Oliver and Oberon had worked together just the year before in an Alexander Korda produced comedy The Divorce of Lady X and had apparently got along fine. But, when it came to Wuthering Heights problems arose between them. Olivier had wanted Vivien Leigh to play the part of Cathy and was apparently very unhappy Oberon was playing the role instead. This was probably exacerbated by Wyler's gruelling shooting style and that Goldwyn, at least initially, seems to have been in the frame of mind that Wuthering Heights would be a star vehicle for Oberon, which allegedly frustrated Olivier. This supposedly led to a couple of very unpleasant moments on set. However, Louise Brooks wrote in her biography Lulu in Hollywood that she watched Oliver and Oberon dance together at a Hollywood party some years later and Oberon did speak highly of Oliver when she talked about the films years later also, although interestingly she admitted that everyone had suffered from Oliver's 'growing pains' going from a stage to screen actor. But, it seems whatever went on between them, they put it behind them.
Their relationship doesn't seem to have been nearly as bad as Olivier's relationship with Joan Fontaine while filming Rebecca. Once again, Olivier had wanted Leigh for the role and resented Fontaine as a result. Something Hitchcock encouraged because he wanted Fontaine to feel as isolated as possible, juts like the 2nd Mrs De Winter. Fontaine had such bad time with Olivier that late in her life she would admit that of all her leading men, she liked him the least.
I have to say I can understand putting Leigh forward for Cathy, she no doubt would have excelled in that part (although, of course, in the end she ended up with an even greater role), but, Leigh is completely wrong for the 2nd Mrs De Winters, as her screen test for it shows (available on YouTube). Fontaine was so obviously made for that part. Olivier's campaign for Leigh in that case seems bizarre to me,
reply
share