Telegraph
, 3/10/82.
25 Raine,
London Review of Books
, 4/2/83; Carey,
Sunday Times
, 17/10/82.
26 Note by Furse, P.H. papers; D.G. tapes, interviews with Mills and Havelock-Allan; Burton,
Diaries,
p. 636; L.O. to Richardson, undated, Add Mss 82045.
27 J.P.,
And That’s Not All
, p. 269.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
1 D.G. tapes, interview with Mills.
2 Gielgud,
Letters
, p. 418; Sheridan Morley,
Our Theatres in the Eighties
(London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1990), pp. 135–6; Williams,
Diaries
, p. 764.
3 Shirley Luke to Gawn Grainger, 12/7/85, Add Mss 80589.
4 Niven to L.O., 14/4/82, Add Mss 79776; D.G. tapes, interview with Burton.
5 R.O.,
Stone Heart
, pp. 3 and 153;
Daily Mirror,
10/9/83; M.A. tapes 57.
6 Interview with Tom Stoppard; Eyre,
Utopia
, pp. 117–18.
7 Interview with Desmond Biddulph.
8 Interview with D.G.; Sheila Allen to J.P., 16/3/90, Add Mss 79883; Interview with J.P.
9 Piers Paul Read,
Alec Guinness: The Authorised Biography
(London: Simon & Schuster, 2003), pp. 567–8; Guinness to L.O., 11/12/83, Add Mss 79772.
10 Blakelock,
Round the Next Corner
, p. 54; Huggett,
Beaumont,
p. 275; Adrian in
Olivier
, ed. Gourlay, p. 41; L.O. to Hencher, 25/11/63, Add Mss 79935; Interview with R.O.
11 Add Mss 79868; Interview with Ronald Harwood.
12 Interviews with Blakemore and Grainger; Brandreth,
Gielgud
, p. 153.
13 R.O.,
Stone Heart
, p. 9; D.G. tapes, interview with Jayston.
14 D.G. tapes, interview with Harris; Dexter,
Honourable Beast
, p. 286.
15 Croall,
Gielgud
, p. 530; Gielgud,
Letters
, p. 473.
Acknowledgements
My first acknowledgement must go to Laurence Olivier’s widow, Joan Plowright. Without her support I would have never have undertaken this book. She has been unfailingly helpful, has shown me papers not previously made available to researchers, has not hesitated to point out when she disagrees with my interpretation of events, but has never sought to impose her view. Biographers traditionally shudder when confronted by the widow or widower of their subject; I have only had reason to rejoice in the existence of mine.
Tarquin Olivier, Laurence Olivier’s son by his first wife, Jill Esmond, has been similarly helpful. His advice has been invaluable and he has kindly made available to me a highly important cache of papers, particularly rich in letters between his father and mother. Laurence Olivier’s three children by Joan Plowright – Richard, Tamsin and Julie Kate – have been equally tolerant of what they must have considered with some gloom, as yet one more book about their father. Richard Olivier’s
Shadow of the Stone Heart
provided some perceptive insights into his father’s personality and relationship with his children.
Mark Amory interviewed Laurence Olivier for many weeks in preparatory work for Olivier’s autobiography. More than fifty hours of these interviews survive on tape and he has most kindly let me listen to them. Day after day I have had Olivier in my study, speaking with sometimes alarming candour about every aspect of his life and career. My biography has been immeasurably enriched as a result.
Derek Granger for a long time worked on what was to be Laurence Olivier’s official biography. His personal recollections of Olivier have been of great interest and he has allowed me access to his treasure trove of manuscript material, much of it unavailable elsewhere. Even more important, he has let me listen to the tapes of the interviews which he conducted while working on the book; many of which, fora variety of reason, I would have been unable to repeat.
Hugo Vickers has written by far the most substantial biography of Vivien Leigh. He is a researcher of immense resourcefulness and has accumulated a highly important archive of unpublished material. It is my good fortune that his skill in the accumulation of material is matched by his generosity in sharing it with others.
The late Peter Hiley for many years worked closely with Laurence Olivier. I much wish that I
, 3/10/82.
25 Raine,
London Review of Books
, 4/2/83; Carey,
Sunday Times
, 17/10/82.
26 Note by Furse, P.H. papers; D.G. tapes, interviews with Mills and Havelock-Allan; Burton,
Diaries,
p. 636; L.O. to Richardson, undated, Add Mss 82045.
27 J.P.,
And That’s Not All
, p. 269.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
1 D.G. tapes, interview with Mills.
2 Gielgud,
Letters
, p. 418; Sheridan Morley,
Our Theatres in the Eighties
(London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1990), pp. 135–6; Williams,
Diaries
, p. 764.
3 Shirley Luke to Gawn Grainger, 12/7/85, Add Mss 80589.
4 Niven to L.O., 14/4/82, Add Mss 79776; D.G. tapes, interview with Burton.
5 R.O.,
Stone Heart
, pp. 3 and 153;
Daily Mirror,
10/9/83; M.A. tapes 57.
6 Interview with Tom Stoppard; Eyre,
Utopia
, pp. 117–18.
7 Interview with Desmond Biddulph.
8 Interview with D.G.; Sheila Allen to J.P., 16/3/90, Add Mss 79883; Interview with J.P.
9 Piers Paul Read,
Alec Guinness: The Authorised Biography
(London: Simon & Schuster, 2003), pp. 567–8; Guinness to L.O., 11/12/83, Add Mss 79772.
10 Blakelock,
Round the Next Corner
, p. 54; Huggett,
Beaumont,
p. 275; Adrian in
Olivier
, ed. Gourlay, p. 41; L.O. to Hencher, 25/11/63, Add Mss 79935; Interview with R.O.
11 Add Mss 79868; Interview with Ronald Harwood.
12 Interviews with Blakemore and Grainger; Brandreth,
Gielgud
, p. 153.
13 R.O.,
Stone Heart
, p. 9; D.G. tapes, interview with Jayston.
14 D.G. tapes, interview with Harris; Dexter,
Honourable Beast
, p. 286.
15 Croall,
Gielgud
, p. 530; Gielgud,
Letters
, p. 473.
Acknowledgements
My first acknowledgement must go to Laurence Olivier’s widow, Joan Plowright. Without her support I would have never have undertaken this book. She has been unfailingly helpful, has shown me papers not previously made available to researchers, has not hesitated to point out when she disagrees with my interpretation of events, but has never sought to impose her view. Biographers traditionally shudder when confronted by the widow or widower of their subject; I have only had reason to rejoice in the existence of mine.
Tarquin Olivier, Laurence Olivier’s son by his first wife, Jill Esmond, has been similarly helpful. His advice has been invaluable and he has kindly made available to me a highly important cache of papers, particularly rich in letters between his father and mother. Laurence Olivier’s three children by Joan Plowright – Richard, Tamsin and Julie Kate – have been equally tolerant of what they must have considered with some gloom, as yet one more book about their father. Richard Olivier’s
Shadow of the Stone Heart
provided some perceptive insights into his father’s personality and relationship with his children.
Mark Amory interviewed Laurence Olivier for many weeks in preparatory work for Olivier’s autobiography. More than fifty hours of these interviews survive on tape and he has most kindly let me listen to them. Day after day I have had Olivier in my study, speaking with sometimes alarming candour about every aspect of his life and career. My biography has been immeasurably enriched as a result.
Derek Granger for a long time worked on what was to be Laurence Olivier’s official biography. His personal recollections of Olivier have been of great interest and he has allowed me access to his treasure trove of manuscript material, much of it unavailable elsewhere. Even more important, he has let me listen to the tapes of the interviews which he conducted while working on the book; many of which, fora variety of reason, I would have been unable to repeat.
Hugo Vickers has written by far the most substantial biography of Vivien Leigh. He is a researcher of immense resourcefulness and has accumulated a highly important archive of unpublished material. It is my good fortune that his skill in the accumulation of material is matched by his generosity in sharing it with others.
The late Peter Hiley for many years worked closely with Laurence Olivier. I much wish that I
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