She created one of the most indelible images ever brought to the big screen as the wily Southern survivor Scarlett O'Hara.
Vivien Leigh's rise to fame and subsequent faltered steps are detailed in Hollywood Remembers: Vivien Leigh -- Scarlett and Beyond. Leigh began her career with the role that earned her an Academy award. Competing with such names as
Bette Davis and
Tallulah Bankhead, the British starlet rose quickly through the ranks to become a much-respected actress. She married fellow legend Laurence Oliver in a partnership that lasted 20 years. Throughout her career, Leigh assumed role after role that garnered her much praise. She became Anna Karenina in 1948 and Blanche Dubois from
A Streetcar Named Desire three years later. Despite her successes, Leigh battled tuberculosis and mental illness constantly. She suffered miscarriages and underwent electric shock therapy. In the end, the viewer is left with an impression of talent and distinction contained in one of the most luminous careers of all time. ~ Sarah Ing, All Movie Guide