'30s Throwback: See Behind-The-Scenes Photo Of Vivien Leigh Filming Gone With The Wind

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The following article discusses mental health issues and miscarriage.

Vivien Leigh was one of the greatest actors of her generation, winning Oscars for playing the beauty-obsessed Southern belle Blanche DuBois in 1951's "A Streetcar Named Desire" and the self-centered Scarlett O'Hara in 1939's "Gone with the Wind." In both roles, Leigh amazed audiences with her dramatic portrayals of two of the most famous women in American fiction, and even decades later, no actor has come close to playing Blanche or Scarlett with the same passion. 

Leigh's iconic performance in "Gone with the Wind" is even more stunning considering her age: She was just 25 during filming. Looking at this behind-the-scenes photo of Leigh on the set of the classic film, it becomes impossible to ignore just how young she was.

Sunset Boulevard/Getty

Leigh's beautiful doe eyes enhanced her ability to express intense emotions on screen, but, as seen here, also gave her an endearing innocence that is matched by her delicate smile. Famed British photographer Vivienne, also known as Florence Entwistle, once said about Leigh, "She is an artist photographer's dream and fairest of the fair. Analyze her features — the proportion, the relationship of one and another, the harmony, the line. It is hard to fault them" (per BFI). To look at any photo of Leigh makes it clear how true Entwistle's statement was. Leigh truly was one of the great Hollywood beauties, and thanks to the magic of cinema, her beauty and talent continues to be seen by millions. Sadly, like so many of the tragic stars of old Hollywood, Leigh's personal life wasn't as glamorous as it seemed from the outside.

Many of the cast of "Gone with the Wind" suffered tragic fates, including Vivien Leigh. In 1936, Leigh met Laurence Olivier, and they soon after began a long affair. Not unlike Judy Garland, who also lived a tragic life, Hollywood put an immense amount of pressure on Leigh. During the filming of "Gone with the Wind," Leigh took sedatives to relax, leading to an accidental overdose.

Leigh and Olivier married in 1940. 1944 tested Leigh's mental and physical health: the actor contracted tuberculosis and, during the filming of "Caesar and Cleopatra," suffered an on-set accident that caused her to have a miscarriage. Leigh became depressed after, and according to biographer and "Dark Star" author Alan Strachan, she began having breaks with reality. While filming 1954's "Elephant Walk," Strachan told Fox News, "She kept slipping into past characters. She would start going into Blanche DuBois from 'A Streetcar Named Desire' ... " 

Unable to keep filming in her state, Leigh was placed in a mental hospital for months, where she was given electric shock treatments. As Strachan explained, "That must have been absolutely horrific for her." A year later, Leigh suffered another miscarriage. Strachan said, "I think that plunged her into a very, very deep depression and understandably so." Leigh and Olivier divorced in 1960, and her career entered a new golden era while her mental health continued to decline. While Leigh made her last movie, "Ship of Fools," she often became paranoid and struggled to get through the production. In 1967, two years after its release, Leigh's tuberculosis returned, and she collapsed at her home. Vivien Leigh, who became immortal on the screen, died at age 53. Her loved ones, including Olivier, gathered at her bedside to say their farewells.

If you or someone you know needs help with mental health, please contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741741, call the National Alliance on Mental Illness helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), or visit the National Institute of Mental Health website.