Laurence Olivier (1907-89) was the last great actor in the old tradition of heroic self-indulgence. In the 1930s, he established himself as a wide-ranging Shakespearean actor. By the end of the decade, he had also demonstrated a powerful screen personality in Wuthering Heights (1939). His marriage in 1940 to Vivien Leigh (his second wife) seemed to complete the image of the romantic star. When the new wave of British drama began in the late 1950s, Olivier was immediately part of it. As an actor of such wide range, and a successful producer and director, Olivier was a natural choice to bring the National Theatre into existence in 1963.

Review:
This short book is an excellent way of boning up on the great actor. Not only does the author tell us what we need to know about the stage productions, the films and...the three wives and other loves, he also draws an irresistible picture of the man himself. David Mclaurin, The Tablet.

• Paperback: 168 pages
• Publisher: Haus Publishing Limited (3 Nov 2005)
• ISBN-10: 1904950388
• ISBN-13: 978-1904950387
• Product Dimensions: 19.3 x 12.7 x 1 cm