Introduction

Abstract

The introduction establishes the critical and cultural contexts of the study and makes the case for the value of an archival exploration of Vivien Leigh’s working life and career. It positions the book in relation to existing work on Leigh and on star archives and explains how the book as a whole seeks to reframe her legacy. More broadly, the case is made for a reframing of star studies through feminist historiography, focusing on the laboring life of female stars. The introduction outlines the major claims of the book and how it navigates the fields of feminist film historiography, archival theory, and star studies, and details the main archival collections with which the book engages.