Vivien Leigh and Emma Hamilton had striking similaraties. Both were thought to be the most beautiful of the period and both made their men become knighted by Britain. They both har brains and the most important thing in their lives were Nelson and Olivier. Emma died at 50, Vivien at 53... When Emma died; Nelson`s crew sailed in her honour(not seen in the film - they never fotgot their leader`s Emma) and when Vivien passed away; the theatres of London turned down their lights in her honour...

They were both strong-willed women... In fact; I think Vivien recognised this and played Emma on a variation of herself. Hugo Vicker`s brilliant 1986-book on Vivien reveal her chararcter quite good and it`s then easy 2 c Vivien playing herself in the film.
Korda said to her; "Vivien - Emma was VULGAR" - to which Vivien snapped back; "You wouldn`t have given me a contract if I`ve been vulgar,"

This is a good film thanks 2 Vivien, Olivier, Sara Allgood(and the rest of the supporting cast), the scenic design(by Alexander`s brother Zoltan Korda)and the brilliant lines spoken by the best Shakespearian actors in the Hollywood community.

Churchill loved it and presented Vivien with a self-made painting, It hung in her bedroom till she died...

This is an all-time must-c film.


A TALE OF STAR CROSSED LOVERS...   October 2, 2001
 13 out of 13 found this review helpful

This film is based upon the real life love affair between Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton, wife of the British Ambassador to Naples. Real life husband and wife team, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, as the star crossed lovers, give magnificent performances. Ms. Leigh is absolutely enchanting in the role of Lady Hamilton. Mr. Olivier is likewise effective in his role, though Ms. Leigh is definitely the star of this show. The supporting cast also gives superb performances, particularly Henry Wilcoxon in the role of the cuckolded husband, Lord William Hamilton.

The story tells the viewer of the rise of Emma Hart, a blacksmith's daughter with a scarlet past, who by dint of her beauty and determination rose out of poverty and obscurity to become the wife of Lord William Hamilton, the British Ambassador to Naples. After their marriage, she is known as Lady Hamilton and becomes the toast of Naples. She then meets Admiral Horatio Nelson and her life changes, yet again. Defying social conventions, she and the also married Nelson begin a love affair that was to become public knowledge and lead to great scandal. What happened to them is memorably dramatized.

This is a wonderful film that all who love period pieces and historical dramas will enjoy.


A good read - recommended for any fans of the movie   December 15, 2000
 1 out of 4 found this review helpful

Having been a fan of Vivean Leigh for some time, I took the opportunity to read the book on which one of her most favous performances was based.

Well written and easy to follow, this book made for excellent reading. Although the reading experience should have been tarnished by the fact that I had already seen the film, and hence knew the ending, it wasn't. Lady Hamilton came to life and was easy to picture as Vivean Leigh and Lord Nelson was always Laurance Olivier in my mind's eye.

While the beginning was somewhat slower than I remembered the film to be, and I caught myself skim reading some of the earlier pages when Hamilton first meets the ambassador, it was all made up for on introduction of Lord Nelson. Towards the end, I found the book enthralling and difficult to put down. This is a classic story of love and loss.