiant, lonely girl with divorced parents who she lives with her father.

She is sent to spend the summer with her mother where her mother is filming a movie.

The story ventures thru the trials of mother/daughter strained relationships and a priveledge to be asked to be in the movie.

I've recommended it to my 13 year old who would enjoy it just as me!Fun!

Great teen chick lit.
I was pleasantly surprised at how great this book was. It's what can be a semi-serious topic but was written so well that you laugh along with the unpleasantness and awkwardness of seeing Leigh visit with her mom for the first time.
I will definitely read the next in the series.

sharing the spotlight with... mom?
Leigh is sent off to Ireland for the summer to spend the summer with her actress mother, Annika Anderson,where her mother is currently starring in the upcoming film Danny Boy, and where she is expected to have "mother-daughter bonding time" while being her mother's personal assistant.Leigh excepts to spend her time there being bored, but Sean, her mother's twenty-one-year-old, and hot, co-star, and her bit part in the movie make the summer a little more interesting.But Annika doesn't want to share the spotlight with her newbie, unexperienced daughter, and tension gets even higher between them.Annika and Leigh have to learn to separate the actor sides of themselves from their roles as mother and daughter.This book, though it emphasizes mother-daughter relationships, is far from cheesy, and teaches good life lessons while still entertaining.

Great but...
This book was good. It was about Leigh, a girl with a movie star mom. She rarely sees her mom, and doesn't like her. Thats the part I didn't like. Leigh constantly thinks about how she hates her mom! I was annoyed about some parts of the book, it was too cruel for a kids book. Its not fun reading about a girl who wants to strangle her mom! I know its about a teenager and the rough stages she goes through...but still.
Everything else was good, I thought it was funny and creative! I learned a lot of Irish stuff! The book takes place in Ireland, where Leighs mom, Anika, is filming a movie. Leigh imediatly falls in love with an Irish boy named Sean. Before she knows it, Leigh lands a small part in the movie, Sean's sister Sinedad! She soon learns that acting is harder than it looks! I better not say anymore! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Remembering Vivien Leigh
Alan Dent was a friend of Vivien's, and was close (and professional) enough to give unfavorable reviews on occasion and still remain as such. This book is a tribute to the woman he knew. It is not to be mistaken for a biography, although it presents the whole span of Vivien Leigh's life. The book's structure is unique, and is really like a present, or a well-constructed presentation -- the kind one sees at Lifetime Achievement Awards ceremonies.

For the purpose of the review I have divided the book into two parts.

PART 1 is Vivien as presented through her letters and various written/spoken accounts from her friends. Dent sent a questionnaire to those who knew Vivien, requesting that they respond and thus contribute to his project. The result is a wholesome work with participation from colleagues such as George Cukor, Lauren Bacall, David Niven and Olivia de Havilland, as well as the many and diverse persons within Vivien's social circle, some of whom knew her intimately, and others who were acquaintances. Part 1 is a rare, incomparable section devoted entirely to the memory of Vivien Leigh.

PART 2 is Vivien the actress. There are two chapters devoted to her craft, entitled "The Screen Actress" and "The Stage Actress." Through a reviewer's eye, Dent goes through each of Leigh's performances on screen as well as on stage. Vivien loved her craft and cherished her professional experiences. It was the one thing she could always count on, although the end results were not always positive. In this portion of the book, Dent is not critical... the tone is more of a recollecting one, remembering the times he shared with his friend.

Lastly, I will say that this is a very good item to have, especially if you're a fan. As I've said before, this is a presentation of and for Vivien. There are no judgments and no attempts at explaining the actress. There is a wide array of emotions, because Vivien had her well-known ups and downs. But in the end, it is pretty much an open book and you can take what you will, no more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

In Australia with Viv and Larry (and Peter)
A really enjoyable book, novelised from the TV series of the same name about the 1948 Olivier-Leigh tour to Australia with the Old Vic, when Larry was supermarket famous but the equally starry Vivien was becoming increasingly fragile. Then Peter Finch comes on the scene as a potential buffer for the marital fights, but also as an aspiring actor who could be given his big break by association with the world's most glamourous romantic couple. Is Olivier genuinely fond of Vivien or calculating? Is she really suffering deeply or trying to retain his attention? You can enjoy this fictionalisation as star gossip (as I do), but I most enjoyed O'Connor's brilliant probing of the mechanics of the private and public relationships between lovers who are also great actors.He shows them 'performing' their romance, mixing up ambition and personal desires, snapping in and out of role onstage and off.We are never sure if the characters are 'genuine' in their interactions or giving another (geninely great) performance, and neither really do they. Their tragedy and their survival equipment come wrapped up in one perplexing package. Not to be missed by fans of theatre or by students of what Diderot called 'the paradox of the actor'. Which is relevant to non-actors as well: amateur performers of ourselves in our many roles who might show occasional brilliance. ... Read more