The Secret Life Of Vivien Leigh 

Nobody could’ve played Scarlett O’Hara anywhere near the way she did…..you’ll never be forgotten Ms Leigh♥️♥️♥️

Imagine being put in boarding school when you are six years old, a baby, then not seeing your mother for two years. That would scar anyone.

Vivian Leigh was Scarlet O’Hara! No one else could have been so perfect!

Very sad, considering we now have a cure for tuberculosis and medication for bipolar disorder. A manic episode can be so bad that it turns into a psychotic break. A depressive phase can be completely debilitating. She suffered the lowest of the low and the highest of the high, in her short life.

She truly was a uncommonly striking beauty!

She was the most beautiful actress I ever saw on screen. I saw Gone With the Wind when I was about 12 or 13 and like zillions of other young girls, I dreamed of being as beautiful and talented like her. I was completely unaware that she was ill, because she portrayed the strong and beautiful Scarlett so convincingly. No one else could have done that part 100% like Vivien Leigh. May she be happy in heaven ❤

She was a brilliant actress & she also was stunningly beautiful. It must have been a nightmare living with this condition & those around her. Very sad 😢

Even being on bi-polar medication all the time does not always get rid of all the symptoms - it just makes it easier to live with the illness.

Such an amazing actress, no one could be Scarlett or Blanche. Those roles belonged to her only. Rest with the Angels sweet Vivling.

I remember reading ..that after her outbreaks..she would be mortified that she had upset or said inappropriate things she would send them gifts with notes of apologies

I think Vivian Leigh was one of the greatest actresses ever. She sure left an indelible impression on this young 12 year old girl the first time I saw Gone with the Wind in the theatre. That was 53 years ago! and I still feel the same way today.❤️❤️❤️

You did a respectful and compassionate job on this video, it's not easy describing her life. ❤

It breaks my heart to watch this. Mental illness is one of the saddest things in the world.

My mother was severely bipolar and I remember her screaming our names all night until we answered her. It was hard to endure that as a kid.

It's hard enough dealing with bipolar disorder now, but think about how hard it was before there was medication to help control it!

I never knew all of this, so very sad indeed. Beautiful lady battling demons her entire life... I really find this narrator to be my favorite on this channel. Your voice and accent fit perfect with the story and music. Thanks for these wonderful videos.

My young wife was the most vibrant person, just fun to be around. We came home from shopping one day and we were putting groceries away when she screamed. I turned around to see her frantic. "What is it", I asked. "A rat!" she said. I looked where she was pointing, there was nothing there. When I looked back at her she shouted, "Can't you see it?" and made a gesture to show me how big it was. It was the size of a basset hound to her. I stepped forward and hugged her, telling her it was okay, she was safe. She was shaking so hard her body was convulsing. In a few moments her eyes cleared and she laughed nervously. Within five years the beautiful, vibrant, fun person I married was replaced with a paranoid, vengeful, unfaithful wretched person. I miss that time before we lost her to mental illness.

Very well done. Thank you. Made me cry for her lost beauty and sanity.

She was incredibly talented, ill, and tormented. Her life was indeed tragic. However, her beauty and talent was extraordinary. She earned 2 Oscars and did not make many films. Her stage career was legendary. For me, the fact that stands out is that she arguably delivered the single best motion picture performance by any actor/actress in almost 4 hour movie where she is in almost every scene. I cannot think of any performer that could have pulled such an incredible achievement. I try to consider her contribution to movies and that makes her one of favorite movie actress. Her deeply flawed and tormented personal life with mental illness is to be considered truly tragic for her and those people in her life.

Her only child, Suzanne Farrington was virtually abandoned by her and led a sad life growing up that was filled with nannies, boarding schools and housekeepers. Fortunately, she married a fine man early in her life, had three sons and led a quiet life filled with a loving family life, good friends and stability. She rarely acknowledged Vivien when asked and chose not to speak harshly about what surely must have been a heartbreaking situation.

Lee Marvin actually kept the high-heeled shoe that Vivien Leigh struck him with in Ship of Fools.

It seems to me that show business tends to attract broken souls. They say there is a fine line between genius and madness. Many of the stories coming out of the theatre or Hollywood support this belief. Vivien Leigh is no exception. I loved Gone with the Wind, but even more so the tragic "Waterloo Bridge."

Incredibly beautiful,...she was born to play scarlett O'Hara ....

A truly great, beautiful actress who was the perfect Scarlett. So very sad about her disorders. My sister had bi-polar and it is a strange thing to witness and even try to understand what to do. Anyway, she's at rest as is Lawrence. Thank you for a heartfelt story of her life!!

Just heartbreaking..

My Mom, while alive, suffered from bipolar. When she was in the up swing, she would go on a cleaning jag. But when she hit the down swing, she would say and do things, that she wouldn't remember. My Mom hated my brother's first ex-wife, but when she had her down swing, she told my brother that she felt sorry for his first wife, and said something like, "I can see why she left you." For the record, his first wife left him, because she was cheating on him with his then best friend, whom she would go on to marry. When I spoke to my Mom after she went back to normal, she said she didn't remember anything, then called my brother to apologize.

No one else could have played Scarlett O'Hara. The same with Clark Gable as Rhett Butler. Poor Vivien, how she must have suffered and struggled with being bipolar.

Vivien Leigh is one of my all time favourite actresses and an absolute star. What a sad life she had with bipolar disorder and TB but she was incandescent on the silver screen.

What a sad, confusing life Vivien led 😢 Gone with the wind is my all time favourite film ❤

I met Lord Laurence Olivier just out of the National Portrait Gallery in London, England in 1984. We went for drinks but I was distressed He was an old man, I did not know who he was. He was very nice but a bit full of himself as I am very polite and proper I didn't say anything. Later on we went to a restaurant but I had enough of that old man, little did I know, he gave me the name Allan Heider. I will always remember and today I remember phoning him from Montreal as I had made the drawing he wanted. He knew right away who I was he was driving up north of England to film a movie. It was a weird encounter but today when I think about it, it is a story that nobody can tell. He was nice, a bit full of himself, very insecure and had forgotten he was an older man. The experience was nice and I have nothing bad to say about him. He told me my eyes reminded him of his past wives, this was Vivian Leigh, he told me she was cuckoo. Today I understand.❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

I have great respect for her achievements knowing how much she suffered.

When Larry was married to Vivien, he wanted to be as there for her. So, Larry, was offered a role that was going to be away from her. He refused it. Instead, took the role for Weathering Heights, I believe. This way, he was working in the same studio as Vivien. He was so in love with her.

Wonderful essay, beautifully narrated. Thank you.

Great episode with great narrator

My mother is bipolar. It’s been a nightmare from hell! She made my grandparents lives miserable. She made my childhood an absolute nightmare! She is in her late 70s now. I no longer speak to her. Luckily for her, my stepfather has dedicated the rest of his life to being her maid. The nastier and meaner and crazier she behaves, the more he feels he needs to take care of her. I had dealt with it too long and I just never want to hear from her again.

Very sad and, yet, very sweet. The ending was beautiful. 😍

Actually when Vivien first saw Olivier on stage he was not a rising star he was already probably England’s most famous and successful actor. I don’t think all the critics savaged Vivien’s performance but Kenneth Tynan was famously and apparently unjustly scathing of Vivien for a reason no one has ever seemed to understand. She certainly suffered greatly due to her bipolar disorder and her films were all too few but I don’t think anyone could have played Scarlett better than she did, she saw so much of herself in Margaret Mitchell’s character. I also don’t think anyone could have understood the character of Blanche Dubois as well as Vivien, she had lived those experiences. She was unique in cinema and I can’t think of another star that was anything like her.

Thanks again to my favourite narrator 😊

I'm seriously in tears right now. I had no idea the love between Olivier and Vivien was so deep and soulful.

Streetcar Named Desire's Blanche DuBois... in my opinion, her best role,. I had no idea she was bipolar disorder and her insatiable affairs...explains her believable performance of Blanche. I love this actress.

She was such an amazing actress. How sad that she had to suffer from her mental illness so severely. It also lost her the love of her life, Lawrence Olivier.

She was so beautiful and she was the perfect Scarlett ...

I’m bipolar. I’m on medication, thankfully, but it wasn’t available for Vivien. I find that I get worse when under stress. I am nowhere near as bad as she was. I feel bad for her, and I hope that she is in peace now.

Now I want to rewatch Gone With The Wind; One of my favorite movies and novels. Took me a while to read it at an early age after I saw the movie. I was transported back in time and lived as Scarlett only for a brief moment. Loved you Miss Vivien Leigh. 💝

I can't imagine what she went through

oh, thank you, so much. i'm really grateful to her for her kindness and courage as a wonderful actress.

Now I understand a bit more about bi-polar. My mother had this. She used to belt into me & I could never undrstand what I did wrong. One time she belt my face with a thong, making my face black & blue with bruises. Because of my mum's behaviour I grew up with low self esteem because of all these beatings from her. Watching this has helped me understand that nothing was my fault. Mum had no control over what she was doing. I remember her being put in hospital many a time. Back in those days we were told. "Oh, it's just nerves!" This video has just been a major revelation to me. I have to forgive my mum. And try & heal myself of the damage her outbursts caused me. Here I am 77 years & finally understand what has been going on all my life. Because I grew up in a home where violence was the norm. I ended up in 3 abusive marriages. Now I am finally on my own & have freedom at last. And able to peace it all together. This video brought flash backs to things that happened between my mum & me. Thank you for posting it. In a some what weird way this will help me to heal.❤🙏🙏

Vivien Leigh will always be my favorite actress of all time! I still love her today! I just wish she would have been well instead of so sick. Poor lady, and I know she is not alone, many people have these terrible problems.

GWTW costar Olivia de Havilland said she thought Vivien Leigh was extraordinary when it came to acting. She said that between scenes, Leigh would do something like play poker with the men on the film crew, then suddenly be called for the filming of a scene. Olivia said Leigh would get up, go to where she was supposed to stand, and immediately get into the character of Scarlett and do the scene perfectly in one take. Then go back to her card game!

you’ll never be forgotten Ms Leigh🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

She was as stunningly beautiful as she was spectacularly talented. And she bore such a burden.

She was indeed amazing in the movie.Gone with the wind but I really loved her the most in the movie street car

I love this thoughtful, compassionate biography you have shared with us on one of my favorite actresses of all time. As a person who is taking medicine for my own issues, I can relate. Such a life filled with praise, love and personal demons. Vivian left a mark on all of her fans.

Vivien's last home was a couple of miles across the fields from where I'm writing this, in the Weald of Sussex. I often drive past the end of the lane which leads down to Tickerage Mill, and I always think of her there, living out her last years in that beautiful setting. Olivier was a regular visitor (its only half an hours drive from Brighton). The parties she threw at the Mill could be quite wild, and still remembered by the older inhabitants of the nearby village.

She was the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.

I had extreme nervous problems in my 20's, and to ward them off I would down a few beers. This calmed me down but actually got me worse. My problems became even worse and I once even thought of suicide. Thank God I held on. This is what was harming me: I come from a family from New Mexico where some of most delicious chili comes from, so I was basically raised on chili. My love for chili was the culprit! The chili I consumed was giving me loads of ACID in my gut and system. The ACID was getting me nervous (sorry doctors, this is true) anyway I found that taking antacids helped, I was not going crazy, the acid in my system had me very ill. I cut down my chili intake, and I now use antacids when I eat chili! This halted my nervousness and helped me become normal again. True story. I wonder if Vivien Leigh had similar problems? I do know she would gorge on food at times when ill.

I enjoyed this documentary immensely. The commentary was fascinating and sensitive. Thank you

A terrible tragedy. She had everything beauty, talent, the man who loved her. It’s almost like fate wouldn’t let her be happy.

Brilliant performances. As Scarlett she conveys all her emotion with those beautiful eyes. Sad that she had so many problems both in mental and physical health. There can never be another Scarlett.

🤍Vivien Leigh💜was an extraordinary lady who lived with extraordinary difficulties, but she always kept moving forward with her life. She did so with class, with beauty, with talent, and with love. May she rest in peace! I love this channel!

Nice Job. Thank you. I think she was a charming actress. It seems she has been unjustly forgotten.

A very sad story that highlights the struggles of Mental Illness.. What an Icon this woman was though & great beauty only eclipsed by her incredible acting ability ❤️🙏

People forget that mental illness is like any other illness. Just as a diabetic can't help the disease they were born with or develop neither can those struck with mental health issues. I loved watching Gone with the Wind as a young girl on television. They would break up the movie into parts to be watched on several different evenings. She was so beautiful. I learned to raise my one eyebrow watching Vivien play Scarlett. 🤨

Bipolar disorder can give so much when it comes to unleashing creativity. Unfortunately, in the end, it takes all.

I wonder how she would have fared with the newer medications for bipolar disorder. Such a lovely woman and a very talented actress. I watched "Ship of Fools" recently and I thought that scene with Lee Marvin was brutal, but I had no idea of the back story.

Well done! This was a great video! Correct facts, great snippets of video, great narration, very, very good!

I absolutely love your videos! I love your voice and the information and the compassion you give these people! Thank you for sharing these videos! ❤❤❤

I enjoyed very much watching the Life Of Vivien Leigh. She was a Great Actress. I loved her in Gone With The Wind. Sorry to hear about Her Bipolar and Miscarriages.

It seems very romantic for Larry and Vivien to be a great romance. Yet, let's not overlook the fact that he had an affair and then a marriage to Joan Plowright. They were married until his death and had 3 children. That seems like a more stable and fulfilling relationship. He loved both of them but was probably more content and happy with Joan.

Thank you for sharing this his heartbreaking story with me ❤

Listening to beautiful music is therapeutic, A cure for tuberculosis, miraculous! I'm sane in spite of the status quo, children are a blessing and deserve a healthy environment!😎

Ah, yes, true love, when your lover achieves something remarkable and your first instinct is to clobber them with the trophy. 😐

Appreciate this video.

Your videos are very good. Thanks.

For such a beautiful talented actress as Vivien Leigh, she sure has a pitiful sad ending. She is missed.

Her life had so many facets to it. I read recently that she did covert work for the allies during WWII, transporting documents. Leslie Howard, also in GWTW, supposedly did covert work himself for Churchill. His plane was shot down and was never found. Heroes, both of them, taking risks they didn't need to take given their fame and status would have kept them safe.

Vivien Leigh was such an amazing talent! On screen, she was mesmerizing. Her immense talent and beauty were spell-binding. Even though I am aware of her life struggles, I always watch anything I can find on her life. I know the ending so well, and yet, I feel such deep sadness everytime I revisit her life. She was amazing! Blessed and cursed.

How sad. I'm in tears.

Such a sad story, told so beautifully and respectfully.

As sad as mental illness is, and believe me, I know how incredibly difficult it was, to navigate psych hospitals, courts, adult day treatment, doctors, etc., still, that does not excuse us from morality. People who allow emotions to make choices in their lives, set up heartaches that will destroy them, and the people they love. Always keep a check on your emotions.

Suggesting that she suffered from the bipolar disorder and that it was part of her "dark past" is insulting to the people out there who have the illness and are not covering it up. In the olden days, the medicines were virtually non-existent and she was finding herself in a dark room. The poor little thing.

what a beautiful and sometimes sad biography.i loved Viven Leigh n enjoyed her in Streetcar named desire n Gone with the wind of course. My best friend always stated i looked lime her. What an honour i think ❤

My mom was such a fan she named me after Scarlett. It's been a fun name to have. Thx Mom.

Very sad and tragic life. She was a beautiful yet very ill lady. It's mindful that we are blessed now to have effective treatment for Bi Polar Disorder. She was the most beautiful and talented actress ever. We have a signed photo of her proudly displayed in our Gone With the Wind collection.

I had no idea she suffered so much or was hospitalized. Great video. Very interesting.

Laurence Olivier probably would have been better off staying with his first wife. But it's hard to control the heart, and she seemed determined to enchant him. It's a shame she suffered from such severe mental illness, it made her incapable of having a healthy relationship with the people around her.

Gone with the wind is my favourite film of all time .I'm in love with Scarlett and Rhett ❤️❤️

I did not know about her illness and what happened to her. So very sad. 😢😢😢

She was GORGEOUS….🫶🌹

She was perfect as Blanche Dubois! Just perfect. No one else could’ve played that role.

Loved her. She was so beautiful.

Her life was so sad. If only they had treatment then 😢💔🙏

one of the greatest artist to me. ❤❤

I love the Scottish narrator!

Thank you, it was good information

Vivien reminds me of Delta Burke young.

God bless her. So much beauty and talent.❤

It's interesting how much people with Borderline Personality Disorder resemble the CHARACTER of Scarlett. Borderline PD (BPD) is often misdiagnosed as Bipolar.

I thought she was the most beautiful women I ever saw- she was a great actress.

My favorite Vivien Leigh performance is "Waterloo Bridge" (1940). A beautiful ballerina who had great chemistry with Robert Taylor. Like watching "Gone with the Wind" (1939), I keep hoping THIS TIME Rhett will stay, I keep hoping THIS TIME Roy will find her & she'll accept his love..A "Random Harvest" (1942) ending! That's the effect of the Golden Age of Hollywood when characters were actually developed & Vivien Leigh gave it her all, despite her maddening illness.