The new year arrived, and Vivien began work on Anna Karenina at Shepperton Studios, a return to cinema after 2 years, play a role she very much desired. By mid-summer, filming had ended and Vivien accompanied Laurence Olivier to Buckingham Palace where he was dubbed a Knight by King George VI - the youngest stage actor ever to receive this title. Although the filming of Anna Karenina was not pleasant, and there were reoccurring bouts of depression, Vivien enjoyed playing the part of Anna. She knew that her performance would be compared to Greta Garbo's earlier infamous role, so she not only played the character differently, but with her own personal approach to the book; causing some critics to praise her skill, while others said she was a skillful actor presenting a completely unsentimental and un-true character. In the end, the film was a disappointment, 'a beautiful failure', which added to Vivien affliction.

Another year passed and by November 1948, both Laurence and Vivien joined the Old VicTheatre Company for a tour of Australia and New Zealand showcasing The School for Scandal, Richard III, and another brief reprise of The Skin of Our Teeth. They experienced a renewed success on stage during this period and performed to sold out shows and successful reviews everywhere they went. Vivien continued to show much stamina in everything she did, working long hours and always the first awake at dawn with a seeming endless energy - until once again fatigue or a bad cold would force her to rest.

On their return to England, several more months were spent on stage in Antigone, The School for Scandal, and Richard III, all impressive performances with new critical acclaim for Vivien's improving work with her voice. Soon after this return, Vivien announced to Olivier that she didn't love him any more, perhaps spoken during a phase of severe depression. Regardless of how it was said, he took it as truth, and it became a blow that effected their personal life from then on, but was kept well hidden to the fans and public that continued to witness sold out shows.

The summer of 1949 was spent on holiday with a brief time taking care of Suzanne in England. During this time, Vivien learned to paint, inspired by Winston Churchill's book, Painting as a Pastime, and her interest to use 'a different part of the brain'. When the autumn arrived, Vivien began work on yet another play, this time by a popular new playwright, Tennessee Williams, called A Streetcar Named Desire. For many, it is Vivien's most powerful and moving performance, realistically showing the disturbing journey of a woman's disintegration into madness. The play ran for 326 performances, each leaving Vivien shaking and tense afterward.

In the summer of 1950, Vivien left England to return to Hollywood after nearly a decade absence, and began work on the film version of A Streetcar Named Desire. Shooting started August 14^th and Warner Brothers paid Vivien $100,000 for her 3 months of work. Karl Malden and Kim Hunter reprised their stage roles of Mitch and Stella from the Broadway production that had starred Marlon Brando. The play itself was changed significantly to pass studio production codes at the time - so the rape was only hinted at on screen. (Later in 1992, a "director's cut" of the film was released, placing key scenes and dialogue back into the film).

Vivien purposely made her self look older and unflattering for the film - using heavy makeup, wigs, and drastic lighting which would hide her still beautiful features. Audiences in the autumn of 1951 were stunned to see such a different person, barely recognizing the actress that played Scarlett so exquisitely a decade earlier.The resulting film in 1951 was still powerful, perhaps Vivien's finest achievement, winning her a second best actress Oscar, as well as best actress awards from the New York critics and BAFTA.

Returning home in December 1950, Vivien co-starred with Olivier on stage in Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra and Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra - alternating the two plays on different nights. This ran successfully for 4 months until September 1951, and was then transferred to Broadway for another successful run at Christmas. Vivien continued to go through states, having good and bad days, and others would find her shivering before going on stage. She began to get psychiatric help at this point - with the insistence of Olivier - because her manic depression would continue to return. Her particular case made things much more confusing because of her ability to act roles and feelings - a skilled use of deception. She became severely depressed during the winter, and further doctors and psychiatrists could not help. Following the Cleopatras in April 1952, this illness progressed into a nervous breakdown. She took an extended break at home in England and much of the time she was unfortunately mentally and physically unwell.

After further rest and what seemed a return to health, Vivien agreed to play the lead in the film Elephant Walk opposite Peter Finch. Olivier was originally planned for the role but he decline and it was taken over by Finch, a long time friend and co-actor on stage with the Oliviers. In February 1953, shortly after filming began, Vivien's health deteriorated rapidly and the film's producer feared she would be unsuitable to continue work. She became emotionally uncontrollable and began recounting passages from her earlier film. In March, the studio realized that they could no longer keep her in the film and she was put into hospital care. Her part in Elephant Walk was taken over by Elizabeth Taylor and the film itself was not commercially successful once released. Vivien was taken back to England with Olivier's help, having to be heavily sedated because of severe mood swings. She was taken to Netherne Hospital in Surrey and received shock treatment after being sedated for several weeks for solid rest.

While Vivien was in the hospital receiving treatment, her home was broken into and her A Streetcar Named Desire Oscar along with personal items and much of her jewelry was stolen, never to be recovered. Once she awoke from the treatment, she seemed changed in personality and Olivier found her almost a stranger. A few months passed and her heath improved dramatically. Things once again seemed to be looking up - the recent years of plays had been far too grueling and this time off was much needed. She even hoped to return to Hollywood to film again in the future. On her 40^th birthday in November of 1953, Vivien returned to work in the play, The Sleeping Prince opposite Olivier. Critics and the press were amazed at what seemed to be a complete recovery, with no signs of her previous illness. After the play ended, she began filming The Deep Blue Sea, a role she was eventually criticized as being miscast in. The film was not successful at the box office, though her performance was as professional as always.

Life went on, and the 1955 season arrived at Stratford. In Olivier's version of Macbeth, Vivien excelled as Lady Macbeth and there was talk of a film version. This sadly never took place due to the death of Alexander Korda, Vivien's long time film producer. Unfortunately the Olivier's personal life was also in a worst state: "Their life together is really hideous and here they are trapped by public acclaim, scrabbling about in the cold ashes of a physical passion that burnt itself out years ago…They are eminent, successful, envied and adored, and most wretchedly unhappy."5 By the end of the theatrical season, Vivien was once again unwell and started to become physically worse with reoccurring bouts of depression combined with her tuberculosis. Much of the next year was spent resting as Olivier continued his stage and screen appearances.

I think it was terribly unfair. People would say to Larry: "You are the greatest actor in the world" and they would turn to Vivien and say: "You are the most beautiful woman in the world". They never said those words she longed to hear: "You are the greatest actress in the world". She wasn't the greatest actress in the world but it's very difficult to nominate a person who is. She was stupendous in her way - as well as being beautiful... She didn't always have the vocal power to reach the back of the gallery. But she did develop her voice and she had intelligence. Larry has always had an actor's intelligence. He could go to the heart of the play, the heart of a part and dig it out. She had to work much harder at it.. Vivien didn't have that instinct. She had to acquire it. The saddest thing is that we didn't realize that she had an illness during later years. We all thought she was just behaving badly. - Maxine Audley 6

To everyone's surprise, Vivien found out she was pregnant in the summer of 1956, now in her 43^rd year. The baby was expected for late December and hoped for a girl to be named Katherine. Most unfortunately, she suffered a miscarriage on August 12^th. The following months were spent quietly at home while Olivier worked on The Entertainer, and The Prince and The Showgirl with Marilyn Monroe. A European tour began in 1957, showcasing Titus Andronicus, and Vivien's illness once again returned. While in France as part of the tour, she received the Legion of Honour from the Minister of Cultural Relations.

The Oliviers returned once again to England on June 22^nd once Titus Andronicus had completed its run. After trying to rescue their local St. James's Theatre from demolition, and failing, Vivien and Olivier got into a severe fight during one of her 'attacks'. Both hit each other and when Vivien appeared shortly afterwards in public, she had a patch above her right eye from this incident. It was a moment that would be a drastic turning point in their personal lives - and in the professional lives they performed for the very last time together on stage. This however, was not the end of Vivien's career. A new interest in stage and screen was just emerging...