Hollywood Mysteries #53 - Vivien Leigh's Madness, Sadness & Brilliance

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Күн бұрын

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@HollywoodMysteries Ай бұрын

Which of Vivien Leigh’s Oscar winning performances was your favorite, Blanche or Scarlett? Reply to this comment and let me know ! Also I know an image from our Gene Tierney video slipped in this one by mistake, apologies for the mistake. Here’s my video on Gene if you want to see that photo in its rightful place! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnqpnKCYedx_d9ksi=tG_EhxletSQ-hLmK

@TheSaltydog07 Ай бұрын

Blanche

@tracycraft2971 16 күн бұрын

I’ve always loved Vivian Leigh. I remember an article that was written about her where Judy Garland stated she had attended a party weekend at her home. She said that Vivian had a way of making each person feel as though they were the most important person in the room and that she was such a warm and caring person in real life.

@stephaniec3619 Ай бұрын

I love Vivian Leigh! She was such a lovely actress, her life was so tragic, and sad.

@stephaniestanley8041 Ай бұрын

Vivien was in almost every scene in GWTW. At 26, she carried that film on her shoulders. For her efforts, she was only paid 20K.

@morgantylerv9406 Ай бұрын

I absolutely love Vivian Leigh. The voice narrator doing this story has one of the most intriguing voices I've ever heard. 👸❤️🎙♥️

@MyDarkmarc Ай бұрын

Not too many actors or actresses can claim TWO Academy Awards: Leigh's first Academy Award was for what is considered to be one of the greatest roles an actress can have as the immortal Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind (1939, MGM) and her second Academy Award was for her mesmerizing performance as another southern belle as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951, Warner, Brothers). Vivien Leigh had two strikes against her: she was Bi-polar and she suffered bouts of Tuberculosis throughout her life and she would eventually die from the disease on July 8, 1967 at the age of 53 years old. Can you imagine any other actress then Vivien Leigh in the role of Scarlett or Blanche? Most probably not, I cannot see another actress giving a better performance than Vivien did. In her all of her portrayals of her film characters she was: unsentimental, detached, and never giving or asking or expecting any for sympathy. Perhaps she was predestined to make her mark in a film so sprawling, so epic as Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind. Scarlett was not a character that was likeable but she was tenacious, she was determined and she was strong-willed but you wanted to see her come out on top. She was the center of it all when filming Gone With The Wind. Vivien's interpretation of Scarlett O’Hara is perfect - she never hits or makes a false note. We never see acting, we only see the character, as close to a real, living person to any actor could ever create for the screen. Vivien had the unique power of intimacy which kept her performances fresh long after many of her commentaries have faded away. One also has to give Vivien credit for being the main reason why Gone with the Wind is the most famous movie ever. She is in 99% of this 3 and a-half-hour epic, she has to carry this massive production on her shoulders. And boy, does she succeed! Another very interesting aspect of the film is Scarlett's friendship with Olivia de Havilland's role as Melanie Hamilton, they both have great chemistry between the two of them, Vivien is perfect in showing her mixed feelings towards Melanie, her dislike and admiration at the same time. In 1951, Vivien Leigh would receive her second Academy Award for another Southern Belle in A Streetcar Named Desire (Warner Brothers). While Streetcar was a professional triumph for Vivien, playing Blanche took its toll on Leigh’s mental health. Portraying and identifying with someone so near insanity was overwhelming for Leigh as she absorbed Blanche’s psychology in a way that was hard for her to let go of. Later, when she was ill, she would often recite lines from the play. As she put it, “Blanche is a woman with everything stripped away". "She is a tragic figure and I understand her". "But, playing her tipped me into madness.” The fact that both of Vivien Leigh’s Oscar-winning portrayals are some kind of Southern Belles would make it easy to see Blanche DuBois as an alter ego of Scarlett O’Hara but where Scarlett O’Hara had the strength to adjust herself to a new life, to new circumstances and situations, Blanche DuBois is exactly the opposite as she cannot leave the past behind, lets it haunt and torture her, influence her actions and finally breaks her. Vivien Leigh gave a performance that dug so deeply in this character’s mind and portrayed such unforgettable moments, that it is one of a few movie performances that can truly be called a work of art proofing once and for all the greatness of her talent and standing as a symbol for movie acting at its finest.

@syingram6677 Ай бұрын

@@MyDarkmarc EXCELLENT summary! I agree! Actors today don't have that same quality because they are more concerned with establishing a "brand." Viven was a real LEGEND - today we throw out that status out mediocre talent . Hollywood has devolved into crappy remakes with horrible acting. Art is dead - now its just marvel movies or cringe worthy horror movies. Hollywood is no different than the operation of drug cartels. Poisoning people's mind with BS just to make a buck. How pathetic.

@peanut1001x Ай бұрын

Academy awards are meaningless

@nanasewdear Ай бұрын

Very lovely comment. You know a lot about film history. I agree that it must have been both triumphant and frightening to portray Blanche DuBois because of her distinctive knowledge of the character.

@jennifer_moss Ай бұрын

I was just thinking earlier this week that I wanted you to do an episode on Vivien!! Gone With The Wind was my mom's favorite movie, she passed in 2014 so that movie and Vivien (and Clark) mean a lot to me ❤️

@merriemisfit8406 Ай бұрын

About a week before this video posted (and started showing up in the KZbin suggestion queue on my computer screen), I began reading the biography of Vivien Leigh by Anne Edwards. I just ran across it while cleaning up a bit near part of my father's book collection and decided, "I shall work this one into my active reading pile.".

@figmo397 Ай бұрын

People often think of Olivier as one of the greatest actors of all time, but Leigh was at least his equal, if not his superior.

@Cupcake41275 15 күн бұрын

@@figmo397 Correct!

@nanasewdear Ай бұрын

I really enjoy your deep dives into the lives of these performers. I think that Vivien Leigh was a very determined actor and her mental illness breaks my heart. I enjoyed her portrayal of Scarlett and Blanche and I'm curious to see "Fire Over England". It would be interesting to see if her physical and mental issues could be helped today.

@jilltagmorris Ай бұрын

This was really good. Thanks ❤😊

@Sheerkat7 22 күн бұрын

This almost paints Larry as a choirboy when he was an active bi-sexual his whole life. No one asks how his affairs affected her behavior. She's always painted as the problem.

@richardmcleod1930 Ай бұрын

The photograph at 7:44 is Gene Tierney not Vivien Leigh.

@marianmain Ай бұрын

@@richardmcleod1930 I thought it was Gene! I absolutely loved her in Laura and am going to watch it (again) for the millionth time this evening 🥰

@richardmcleod1930 Ай бұрын

@@marianmain I sometimes wonder if they make these mistakes on purpose? Laura is one of my favorite films also. I just watched Waterloo Bridge (with Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor) and found it quite fascinating.

@MadgeGreen Ай бұрын

Gene was another beautiful and talented actress who suffered greatly with mental illness. Perhaps if these women were not placed into such stressful environments, they could have had a better life.

@SuzanneU Ай бұрын

Vivien Leigh was not assaulted with her Oscar. Laurence Olivier said he was insane with jealousy and wanted to beat her over the head with it, bit he didn't actually do it.

@derrionbrown3923 Ай бұрын

I commend you on getting nuanced facts about these actors. A lot of time these videos on KZbin are all sensationalist cash grabs. You seem to really care. Great job 👏🏾 🎉😊

@nyckolaus Ай бұрын

What a story!

@SerenityJamia Ай бұрын

I just watched “A Streetcar Named Desire” and I absolutely LOVED IT. Vivien went through so much. I loved this breakdown on the Queen 🫶🏽. I would love if you could do a breakdown on Joan Crawford? She’s my favorite.

@dancingdingo Ай бұрын

"Frankly my dear...I don't give a damn!" Gone with the Wind

@elinorregina 19 күн бұрын

Excellent work as always, however that was Kim Hunter not Vivien Leigh in the “clowning on set” picture

@anthonyhutchins1441 Ай бұрын

Irene Selznick was David's ex-wife, not his daughter-in-law.

@artistinlederhosen Ай бұрын

yes. she was louis b. mayer’s daughter.

@tracycraft2971 16 күн бұрын

I believe Vivian was amazing as scarlet O’Hara! Not really sure about her winning the Oscar for her role in Street car named desire. It was good, but she was so good in Waterloo Bridge! ❤

@ppena4128 Ай бұрын

@ 7:57 That's Gene Tierney, not Vivian Leigh

@ARue-tru 18 күн бұрын

Leigh was fiery in Gone with the Wind - she would not give up Tara or give in to tragedy & hardship, and in Streetcar Named Desire, she was resigned to her state in life and she depends on the kindness of strangers. (Was not a fan of movie, SND).

@teel714 Ай бұрын

I'm more a fan of Vivien as 'Blanche DuBois' than 'Scarlett O'Hara'. I think that it was a braver and stronger role for her to undertake, given her mental health issues.

@janinemcmahon218 Ай бұрын

Olivier talked about his problem. They didn’t have Viagra back then. He encouraged her to seek out… she loved him fiercely and they say this was the reason for her outbursts. Frustration.

@TheSaltydog07 Ай бұрын

She was bipolar, a price she paid for her brilliance.

@emilien. Ай бұрын

IMO Leigh's bipolar condition was exacerbated by the irresponsible indulgences of others and a primitive understanding and/or ability to effectively treat manic depression. (I use that term in a salute to Jimi Hendrix's 1967 "Are You Experienced?" ode.). Exceptional actress, but wouldn't want to know her personally. [PS: Scotty wasn't just a gas jockey. He had his own infamous reputation.😉😉😉]

@sylviacruz753 Ай бұрын

That was not image of Vivien Leigh it was Gene Tierney

@OceanbornAngel 4 күн бұрын

@@sylviacruz753 Timestamp the image.

@justyne8627 Ай бұрын

That photo about 7:54 in, star holding a coffee cup, is of Gene Tierney. There were many breathtaking dark haired beauties at around the same time. What the helk was in the diet at the time?!