Vivien Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley on the evening of Wednesday November 5th, 1913 in her parents home in Darjeeling, India. Her father, Ernest Hartley, was born in Yorkshire England in 1883, and had moved to India at the age of 22 in search of a career and adventure. He became involved with a brokerage firm, spent time racing horses, and acted in The Calcutta Dramatic Society. Vivien's mother, Gertrude Yackjee, although from Irish descendants, was also born in Darjeeling India, in 1888. Friends of the Hartleys said that Gertrude, with her dark hair, blue eyes, and peach-like skin (traits Vivien would inherit), was very beautiful in her youth, more so than Vivien. The Yackjee side of the family also had Armenian descendants which may have influenced Vivien's dark Eastern looks.Meeting originally in Calcutta, Vivien's parents traveled to London where they were married in 1912. They then returned to India and settled in Darjeeling, a city within site of Mount Everest. A year after their marriage, Vivien was born, 'a most enchanting little girl with wonderful colouring'. Enjoying elements of fantasy and drama as a child, she was encourage to read early on and became fond of authors such as Rudyard Kipling, Hans Christian Anderson, and Lewis Carroll. She moved to England with her family at the age of 6 in 1920, returning to India only briefly in the 1960's.On September 21st, 1920, Vivien was placed in the Convent of the Sacred Heart at Roehampton, and did not see her parents again for almost a year and a half. She was educated at the Convent for the subsequent 8 years, and 'from early on she showed poised, self -containment, and the ability to sustain a private existence.' Her first stage appearances at school were in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (playing the fairy), and in The Tempest (as Miranda). She studied ballet, played the cello in the school orchestra, and excelled at piano - taking her music exam at the Royal Academy of Music when she was a teenager. Vivien was also fascinated early on in different languages, Egyptian history, and learned to speak French fluently.Vivien stayed briefly at a sister convent of the Sacred Heart in San Remo, the capital of the Italian Riviera, during 1928-29. At the age of 15, she went to Paris to spend a term at a finishing school in Auteuil. She was the youngest student in the school, however she was already moving from the awkward youth phase into a charming, dark haired beauty that would later bring much fame. The purpose of the finishing school in France was 'to teach French - language and literature - and to send the girls out into the world with a good marriage set firmly in their sights.'1 At Christmas of that year, 1929, Vivien was chosen to be the heroine of the school play. Encouraged by her schoolmistress, she was inspired to work on her diction and acting abilities. This early help pushed her further towards an interest in a career on stage. Her final two years of education were at yet another finishing school, this time in the Bavarian Alps, which concluded her schooling in June of 1931 - halfway towards her 17th birthday. During this time, she developed an interest in the visual arts and continued to study languages - notably French and German.In January of 1932 Vivien met Leigh Holman while staying at her aunt's in Teignmouth, England. He was a man 13 years her senior, but possessed a charm and intelligence Vivien found captivating. Born in 1900, Leigh was educated in Cambridge and practiced as a Barrister-at-Law. An attachment quickly developed between the two and they spent several months courting and corresponding. In May of 1932, Vivien began to study at RADA, The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Life was looking up - she was about to marry a man she greatly admired, and she was studying acting in a well know academy. Much to her dismay, Vivien abandoned the academy, at Leigh's request, once they became serious about marriage.The wedding between Leigh and Vivien took place on December 20th 1932, at St. James's Cathedral. Shortly after they returned from their honeymoon in Austria, Vivien obtained Leigh's permission to return to RADA and she continued to study acting. A year passed and Vivien gave birth to a daughter on October 10th 1933, naming her Suzanne. At this point, things seemed to have settled into domestic life for Vivien. Her destiny would not remain domestic for long however, she had just heard of the chance for a small part in a new film entitled Things are Looking Up…The year was 1934. On August 21st, Vivien arrived at Lime Grove Studios to begin work on her first film, Things are Looking Up. Work progressed slowly and when the film was finished, her one line of dialogue was cut from an already small role. In September, Vivien went to see a play called Theatre Royal starring a popular new stage actor, Laurence Olivier. She returned several times to see him act, intrigued by his good looks and stage presence. She even said to a girlfriend, 'that's the man I'm going to marry', knowing quite well that both she and her new matinee idol were already married.For the next several months Vivien worked on stage and appeared in two minor films; The Village Squire, a comedy, and Gentleman's Agreement, in which she played an unemployed typist. Her husband Leigh, felt this was just a fling with acting - one that would soon get out of her system. He hoped she would return to her domestic role of wife and mother, but it now seemed unlikely - Vivien was determined to continue acting.In the spring of 1935, Vivien's talent agent succeeded in getting her a part in a comedy entitled Look Up and Laugh, starring Gracie Fields - George Burns wife and comedy partner. During this time, she auditioned for a leading role in a costume play called The Mask of Virtue. Her acting skills from her work at the academy had improved enough that Vivien succeeded in winning the part. After several months of rehearsals while continuing to work in the studio on her 4th film, the The Mask of Virtue opened on May 15th, 1935. The play was a great success and Vivien became an overnight sensation. Alexander Korda, the famous European film producer, happened to be present on opening night (invited by the play's director) and he asked her to sign a contract that would guarantee 50 thousand pounds over a 5 year period. This contract, if it had been completed, would have resulted in 10 films in Britain from the period between 1935 and 1940. Vivien ended up making only 6 films before leaving for Hollywood in 1938.After The Mask of Virtue ended its run, Vivien waited for another success to feed her new found fame, but it did not arrive as easily. The remainder of 1935 was slow, and she performed in a few more plays of less importance. One thing of note did occur however - she was introduced to her matinee idol, Laurence Olivier, at the trendy Savoy Grill in London.Laurence Olivier was 7 years her elder, born in Dorking, England, of Anglo-Catholic parents. He obtained a scholarship to the Central School of Speech and Drama, and made his way to the London stage by the time he was 21. He married his first wife, Jill Esmond Moore, also an actress in July of 1930. When Olivier was 28, he went to Hollywood and made three minor films, returning to England in 1932, unhappy with the results. Soon after, he acquired success as a matinee stage idol, performing in various works including Shakespeare. In August 1936, he was asked to co-star in what would be Vivien's first film for AlexanderKorda, Fire Over England. Olivier played a sailor sent to Spain on an important mission for the Queen. Vivien played Cynthia, the Queen's lady-in-waiting, and his new found love. This film gave the two rising stars time to spend with each other on screen and off, and their relationship grew stronger. It was long hours of work and they spent whatever chance they could together alone. Shooting Dark Journey started immediately afterward for Vivien, co-starring Conrad Veidt. She had the leading role in a spy drama about a clothing shop owner who worked secretly for the government.To continue her new film contract, Vivien was then due to star in Storm in a Teacup, the first of two films working opposite Rex Harrison. She took a short break in Rome with Olivier before returning to the studio to begin shooting. During this period Vivien read a great deal during breaks on set and found a new favourite novel that she re-read several times - Gone With the Wind. She even asked her agent to submit her name to the widely publicized search to find an actress for Scarlett O'Hara.This request was returned with a reply:I have no enthusiasm for Vivien Leigh. Maybe I will have, but as yet have never even seen photograph of her. I will be seeing Fire Over England shortly, at which time will of course see Leigh.- David O. Selznick To continue her contract with Alexander Korda, Vivien would now star in a second feature alongside Olivier, entitled Twenty-One Days. A low budget drama about a convicted killer and the wife of the murdered man. Filming began in May of 1937, scripted by Graham Greene. On June 16th, after a brief run on stage in Hamlet, again opposite Olivier, Vivien left her husband Leigh, moving to Chelsea with her new found love. Their secret affair had gone as far as it could, as did each of their marriages. On the set, the conversation turned to the topic of the day - the casting of Gone With The Wind:Somebody turned to Olivier and said, 'Larry you'd be marvelous as Rhett Butler.' He laughed it off, but the suggestion was not too preposterous.. discussion of the casting went on in a desultory fashion, until the new girl, Vivien Leigh, brought it to a sudden stop. She drew herself up on the rain-swept deck, all five feet nothing of her, pulled a coat round her shoulders and stunned us with the sibylline utterance: "Larry won't play Rhett Butler, but I shall play Scarlett O'Hara. Wait and see..." 2- Caroline Lejeune, film reporterSince Vivien was now living with Olivier, her daughter Suzanne was in the care of Gertrude, Vivien's mother. The next few years for the new couple would be spent waiting for an official divorce. Vivien was loaned to MGM to make A Yank at Oxford to increase her American exposure - a move that would benefit both Alexander Korda's role as her producer and Vivien's career, especially if she was to be considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara. She worked on A Yank at Oxford during the autumn of 1937 with her former convent schoolmate, and now actress, Maureen O'Sullivan, while Olivier shot The Divorce of Lady X with Merle Oberon.1937 had ended and a new year of work began. Vivien started shooting St. Martin's Lane in January 1938. This was her 9th film, and co-starred Charles Laughton and Rex Harrison. She played a busker that rises to stardom in London. When it was released, the reviews were positive, stating that Vivien had improved her acting enough to stand alongside Charles Laughton on screen. Laurence Olivier was just as busy. He was asked to play the part of Heathcliff opposite Merle Oberon in a Hollywood production of Wuthering Heights. Accepting this offer, he left England on November 5th 1938 - Vivien's 25th birthday. Wanting to be with him as soon as possible, she abandoned her winter plan of performing in A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Old Vic, and left heading towards California on Saturday November 27th for a two week trip "…partly because Larry is there, and partly because I intend to get the part of Scarlett O'Hara". It was a journey that would not only change Vivien's career - but would change the search for Scarlett forever…
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