Reviews

Olivier's youthful stints on the London stage and in a few films were unpromising. He rose slowly to international fame and appeared in Wuthering Heights, Hamlet, Henry V, etc. His marriage to Vivian Leigh, the beautiful Scarlett, ensured sold-out theaters whenever they acted as a pair. Less attention goes to his two other actress wives, the first one a lesbian and the last, the more conventional Joan Plowright. Olivier had brief affairs with several young actresses and a long one with Danny Kaye. The only bedroom revelation here is not shocking. Spoto concentrates on Olivier's professional successes, including the major Shakespearean parts. As a director, the star had faults, like his jealousy of supposed rival actors and ruthlessness toward some cast members. Reader Frederick Davidson, although steady and suave in narrative passages, disappoints in quotations: a strained voice for Olivier and some of the men and coy inflections for Leigh and most of the women. Despite this limitation, the work's bounty of stage and film lore is recommended for drama collections and for popular biography shelves.ÄGordon Blackwell, Eastchester, NY Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.