Merle Oberon [Actress]

**Wiseguy** · May 29th, 2010, 07:34 PM

There is speculation that Vivien Leigh may have been Anglo-Indian. Vivien was considered a great beauty who had English and Irish ancestry. Although that was correct, her maternal grandparents were Mary I. Robinson (Irish) and John G. Yackjee (married in 1872) and there are some who believe that Yackjee was Indian or part Indian. Vivien was born in Darjeeling, India in 1913 and it is discussed more here. Gene Expression: Vivien Leigh Again and here Gene Expression: Vivien Leigh: Case Solved? It's just speculation, but the matter is discussed at length in Hugo Vicker's biography on Vivien.

**leigh** · May 29th, 2010, 08:56 PM

^Vivien was so breathtakingly beautiful!

**BITTER** · June 17th, 2010, 08:55 PM

I always thought that if they did a film about Merle, a REAL one, Phoebe Cates would have been ideal to play Merle. Phoebe is part Asian also and they have similar coloring and features.

**BITTER** · July 12th, 2010, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by Wiseguy

There is speculation that Vivien Leigh may have been Anglo-Indian. Vivien was considered a great beauty who had English and Irish ancestry. Although that was correct, her maternal grandparents were Mary I. Robinson (Irish) and John G. Yackjee (married in 1872) and there are some who believe that Yackjee was Indian or part Indian. Vivien was born in Darjeeling, India in 1913 and it is discussed more here. Gene Expression: Vivien Leigh Again and here Gene Expression: Vivien Leigh: Case Solved? It's just speculation, but the matter is discussed at length in Hugo Vicker's biography on Vivien.

You know, it's funny. I read one of her biographies a while back, and I remember reading about her family name Yackjee, and thought it did sound a little unusual, but didn't think much about it at the time.

**Jackie M** · July 14th, 2010, 09:49 PM

Thanks Bitter. You did a great job once again. I loved Merle and Olivier together. One of my all time favorites was The Divorce of Lady X. They filmed it together in 1938 of course Wuthering Heights was unbelievable. In some ways I think they had more chemistry than he had with Vivian.

**BITTER** · July 14th, 2010, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by Jackie M

Thanks Bitter. You did a great job once again. I loved Merle and Olivier together. One of my all time favorites was The Divorce of Lady X. They filmed it together in 1938 of course Wuthering Heights was unbelievable. In some ways I think they had more chemistry than he had with Vivian.

U R welcome.

I liked Lady X too, and it's finally on DVD. They made a great screen couple, but Olivier didn't consider Merle a "real actress" because she lacked background in the theater. He was kind of snobbish towards her, especially after he found out she'd be his co-star in Wuthering Heights. He wanted Viv, but she was making a li'l movie called Gone With the Wind and couldn't get away.

I hated her eyebrows in Lady X, though:

**Penny Lane** · July 14th, 2010, 11:49 PM

I LOVE HER. The 1939 film version of "Wuthering Heights" with Laurence Olivier is my favorite movie ever. She was such a lovely woman.

**AliceInWonderland** · July 16th, 2010, 12:48 PM

i love her face, she reminds me of Rue Mcclanahan from the Golden Girls. she's so photogenic too, wow, it really takes a big generous face to be photogenic I've seen.

**politesse** · July 16th, 2010, 12:58 PM

Originally Posted by BITTER

This is a rather unfortunate pic from her early days as a British starlet, but she turned into a stunner, so we can forgive her.

Lol, she's a perfect Olive Oyl.

**BITTER** · July 16th, 2010, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by politesse

Lol, she's a perfect Olive Oyl.

She was playing a Eurasian woman in this film too. And she desperately was trying to hide the fact that she was Eurasian.

**Ennazus** · July 30th, 2010, 04:43 AM

One of my favorites

**Ennazus** · July 30th, 2010, 04:45 AM

Originally Posted by BITTER

U R welcome.

I liked Lady X too, and it's finally on DVD. They made a great screen couple, but Olivier didn't consider Merle a "real actress" because she lacked background in the theater. He was kind of snobbish towards her, especially after he found out she'd be his co-star in Wuthering Heights. He wanted Viv, but she was making a li'l movie called Gone With the Wind and couldn't get away.

I hated her eyebrows in Lady X, though:

That pic reminds me of my mom back in the 80's

**Chalet** · July 31st, 2010, 04:23 PM

My favorite Merle was in The Scarlett Pimpernel with dashing Leslie Howard. They were so lovely. She had a quality in her acting where you really felt she was deeply in love with the male character.

**BITTER** · July 31st, 2010, 09:01 PM

She does have a romantic, wanton quality to her acting. Some someone wrote the song "Half-caste Woman" about her ...

**Chalet** · July 31st, 2010, 09:53 PM

You know what? My memory is still pretty good. I remembered that they made a tv movie called Queenie.

1987 with Mia Sara, Claire Bloom, Kirk Douglas and Sarah Miles. I think I remember it was very well done.

Queenie (1987) (TV)