Sir Laurence Olivier's estate selected Coleman, a British journalist and historian (The Nelson Touch
), as the actor's authorized biographer, and he makes the most of his access to the archives. Olivier (1907–1989) had a tendency to "instinctively improve the truth"—a visit from a drunken Ralph Richardson, for example, was changed in the telling to a nearly fatal brawl—but Coleman delicately peels away the embellishments. He quotes extensively from Olivier's correspondence; a few passages, such as a lengthy extract from a letter describing how he'd like to spank Vivien Leigh, feel excessive. The turbulent relationship with Leigh, which began and ended with extramarital affairs, does generate some drama, but Olivier was never really the Hollywood type. The bitter feuds he endured through his early stewardship of Britain's National Theater are more this biography's cup of tea. Coleman commendably keeps the amateur psychoanalysis that permeates most celebrity bios to a minimum. On the subject of Olivier's sexuality, he leaves no doubt the tales of heated romance with Danny Kaye in Donald Spoto's 1991 biography are bogus, conceding only the existence of one probable encounter with a British stage actor in the 1930s. With a similarly sober approach throughout, this version of Olivier's life will surely become the new standard. Photos. Agent, Peter Matson, on behalf of Michael Sissons of PFD in the U.K. (Nov.)
