Laurence Oliver: The Director of The Theatre London

“Witnessing a performance of him (Laurence Oliver) in Julius Cesar, the famous Victorian actress Ellen Terry noted in her diary: ‘The small boy who played Brutus is already a great actor’.” (Museum 2). Furthermore, Laurence Oliver was born ready, to be an actor, and not just any actor, an actor that would be recognized by many future artists. Laurence Oliver was born on May 22, 1907 in Dorky, Surrey, England. At young age of 9, Laurence’s taste of his future career started to take place when he started attending at All Saints Choir School where Laurence took interest in theatre by participating in one of Shakespeare’s play called Julius Cesar, performing as Brutus.

And, with the support of his father, Gerard Oliver, Laurence was confident enough to achieve his dreams by joining the Central School of Speech and Dramatic art to pursue his acting career. At Central School of Speech and Dramatic art, Laurence began to be trained and participate in classical roles.

With his talent in acting, Laurence took a step further from being a training actor to becoming a professional actor, by joining the Birmingham Repertory Company. Laurence as an artist in theatre, not only became an actor, but he also became a producer, and a director.

Besides Laurence life career, he married actresses that performed with him. Such as, Jill Edmonds who he married in 1930 and divorced in 1940. Laurence had his first son with her, Jill Edmond, but were unhappily married. Then, Laurence started an affair with Vivian Leigh, which later on, they married in 1940 and divorced in 1961.

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This marriage greatly impacted Laurence emotional and physically due to Leigh bipolar mood swings and her loss of love for Laurence. Although, the couples were expecting a child, but after a month of their announcement, Leigh experienced a miscarriage. (Jenn 13). Lastly, Laurence met Joan Plowright and married in 1961. He and his third wife, actress Joan Plowright, had three children together, son Richard and daughters Tamsin and Julie Kate.

Furthermore, as an artist, Laurence was focused in the art of acting. Despite, his interest of acting, Laurence had a naturally Shakespeare voice that helped him play in most of Shakespeare’s play and other classical plays. In 1929, one of Laurence first professional Broadway play was “Murder on the Second Floor” as Hugh Bromilow. Murder on the Second Floor, was written by Frank Vosper, produced by A.H. Woods, and directed by William Mollsion. (League Sec.2). This along with other commercial success including, “The temporary Widow” and “Private Lives (1930)” … “made his first appearance in a movie made in Hollywood, California.” (Laurence Olivier Biography 3).

Like all celebrities, his good looks made him attractive to up-and-coming actresses like Vivien Leigh. Both actors, Laurence and Vivien began their passionate romance leading to the abandonment of their previous spouses. (Laurence Olivier 4). In addition, Laurence career life began flourishing, giving him greater opportunity, bigger projects, and criticism. He even took the leading roles for Shakespeare’s play like, Hamlet, Henry V, Anthony, Richard III, Macbeth, and Othello. And luckily for Laurence, Vivien always ended performing along with him as the leading lady. (Laurence Olivier 5). Performing together made them to officially make a decision of marrying, due to their passion of acting they shared.

Furthermore, after Shakespeare’s work, the public and theatre critics valued his skills and efforts played in the collection of Shakespeare’s plays and he became recognized as a top stage actor. (Laurence Olivier Biography 4). However, the performance in Romeo and Juliet with both Laurence and Leigh became a huge success, which made them both popular and admired for their work as a couple business. Laurence’s hard work and his passion of acting brought him success in leveling him up to become recognized not only as an actor but as a producer.

As a producer in theatre, the work of Laurence is combined with his work as a director. Laurence first time becoming as a producer was with the play called “Golden Arrow,” co-starring his young Irish discovery Greer Garson, and in a 1935 staging of “Romeo and Juliet” with Gielguad that would run an unheard-of six months. (Grimm 4). Nonetheless, most of Laurence’s editing and cutting decisions are made in scripts of Shakespeare’s play like Henry V, Hamlet, and Richard III. He produced outstanding costumes in Shakespeare’s scene set.

Other films Laurence did as producer, according to the article of “Filmography for Laurence Olivier” (Sect. 4), are: The Beggar’s Opera, The Prince and The Showgirl, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and Come Back, Little Sheba. In addition, not much information of Laurence work as producer is given because Laurence would not only produce films and plays but he would also direct. Laurence enjoyed directing actors in his own ways, and create his own production and costumes designs as he felt how characters in the play should be seen and felt as.

Despite his work as an actor and producer, Laurence managed to become the first director of the National Theatre of London. As the first director of the National Theatre, Laurence directed many films that made him important and recognized as an artist in theatre. For instance, in 1944, Laurence premiered and directed “Henry V” in the National Theatre of London. At the start of filming, Laurence was struggling to find suitable director who could direct “Henry V”. However, a director Laurence always gave credit to, William Wyler, he insisted that Laurence was the only director who could do it. (Miller 4).

Therefore, Laurence had no choice but to direct this film based on his knowledge he prepared from Shakespearean scholar Alan Dent. The process of directing “Henry V” became very challenging to Laurence as he had doubts of his edits and cuts he were suggested to make. (Miller 6). Another film directed by Laurence in 1948 is “Hamlet”. Hamlet (1948), was one of the best film directed by Laurence, it won the Academy Award for Best Actor and another Award Academy for Best Picture. Moreover, “Laurence was not only an actor in preserving performances on the screen. As director, he is conscious of the importance of striking images.” (Thornton 8).

Laurence goal in directing Hamlet (1948) was mainly to draw attention to its costumes, set design, and lighting. By doing so, he was able to achieve the realism of the great tragedy in the royal family. Along with the success of Hamlet (1948) was also “Richard III (1955). However, “Richard III seems rather less “cinematic”- until the final battle, there’s little attempt at opening out the play, and scenes are typically shot in long takes favoring the performer. (Brooke 4).

For this film, Laurence might have wanted a more action and entertaining film unlike Hamlet (1948). Laurence career as a director allowed him to demonstrate his skills of directing a play or film and work with other famous artists. One of the films Laurence directed with a famous artist is “The Prince and the Showgirl” (1957). In this film, Marilyn Monroe joined Laurence Olivier to create his first non-Shakespearean film. Despite the success of this new film, there were a lot of conflict between Laurence and Marilyn, as they performed together. In fact, Olivier’s comment of “All you have to do is be sexy, dear Marilyn” “… acted as a red flag to the bull.

Marilyn took refuge in the lateness and grudging cooperation for which she was famed”. (Jenn 4-5). This is how conflict between both partners initiated, leading to awkward moments due to their opposite love and method they both agreed on when it comes to acting. Another film Laurence directed along with Stuart Burge, with the famous writer Anton Chekhov is called, “Uncle Vanya” in 1963. In addition, another significant production of Chekhov’s work is “Three sisters”, which was also directed by Laurence Olivier and John Sichel. Without a doubt, Laurence great work as a director made him rank up his career as the most recognizable and professional artist in theatre.

Overall, Laurence made great achievements, he went from being a training actor to a professional actor, producer, and director. Apart from his achievements, Laurence knew what he was doing, his talent in acting made him a better person in life. In addition, Laurence work made a legendary artist in theatre. His films of Shakespeare were the top most famous plays because of his production designs and his naturally fluent Shakespeare voice.

Furthermore, Laurence Olivier’s career was highly successful, which allowed him to become the founder of the Old Vic theatre known today as The National Theatre of London. His films produced and directed in The National Theatre were Laurence’s last works he did. Laurence Olivier later died on July 11, 1989 in West Sussex, England, due to the battling of cancer and related illness. The Olivier Theatre, The National Theatre’s largest auditorium is named in Laurence Olivier honor.

Work Cited Page

1. Brooke, Michael. “Richard III (1955).” BFI Screenonline: Third Man, The (1949), www.screenonline.org.uk/film/id/467017/index.html.
2. “Filmography for Laurence Olivier.” Edited by TNM.com, Turner Classic Movies, www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/144656%7C96060/Laurence-Olivier/filmography.html.
3. Grimm, Mathew. “Overview for Laurence Olivier.” Turner Classic Movies, www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/144656%7C96060/Laurence-Olivier/.
4. Jenn. “Larry, Vivien and Marilyn.” Vivien Leigh and Laurence Olivier, 6 May 2011, vivandlarry.com/the-oliviers/articles/larry-vivien-and-marilyn/.
5. “Laurence Olivier Biography.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, Advameg, Inc., www.notablebiographies.com/Ni-Pe/Olivier-Laurence.html.
6. “Laurence Olivier.” Edited by Biography.com, Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 28 Apr. 2017, www.biography.com/people/laurence-olivier-9428279.
7. League, The Broadway. “IBDB.com.” IBDB: Internet Broadway Database, www.ibdb.com/broadway-production/murder-on-the-second-floor-9423.
8. Miller, Frank. “Henry V (1944).” Turner Classic Movies, www.tcm.com/this-month/article/111397%7C0/Henry-V.html.
9. Museum, Albert. “Laurence Olivier 1907-1989.” Introduction to 20th-Century Fashion, Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, South Kensington, London SW7 2RL. Telephone +44 (0)20 7942 2000. Email [email protected], 25 Nov. 2014, www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/s/sir-laurence-olivier/.
10. Thornton, William. “Brilliant Disguises.” Doubt by John Patrick Shanley, 1 Jan. 1970, brilliantdisguises.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-hamlet-project-laurence-olivier-1948.html.