Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1939)

A Love Worth Fighting Foi (Continued from page 19) her, her unemployed dramatic instinct told her that it was most fascinating to think of being a married woman before she was twenty, and later, before she was twenty-two, to be a mother. Laurence Olivier's wife was Jill Esmond, the actress. The Olivier-Esmond love had been much written about. Larry was originally very much in love with Jill, but he was undoubtedly as much in love with the actress as he was with the woman. He had always adored the theater. Coming up to London, getting occasional bits to play, he was enormously impressed with meeting Jill Esmond, daughter of a famous acting family, and almost overcome when he realized she was falling in love with him. Jill was all that he was not — important, established, well-trained theatrically. When she got an opportunity to come to America for a show, Larry made his debut with her in "Private Lives" on the New York stage. When she went back to England, he returned, too. Then he got a chance at a movie test for RKO, but Jill stood in with him on it, and when it came time to draw up the contracts, it was Jill they wanted most, although both were signed up. iT was Larry's good luck, in disguise, that made everything turn out badly. RKO advertised him as a "second Colman" and since he was nothing of the sort both the studio and the public were disappointed upon seeing him. Jill didn't set the screen on fire, either, so when their options weren't taken up the Oliviers went back to London. Then Hollywood beckoned again. Laurence was needed for the lead opposite Garbo in "Queen Christina." The rush was so great that he had to cable his measurements so that his costumes could be ready for him on landing. He came across the ocean on the fastest boat, across the country on the fastest plane. Everything was ready for him except Garbo. Garbo insisted upon John Gilbert for the role. The bitterness engendered in Larry Olivier by this went far toward making him the great performer he was in "The Green Bay Tree." To act magnificently now became an absolute compulsion. Through frustration, his brilliant mind developed a sardonic twist. His naturally pleasant personality became fierce and rebellious. When he met Vivien Leigh, also disillusioned and revolutionary at heart, it was flame meeting flame. A conflagration was bound to result and did. They instantly discovered each other and the ambitions and dreams they had in common. After their play, they did a movie together. The bright sun of mutual success shown upon them. They were triumphant artistically and commercially. They even did a production of "Hamlet" together, Vivien playing Ophelia to Laurence's melancholy Dane. Long before that they had known that they were in love, but after that production all London and their respective mates knew it. WHEN Laurence Olivier came to Hollywood for the third time last winter, everyone saw the change in him. He was no longer shy or inhibited. He did not mingle with the few friends he had made out here on his previous visit. He did exactly as he pleased, staying by himself because he was so much in love he needed no companionship. Then Vivien Leigh came visiting Hollywood, met Myron Selznick, brother of David, and through the accident of that meeting got the test that resulted in her being chosen as Scarlett. That was thrilling, but actually she lived through a lonely winter because almost as soon as she arrived, Larry's stage play took him away from her. But he left the play as soon as he possibly could to come westward to be near her, since "Gone with the Wind" was not yet finished. They still don't see many people. They dine a lot with Director George Cukor and see a few members of the English colony but they are still at that stage where they prefer to be alone together. And therein, too, they act not at all like the lovers of Hollywood who always seem to make their vows at the Troc or to exchange their first kiss Friday night at the fights. The emotion between them is too intense and sincere for any of that calculated demonstration. They dine in the quietest restaurants and do no calling save upon each other. But see them together and you know they are in love, if only by the carefully casual attitude they maintain publicly toward each other. They are moody, too, with the moods of true romantics — all laughter and joy one moment, all fiery intellect or fierce conversation the other. They will have to wait at least another full year before they can marry. So during that year watch for some very great performances, Larry's as Max de Winter in "Rebecca" and Vivien's in any one of the several bi; productions Selznick is planning for her. They will inevitably give great acting portrayals, living as they are now through those exciting, vivid moments of human life that breed true artistic creativeness. As for what will happen to them after they wed — well, we were talking of romance— and matrimony is quite a different story. THE ANSWER TO TRUE SMOK/NG PLEASURE ' We Cover the Studios (Continued from page 66,) David's face relaxes and he breaks into a laugh. "You are cordially invited to the world premiere of — " he reads. David's words are drowned in laughter. But it's still nervous laughter. We find Warner Brothers readying a big push in production this month, with "The Fighting 69th" (Jimmy Cagney, George Brent, Pat O'Brien); "The Sea Hawk." a remake with Errol Flynn; and "Invisible Stripes," George Raft's next try at Warners. In between, Wayne Morris is keeping the studio open with the timely gambling ship thriller, "Gambling on the High Seas." Selznick-International also has a war rush order movie in "Rebecca," the rushee being Laurence Olivier, another loyal subject of His Britannic Majesty. Laurence has been cast as Max de Winter in Daphne du Maurier's masterly Manderley murder mystery ever since Selznick bought the book. On the other hand, Joan Fontaine, Brian Aherne's bride, signed up for the most sought DECEM BER, 1939 79