Lady Hamilton

Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh when they were both young and desperately beautiful are a joy to watch in this film. He plays the great English naval hero, Nelson, and she, Lady Hamilton, the wife of the English ambassador. Another favorite movie moment of mine is after the opera given in his honor when they are in a bar, before they have actually declared their love for one another. They're talking about what they're not missing by having left the ball after the opera. She says, "This is where the real and exclusive party is." Then she tells him about himself: "Nelson in a good mood," and she makes a bored face. "Nelson in a bad mood," and makes the same face. "Nelson in an exuberant mood," with the same face a third time. He says, "Am I really such a dull fellow?" Her reply: "Only when you ask questions like that." His response is the beautiful part. He says something to the effect of, "Now I'll give my performance. What mood is this? One guess." And he leans his chin on his hand and gazes into her eyes. She guesses something like, "Nelson allowing himself to be just a little bit happy?" He shakes his head slowly and says, "Nelson in love." She leans forward and her chin touches his hand, and just then a group of soldiers, including his son, enter the bar. The moment is all the better because you're left wanting more!

Vivien stars as another version of Scarlett O'Hara, a woman who wants to be considered a lady even though she doesn't really act like it. A former dancer, and currently penniless, she wants to make a good impression on the wealthy Lord Hamilton, Alan Mowbray. Her mother, the common but delightful Sara Albright, lives with her and acts as her maid after Vivien is successful in her quest. Married to Alan, she's very happy to act in her new role of Lady Hamilton (which was the original title of the film). She looks beautiful in her gowns and hairstyles, and she soon learns what will make a good hostess and how to best support her husband.

Where does Laurence Olivier come in? We all rented this movie to see the married couple up on the screen together, right? He plays a highly respected soldier, introduced to Vivien through her husband. He's also married, but he's drawn to the beautiful lady nonetheless. This classic celebrates forbidden love, all with the comfort of knowing that the pair who can't have each other onscreen can go home together off screen. They're both very beautiful people, and although Larry has a slight impediment in this movie, it's still a treat to see pretty people falling in love. All tied together with a very pretty, sad, and romantic theme by Miklos Rozsa, this is a classic not to be missed - especially if you like Scarlett O'Hara and wish she'd made more movies.

One of the best known stories of adultery in British history is the one between Lord Horatio Nelson and the enchanting Emma Hamilton. This film by Alexander Korda takes that story and does not disappoint.

In the pivotal role of Emma, Vivien Leigh shines in a role that came not long after her international triumph in 'Gone With The Wind'. Her Emma is flirty, scheming, and delightful, and you can see why she captured the heart of Nelson. The part of Nelson is taken by Vivien Leigh's real-life husband, Laurence Olivier, and his stuffed-shirt persona suits the role perfectly.

In support, Alan Mowbray (as the cuckolded Lord Hamilton), and Gladys Cooper (as the snide Lady Nelson), are excellent, and the standard of script, photography, and direction is high throughout.

This was said to be Winston Churchill's favourite wartime film, and you can see the attraction. It was given a coda which showed that Emma didn't profit from her liaison but this is a small price to pay for such a sumptuous and engaging film.

If nothing else, 'That Hamilton Woman' proved two things: Vivien Leigh is just as beautiful in black and white as she is in the glorious technicolor of 'GWTW'; and when it comes to the cinema, her acting technique on screen is every bit as expert as Laurence Olivier's. (In fact, Olivier himself admitted this when he saw a screening of her Scarlett O'Hara performance.)

At any rate, my main interest in seeing this film was that I learned it was Winston Churchill's favorite movie during World War II, dealing as it does with the British admiralty and the threat of war and domination. As Lady Hamilton, Vivien Leigh narrates the story and since it is told from her viewpoint, she manages to dominate with her beauty and acting prowess. How she rises from abject poverty to become Lord Nelson's mistress makes up the bulk of the story--which sometimes seems a bit unbelievable. However, since both stars were at the time married to others, one can easily see that these roles suited both of them to perfection. Surely, if anyone could identify with these characters, they could!

Slow moving in spots, handsomely photographed in black and white, it is interesting to note how very British Leigh actually was when not assuming a more American way of talking (as in 'GWTW') -- proof indeed that she was a good actress. Of all of her films after "Gone with the Wind", I prefer her in 'Waterloo Bridge' (with Robert Taylor). Following that, I would choose this one.

Some of the ships are obvious models--but other than that, the production is a handsome one. Worth seeing for the two stars alone.

This picture emphasizes the fact that Vivien Leigh is not only beautiful but a major talent, too. In some ways, the character of Lady Emma Hamilton does resemble Leigh's earlier role of Scarlett O'Hara, but this is not surprising when one considers the actress is often typecast as the scheming vixen.

In a particularly memorable scene, when the Lady argues with her husband (Alan Mowbray) you do get a sense of Scarlett quarreling with Rhett. But the actress' undeniable chemistry with costar Laurence Olivier, as lover Lord Nelson, is perfect and much more intimate than what she shared on screen with Clark Gable in Gone with the Wind.

In fact, we believe that these two sincerely love each other. Both performers are rather eloquent and yet passionate in this film. And Korda's direction is superb. In addition to the great melodramatic moments, we are treated to some very realistic battle scenes that provide a fair amount of adventure amid the realities of war.