Vivien Leigh Trailers
Charmed Lives: A Family Romance TrailerFaye TrailerBlack Star Trailer
Vivien Leigh (born November 5, 1913, Darjeeling, India—died July 8, 1967, London, England) was an English actress renowned for her roles in Hollywood and British theater. She won two Academy Awards for Best Actress, portraying Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939) and Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), both performances that solidified her place among the greatest actresses of classic cinema.
Leigh was the only child of Ernest Hartley, a British broker, and Gertrude Yackjee, who had Anglo-Indian and Armenian ancestry. She spent her childhood between England and Europe, attending convent schools before enrolling at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London in 1932, setting the stage for her acting career.
Her film debut came in Things Are Looking Up (1934), followed by roles in British films such as Fire Over England (1937), where she starred alongside Laurence Olivier. Their professional collaboration soon became a high-profile romance, capturing public fascination.
Leigh’s breakthrough role was Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), a part for which she beat hundreds of actresses in a legendary casting search. The film became one of the most celebrated in cinematic history, and her performance earned international acclaim, securing her first Academy Award.
Leigh continued to star in films such as Waterloo Bridge (1940) and That Hamilton Woman (1941), frequently working with Olivier, whom she married in 1940. Their union lasted 20 years, during which they became one of the most revered couples in theater and film, starring together in Shakespearean productions and three films.
In 1951, she won her second Academy Award for A Streetcar Named Desire, where her portrayal of Blanche DuBois was deeply personal, reflecting her own struggles with mental health.
Leigh suffered from bipolar disorder, which profoundly affected her career and personal relationships. She also battled chronic tuberculosis, first diagnosed in the mid-1940s, which ultimately led to her death on July 8, 1967, at the age of 53.
After divorcing Olivier in 1960, she found companionship with actor John Merivale, who remained by her side until her passing.
Despite periods of career instability, Leigh remains one of the most celebrated actresses of her time. In 1999, the American Film Institute (AFI) ranked her as the 16th greatest female movie star of classic Hollywood cinema. She also won a Tony Award for Tovarich (1963), proving her talent extended beyond film.
Her beauty, talent, and dedication made her an enduring icon, and her performances continue to be studied and celebrated worldwide.
Most Popular Vivien Leigh Trailers
Total trailers found: 80
15 December 1939
The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.
17 May 1940
On the eve of World War II, a British officer revisits Waterloo Bridge and recalls the young man he was at the beginning of World War I and the young ballerina he met just before he left for the front.
25 February 1983
Out-takes (mostly from Warner Bros.), promotional shorts, movie premieres, public service pleas, wardrobe tests, documentary material, and archival footage make up this star-studded voyeuristic look at the Golden age of Hollywood during the 30s, 40, and 50.
18 September 1951
A disturbed, aging Southern belle moves in with her sister for solace — but being face-to-face with her brutish brother-in-law accelerates her downward spiral.
14 December 2015
The newsreel series Jornal Português (1938-1951) was produced for the Secretariat of National Propaganda (SPN/SNI) by the "Portuguese Newsreel Society" (SPAC), under the technical supervision of António Lopes Ribeiro.
29 July 1965
A varied group of passengers boarding a ship bound for pre-WWII Germany represents a microcosm of early-1930s society.
05 June 1995
Based on the first centenary of the largest exporter of films in the world, that is Hollywood, is the story told by its protagonists, actors and writers and other people who made life in this business, interspersing images of famous movies.
11 December 1945
At the height of the Roman Civil War, an aging Julius Caesar finds himself intrigued by the young Egyptian queen Cleopatra, whom he teaches how to rule Egypt.
01 July 1994
Some of MGM's musical stars review the studio's history of musicals. From The Hollywood Revue of 1929 to Brigadoon, from the first musical talkies to Gene Kelly in Singin' in the Rain.
03 April 1941
The story of courtesan and dance-hall girl Emma Hamilton, including her relationships with Sir William Hamilton and Admiral Horatio Nelson and her rise and fall, set during the Napoleonic Wars.
28 December 1961
An aging actress travels to Rome with her husband; after he suddenly dies during the flight, she begins a passionate affair with a young gigolo.
11 May 2028
Sir Alexander Korda, one of the world's most flamboyant movie tycoons, rose from obscurity in rural Hungary to become a legendary filmmaker.
21 April 1954
Colonial tea planter John Wiley, visiting England at the end of World War II, weds lovely English rose Ruth and takes her home to Elephant Walk, Ceylon, where the local elephants have a grudge against the plantation.
15 May 2024
Through honest reflection, complemented by insight from colleagues and friends, Faye Dunaway contextualizes her life and filmography, laying bare her struggles with mental health while confronting the double standards she was subjected to as a woman in Hollywood.
18 February 1938
A brash young American aristocrat attending Oxford University gets a chance to prove himself and win the heart of his antagonist's sister.
01 August 2000
A film biography with a difference, Sir John Mills' Moving Memories charts the life of one of Britain's most distinguished actors.
22 January 1948
In Imperial Russia, Anna, wife of the officer Karenin, goes to Moscow to visit her brother. On the way, she meets charming cavalry officer Vronsky, to whom she's immediately attracted— but in St.
18 October 1938
Pickpocket Libby is protected by aging street performer Charles, who takes her into his troupe. Libby's dancing leads her to meet songwriter Harley and launch a stage career, while Charles is seemingly spurned by the waif he has helped.
31 July 1940
This 1940 presentation features highlights of earlier (1928 onward) Oscar ceremonies including Shirley Temple and Walt Disney, plus acceptance speeches for films released in 1939 with recipients and presenters including Vivien Leigh, Judy Garland, Hattie McDaniel and more, with host Bob Hope.
31 December 1961
Henry Fonda hosts this retrospective on the career and films of iconic filmmaker David O. Selznick, who epitomized the era of the auteur producer in the 30s and 40s.
22 October 1990
The life and career of two-time Oscar winner Vivien Leigh, who battled tuberculosis and manic-depression but always remained a star.
14 August 1995
This documentary on the life and work of Academy award-winning director Elia Kazan highlights his colorful life on Broadway and in film, which is exemplified by such classic movies as East of Eden,A Streetcar Named Desire, On the Waterfront, and Gentleman's Agreement.
17 March 1996
A documentary reflecting on women in film and the entertainment industry through the ages led and hosted by some of its most beloved female icons.
01 October 1988
This documentary revisits the making of Gone with the Wind via archival footage, screen tests, insightful interviews and rare film footage.
07 December 1998
The history of color photography in motion pictures, in particular the Technicolor company's work.
05 March 1937
In 1588, relations between Spain and England are at the breaking point. With the support of Queen Elizabeth I, British sea raiders such as Sir Francis Drake regularly capture Spanish merchantmen, bringing gold from the New World.
07 June 2000
Explores the many facets of Vivien Leigh's life and performances through rarely-seen home movies, personal photographs and interviews with her family and friends.
01 November 1955
A woman is unhappy in her marriage to a boring, stiff judge, so she takes up with a wild-living RAF pilot, who ends up being more than she can handle.
18 January 1985
A documentary film about dancing on the screen, from its origins after the invention of the movie camera, over the movie musical from the late 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s, up to the break dance and music videos from the 80s.
24 January 2019
Winston Churchill understood the power of films, but the true extent of his use of cinema as a propaganda tool is rarely explored.
03 August 2001
Profiles the life of performer Hattie McDaniel, the first Black American to win an Oscar, and her unapologetic resilience in the face of critics.
13 September 2001
A portrait of the 30 year relationship between Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier. With comments by their friends and family.
13 December 1939
A series of newsreels from British Pathé about Gone with the Wind and its stars.
16 May 1976
Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers.
07 August 1935
Gutsy lass Gracie rallies fellow stall-holders at Birkenhead Market to prevent its takeover and demolition by a department store chain.
01 January 1959
Production of Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer-winning play about mankind's triumph over chaos, which wildly altered dramatic conventions in freely shifting between modern-day New Jersey and the ice age.
02 July 1937
British double agent Madeleine Goddard meets and falls in love with German spy Baron Karl Von Marwitz during World War I.
03 January 2021
In "Gone with the Wind" she was an unforgettable Scarlett O'Hara. Beauty, two-time Oscar winner, celebrated Hollywood star and great Shakespearean interpreter - Vivien Leigh was all that.
23 January 1999
Paying homage to two of Hollywood's central icons, the film creates an unparalleled portrait of two very different personalities amidst the demise of the studio system.
09 June 1935
A scatterbrained circus lady must cover for her sour schoolmistress sister.
01 January 1988
Rare previews of coming attractions and original promotional films from many of Hollywood's finest classics.
06 August 1975
Period music, film clips and newsreel footage combined into a visual exploration of the American entertainment industry during the Great Depression.
31 May 1940
An MGM short promoting the studio's impact on fashion through film through their chief of costume design, Adrian; in rural America, a mother and daughter are shopping and observe a designer dress worn by Joan Crawford in a recent movie.
07 January 1940
After Larry Darrent accidentally kills his lover's blackmailing husband, someone else is arrested for the crime.
27 July 2018
A deliciously scandalous portrait of unsung Hollywood legend Scotty Bowers, whose bestselling memoir chronicled his decades spent as sexual procurer to the stars.
10 January 1972
A documentary about the glorious history of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios and its decline leading to the sale of its back lot and props.
19 September 2022
How can one find “spaces of agency” (bell hooks) in a racist film? How can unseen, unacknowledged labor be rendered visible videographically?
24 October 1982
A multi-award winning biography covering the life and career of legendary screen and stage actor/director Laurence Olivier.
03 May 1966
A play by Chekhov, starring Vivien Leigh and John Gielgud; it was Leigh’s final performance before her death in 1967.
13 October 1940
A play by Noël Coward recorded for radio starring Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier.
06 November 1950
A play version of Daphne du Maurier’s book starring Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier
09 July 2004
A dramatized retelling of Colin Clark's experience on the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl, based on the diary he kept throughout production as third assistant director.
21 May 2020
Screen tests shot mid January 1939 in Technicolor to assess hairstyles, makeup, and costumes for final and semi-final cast members.
18 August 2015
Documentary looking at the life and career of 1930s film star Leslie Howard. It features exclusive home movie footage, including footage from the Gone with the Wind set.
14 May 1969
Marooned sailors discover a World War II ship haunted by its late captain.
01 February 2016
A glimpse into the life of Vivien Leigh, told through a selection from the thousands of personal letters, documents, diaries and photographs held by The Victoria and Albert Museum, which acquired Vivien's archive in 2013.
02 July 2009
This documentary focuses on 1939, considered to be Hollywood's greatest year, with film clips and insight into what made the year so special.
01 January 1986
Born Norma Jean Baker, actress Marilyn Monroe would become one of the most iconic and desirable women in the world.
13 March 1951
A behind-the-scenes look at all the responsibilities (and headaches) a director assumes when making a motion picture.
25 February 1937
A local politician in Scotland tries to break the reporter who wrote a negative story about him, and who is also in love with his daughter.
