I may be entirely blinded by love - I don't deny that - but I think Vivien comes across as very polite and patient here. She gets her opinions across, but not in an aggressive or abrasive kind of way, even in the face of the sarcasm and slyness of Ken Tynan.
I did a lot of reading both of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. I am under the impression that Ken Tynan was a little bit in love with Olivier. When it came to Olivier, he could do nothing wrong. But Tynan Could be incredibly unkind to Vivien Leigh. I don’t know if it had to do with her illness. I’m sorry I don’t remember that much about it anymore. I just know he was not nice to her. So yes, her manners were impeccable especially in this situation. I also appreciated her point of view far better than Ken Tynan’s.
I can just listen to Vivien Leigh speak for hours. So eloquent, witty and intelligent. Her performance as Blanche Dubois is probably one of my favourite female performances ever too.
6:02 Vivien's expression is priceless! It's rude to be interrupted, and for all the love and admiration I bear for Ms. Leigh, she's not afraid to show that she was not happy. Vivien's a classy lady and she gives many interesting and, in my opinion, valid points and thoughts to this interview/conversation. A true actress.
21karo12 Yes indeed. Tynan is overwhelmingly pompous about American culture and so obnoxious. Miss Leigh is very respectful and so is the other gentleman in light of this jerk’s foolishness.
What's interesting is that Tynan spent years attacking Vivien in his reviews, saying she was holding Olivier back and that she wasn't much of an actress at all. Here he's still being patronizing to her. And yet, when they did this interview, her marriage was breaking up, she herself was quite ill with her bipolar condition, and yet she still manages to be more eloquent, thoughtful, perceptive and shrewd about acting, films and theatre than either the crusty producer or the pompous Oxford critic.
@@grantreardon3541 Oh my, thank you! I'm glad you thought so! She was such a remarkable woman and the more I read, watched and learned about her, the more I was entranced by her gifts, as opposed to just her undeniable grace and beauty. I think that she would have been a star performer in whatever profession or art she chose. She just had that kind of perception and shrewdness of mind and will to triumph that marks every successful person. And then, to hear her friends tell it, she was such a dear friend, undeniably funny and witty and down to earth, despite her elegance and almost "regal" demeanour. A true original.
Tynan was one of the most brutal drama critics of his time. He was nothing more than a put-down artist, and I am sure that, like most critics, he was a wanna-be actor, but didn't have the talent or true gifts to be one. They are jealous, and really lay on the poison when it suits them to do so. Unfortunately, the power that these people can wield can be pervasive, and they have destroyed the careers of many talented people. Sure, let there be critics to maintain some standards in stage and film, but let it be constructive and not damaging.
Tynan is really hopelessly pompous. I have read that he has realized that he was wrong about Vivien Leigh - that she was greatly talented and far ahead of her time in understanding Shakespeare and her performances in films as well.
She is brilliantly intelligent. Her beauty and talent lives on forever. Her poise and her articulate statements show what a force of nature embodied Ms. Leigh.
Can we just respect four extremely intelligent, brilliant people who were all captured talking together and how lucky we are to have this inspiring film available to us today.
Yeah...the fact is she was herself Scarlett....once she said she had nothing in common with Scarlett, but the truth is that she had many thing in common with her...
Wow, a civil debate on television, who knew it could be possible? THIS is television I would watch, where the viewing audience is considered intelligent enough to understand, and whose host and guests encourage discussion. Let's bring this back.
After seeing these interviews I don't believe all of those lies they told about her. I think they exaggerated because they couldn't control her. This was an extremly intelligent woman.
Ugh. Ken Tynan. What a pompous tool! Lol. Vivien: fierce, eloquent and classy. I confess that I may be biased. When that eyebrow arches or she smiles I turn into a pile of mush.
At one point Goldwyn says "I can only talk about myself!" That was the problem! Even so, this is a fascinating programme to watch in 2014 as a great insight into three intelligent, legendary people.
Is that Sir Laurence in the background when Vivien references him? This is so wonderful to see. Vivien Leigh was an amazing, intelligent and witty person. I wish I could have known her.
Vivian Leigh is an absolute gorgeous goddess. The manner in which she moves, her sexy voice, her facial expressions, all of it. Though not evident in these videos, she smokes most seductively, while the holding of her cigarette is well done and evident here.
I love this~such a great surprise to find this on RU-vid. I am obsessed with Vivien (& her "twin" Hady Lemarr), she was such an amazing actress ahead of her time, her beauty is stunning & she seemed like such a great personality too. Someone I'd love to talk to & hang around. Her tragic life & it's end breaks my heart. I always heard how this pompous Tynan had a "crush" on her husband, Olivier, & was super praising of him while slamming her, constantly. It is absolutely fascinating to see them in this, in action!! I see now how horrible & pompous he truly is. She holds her own in this. It breaks my heart & makes me cry to see her & know how she suffered, & how she died. Mental illness is a cruel, cruel blight on humanity. This poor woman, it just doesn't seem fair, or right.
At least despite her mental illness, Vivien Leigh had much happiness in her life and much praise and two Oscars. She had a tragic ending, yes, but so did many actresses, including Monroe. Great stars have bright quick lives, then fade.
Pinero Pugs I would agree with Simon here. She definitely had much happiness in her life. Although there was heartache and illness, such is life. Being the personality that she was and that she didn't speak much of regret, if at all, I would come to the conclusion that she made the best of life. She didn't let anything stop her. I think she died way to young but her life was full! It seems like she knew her number was up and her end was tragically fitting. Sad, yes but her life and legacy is amazing. 102 yrs after her birth here we are, still talking about her! That means she did it right :) I doubt she would want anyone to feel sorry for her at all.
@@simoncooper8835 Oh stop with this ''great start have bright quick lives'' nonsense? How stereotypical is your thinking? Do you think only celebrities die young? Do you think ALL celebrities/talented people die young? No and no. Many celebrities live to old age, and many ''ordinary'' people die young of the same diseases that celebrities do, including mental illness. Don't be so primitive.
@@URallangry So you're claiming that someone's life ONLY has meaning if they were famous? Wow, what an outlook... Also, feeling sorry for someone is not showing pity but rather sympathy which is normal. I for once would like for someone to finally show some sympathy for me but oh well.
Her face at just the 6 minute mark is awesome. I’ve seen and given that look when someone interrupts me or tries to put me down. A volcano is underneath that face.
I live the commentary from Goldwyn on the "Best Years of Our Lives" It's a brilliant film and I think if it had been made as a "political" film it would have suffered greatly and certainly not have been as affecting as it was. I'm not fond of most war movies, but I don't consider this movie a war movie -- just a brilliant story about people.
"when I make a picure, I never think of the box office...if youre thinking of box office when starting out, youre headed to 90 percent failure" things sure have changed
3:26 Vivien’s double take when he brings up Shakespeare in reference to his own work 😂 she reeled that in… or did she let it show just enough? 😂 subtle legend.
Tynan seems to be making everything up as he goes along, altering its importance to fit the moment. Vivien Leigh's beauty seemed to be gone by this point, at least temporarily. She, Murrow, and Tynan all died in their fifties and they all smoked. You might even say Murrow slowly killed himself in America's living rooms. Goldwyn lived well into his nineties. Don't know what his habits were, but he coined one of my favorite quotes: "A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on." What a treat to see these four legends being themselves... more or less.
Opera is now being shown in theatres, and so they are films of opera. No way can the sound compare to the real opera. Yet it is wonderful that some part of the essence can be captured. The comments about Pogy and Bess were interested.
The best part is years after this was recorded everyone knows who Vivian Leigh and Goldwyn are but are clueless as to who this Tynan fellow was, except for his arrogance and salacious rhetoric.
This is a far cry from the crappy reality shows that are being dished out. Today's Americans would truly benefit from such in-depth discussions such as this. What a find!
Hi, everyone. Would anyone of you know where can I find other episodes of this show by Ed Murrow? I am looking for the episode where Mr. Murrow interviewed the mayor of Manila back in late 1950s. I would appreciate if anyone would help me. Thank you very much.
Listen carefully how this guy Tynan just rips into Samuel Goldwyn, at 7:10, saying how many other producers of outstanding American and foreign films are not even heard of, while people like him seem to get all the credit ! Then the camera pans over to Vivien Leigh who has a shocked smile on her face at 7:20, while leaving Goldwyn now to defend himself and other American producers who seem to get all the credit ! Priceless ! Now, I believe most of us would agree that this guy Tynan is rather annoying. But he sure showed some balls here, no ? And the three of them actually do gang up on Goldyn a bit. Good stuff !
How did they film this in such olden times with Vivienne Leigh in London, the MGM guy in Hollywood and someone else in New York? Did they use telephone links (so everyone knew what everyone else was saying) and then shoot everything individually on film and splice it together afterwards? Surely they didn't have satellite links back then? As far as I know there were no TV satellite links until the early 70s.
What is sad is that she suffered so mentally and deteriorated as a result of it….she was beautiful brilliant and so successful…. To have to suffer mentally is sheer hell, i feel for anyone with such illnesses
Once again, I completely agree with Ken Tynan. I'm also pleased to see that lovely Vivien Leigh understood what he meant when it came to politics and a social viewpoint being expressed in these productions, whether or not that was the intention of the writer, producer or director. Biases, prejudices, beliefs.... Everyone has them and certainly it is expressed in theatre, film and in art.
It is really interesting though. You see a producer, a critic and an actor. There's differing levels of intelligence or comprehension, and different skills. They were all very good in their respective fields and all relevant.
Tynan is after the virtue-signalling angle early on here. He presents himself as the troubled intellectual, crusader for uncovering the hidden agenda, the power structure keeping down the oppressed, and, like the freshman home from his first semester at college, acts as if he is the only one who has ever heard of it and needs to enlighten everyone else. It is a worthy cause, to be sure, but it doesn't look like he is worthy of IT. He comes across as an actor.
This is so long ago. Leigh, was a heavy smoker, and also she worked herself into a mentally unstable condition. She had a severe breakdown, and diagnosed as bi-polar.Ava Gardner said " I can drink any man under the table" and she sure did. She was drunk all night and returned on the set without one hour sleep. This was followed by many affairs, while she was in Spain, and entertained the bull fighters. Her affairs with Howard Hughes, was the high point in her autobiography. Sinatra as her husband, had his own lovers. The need for attention, can destroy many actors lives. They will live to the hilt, with no remorse or concern for another. Yet, we love the movies.
@RetroJenny Too bad most actresses today aren't as intelligent, sophisticated or well spoken as they once were. Same goes for the actors. Acting used to be an art...
Tynan's manner of speaking and voice reminded me very much - of David Bowie :) I was surprised to start liking him - and obviously not because of that. Of course, everyone here seems to come here for lady Vivian, and it's difficult to gain sympathy if you are not 100 percent doubling her thoughts here:) She is classy. BUT I think I started liking Tynan as well, for his graceful resistance.
Leigh and Tynan are being a little precious. Goldwyn is one of the most renowned producers in cinema history and 'producer' is absolutely a creative role. The Americans took an artform that could barely pay it's bills, democratised it and turned it into the language of the 20th century. Many of these innovators were immigrants from Europe who in their own countries would remain unknown but in the US became moguls. This was because US cinema makers understood that the ordinary person was the star and the great stars of US cinema were iconically every man and every woman. By getting away from posh poseurs and championing the average Joe they created a mass market. The iconic hero of the stage is Hamlet, a royal Prince.The iconic hero of cinema is a cowboy (John Wayne, Gary Cooper), or a cop (Eastwood) or a tramp (Chaplin, Keaton), or the girl next door (Claudette Colbert, Clara Bow, Sandra Bullock, Ginger Rogers etc etc). This was the genius of the Americans. And people like Goldwyn. Tynan sounds like he's got a chip on his shoulder and a plum in his mouth. Ironic.. coz Goldwyn was a penniless Jew who made every dollar he had. He was also, like Shakespeare, a glove maker by trade.
Shame on his stunningly abominable terribly deceived, deprived, asinine, & just plain STUPID ass-backwards “views “concerning Black people ..... I can hardly hear it. Well, it’s only poetic justice that his grandson would be heating it up with a super-smart, head-of-the-whole-game Black woman for ALL to see, on a hit silver screen production at the top of its game, created by a what?.....BLACK woman. This, ol’Goldwyn, would be (to quote you), “.... the Negroes as they ahh”. Correct. “As they are”.... intelligent, imaginative, productive geniuses able to produce a work that garners a committed core audience spanning demographics. Oh, I hope God opened his eyes before Goldwyn closed them; really.
Vivien suffered terribly throughout her life. The New Yorker critic really has a nasty attitude. Honestly I think the panel here are really measured. He appears to masquerade for causes. Then he's unnecessarily rude. I hope that he mellowed in life as his attitude would be tremendously damaging to more sensitive souls.
Tyanan really halts any interesting discussion. He's condescending and keeps trying to die on every hill he finds. He doesn't even add anything to the conversation other than rephrasing the same opinions over and over (that Leigh and Goldwyn often seem to share), to make at seem as though he's somehow morally superior (and then seems to purposely ignore the meaning Goldwyn was trying to get across). He's so frustrating I just want the host to tell him to shut up and let the interesting people talk.
