Reframing Vivien Leigh

Abstract Reframing Vivien Leigh takes a fresh new look at one of the twentieth century’s most iconic stars. Focusing on Vivien Leigh as a distinctly archival subject, the book draws upon original oral history work with curators, archivists, and fan collectives and extensive research within a network of official and unofficial archives around the world to produce alternative stories about her place within film history. The study examines an intriguing variety of historical correspondence, costume, scripts, photography, props, and memorabilia in order to reframe the dominant narratives that have surrounded her life and career. While Leigh’s glamour, collaborations with Laurence Olivier, and mental health form important coordinates for any study of the star, the book foregrounds a range of alternative contexts that emphasize her creative agency, examining her off-screen labor in areas such as theatrical training, adaptation, war work, producing, protesting, and interactions with her fan base. Part I examines a variety of case studies of Leigh’s screen and stage craft as they emerge from the archive, looking at Leigh’s varied collaborations, her investment in faithful adaptations, and her vocal training. It interconnects star studies, feminist film studies, and performance studies to produce a new take on stardom as creative process rather than stardom as image. Part II turns toward unofficial archives and local museum collections, centering the work of the archivist and the amateur collector and their impact on women’s star histories. It explores Leigh’s archival afterlives as they are constructed by a range of agents and institutions beyond the “official” star archive.