Olivier (62 page)

Letters from and papers relating to Olivier are to be found in many
other collections mentioned in the Notes to this book. A small but particularly interesting group is to be found in the Chandos papers in the Cambridge University Library.

There is an alarmingly large number of books about Olivier already in existence. Olivier’s own books,
Confessions of an Actor
(1982) and
On Acting
(1986) are, of course, of the first importance. Among the others, Terry Coleman’s
Olivier
(2005) is the most comprehensive. Felix Barker’s
The Oliviers
(1953) is of interest as being written with the approval and cooperation of its subject. Donald Spoto’s
Laurence Olivier
(1991) is sometimes quirkish in its judgments but contains much of interest. Books by members of the family – Joan Plowright’s
And That’s Not All
(2001), Tarquin Olivier’s
My Father Laurence Olivier
(1992), and
So Who’s Your Mother
(1012) and Richard Olivier’s
Shadow of the Stone Heart
(1995) – must be of particular significance to the biographer. Virginia Fairweather’s
Cry God For Larry
(1969) is written by someone who worked closely with Olivier for many years. Many other books are mentioned in the notes which follow.

1
S.O.’s draft biography of L.O., Add Mss 80591, p. 3.

2
Thomas Kiernan,
Olivier: The Life of Laurence Olivier
(London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1981), p. 5; Kenneth Tynan,
The Sound of Two Hands Clapping
(London: Cape, 1975), p. 130; M.A. tapes 18.

3
L.O.,
Confessions of an Actor
(1982; London: Orion, 1994), p. 23; Kiernan,
Olivier
, pp. 4 and 24.

4
Robert Stephens,
Knight Errant: Memoirs of a Vagabond Actor
(London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1995), p. 60.

5
L.O.,
On Acting
(London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1986), p. 25;
Olivier at Work: Compiled by the Royal National Theatre
, ed. Lyn Haill (London: Nick Hern Books, 1989), p. 66; S.O., biography, p. 39.

6
L.O. to ‘Ross’, 11/8/62, P.H. papers.

7
Reports in Add Mss 79782; Dickie Olivier, in
Sunday Times
, 16/11/53.

8
S.O., biography, p. 35.

9
M.A. tapes 1; Michael Munn,
Lord Larry: The Secret Life of Laurence Olivier: A Personal and Intimate Portrait
(London: Robson, 2007), p. 14.

10
Bernard Quaritch Catalogue, ‘From the Library of Lord Olivier’ (2011), Item 162; Edith Craig,
Ellen Terry’s Memoirs
(London: Gollancz, 1933), p. 318.

11
Craig,
Ellen Terry’s Memoirs
, p. 318; Sidney Dark,
Mackay of All Saints
(London: Centenary Press, 1937), p. 121; Thorndike in
Olivier
, ed. Logan Gourlay (London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1973), p. 24; S.O., biography, p. 37.

12
M.A. tapes 1 and 53.

13
M.A. tapes 53.

14
Reports in Add Mss 79782; John Cottrell,
Laurence Olivier
(London: Coronet, 1977), p. 27; Kiernan,
Olivier
, pp. 16–20.

15
M.A. tapes 18.

16
D.G. tapes, interview with Benjamin Whitrow, 27/1/99; M.A. tapes 18; Cottrell,
Olivier
, p. 32.

17
L.O. to J.E., 21/4/61, T.O. papers; Quaritch Catalogue, Item 111.

18
L.O.,
On Acting
, p. 25;
St Edward’s School Chronicle
(March 1924); A. H. Packe to D.G., 1/3/99, D.G. papers.

19
M.A. tapes 18; S.O., biography, p. 53.

20
Terry Coleman,
Olivier: The Authorised Biography
(London: Bloomsbury, 2005), p. 21.

21
Confessions
, p. 42.

22
Donald Spoto,
Laurence Olivier: A Biography
(London: HarperCollins, 1991), pp. 24–5; Elizabeth Sprigge,
Sybil Thorndike Casson
(London: Gollancz, 1971), pp. 225–6.

23
Hugo Vickers,
Vivien Leigh
(London: Hamilton, 1988), p. 65;
Confessions
, pp. 42–3.

24
Interview for Melvyn Bragg, “Laurence Olivier: A Life” (1986);
Peter Hall’s Diaries: The Story of a Dramatic Battle
, ed. John Goodwin (London: Hamish Hamilton, 1983), p. 53; Roger Lewis,
The Real Life of Laurence Olivier
(London: Century, 1996), p. 81.

1
L.O. to Warren Mangi, 8/1/77, Add Mss 79935.

2
Confessions
, p. 45; M.A. tapes 53;
Confessions
, p. 51.

3
Cottrell,
Laurence Olivier
, p. 43.

4
M.A. tapes 1.

5
Thorndike in
Olivier
, ed. Gourlay, pp. 9 and 25–6.

6
Felix Barker,
The Oliviers: A Biography
(London: Hamilton, 1953), p. 27; Bache Matthews,
A History of the Birmingham Repertory Theatre
(London, 1924), p. 34.

7
Denys Blakelock,
Round the Next Corner: A Life Story
(London: Gollancz, 1967), p. 56; Tarquin Olivier,
My Father Laurence Olivier
(London: Headline, 1992), p. 56; M.A. tapes 45; Interview with William Gaskill.

8
M.A. tapes 6;
Confessions
, p. 57.

9
M.A. tapes 16 and 6.

10
Garry O’Connor,
Ralph Richardson: An Actor’s Life
(London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1982), p. 58; Meriel Forbes to L.O., undated, Add Mss 79771; Sarah Miles,
Serves Me Right
(London: Macmillan, 1994), pp. 71–2; M.A. tapes 13 and 18; L.O. to Meriel Forbes, 29/9/45, Add Mss 82045.

11
Beldon,
Observer
, 12/3/62; Lewis,
Olivier
, p. 92.

12
Confessions
, p. 59; L.O. diary, Add Mss 79794; S.O., biography, p. 69; Meriel Forbes to L.O., undated, Add Mss 79771.

13
Lewisham Borough News
, 29/9/26; M.A. tapes 22;
Birmingham Post
, 4/4/27; L.O. to N. Pogodin, 3/10/59, Add Mss 79897.

14
Evening News
, 30/8/46; Jonathan Croall,
Gielgud: A Theatrical Life
(London: Methuen, 2000), p. 102.

15
Kiernan,
Olivier
, p. 49; Richardson,
Evening Standard
, 7/6/70.

16
G. W. Bishop,
Barry Jackson and the London Theatre
(London: Arthur Baker, 1933), pp. 88–9.

17
S.O., biography, p. 76;
Confessions
, p. 65; L.O. to T.O., 21/2/52, Add Mss 88951/1/2.

18
Olivier: In Celebration
, ed. Gary O’Connor (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1987), p. 23; M.A. tapes 36;
Confessions
, p. 74–5; Miles,
Serves Me Right
, p. 143.

19
R. C. Sherriff,
No Leading Lady
(London: Gollancz, 1968), pp. 50–1; Kiernan,
Olivier
, p. 61.

20
Cottrell,
Olivier
, p. 52; M.A. tapes 9 and 58.

21
Virginia Fairweather,
Cry God for Larry: An Intimate Memoir of Sir Laurence Olivier
(London: Calder & Boyars, 1969), p. 43.

1
M.A. tapes 59.

2
Lewis,
Olivier
, p. 104; M.A. tapes 4.

3
J.E. to L.O., 23/12/29, T.O. papers; M.A. tapes 4 and 24; Interview with T.O.

4
The Letters of Noël Coward
, ed. Barry Day (London: Methuen Drama, 2007), p. 212; M.A. tapes 31; John Mills,
Up In the Clouds, Gentlemen Please
(London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1980), p. 92.

5
Stephens,
Knight Errant
, p. 105.

6
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.,
The Salad Days
(London: Collins, 1988), p. 174; M.A. tapes, J.E.

7
Confessions,
p. 92; Sheridan Morley,
Tales from the Hollywood Raj: The British Film Colony On Screen and Off
(London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983), p. 80; Kiernan,
Olivier
, p. 83; David Selznick to B. P. Schulberg, 25/2/31,
Memo from David O. Selznick
, ed. Rudy Behlmer (New York: Viking, 1972), p. 32.

8
Fabia Drake,
Blind Fortune
(London: Kimber, 1978), p. 95.

9
M.A. tapes, J.E.; David Thomson,
Showman: The Life of David O. Selznick
, (London: André Deutsch, 1993), pp. 133–4.

10
Interview with T.O.; M.A. tapes, J.E.

11
S.O., biography, p. 104;
On Acting
, p. 177.

12
M.A. tapes 22; J. B. Priestley to L.O., 21/8/37, Add Mss 79777.

13
L.O. to Devine, 18/4/36, Add Mss 79935; Orson Welles and Peter Bogdanovich,
This is Orson Welles
, ed. Jonathan Rosenbaum (London: HarperCollins, 1993), p. 15.

14
Confessions
, pp. 99–100; Cottrell,
Olivier
, p. 89.

15
Jan Herman,
A Talent for Trouble: The Life of Hollwood’s Most Acclaimed Director, William Wyler
(New York: Da Capo, 1995), p. 185;
Confessions
, p. 100; M.A. tapes 20; Kiernan,
Olivier
, p. 100.

16
M.A. tapes 16; Quaritch Catalogue, Item 50.

17
Michael Meyer,
Not Prince Hamlet: Literary and Theatrical Memoirs
(London: Secker & Warburg, 1989), p. 16;
Confessions
, p. 156; O’Connor,
Richardson
, pp. 57–8.

18
Kiernan,
Olivier
, pp. 105–6; Croall,
Gielgud
, pp. 203–4; M.A. tapes 39; Interview with Ronald Harwood; M.A. tapes 1.

19
Kenneth Tynan,
He That Plays The King: A View of the Theatre
(London: Longmans, Green, 1950), p. 39; M.A. tapes 12.

20
M.A. tapes 12; James Agate,
Ego 3: Being Still More of the Autobiography of J. Agate
(London: Harrap, 1938), p. 138.

1
Evening Standard
, 18/10/35;
Sunday Times
, 20/10/35;
Confessions
, p. 105;
Observer
, 20/10/35; Gyles Brandreth,
John Gielgud: An Actor’s Life
(Stroud: Sutton Publishing, 2000), p. 56.

2
John Gielgud,
Early Stages
(London: Falcon Press, 1953), p. 231; Croall,
Gielgud
, p. 209; M.A. tapes 18; Interview with Patrick Garland.

3
O’Connor,
Richardson
, p. 79; Barker,
Oliviers
, p. 70; Croall,
Gielgud
, pp. 210–11.

4
Sofka Zinovieff,
Red Princess: A Revolutionary Life
(London: Granta, 2007), p. 190.

5
M.A. tapes 29;
Spectator
, 5/3/37.

6
H.V.,
Leigh
, p. 67; Jean-Pierre Aumont,
Sun and Shadow: An Autobiography
(New York: Norton, 1977), p. 429.

7
Add Mss 79802.

8
M.A. tapes 29; Barker,
Oliviers
, p. 111.

9
M.A. tapes 12;
Confessions
, p. 109.

10
M.A. tapes 14; tapes of interview with Gawn Grainger for
On Acting
;
On Acting
, p. 57.

11
Confessions
, p. 64; Interview in
New York Times
, 3/2/60; Peter Daubeny,
My World of Theatre
(London: Cape, 1971), pp. 40–1.

12
Barker,
Oliviers
, p. 121; Redgrave and Guinness in
Olivier
, ed. Gourlay, pp. 56 and 68;
cit.
S.O., biography, p. 120.

13
Agate,
Ego 9: Concluding the Autobiography of James Agate
(London: Harrap, 1948), p. 230; Michael Redgrave,
In My Mind’s Eye: An Autobiography
(London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1983), p. 107.

14
Confessions
, p. 109; Ashcroft to L.O., undated, Add Mss 79766;
On Acting
, p. 58.

15
Munn,
Lord Larry
, pp. 78–9; Coleman,
Olivier
, p. 98;
Confessions
, p. 111; Agate,
Ego 9
, p. 230; M.A. tapes 13.

16
Note by Furse, P.H. papers; M.A. tapes 14; Agate,
Ego 9
, pp. 248–9; M.A. tapes 13.

17
Jonathan Croall,
Sybil Thorndike: A Star of Life
(London: Haus, 2008), p. 289; L.O. to Rathbone, 14/3/49, Percy to L.O., 11/5/38, Add Mss 79777.

18
Interview with T.O.; M.A. tapes, J.E.; Interview in
Life
, 18/10/48.

19
H.V.,
Leigh
, p. 69; Jesse Lasky,
Love Scene: The Story of Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh
(Brighton: Angus and Robertson, 1978), p. 39; Kiernan,
Olivier
, p. 138; M.A. tapes, J.E.

20
Tyrone Guthrie,
A Life in the Theatre
(London: Hamilton, 1960), p. 174 and Guthrie,
In Various Directions: A View of the Theatre
(London: Joseph, 1965), pp. 66–7.