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Truly Madly: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier and the Romance of the Century
In the spirit of Furious Love, a sweeping Hollywood biography of the passionate, turbulent marriage of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh based on new research, including exclusive access to uncovered correspondence and interviews.
In 1934, a friend brought fledgling actress Vivien Leigh to see Theatre Royal, where she would first lay eyes on Laurence Olivier in his brilliant performance as Anthony Cavendish. That night, she told her friend that he was the man she was going to marry. There was just one problem: she was already married, and so was he.
MADLY is the biography of a marriage, a love affair that still captivates millions, even decades after both actors' deaths. Vivien and Laurence were two of the first truly global celebrities – their fame fueled by the explosive growth of tabloids and television, which helped and hurt them in equal measure. They seemed to have it all and yet, in their own minds, they were doomed, blighted by mental illness which transformed their relationship from the stuff of dreams into a living nightmare.
Author Stephen Galloway takes readers on a bewitching journey as he studies their turbulent relationship, one that lasted through some of the world's most unstable decades as the duo fled war, struggled with the loss of fame, and rebuilt their lives again and again.
In 1934, a friend brought fledgling actress Vivien Leigh to see Theatre Royal, where she would first lay eyes on Laurence Olivier in his brilliant performance as Anthony Cavendish. That night, she told her friend that he was the man she was going to marry. There was just one problem: she was already married, and so was he.
MADLY is the biography of a marriage, a love affair that still captivates millions, even decades after both actors' deaths. Vivien and Laurence were two of the first truly global celebrities – their fame fueled by the explosive growth of tabloids and television, which helped and hurt them in equal measure. They seemed to have it all and yet, in their own minds, they were doomed, blighted by mental illness which transformed their relationship from the stuff of dreams into a living nightmare.
Author Stephen Galloway takes readers on a bewitching journey as he studies their turbulent relationship, one that lasted through some of the world's most unstable decades as the duo fled war, struggled with the loss of fame, and rebuilt their lives again and again.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2022
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April 5, 2022
Truly, Madly: Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier, and the Romance of the Century by Stephen Galloway is a 2022 Grand Central publication.
This book narrows the biographical scope to focus on the intense, torturous relationship between two of the most lauded actors of their time… Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier.
Though chronicling the relationship between Laurence and Vivien, there is some background biographical and contextual information included so we understand the climate the pair lived in, and the lack of advancements in the treatment of mental illness.
The author does a great job describing the incredible intensity of feeling between the couple, though at times the writing is a little effusive. Still, the research is well-done, as is the organization of the material.
It’s a tragic tale, in many aspects. One must wonder if Vivien had been afforded better treatment for her illness, if things might have turned out differently. Laurence Olivier seemed to run out of steam in coping with Vivien’s various maladies, including her physical ailments and ‘moods’, which were completely misunderstood back then. He moved on with his life, but I think deep down, the one true love of his life was Vivien Leigh, as he was for her.
This piece of Hollywood history is riveting, with lots of recognizable names, and is filled with Hollywood lore and glamour, but is also a portrait of a dazzling, but tumultuous, and tragic love story, which is certainly one for the ages.
Overall, fans of old Hollywood, classical actors, and grand, passionate and poignant love affairs, the cinema, or history, will find themselves caught up in this true-life dramatic saga of love and heartbreak.
4 stars
This book narrows the biographical scope to focus on the intense, torturous relationship between two of the most lauded actors of their time… Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier.
Though chronicling the relationship between Laurence and Vivien, there is some background biographical and contextual information included so we understand the climate the pair lived in, and the lack of advancements in the treatment of mental illness.
The author does a great job describing the incredible intensity of feeling between the couple, though at times the writing is a little effusive. Still, the research is well-done, as is the organization of the material.
It’s a tragic tale, in many aspects. One must wonder if Vivien had been afforded better treatment for her illness, if things might have turned out differently. Laurence Olivier seemed to run out of steam in coping with Vivien’s various maladies, including her physical ailments and ‘moods’, which were completely misunderstood back then. He moved on with his life, but I think deep down, the one true love of his life was Vivien Leigh, as he was for her.
This piece of Hollywood history is riveting, with lots of recognizable names, and is filled with Hollywood lore and glamour, but is also a portrait of a dazzling, but tumultuous, and tragic love story, which is certainly one for the ages.
Overall, fans of old Hollywood, classical actors, and grand, passionate and poignant love affairs, the cinema, or history, will find themselves caught up in this true-life dramatic saga of love and heartbreak.
4 stars
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April 5, 2022Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: none
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
Further disclaimer: Readers, please stop accusing me of trying to take down “my competition” because I wrote a review you didn’t like. This is complete nonsense. Firstly, writing isn’t a competitive sport. Secondly, I only publish reviews of books in the subgenre where I’m best known (queer romcom) if they’re glowing. And finally: taking time out of my life to read an entire book, then write a detailed review about it that a handful of people on GR will look at would be a profoundly inefficient and ineffective way to damage the careers of other authors. If you can’t credit me with simply being a person who loves books and likes talking about them, at least credit me with enough common sense to be a better villain.
*******************************************
This is an accessible, intimate-feeling biography that is primarily focused on the passionate, tumultuous relationship between Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh: something I was vaguely aware of, including Leigh’s struggles with her mental health, but hadn’t really dug into. With people whose lives seem close enough that one can almost remember them (Olivier died in 1989 I think) there’s always a delicate balance between reasonable curiosity and … well .. prurience. Like, I remember when several of their love letters were made public five or something years ago and I was initially fascinating because there’s nothing as revealing as love letters. And then uncomfortable because there’s nothing as revealing as love letters. And I do know there’s a degree to which exchange between famous people feel like public property—as their lives, loves and mental health feel like public property—but I don’t quite see how we culturally benefit for knowing what Laurence Olivier was doing with Vivian Leigh’s pants, y’know?
More selfishly—while I am not a Hollywood legend—I would be mortified EVEN IN DEATH if my smutty ramblings were in any way made accessible to anyone beyond their recipient. I mean, I once sent Mary something mildly suggestive (meant to for my partner, not for my assistant) and had to be excavated from the centre of the earth, where I’d gone to bury myself forever.
Anyway, despite my own battles with squeamishness versus inquisitiveness—and while it’s very much not my place to judge—I found this biography pretty tasteful. Drawing a range of autobiographies, biographies, interviews and what appear to be direct conversations the author had with some of the involved parties (though not, of course, the dead ones) it has a chattiness to it that, surprisingly, manages to keep it on the right side of gossipy. Which is to say, the book is a tapestry of overlapping accounts and stories from which something like a coherent picture emerges. And this, in turn, stops it from straying into either speculation, side-taking, or scandal-seeking. For example, a device it uses fairly often, especially when relating the latter part of Leigh’s life, when she was struggling with her illness a lot, is offering us multiple versions of the same events, told by different parties. This means the reader never forgets that what they’re reading is a constructed narrative and mostly hearsay: that the truth, whatever that means, lies with the participants, and their inner lives (for all that the rest of their lives was conducted publicly) are not ours to access.
It's also, for better or worse (mostly for the better, but I’ll come back to this) a carefully neutral book. Leigh’s illness—misunderstood and untreated as it was—naturally drove her to some extremes of behaviour, including various affairs and sexual encounters (though obviously Olivier was equally unfaithful). Galloway reports on these incidents but neither dwells nor judges: thus, offering an important counter-narrative to all the “Vivian Leigh was a nymphomaniac” type hot takes. Similarly, Galloway mostly avoids armchair diagnoses, relying instead on the context offered by both modern and contemporaneous accounts of bipolar depression. For the most part, I found it a nuanced, compassionate portrait of Leigh, one that allowed her complexity and her humanity to shine through, despite the harsh toll her illness took on her.
Sorry, I realise I haven’t said much about how it handles Olivier. To be honest, he comes across like an utter weirdo, which is very much on Olivier, not on Galloway. But, again, I think Galloway offers the same compassion to Olivier that he does to Leigh, allowing space within the text recognise the genuine anguish he must have suffered in being married to someone with an undiagnosed and destructive mental health condition, while ensuring that Vivian Leigh’s story remains her own, for all her life and Olivier’s were entwined. After all, Laurence Olivier was pretty keen on his own account to make the tragedy of Vivian Leigh the tragedy of Laurence Olivier.
Where the neutrality, I think, slightly damaged the book for me, and this is very much a personal thing, is that there was very little challenge to the prevailing narrative that Laurence Olivier was a genius and Vivian Leigh was beautiful, but her talent was limited. This is simply because while it’s easy enough to find testimony that Olivier was a genius—including from Olivier himself—and equally straightforward to find people willing to share times Vivian Leigh was erratic on set for, some reason, critical admiration for Leigh of which there was quite a bit, for both her film and stage work (let’s not forget she won two academy awards and a BAFTA) seems, somehow, less real when applied to her—when it’s just sort of taken for granted with Olivier. For example, the book consistently quotes Kenneth Tynan (declaring him London’s “sharpest and shrewdest critic”) who seems to have made it his life’s work to criticise Leigh while exalting her husband. This, coupled with his eagerness to share salacious stories about the time she apparently hit on him (but he couldn’t go through with it because the thought of cucking Laurence Oliver was JUST TOO PAINFUL, wow what a guy) just makes him come across as an utter arse—with his negative critical hardon (as well as his negative literal hardon) for Leigh surely rooted in either misogyny or a messed up boycrush on Olivier rather than any sort of sharpness or shrewdness.
Basically, I think where I’m going with this is that, while I appreciated Truly Madly’s focus on Leigh’s illness as way of understanding her behaviour, it sometimes ran the danger of being the only lens through which the book wanted to examine her. This had the, I think, inadvertent result of occasionally diminishing her achievements, with commentary from people like Tynan allowed to run roughshod through the narrative, and flattening out some aspects of her social and professional context—especially because mental illness intersects almost inextricably with misogyny when it comes to the lives of famous women, and famous beautiful women even more so.
What does come through above all else though, is the intensity of the love between Leigh and Olivier. God knows what she saw in him, but clearly they saw something in each other, and the something was powerful enough to shape not who they were and would become but their entire lives. A small misstep, for me, in the part of the book was to conclude its account of this complex, doomed, very real love affair by comparing passion to … uh … bipolar depression.
I really don’t think I need to unpick why this is a terrible analogy, especially in the context of a book at least partially about a woman who suffered deeply from the illness in question. Hard no.
To end on a happier note, let me just mention that Patrick Stewart (who apparently worked with Leigh on a couple of occasions) is one of the actors interviewed for the book. And, true to form, he just comes across as the loveliest? His recollections of Leigh, while limited, are some of the kindest and most illuminating in the book. He has a few personal stories to tell, but steers clear of gossip, acknowledges the rumours surrounding her while also not contributing to them, leaves space for those who have been hurt by her behaviour alongside finding positive things to say himself. Most notably, however, he speaks about her not as a victim, a scandal, or tragedy or an enigma. He speaks about her as an actor:
New to-do list for self:
1. Ensure every smutty thing I have ever sent to anyone will never end up in the V&A
2. Make Patrick Stewart immortal
3. Get to know Patrick Stewart
4. Have Patrick Stewart give interviews about me after I’m dead
Relevant disclaimers: none
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
Further disclaimer: Readers, please stop accusing me of trying to take down “my competition” because I wrote a review you didn’t like. This is complete nonsense. Firstly, writing isn’t a competitive sport. Secondly, I only publish reviews of books in the subgenre where I’m best known (queer romcom) if they’re glowing. And finally: taking time out of my life to read an entire book, then write a detailed review about it that a handful of people on GR will look at would be a profoundly inefficient and ineffective way to damage the careers of other authors. If you can’t credit me with simply being a person who loves books and likes talking about them, at least credit me with enough common sense to be a better villain.
*******************************************
This is an accessible, intimate-feeling biography that is primarily focused on the passionate, tumultuous relationship between Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh: something I was vaguely aware of, including Leigh’s struggles with her mental health, but hadn’t really dug into. With people whose lives seem close enough that one can almost remember them (Olivier died in 1989 I think) there’s always a delicate balance between reasonable curiosity and … well .. prurience. Like, I remember when several of their love letters were made public five or something years ago and I was initially fascinating because there’s nothing as revealing as love letters. And then uncomfortable because there’s nothing as revealing as love letters. And I do know there’s a degree to which exchange between famous people feel like public property—as their lives, loves and mental health feel like public property—but I don’t quite see how we culturally benefit for knowing what Laurence Olivier was doing with Vivian Leigh’s pants, y’know?
More selfishly—while I am not a Hollywood legend—I would be mortified EVEN IN DEATH if my smutty ramblings were in any way made accessible to anyone beyond their recipient. I mean, I once sent Mary something mildly suggestive (meant to for my partner, not for my assistant) and had to be excavated from the centre of the earth, where I’d gone to bury myself forever.
Anyway, despite my own battles with squeamishness versus inquisitiveness—and while it’s very much not my place to judge—I found this biography pretty tasteful. Drawing a range of autobiographies, biographies, interviews and what appear to be direct conversations the author had with some of the involved parties (though not, of course, the dead ones) it has a chattiness to it that, surprisingly, manages to keep it on the right side of gossipy. Which is to say, the book is a tapestry of overlapping accounts and stories from which something like a coherent picture emerges. And this, in turn, stops it from straying into either speculation, side-taking, or scandal-seeking. For example, a device it uses fairly often, especially when relating the latter part of Leigh’s life, when she was struggling with her illness a lot, is offering us multiple versions of the same events, told by different parties. This means the reader never forgets that what they’re reading is a constructed narrative and mostly hearsay: that the truth, whatever that means, lies with the participants, and their inner lives (for all that the rest of their lives was conducted publicly) are not ours to access.
It's also, for better or worse (mostly for the better, but I’ll come back to this) a carefully neutral book. Leigh’s illness—misunderstood and untreated as it was—naturally drove her to some extremes of behaviour, including various affairs and sexual encounters (though obviously Olivier was equally unfaithful). Galloway reports on these incidents but neither dwells nor judges: thus, offering an important counter-narrative to all the “Vivian Leigh was a nymphomaniac” type hot takes. Similarly, Galloway mostly avoids armchair diagnoses, relying instead on the context offered by both modern and contemporaneous accounts of bipolar depression. For the most part, I found it a nuanced, compassionate portrait of Leigh, one that allowed her complexity and her humanity to shine through, despite the harsh toll her illness took on her.
Sorry, I realise I haven’t said much about how it handles Olivier. To be honest, he comes across like an utter weirdo, which is very much on Olivier, not on Galloway. But, again, I think Galloway offers the same compassion to Olivier that he does to Leigh, allowing space within the text recognise the genuine anguish he must have suffered in being married to someone with an undiagnosed and destructive mental health condition, while ensuring that Vivian Leigh’s story remains her own, for all her life and Olivier’s were entwined. After all, Laurence Olivier was pretty keen on his own account to make the tragedy of Vivian Leigh the tragedy of Laurence Olivier.
Where the neutrality, I think, slightly damaged the book for me, and this is very much a personal thing, is that there was very little challenge to the prevailing narrative that Laurence Olivier was a genius and Vivian Leigh was beautiful, but her talent was limited. This is simply because while it’s easy enough to find testimony that Olivier was a genius—including from Olivier himself—and equally straightforward to find people willing to share times Vivian Leigh was erratic on set for, some reason, critical admiration for Leigh of which there was quite a bit, for both her film and stage work (let’s not forget she won two academy awards and a BAFTA) seems, somehow, less real when applied to her—when it’s just sort of taken for granted with Olivier. For example, the book consistently quotes Kenneth Tynan (declaring him London’s “sharpest and shrewdest critic”) who seems to have made it his life’s work to criticise Leigh while exalting her husband. This, coupled with his eagerness to share salacious stories about the time she apparently hit on him (but he couldn’t go through with it because the thought of cucking Laurence Oliver was JUST TOO PAINFUL, wow what a guy) just makes him come across as an utter arse—with his negative critical hardon (as well as his negative literal hardon) for Leigh surely rooted in either misogyny or a messed up boycrush on Olivier rather than any sort of sharpness or shrewdness.
Basically, I think where I’m going with this is that, while I appreciated Truly Madly’s focus on Leigh’s illness as way of understanding her behaviour, it sometimes ran the danger of being the only lens through which the book wanted to examine her. This had the, I think, inadvertent result of occasionally diminishing her achievements, with commentary from people like Tynan allowed to run roughshod through the narrative, and flattening out some aspects of her social and professional context—especially because mental illness intersects almost inextricably with misogyny when it comes to the lives of famous women, and famous beautiful women even more so.
What does come through above all else though, is the intensity of the love between Leigh and Olivier. God knows what she saw in him, but clearly they saw something in each other, and the something was powerful enough to shape not who they were and would become but their entire lives. A small misstep, for me, in the part of the book was to conclude its account of this complex, doomed, very real love affair by comparing passion to … uh … bipolar depression.
Passion sears, it scalds, it convulses, it disrupts. It creates and destroys in equal measure. At times it can seem like a mental illness, not all that different from the “mixed state” of bipolar disorder that fuses two apparent opposes, mania and depression, into a third hallucinatory condition, unlike anything most of us have ever known.
I really don’t think I need to unpick why this is a terrible analogy, especially in the context of a book at least partially about a woman who suffered deeply from the illness in question. Hard no.
To end on a happier note, let me just mention that Patrick Stewart (who apparently worked with Leigh on a couple of occasions) is one of the actors interviewed for the book. And, true to form, he just comes across as the loveliest? His recollections of Leigh, while limited, are some of the kindest and most illuminating in the book. He has a few personal stories to tell, but steers clear of gossip, acknowledges the rumours surrounding her while also not contributing to them, leaves space for those who have been hurt by her behaviour alongside finding positive things to say himself. Most notably, however, he speaks about her not as a victim, a scandal, or tragedy or an enigma. He speaks about her as an actor:
“She was always very, very, nice to me […] but she wasn’t always nice to others […] There were rumours about breakdowns and health and stuff, but she was doing eight shows a week for fifteen months, playing leading roles, and she never missed an entrance or a performance.”
New to-do list for self:
1. Ensure every smutty thing I have ever sent to anyone will never end up in the V&A
2. Make Patrick Stewart immortal
3. Get to know Patrick Stewart
4. Have Patrick Stewart give interviews about me after I’m dead
May 3, 2022
I seldom, if ever, read biographies of stage/screen actors as they are usually either biased or full of unverified "facts". But being an admirer of Lord Olivier, probably the finest Shakespearean actor of the 20th century, I took a chance and it was the right decision.
The author provides a short background of Olivier and Leigh before they became famous. Olivier was from poverty, was not well educated or well read; Leigh was from an upper middle class Anglo-Indian family, a voracious reader,and fairly well educated. The one thing that they had in common was their ambition and drive to become actors. Olivier was more talented but together they were dynamite. Although they were stage actors, they turned to film and met on the set of Fire Over England (1937) and began the most passionate, obsessive love affair in film history.
Both were married to others and each had a child. but they soon ran off to live together during a time when that was a scandal. They eventually married and these years (25) are the main subject of this biography. Leigh suffered with severe manic-depression which grew worse and more public and her reputation and career suffered. Olivier attempted to deal with her illness but eventually his desire for fame and public adoration overcame him and their marriage deteriorated.
I will go no further since there is so much in this book that reveals the sad lives and disturbing personalities of these two icons. They could not live with each other or without each other. It brings to mind a verse of a Moore poem.....The heart that has truly loved never forgets but as truly loves on to the close.......
The author's sources are quite good and his writing style is very readable. Recommended.
The author provides a short background of Olivier and Leigh before they became famous. Olivier was from poverty, was not well educated or well read; Leigh was from an upper middle class Anglo-Indian family, a voracious reader,and fairly well educated. The one thing that they had in common was their ambition and drive to become actors. Olivier was more talented but together they were dynamite. Although they were stage actors, they turned to film and met on the set of Fire Over England (1937) and began the most passionate, obsessive love affair in film history.
Both were married to others and each had a child. but they soon ran off to live together during a time when that was a scandal. They eventually married and these years (25) are the main subject of this biography. Leigh suffered with severe manic-depression which grew worse and more public and her reputation and career suffered. Olivier attempted to deal with her illness but eventually his desire for fame and public adoration overcame him and their marriage deteriorated.
I will go no further since there is so much in this book that reveals the sad lives and disturbing personalities of these two icons. They could not live with each other or without each other. It brings to mind a verse of a Moore poem.....The heart that has truly loved never forgets but as truly loves on to the close.......
The author's sources are quite good and his writing style is very readable. Recommended.
April 12, 2022
Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier were an iconic couple in the acting industry, with their combined talent and looks. But the turbulent thread of mental illness ran through their intense romance, ultimately tearing them apart.
I only vaguely know both these figures, Leigh better than Olivier because of Gone With the Wind. However, I have always been fascinated by old Hollywood romances because of how turbulent they are, and I was excited for this one.
The author has a pleasant narrative voice - he is respectful of both parties, which I appreciated considering how easy it could be to simply dismiss them as another pair of high-strung artistes. He interviewed many people close to the couple, so he is able to give us an inside view in the relationship. I was also really interested in how the book was a biography of a relationship and not merely the two people in it, and the damage that mental illness did to it.
However, I did find the pacing slowed at times, and my attention lagged. Though the author does a good job of translating the stage to the page, everything does not come across so I don't know that I truly felt the force of the couple's talent.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
I only vaguely know both these figures, Leigh better than Olivier because of Gone With the Wind. However, I have always been fascinated by old Hollywood romances because of how turbulent they are, and I was excited for this one.
The author has a pleasant narrative voice - he is respectful of both parties, which I appreciated considering how easy it could be to simply dismiss them as another pair of high-strung artistes. He interviewed many people close to the couple, so he is able to give us an inside view in the relationship. I was also really interested in how the book was a biography of a relationship and not merely the two people in it, and the damage that mental illness did to it.
However, I did find the pacing slowed at times, and my attention lagged. Though the author does a good job of translating the stage to the page, everything does not come across so I don't know that I truly felt the force of the couple's talent.
Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.
August 1, 2022
I will always respect Laurence Olivier's talent and dedication to his craft. He soared as a performer, and deserved all of the accolades and awards he received. But he was rather a despicable human being. He was selfish, imperious, manipulative, controlling, moody, and often abusive. He was a lifelong philanderer. As soon as he caught the woman he was pursuing, he would almost immediately seek relationships with other women. He left his first wife Jill so he could marry Vivien Leigh. No one knows how many times he cheated on her. Then he went to great lengths to get rid of Vivien so he could marry Joan Plowright. Not long after marrying Joan, he began an affair with Sarah Miles. She was 18. He was 53. And he told her he wanted to marry her. What a jerk. (Fortunately Sarah had the good sense to say no thanks.)
As for Vivien Leigh, I feel nothing but compassion. I would never have wanted to spend any time with her. I assiduously avoid people who are volatile and overly dramatic. But she suffered from serious bipolar disorder in a time when it was not fully understood. And though she did receive some treatment and got some relief from electroshock therapy and other modalities, she was never really properly treated. How isolating it must have felt to behave in shocking ways that alienated friends, family, co-workers, and fans, knowing they judged her harshly and didn't understand that much of the behavior was out of her control.
As the actress Maxine Audley put it,
"The saddest thing is that we didn't realize that she had an illness. We all thought she was just behaving badly."
And to top it all off, she had tuberculosis that was also generally neglected for many years. Poor Viv.
November 17, 2024
Are you a fan of old Hollywood?
Because...If you are...
This is about Vivien Leigh and Laurence Oliver and what is considered the romance of the century. (That in essence is the subtitle of this book.)
And...What makes this book different from all other biographys about these same actors is that it tells a more realistic story of their true behind the scenes life – the “madly” part of battle of mental illness, not addressed, or known or understood during those times suffered by Vivien and how it affected their relationship.
But...The story is written in such a way you feel like you are reading fiction about people you just happen to know (who they are).
And... There is a sense of sadness of what they both endured through this mad, crazy love and how it affected them and everyone else around them.
Because...If you are...
This is about Vivien Leigh and Laurence Oliver and what is considered the romance of the century. (That in essence is the subtitle of this book.)
And...What makes this book different from all other biographys about these same actors is that it tells a more realistic story of their true behind the scenes life – the “madly” part of battle of mental illness, not addressed, or known or understood during those times suffered by Vivien and how it affected their relationship.
But...The story is written in such a way you feel like you are reading fiction about people you just happen to know (who they are).
And... There is a sense of sadness of what they both endured through this mad, crazy love and how it affected them and everyone else around them.
July 5, 2022
2-1/2 / 5
Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh are one of the better know love stories out of Hollywood that included passion and scandal aplenty at a time when it was necessary for actors/movie stars to present an appearance of propriety. At their first meeting both already had a spouse and a child.
I was disappointed in this book because it is supposed to be Larry and Viv’s love story when in fact it delves extensively into their careers.
Much attention is given to the making of “Gone with the Wind” and other productions (both stage and screen) in which they were involved together or separate.
If anyone cares I always thought that Olivier’s screen performances were just middling in fact Marilyn Monroe acted him right off the screen in “The Prince and the Showgirl”.
It is now known that Vivien suffered from bi-polar disorder a mental disease which was not known at the time and the author goes into a lengthy description of the disease. Unnecessary, thank you Mr. Galloway.
I strongly suspect that Sir Laurence had some issues of his own and the two together were just a bomb waiting to go off, something that has been much speculated about over the years and of course looking back it is quite obvious…but then hindsight and all that…
I have to mention one point that I found to be either bad writing or bad editing: Page 78 – the name De Havilland (no first name) pops up out of nowhere in reference to someone involved in the making of “GWTW” – for anyone who did not know that Olivia de Havilland was also starring in the movie (since this fact was not mentioned previously) they would be confused as to who this person could be.
This book fell short of an in depth look at this larger than life couple. I admit I skipped quite a bit just to get to the end.
Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh are one of the better know love stories out of Hollywood that included passion and scandal aplenty at a time when it was necessary for actors/movie stars to present an appearance of propriety. At their first meeting both already had a spouse and a child.
I was disappointed in this book because it is supposed to be Larry and Viv’s love story when in fact it delves extensively into their careers.
Much attention is given to the making of “Gone with the Wind” and other productions (both stage and screen) in which they were involved together or separate.
If anyone cares I always thought that Olivier’s screen performances were just middling in fact Marilyn Monroe acted him right off the screen in “The Prince and the Showgirl”.
It is now known that Vivien suffered from bi-polar disorder a mental disease which was not known at the time and the author goes into a lengthy description of the disease. Unnecessary, thank you Mr. Galloway.
I strongly suspect that Sir Laurence had some issues of his own and the two together were just a bomb waiting to go off, something that has been much speculated about over the years and of course looking back it is quite obvious…but then hindsight and all that…
I have to mention one point that I found to be either bad writing or bad editing: Page 78 – the name De Havilland (no first name) pops up out of nowhere in reference to someone involved in the making of “GWTW” – for anyone who did not know that Olivia de Havilland was also starring in the movie (since this fact was not mentioned previously) they would be confused as to who this person could be.
This book fell short of an in depth look at this larger than life couple. I admit I skipped quite a bit just to get to the end.
June 21, 2022
TRULY, MADLY: VIVIEN LEIGH, LAURENCE OLIVIER, AND THE ROMANCE OF THE CENTURY is both fascinating and exasperating at the same time. It is fascinating in that it explores the work of two artists who are caught in the throes of mental instability to very different degrees. It is exasperating in the paucity of backstage details (especially on most film sets).
Before going into this book, I didn't know much about the lives of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. I did know that they were married, that she fell victim to mental illness, and that Olivier left her for another woman. Of course, that barely scratches the surface of their story.
I had never been overly impressed with the film work of Laurence Olivier. For all of his fame as an outstanding performer, I thought his portrayals in WUTHERING HEIGHTS and REBECCA were surprisingly wooden. At the same time, I'd read interviews with people who had seen him on the stage and found his work to be electrifying. I especially recall a comment about his performance in OEDIPUS REX when, upon discovering that his character had murdered his father, the writer said that Olivier let out an unearthly shriek that shot straight up his spine and exploded in his head. He had never experienced anything quite like it in the theater before or since.
It became evident from the details provided in this book that Olivier was ideally suited for the stage. He spent many hours perfecting "bits of business" that, when combined with other actions, displayed characters of tremendous depth. Of course, the film set would be much less accommodating, especially with a plethora of rewrites. Olivier merged his technique with his own emotional insecurity and need to be perceived by others as Great. Yet, he could be generous as a performer, such as when he obviously toned down his performances so as not to outshine his wife during the manifestation of her difficulties.
Vivien Leigh has always fascinated me. I am certain that she was wonderful on stage. At the same time, the camera loved her. She could communicate so much through her expressions ... literally "speaking volumes" with a raised eyebrow and narrowed eyes. However, it wasn't until reading this book that I discovered the truly monumental efforts she made to deliver those performances while in the grip of bipolar disorder. Knowing the insecurity of public-facing performers, I cannot even begin to imagine also having a condition that combined manic outbursts with depressive moods into a delusional unreality, leaving the sufferer completely unaware of occurrences during them.
So, TRULY, MADLY is an exploration of the Leigh and Olivier story through mental afflictions. As such, there is much that I as a film fan wanted to know about on-set happenings that were glossed over or ignored. For instance, in the case of Olivier, SLEUTH receives possibly two paragraphs while DRACULA receives less than that ... and THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL isn't even mentioned.
All of that said, I was given a new perspective into the lives of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier that was well-appreciated. I will watch their films in the future with a depth that had not been available to me before. In addition, the book included a gallery of photographs (only one of which I had seen before). The experience left me wanting more. (For instance, much more exploration of Laurence Olivier and his work with the very troubled Marilyn Monroe on THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL would have been wonderful.)
As it is, it is definitely worth the read despite the omissions.
Before going into this book, I didn't know much about the lives of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh. I did know that they were married, that she fell victim to mental illness, and that Olivier left her for another woman. Of course, that barely scratches the surface of their story.
I had never been overly impressed with the film work of Laurence Olivier. For all of his fame as an outstanding performer, I thought his portrayals in WUTHERING HEIGHTS and REBECCA were surprisingly wooden. At the same time, I'd read interviews with people who had seen him on the stage and found his work to be electrifying. I especially recall a comment about his performance in OEDIPUS REX when, upon discovering that his character had murdered his father, the writer said that Olivier let out an unearthly shriek that shot straight up his spine and exploded in his head. He had never experienced anything quite like it in the theater before or since.
It became evident from the details provided in this book that Olivier was ideally suited for the stage. He spent many hours perfecting "bits of business" that, when combined with other actions, displayed characters of tremendous depth. Of course, the film set would be much less accommodating, especially with a plethora of rewrites. Olivier merged his technique with his own emotional insecurity and need to be perceived by others as Great. Yet, he could be generous as a performer, such as when he obviously toned down his performances so as not to outshine his wife during the manifestation of her difficulties.
Vivien Leigh has always fascinated me. I am certain that she was wonderful on stage. At the same time, the camera loved her. She could communicate so much through her expressions ... literally "speaking volumes" with a raised eyebrow and narrowed eyes. However, it wasn't until reading this book that I discovered the truly monumental efforts she made to deliver those performances while in the grip of bipolar disorder. Knowing the insecurity of public-facing performers, I cannot even begin to imagine also having a condition that combined manic outbursts with depressive moods into a delusional unreality, leaving the sufferer completely unaware of occurrences during them.
So, TRULY, MADLY is an exploration of the Leigh and Olivier story through mental afflictions. As such, there is much that I as a film fan wanted to know about on-set happenings that were glossed over or ignored. For instance, in the case of Olivier, SLEUTH receives possibly two paragraphs while DRACULA receives less than that ... and THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL isn't even mentioned.
All of that said, I was given a new perspective into the lives of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier that was well-appreciated. I will watch their films in the future with a depth that had not been available to me before. In addition, the book included a gallery of photographs (only one of which I had seen before). The experience left me wanting more. (For instance, much more exploration of Laurence Olivier and his work with the very troubled Marilyn Monroe on THE PRINCE AND THE SHOWGIRL would have been wonderful.)
As it is, it is definitely worth the read despite the omissions.
April 5, 2022
I've known since I first saw GWTW at age nine that Vivien Leigh struggled with bipolar disorder and tuberculosis (thanks dad for being a font of Hollywood gossip without ever seeming to pay attention to the lives of famous folk). When I was younger I read separate biographies of both Leigh and Olivier, but until reading Stephen Galloway's account of their love affair, I had no concept of the horror of both of those diseases on their lives and relationship. Perhaps I should have been better at reading between the lines of those other books, or perhaps as a culture we are only, finally, beginning to be able to speak openly and compassionately about the reality of mental illness. I suspect it is a bit of both. This is a great read if you want serious gossipy soap opera about two iconic actors, but with more heart than most such books offer.
For all of the insight in these pages, there are some annoying flaws to this excellent book that bothered me. Calling Du Maurier's Rebecca a novella - where was copy editing on that one? Introducing members of the Oliviers' circle with virtually no background and then quoting the same people twenty or forty pages later without re-introducing them leading me to search for earlier references that still didn't answer the question of "who is this person and how did they know the Oliviers?" Sigh.
For all of the insight in these pages, there are some annoying flaws to this excellent book that bothered me. Calling Du Maurier's Rebecca a novella - where was copy editing on that one? Introducing members of the Oliviers' circle with virtually no background and then quoting the same people twenty or forty pages later without re-introducing them leading me to search for earlier references that still didn't answer the question of "who is this person and how did they know the Oliviers?" Sigh.
Want to read
September 30, 2022freaking tf out because i found my most anticipated biography of the year (about my favorite actress of all time and least favorite actor) at my library's shop for a dollar in perfect hardback condition 😭
April 16, 2022
Besides the author's stringent assertion that Larry never had an affair with Danny, this was a delicious read. Needed more pictures of these gorgeous people, though.
September 1, 2025
“This, this was love. This was the real thing.”
TRULY, MADLY by Stephen Galloway turned out to be a surprisingly engaging read for me. On the surface, a book about the romance and marriage of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier isn’t the sort of subject I’d normally expect to hold my attention. I listened to the audiobook version while doing yard work and found that it held my attention throughout.
Galloway skillfully weaves together the details of their theatrical and Hollywood careers with the drama of their relationship. The result is a narrative that captures both their professional lives and the turbulence of their private ones. By the end of the book, I can’t say that I admired either Leigh or Olivier as people, nor would I want to emulate their choices. But their story is compelling. The writing is solid, and the balance between career highlights and personal struggles makes for a well-rounded portrait.
The Olivier–Leigh romance contains all the hallmarks of a great love story: passion, madness, tragedy, and complexity. In many ways, it feels almost Shakespearean, a fitting parallel, given that both were renowned Shakespearean actors. I found their story to be a truthful rendering of a complicated and yet obvious love. Such things are not usually pretty, but in their grittiness they are real, and that was certainly the portrait painted in this text.
TRULY, MADLY by Stephen Galloway turned out to be a surprisingly engaging read for me. On the surface, a book about the romance and marriage of Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier isn’t the sort of subject I’d normally expect to hold my attention. I listened to the audiobook version while doing yard work and found that it held my attention throughout.
Galloway skillfully weaves together the details of their theatrical and Hollywood careers with the drama of their relationship. The result is a narrative that captures both their professional lives and the turbulence of their private ones. By the end of the book, I can’t say that I admired either Leigh or Olivier as people, nor would I want to emulate their choices. But their story is compelling. The writing is solid, and the balance between career highlights and personal struggles makes for a well-rounded portrait.
The Olivier–Leigh romance contains all the hallmarks of a great love story: passion, madness, tragedy, and complexity. In many ways, it feels almost Shakespearean, a fitting parallel, given that both were renowned Shakespearean actors. I found their story to be a truthful rendering of a complicated and yet obvious love. Such things are not usually pretty, but in their grittiness they are real, and that was certainly the portrait painted in this text.
June 28, 2022
If you want a complete, thorough history of the relationship between Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh, with peeks into the back stories of their movies and stage performances, this is the book for you. However, if you want a book that is well written, without trite language, melodramatic prose and clichés, then you may want to skip this.
October 12, 2022
Meh. Why would any Vivien Leigh biographer use Anne Edwards as a key source?
I did really enjoy this book, but there are so many unsubstantiated rumors, I'm not sure what to think about some of the stories. Taken with a grain of salt, they are very entertaining, and I enjoyed looking at the Olivier's lives through the lens of their relationship, rather than their work.
I did really enjoy this book, but there are so many unsubstantiated rumors, I'm not sure what to think about some of the stories. Taken with a grain of salt, they are very entertaining, and I enjoyed looking at the Olivier's lives through the lens of their relationship, rather than their work.
January 22, 2022
This book is a study of passion–not the soft, sentimental kind of Hollywood movies and romantic novels but the kind the engulfs, overwhelms and sometimes destroys, the kind for which the Oliviers became famous.
from Truly, Madly by Stephen Galloway
I love classic movies but I rarely know much about the personal lives of the actors I admire; I am more interested in the art than the tinsel fame of Hollywood. But, I was instantly intrigued by the cover, title, and theme of Truly, Madly.
I was actually mesmerized by the book! The instant passion between them that became a nightmare when Leigh’s bipolar disorder altered her beyond recognition, the tragedy of it all! These great artists created iconic roles while their private lives were rife with discord and distress. They were imperfect people who often made bad choices, and although one can esteem their stunning talent, they were very human and relatable in their vulnerabilities and psychological struggles.
Although the book focuses on their relationship, it is also about their careers. Olivier was driven to perfection, becoming far more charming on screen than in real life. Leigh was intelligent and well educated, an amazing actress, but with limitations.
Both suffered childhood trauma, leaving them with huge needs .Leigh’s parents sent her from her childhood home in India to a Catholic school, separated from the life and family she knew. It was a harsh and lonely life for a child. Olivier’s father was a poor priest who left a country parish for the London slums. His beloved mother died when he was a teenager. Olivier married, perhaps not for love. Leigh became “liberal with her affections” but married a rather dull, older man. Ten months later she had a daughter, and ten months after that, while at the theater she saw Olivier and she told a friend “That’s the man I’m going to marry.” Olivier later saw Leigh in her first stage success. They met, and their relationship escalated to a secret, passionate affair. Olivier felt guilty, but even his wife admitted that Olivier and Leigh had the kind of passion she had only seen a few times in her life.
It took years before Leigh was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Until then, she was held accountable for her behavior, as if she had a choice or control. The scenes of her behavior while ill is heartbreaking. I have known several people with family members with bipolar disease and have a greater appreciation for the challenges they have faced.
Galloway draws from many sources, and includes insights and stories from the Olivier’s friends and peers. Learning about how the actors were treated by Hollywood and directors, and their personal demons while creating iconic roles, will inform my reaction to their movies in the future.
After their divorce, Leigh still loved Olivier. She died of untreated tuberculosis. Olivier’s third marriage lasted until his death.
I received a fee egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
from Truly, Madly by Stephen Galloway
I love classic movies but I rarely know much about the personal lives of the actors I admire; I am more interested in the art than the tinsel fame of Hollywood. But, I was instantly intrigued by the cover, title, and theme of Truly, Madly.
I was actually mesmerized by the book! The instant passion between them that became a nightmare when Leigh’s bipolar disorder altered her beyond recognition, the tragedy of it all! These great artists created iconic roles while their private lives were rife with discord and distress. They were imperfect people who often made bad choices, and although one can esteem their stunning talent, they were very human and relatable in their vulnerabilities and psychological struggles.
Although the book focuses on their relationship, it is also about their careers. Olivier was driven to perfection, becoming far more charming on screen than in real life. Leigh was intelligent and well educated, an amazing actress, but with limitations.
Both suffered childhood trauma, leaving them with huge needs .Leigh’s parents sent her from her childhood home in India to a Catholic school, separated from the life and family she knew. It was a harsh and lonely life for a child. Olivier’s father was a poor priest who left a country parish for the London slums. His beloved mother died when he was a teenager. Olivier married, perhaps not for love. Leigh became “liberal with her affections” but married a rather dull, older man. Ten months later she had a daughter, and ten months after that, while at the theater she saw Olivier and she told a friend “That’s the man I’m going to marry.” Olivier later saw Leigh in her first stage success. They met, and their relationship escalated to a secret, passionate affair. Olivier felt guilty, but even his wife admitted that Olivier and Leigh had the kind of passion she had only seen a few times in her life.
It took years before Leigh was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Until then, she was held accountable for her behavior, as if she had a choice or control. The scenes of her behavior while ill is heartbreaking. I have known several people with family members with bipolar disease and have a greater appreciation for the challenges they have faced.
Galloway draws from many sources, and includes insights and stories from the Olivier’s friends and peers. Learning about how the actors were treated by Hollywood and directors, and their personal demons while creating iconic roles, will inform my reaction to their movies in the future.
After their divorce, Leigh still loved Olivier. She died of untreated tuberculosis. Olivier’s third marriage lasted until his death.
I received a fee egalley from the publisher through NetGalley. My review is fair and unbiased.
March 26, 2023
London, England. June 16, 1937. Around midnight. Stephen Galloway’s Truly, Madly Vivien Leigh, Laurence Olivier and the Romance of the Century is a well-researched book about this ‘passion’ between Laurence Olivier, 30 , and Vivien Leigh, 23. The date stated above is the night Larry leaves his wife and son for Vivien. When attending a performance at the Theatre Royal in October 1933, Vivien stated “That’s the man I’m going to marry.” There is only a problem with this statement - both are already married to others and each has a child.
Yet, ultimately, Vivien’s statement becomes a reality when Larry and Viv. Supposedly these two actors did try not to follow their hearts, but it was impossible. They had to be together. Please remember it was a different time with strict rules that had to appear to be followed. Eventually, Viv and Larry arrive in Hollywood, but not together. Remember stricter rules back then. Larry was playing Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, and Vivien to audition for Scarlett in Gone with the Wind. The author makes a statement before Larry and then Vivien’s appearance in Hollywood that I with which I disagree most definitely. The author says that Larry and others should have been warned when Vivien became really upset. Vivien has mental health problems, but no one realizes this including Vivien down the road is diagnosed as having Manic Depression. Today it is called being Bi-Polar. Unfortunately, for Vivien, Larry, and their friends and colleagues, Vivien’s case was quite severe, and at that time period there was no treatment. Getting upset or ‘having a fit’ on set would not have given anyone ideas that Vivien had serious mental health problems. They were actors and were expected to be temperamental. I did have to put the book down as it upset me awfully when the author described one of Vivien’s episodes. I felt for her to have to deal with some illness that could not even be explained to her. How she must have suffered as well as those around her. How I hope we are more enlightened today! Regardless Ms. Leigh’s strength of will enabled her to the top position in her field along with her 2nd husband, Laurence Olivier.
It is a heartbreaking story. 3.75 stars
Yet, ultimately, Vivien’s statement becomes a reality when Larry and Viv. Supposedly these two actors did try not to follow their hearts, but it was impossible. They had to be together. Please remember it was a different time with strict rules that had to appear to be followed. Eventually, Viv and Larry arrive in Hollywood, but not together. Remember stricter rules back then. Larry was playing Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights, and Vivien to audition for Scarlett in Gone with the Wind. The author makes a statement before Larry and then Vivien’s appearance in Hollywood that I with which I disagree most definitely. The author says that Larry and others should have been warned when Vivien became really upset. Vivien has mental health problems, but no one realizes this including Vivien down the road is diagnosed as having Manic Depression. Today it is called being Bi-Polar. Unfortunately, for Vivien, Larry, and their friends and colleagues, Vivien’s case was quite severe, and at that time period there was no treatment. Getting upset or ‘having a fit’ on set would not have given anyone ideas that Vivien had serious mental health problems. They were actors and were expected to be temperamental. I did have to put the book down as it upset me awfully when the author described one of Vivien’s episodes. I felt for her to have to deal with some illness that could not even be explained to her. How she must have suffered as well as those around her. How I hope we are more enlightened today! Regardless Ms. Leigh’s strength of will enabled her to the top position in her field along with her 2nd husband, Laurence Olivier.
It is a heartbreaking story. 3.75 stars
January 5, 2023
Truly, Madly is an impressively researched memoir that peeled back the glamour around two of acting's iconic figures, Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. This book exposed the all-encompassing love that overtook both of their lives and provided them with so much happiness. It also delivers a clear portrayal of what life was like out of the public eye and how their love for each other was ultimately not enough. Childhood trauma, jealousy, drinking, pride, mistrust, mental health, and more go into the surreal story of their lives. The book is full of quotes from friends and colleagues who knew the couple, which added to the depth of the narration. We learn of the backstage happenings during some of the biggest films of that time such as Gone With the Wind. I found this book engrossing and would recommend it to those who enjoy memoirs.
Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with the arc.
Thank you, NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for providing me with the arc.
March 17, 2023
interesting look at the romance, marriage and fall out of Olivier and Leigh
May 12, 2022
2 tedious ⭐️s
I really struggled to get into this book. It was long, very detailed but only had brief sections of interest. Overall it was quite a depressing account of the tumultuous relationship between Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. So sad that Vivien struggled with mental illness most of her adult life, that was not adequately addressed, due to lack of understanding at the time.
I really struggled to get into this book. It was long, very detailed but only had brief sections of interest. Overall it was quite a depressing account of the tumultuous relationship between Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. So sad that Vivien struggled with mental illness most of her adult life, that was not adequately addressed, due to lack of understanding at the time.
January 7, 2023
If I had to describe this relationship in one word… MESSY. Cheating, drama, mental illness, Hollywood, a perfect storm.
The book itself was well written, though the “cliffhanger transitions” started to bug me after a while. There’s only so many times you can say “but that was just when his life would change…”
Also I totally wish you could include photos in reviews. Because I bet many don’t know that I was a southern belle for Halloween after watching gone with the wind for the first time. Her impact!
The book itself was well written, though the “cliffhanger transitions” started to bug me after a while. There’s only so many times you can say “but that was just when his life would change…”
Also I totally wish you could include photos in reviews. Because I bet many don’t know that I was a southern belle for Halloween after watching gone with the wind for the first time. Her impact!
April 5, 2022
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted copy of this!
I found it so incredibly intriguing. I honestly had no idea who either of these people were prior to reading but I love old Hollywood so I found it very fascinating. It’s a story of love but it’s also about insecurities, struggles, and mental health. While it wasn’t that long ago, the topic of mental health and disorders was far from what it is today. It’s easy to get wrapped in the glory of a celebrities life and the relationship gossip that usually comes with. I think a lot of people forget that these are real people. This book goes beyond the gossip and the drama to explain what was truly going on as well as discussing mental health and well being and all the ups and downs of this once IT couple. They lived and worked during both World Wars and I never thought about it would have been for the social elite, so it was fascinating to read about.
In 1934, a young actress Vivien Leigh laid her eyes on the wonderful Laurence Olivier and declared he would be the man she would marry. The problem? She was already married. And actually, so was he. These two are often regarded as the first true global celebrities and people are still captivated by their affair and relationship decades after their deaths. Truly Madly goes inside their lives, their work, their relationship and ultimately their undoing. They seemed to have it all, but they were also both haunted by undiagnosed mental illness and multiple outside challenges.
I found it so incredibly intriguing. I honestly had no idea who either of these people were prior to reading but I love old Hollywood so I found it very fascinating. It’s a story of love but it’s also about insecurities, struggles, and mental health. While it wasn’t that long ago, the topic of mental health and disorders was far from what it is today. It’s easy to get wrapped in the glory of a celebrities life and the relationship gossip that usually comes with. I think a lot of people forget that these are real people. This book goes beyond the gossip and the drama to explain what was truly going on as well as discussing mental health and well being and all the ups and downs of this once IT couple. They lived and worked during both World Wars and I never thought about it would have been for the social elite, so it was fascinating to read about.
In 1934, a young actress Vivien Leigh laid her eyes on the wonderful Laurence Olivier and declared he would be the man she would marry. The problem? She was already married. And actually, so was he. These two are often regarded as the first true global celebrities and people are still captivated by their affair and relationship decades after their deaths. Truly Madly goes inside their lives, their work, their relationship and ultimately their undoing. They seemed to have it all, but they were also both haunted by undiagnosed mental illness and multiple outside challenges.
June 25, 2022
O the lives of the rich and famous!Reading a book like this is some part biography but more like the guilty and secret pleasure you can take from a supermarket tabloid. I don’t mean to imply that this book is source less speculation and rumor. It appears well researched and documented.
Olivier and Leigh were stars of yesterday for me. I remember my Grandmother was so sad when Clark Gable died. I have seen Gone With The Wind and Marathon Man, but few if any of the others mentioned.
Until I read this book, I never knew they were a power couple. And didn’t know of Vivian’s illness. I did enjoy this book and they way it captures the studio system of yesteryear and the tales of the politics involved in productions. The romance between Olivier and Leigh was certainly a grand passion, but her mental illness, too much alcohol, ambition, and succumbing to the many temptations that stars are subject to combined to doom their marriage.
Reading about the end of Olivier’s life and illness was very sad.
Olivier and Leigh were stars of yesterday for me. I remember my Grandmother was so sad when Clark Gable died. I have seen Gone With The Wind and Marathon Man, but few if any of the others mentioned.
Until I read this book, I never knew they were a power couple. And didn’t know of Vivian’s illness. I did enjoy this book and they way it captures the studio system of yesteryear and the tales of the politics involved in productions. The romance between Olivier and Leigh was certainly a grand passion, but her mental illness, too much alcohol, ambition, and succumbing to the many temptations that stars are subject to combined to doom their marriage.
Reading about the end of Olivier’s life and illness was very sad.
April 5, 2022
Everyone has heard of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, but do they really know the ups and downs of their lives? In Truly, Madly, Galloway starts with Leigh and Olivier's childhoods and explores how their experiences impacted their adulthood. Both Leigh and Olivier had unique childhoods with a few situations that shed some light on their behavior as adults. The biography also explores how they met, their affair, their subsequent marriage, the movies they acted in both together and apart, as well as all that ensued. Galloway takes us through the Golden Age of Hollywood up to the 1960s and Leigh's illness that eventually led to her untimely death. Galloway also highlights their acting career, the ups and downs in Hollywood, as well as the political climate throughout the years and how that influenced their lives. Stephen Galloway's Truly, Madly is a sensational Hollywood biography that is sure to entertain.
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
Read the rest of my review here:
http://www.confessionsofabookaddict.c...
March 30, 2022
“this was love. this was the real thing.”
April 29, 2022
I don't care about movies or actors (neither current nor -- especially -- early Hollywood), I don't know who Laurence Olivier was, and I couldn't tell you anything Vivian Leigh ever acted in except for Gone with the Wind. BUT I love Gone with the Wind, and I am a sucker for real-world romances, no matter who they involve, and I do have a voyeuristic curiosity about the private lives of famous people. This book satisfied all of those interests, and would probably be a 5-star read for someone more into the subject matter than I am. And it also pointed out how even someone as beautiful, famous, and as much on top of the world as Vivian Leigh was at one time can have some pretty horrendous demons, and lows that match her highs. Being manic depressive at a time when it was not known to be an illness and didn't have a treatment was not fun for her or anyone involved in her tragically short life. Movie stars don't really have it all -- old story, but shown perfectly in this book.
June 24, 2022
"Truly Madly" indeed. What a sad mismatched pair these 2 were. Olivier with his raging narcissistic ego. And poor mad beautiful Vivien.
Not my first read about these two. She is the more sympathetic of the pair fighting cycling bipolar and tuberculosis. Yet still giving the world Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche Dubois. She breaks my heart. 3.5 stars
Not my first read about these two. She is the more sympathetic of the pair fighting cycling bipolar and tuberculosis. Yet still giving the world Scarlett O'Hara and Blanche Dubois. She breaks my heart. 3.5 stars
January 21, 2023
A bio of two major stars in the 30s+ and their contentious relationship. I knew Vivien Leigh had suffered from a mental illness. I didn’t know how she and Lawrence Olivier were tortured because of bipolar disorder. A sad story of love and loss.
March 2, 2022
this book is great. here is an amazon link to it if you want check out https://amzn.to/3htzwoT
April 24, 2022
A very satisfying read if you love stories from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
April 16, 2022
Gone With the Wind has always been one of my favorite films and I couldn’t imagine anyone but Vivien Leigh as Scarlett or Gable as Rhett. I knew only a little about her marriage to Olivier and her mental illness. I learned so much from this book, which is incredibly detailed and very interesting and painfully sad. The author is to be commended for writing an excellent biography.
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