Vivien Leigh: Scarlett Fever

While on the set of GWTW, Leigh came to hate the constant pressure from the press and her co-stars. She would have the most screen time of all the actors on the film - Scarlett is THE main character and appears in almost every scene - and it was hard work. The constant watchdogs from the press didn't help situations any, and Leigh resented the intrusion on her private life.

In 1940 Leigh's divorce from Leigh Holman was finalized and she was finally free to marry Olivier later in the year. She continued working and also enjoyed a wonderful life with her new husband. While she still wasn't the best mother to her first child, Vivien suffered a miscarriage in the early 1940s which devastated her, not only mentally but physically. She suffered a long bout of tuberculosis which weakened her, and it took her a long time to recover. Sadly, in 1944 while filming "Caesar and Cleopatra", she suffered yet another miscarriage and a period of depression which held up filming while she recovered.

In July 1948, the Oliviers traveled to Buckingham Palace where Laurence was knighted by the queen. Soon after, they began touring with a stage production of three plays: "Richard III", "The School For Scandal" and "The Skin Of Our Teeth". During this time Leigh became quiet jealous by Olivier's passion for acting. He had started a theatre company and seemed to spend most of his time preparing roles for himself or preparing plays for his company. Her marriage became strained, and when she met Peter Finch, who made his attraction known, she began an affair with him.

In 1950 Leigh returned to Hollywood determined to become more than just a passing fancy. She wanted to be remember as more than 'Scarlett'. She landed a role in Tennessee Wiliams' play "A Steetcar Named Desire", and went on to win yet another Academy Award for her portrayal of Blanche DuBois opposite young Marlon Brando.

Around this time, Leigh began having spells of mania followed by massive depression. At the time little was known about this disease, and after one particularly bad spell, Leigh was taken to a hospital where she received electro-shock therapy. It affected her work, and she replaced by Elizabeth Taylor on the film "Elephant Walk". She fell into a career slump that depressed her even further - she lived to work. But she also lived to party, and never

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