Remembering Vivien Leigh: The Timeless Scarlett O'Hara

On July 8, 1967, the world lost the iconic actress Vivien Leigh, best known for her role as Scarlett O'Hara in the classic film Gone with the Wind. Born on November 5, 1913, Leigh captivated audiences not only in the United States but also in Korea, where her performances left a lasting impact.

An article published in the Chosun Ilbo on April 3, 1940, highlighted Leigh's rising stardom, announcing her win for Best Actress at the Academy Awards for her role in Gone with the Wind, which had garnered nine Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. Despite the turbulent times in Korea, as the country faced Japanese occupation, the film's accolades were reported with great enthusiasm.

Leigh's second Academy Award came in 1952 for her performance in A Streetcar Named Desire, but during the Korean War, news of the ceremony was scarce, and no related articles were found in the local press.

Gone with the Wind, based on Margaret Mitchell's novel, premiered in the U.S. on December 15, 1939, but it wasn't until March 25, 1957, that it was released in Korea. The Chosun Ilbo excitedly advertised the film's debut, calling it a historic event for Korean cinema. The film was screened simultaneously at the Capital Theater and the Kukdo Theater in Seoul.

The promotional campaign continued with multiple advertisements leading up to the release, emphasizing the film's status as a monumental classic in world cinema. Gone with the Wind became one of the highest-grossing films of the 1950s, and the original novel sold over 9.5 million copies in 25 years.

Before the release of Gone with the Wind, Leigh starred in the 1940 film Waterloo Bridge, which resonated deeply with Korean audiences during the war, as they empathized with her character's tragic circumstances.

Following her death, the Chosun Ilbo published a brief obituary on July 9, 1967, which was later expanded on July 11, celebrating her legacy as 'the eternal Scarlett O'Hara.' The obituary noted her debut in 1939, her two Academy Awards, and her marriage to Laurence Olivier, which ended in 1960.

Interestingly, July 8 also marks the death of North Korean leader Kim Il-sung in 1994 and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.