Vivien Leigh ALS Re: 1945 "Caesar & Cleopatra" Film Release: "acres of sand at the premiere of

Vivien Leigh
Notley Abbey, Buckinghamshire, England, December 10, [1945]
Vivien Leigh ALS Re: 1945 "Caesar & Cleopatra" Film Release: "acres of sand at the premiere of 'Caesar'"
ALS

A 3pp autograph letter signed by British actress Vivien Leigh (1913-1967), as "Vivien" at the base of the second page. December 10, n.y. but probably 1945. Notley Abbey, Buckinghamshire, England. Inscribed on bifold gray paper with deckled edges. Expected wear including flattened transmittal folds. A small surface abrasion is located in the upper right corner of the first page (probably caused by a pencil erasure). Else near fine. 5.875" x 7.625".

Vivien Leigh wrote this letter to her friend Katharine Cornell (1893-1974), a fellow stage actress, and the business partner of New York theatre producer Guthrie McClintic. In it, Leigh quips that Cornell will "trudge through acres of sand [in order to attend] the premiere of 'Caesar.'" We believe that this referred to the London premiere of the Eagle-Lion Films/United Artists picture "Caesar and Cleopatra," which opened at London's Odeon Theatre in mid-December 1945. In this lavish film adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's play, Vivien Leigh plays an ingenuous Cleopatra, while Claude Rains portrays a wise and elderly Julius Caesar. Hungarian director Gabriel Pascal oversaw the movie production, which had been plagued by exorbitant expense and delays. Pascal insisted on importing sand from Egypt so that the movie set could look as realistic as possible; Leigh is probably alluding to this extravagance by joking about "acres of sand."

In full, with original usage:

"Notley

Dec 10th

My dear K.

I am delighted with the beautiful books you have sent me. Thank you so very much. It was most sweet of you.

My admiration + congratulations to you on your fascinating contribution to the 'Xoren live Paintings'[?]

Domestic upheavals of gigantic dimensions have rocked Notley + I have not been crying myself at all. I look forward longingly to being back in the comparative peace of the theatre.

I hear you are to trudge through acres of sand at the premiere of 'Caesar.' Might it be possible that Gabe [Gabriel Pascal] has at length gone a trifle too far?

Much love to you both dear K.

from

Vivien"

Leigh also comments that there has been discord in the Leigh/Olivier household, and that she looks forward to returning to "the comparative peace of the theatre." Leigh and her husband Laurence Olivier lived at Notley Abbey, a former medieval Augustinian monastery, between 1944-1960. Their marriage was a second one for both, and it was intensely passionate. Both were strong personalities and certainly had a flair for the dramatic. Though the exact cause of the "domestic upheavals" is not specified, it is also possible that it related to a recent personal tragedy, Leigh's miscarriage caused by a slip and fall during the filming of "Caesar and Cleopatra." This loss resulted in a deep depression, and exacerbated symptoms of the manic-depressive disorder that Leigh had already begun to manifest by the 1940s. Leigh clearly sought out her acting life as a way to stabilize her precarious personal life.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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5.875" x 7.625"