Description:

Leigh Vivien 1913 - 1967 Vivien Leigh theatrical content ALS written six months before 1965 Old English Provincial Tour of "La Contessa"



Thick dove gray customized note card with matching envelope. Card embossed with actress's Belgravia address and telephone extension "54, Eaton Square, S.W.1., Sloane 1955" at top, measuring 5.875" x 4". Card inscribed in Leigh's spidery cursive and signed "Vivien Leigh" in black ball point pen at lower right verso. Envelope addressed to "Miss Lois Stanley, 12 Marylands Road, Paddington, W.9.", bearing 3 pence Elizabeth Regina purple stamp, and postmarked London, November 18, 1964. Both in very fine to extra fine condition.

Letter in full can be found below:

Nov 18th



My dear Joyce,



Thank you for your very sweet letter & lovely present. You are kind to remember. I am looking forward to rehearsals of a new play on January 15th after we've had a holiday abroad. It was nice seeing you the other night.



All best wishes & love

Vivien Leigh

In the fall of 1964, Leigh was in between acting projects. She had last played Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna in a March 1963 Broadway adaption of Jacques Deval's Tovarich. In her letter, Leigh explains that her next project's rehearsals would start in January 1965; based on her acting schedule, these rehearsals were probably for La Contessa, a play written by American playwright Paul Osborn (1901-1988). The play toured in April 1965 on an Old English Provincial Tour of Oxford, Newcastle, and Liverpool.

Vivien Leigh (1913-1967) was a mature and well-respected theater and film actress by the mid-1960s. Leigh studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London before accepting her first movie role as an extra. She achieved success in English theatrical productions before trying the movies in the mid-to-late 1930s. Her break-out success as Scarlett O'Hara in 1939 Gone with the Wind made her an international star. Throughout the next twenty-five years, Leigh would act in numerous productions, but she focused on the stage during her final years, starring in adaptions of William Shakespeare, Noel Coward, Anton Chekov, and Jean Girandoux.

This note was written from Leigh's designer decorated flat at 54, Eaton Square. She had moved there with her then husband Laurence Olivier in the 1950s, and lived there until her death from tuberculosis three years later at age 53.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 14, 2017 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000