The ‘Smuldering’ of Lawrence Olivier, Vivian Leigh’s romance began

In 1934, Vivienne Leigh saw Lawrence Olivier in a performance Theater Royal. “He turned to a friend and said, ‘This is the man I’m going to marry’ – which is amazing because he was already married to a child.” Stephen GallowayAuthor of Truly, Madley: Vivian Ley, Lawrence Olivier and the Romance of the Century..

Vivian’s words must be true. In his new book, Galloway marks the legendary epic 20-year love story from its smoky beginning to its bitter sweet end.

“It’s sad because her life and their marriage were really ruined because of her bipolar disorder, an illness that no one understood, so let’s get cured,” he said. Nearby.

A year after Vivian first met her, Lawrence also felt an immediate connection to the actress. “I couldn’t help myself with Vivian,” he said. “It simply came to our notice then. It’s a love I didn’t really want, but I was drawn to. “

In addition to her beauty, “she was a very well-educated, intelligent woman who spoke many languages,” Galloway said. He also believed in Lawrence’s talent before anyone else. Yet he suffered a drastic change of mood and did not seek professional help until the 1950s.

“She was all wrong. Alcohol, stress and fatigue are all triggers for bipolar disorder,” Galloway said.

Lawrence first witnessed it in 1937 when Vivian became angry while they were practicing Hamlet. “He suddenly lost his temper and physically assaulted her,” Galloway said. Notably, the episode did not intimidate Lawrence.

“Her sister had several breakdowns,” Galloway revealed. “There was something in her family that made her want to consider Vivian’s behavior within the framework of normal life.”

Although they both left the marriage with children to live together, the public embraced the couple. “It simply came to our notice then Gone with the wind And Wuthering height We were terrified that the news of their relationship would be leaked, “said Galloway. “But the press made their relationship romantic and wrote piece by piece about what they left behind to stay together.”

They were married in 1940 and were happy for the first decade. Vivian and Lawrence often acted on stage and did three films together.

“I think they loved each other very much,” Galloway said. A change has occurred as Vivian’s eruptions have become more frequent. “At one point, he told her, ‘I don’t love you anymore.’ I think it was a manifestation of his bipolar and wanted to hurt him as his career began to grow, “said Galloway, who added that sexual incompatibility also played a role in their split.

“Her sexual needs were much higher than hers and each of them started going to other partners.” Although they divorced in 1960, Vivienne kept a picture of Lawrence in her nightstand until her death in 1967. “Later in his life, he began to look back with remorse,” Galloway said. “We all want emotion, but emotion is painful and can be destructive because it doesn’t make sense.”