Some things written about Vivien like ‘she was an actress in life as well’ whereas Larry offstage was just ordinary, even dull.

Another thing that struck me was in those interviews she did in ‘actors talk about acting’ discussing the role of Blanche she said something like ‘the truth must never show’ now that to me at first seems an odd thing to say about acting (is it lying about the truth?) but then you realise she was talking about how the tragedy of Blanche’s life – her fears, her madness, was something that was true also of Vivien’s character and that she didn’t want the truth to show precisely because it might hurt too much – if she was LIVING Blanche instead of pretending to be Blanche and the audience could see it – then what? You would want to go on stage and stop the rape.

To me that was the fine line Vivien walked everytime she stepped on stage and sometimes even in front of the cameras, that she was genuine and got to the truth of that character in a way that maybe another actress would not have done.

Yes I have read Scarlett but I couldn’t finish Rhett Butler’s People.
I enjoyed Scarlett but to me it wasn’t true to Margaret Mitchell’s Scarlett, as her Scarlett would never have moved to Ireland and let go of Tara.

I didn’t know of this other book (Spinotti?) but am really curious about the one Anne Edwards wrote. She did her research!

Hirschfield was another caricaturist I recall he did several of Viv as Scarlett O’Hara

About five years ago, in a renewed burst of interest and curiosity, I finally read Scarlett and found it lacking in many ways. The characterization just wasn’t right for me, but I plunged ahead and found the DVD for the TV adaptation on eBay and watched it, and found it even worse. I also did a lot of searching to find a copy of The Scarlett O’Hara Wars which was interesting. Later a better copy arrived with the new boxed set of GWTW.

As for Rhett Butler’s People, I read it shortly after it came out and found the story line better than that of Scarlett, but the ending did not hold up. The writing was quite good and held my interest, but I still sometimes regret reading the “sequels” for fear that they will taint my memories of the original. However, curiosity always gets the best of me, and I even ordered the Spinotti from Australia, although I did not finish it.

I have enjoyed Anne Edwards biographies very much (Margaret Mitchell and Vivien Leigh) and would very much like the chance to read her take on the “lost sequel.”