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April20th

Scarlett O’Hara–A Very Taxing Woman!

Posted in: gone with the wind, guest blogger

Sorry for the lack of activity here on Vivien-Leigh.com! I’m in the middle of a very big move, and I have zero free time to keep this website updated. Don’t fear, by June V-L.com should be back up and running! In the meantime, if you’re interested in writing a guest blog post, don’t hesitate to contact me at webmaster @ Vivien-Leigh.com. Also, be sure to check out the V-L.com Facebook page!

Now I’d like to welcome my friend Sally Tippett Rains to the Vivien-Leigh.com Blog! Be sure to check out her amazing GWTW book; you won’t be disappointed!

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April 15th is known to most as Tax Day, but to Vivien Leigh and Gone With The Wind fans, April 15th was the day that Scarlett O’Hara first laid eyes on Rhett Butler. It was at the Wilkes’ Barbecue in 1961. Remember the dramatic scene? Scarlett is walking up the long, winding staircase at the Wilkes’ house and suddenly she spots a handsome stranger at the bottom of the stairs. She asks her friend Cathleen Calvert who he is.

“My dear, don’t you know?” says Miss Calvert. “That’s Rhett Butlerl He’s from Charleston. He has the most terrible reputation!” And Scarlett smiles, getting more interested in the stranger. “He looks as if, he knows what I look like without my shimmy.”

According to an on-line dictionary, one of the definitions for “taxing” is exhausting or draining. That pretty well sums up Scarlett O’Hara as she was always busy with her next scheme. As Rhett Butler said, “what a woman!”

And speaking of taxes, they came to play in Gone With The Wind. Just as we all dread filling out our tax forms today, they had to pay their taxes back in the 1800′s. When we do our taxes we try to find a way to make ends meet so we can pay them. If we can’t, we can always file for an extension. Scarlett needed the money to pay the taxes on Tara so she tried to get it out of Rhett Butler. He was in jail at the time and if you remember she wanted to look good but the aftermath of the war had left her with limited wardrobe. She got the bright idea to have Mammy sew her a dress out of a pair of green drapes.

All decked out in “Miss Ellen’s portiers” which was how Mammy had described the drapes which had been picked out by Scarlett’s mother, she went to the jail in hopes of getting the money from Rhett. She had traveled to Atlanta to see him, but Rhett Butler said his money was tied up. Not to worry tough, she did not go home empty-handed. Upon bumping into Frank Kennedy, her sister’s boyfriend, she found out he owned a business, and pretty soon set the plans in place to marry him so she could get the money to pay her taxes. Oh if we all had it so easy.

Vivien Leigh did a wonderful job of portraying Scarlett O’Hara in David O. Selznick’s production. Selznick’s executive assistant Marcella Rabwin thought she was the perfect choice. She had been there throughout Selznick’s “search for Scarlett” and was relieved and pleasantly surprised when he landed the British beauty. Leigh had everything—even the green eyes!

I had the pleasure of working with Marcella Rabwin’s sons on my new book, The Making Of A Masterpiece, The True Story of Margaret Mitchell’s Classic Novel, Gone With The Wind (www.GWTWbook.com). I will be posting some of Marcella’s memories in future blogs on http://gwtwbook.blogspot.com. I also have a Facebook page (GWTWbook.com) and Twitter account (GWTWbookdotcom) which will alert followers to the stories.

“Vivien Leigh used to go into my mother’s office and talk to her,” said Marcella’s son Mark Rabwin. “They became very good friends; my mother became her confidante.”

As we all know, Leigh won Best Actress for her role as Scarlett O’Hara in 1939 at the Academy Awards held in 1940. She was afraid to travel with her award overseas so she left it with her assistant Sunny Lash.

“Sunny held onto it, on her fireplace mantel,” said GWTW collector Dr. Christopher Sullivan, “For more than ten years, until Vivien came back to the United States to film A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Marcella Rabwin said Leigh was the hardest working of all the actors in Gone With The Wind. She worked every day and by the end of the production she was run-down and had lost weight from the stress. Now that was a “taxing” role!

By Sally Tippett Rains, Author of The Making Of A Masterpiece, The True Story of Margaret Mitchell’s Classic Novel, Gone With The Wind (www.GWTWbook.com)
February1st

{Guest Blogger} Clearing up Clark Gable misconceptions

Posted in: gone with the wind, guest blogger

I’m currently away on vacation but I’ve arranged for some guest bloggers to keep everyone entertained in my absence. I’d like to introduce our first guest blogger. Her name is Meredith and she runs the Clark Gable website DearMrGable.com. You should check it out– its relatively new and Meredith regularly updates it! I had the opportunity to meet her last November at the GWTW 70th Aniversary RePremiere weekend in Marietta, and I was amazed at her knowledge of Mr. Gable. So, it only seems fitting that she write about Mr. Gable on the actor’s birthday. Happy 109th Birthday, Mr. Clark Gable!

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Two common misconceptions about Gone with the Wind and Clark Gable: 1. That he and Vivien had either a romance or a feud on set and 2. That he sailed through the role of Rhett Butler because him and Rhett were one and the same.

It’s often said that Vivien couldn’t stand Clark because of his bad breath. Clark did suffer from some halitosis, due to the fact that he wore complete dentures. Maybe he wasn’t minty fresh, but it’s doubtful this caused a permanent rift. In fact, there are several pictures of them laughing and playing Chinese checkers behind the scenes. So, even if she found his breath offensive, Vivien wasn’t holding a grudge. The list of Clark’s leading ladies reads like a who’s who of classic Hollywood: Jean Harlow, Lana Turner, Claudette Colbert, Ava Gardner, Joan Crawford and Hedy Lamarr to name a few. And from what I gather there weren’t many complaints!

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January8th

{Follow Me to Tara Report} All good things must come to an end!

Posted in: Re-Premiere Weekend in Marietta, Uncategorized

Saturday morning began at the Marietta GWTW Museum for a little Vivien Leigh Get Together at 9:17 a.m. We met near the Vivien Leigh section of the Museum and I requested that everyone bring something from their collection to ‘show and tell.’ For my ‘show and tell,’ I brought a few publications from the 1960s club called The Vivien Leigh Society. VL fan Robert brought a brooch once owned by Vivien Leigh and Kendra brought her scrapbook full of rare photos. Then Dr. Chris Sullivan, owner of the collection housed in the Museum, provided everyone with an up close and personal tour of the Vivien Leigh cases. I wish, though, it had been a quieter moment so that I could have discussed with everyone our favorite actress in more depth. Next time! I brought every attendee of the get together a DVD copy of The Deep Blue Sea- a rare Vivien Leigh film that was never released on video. It’s always a wonderful experience honoring and discussing the fabulous Vivien Leigh!

The Museum was buzzing! It was packed with Windies and the celebrities. Saturday morning was the final autograph opportunity with the stars and the visiting authors. Dr. Sullivan also provided personalized tours of the Museum to fans. This GWTW Museum is my absolute favorite and I enjoyed looking around– there were new things to look since my last visit in 2007! For example, Dr. Sullivan recently acquired some chairs featured in the film. Specifically, the chairs were from Scarlett’s & Rhett’s house. The one chair you may recognize from the infamous “I’ll put my hands so – one on each side of your head – and I’ll smash your skull between them like a walnut, and that’ll block him out.” If you’ve never visited this treasure trove, you must! Read about it on Vivien-Leigh.com HERE. Since I already had my autograph signing moment, I enjoyed the Museum. I took a ton of photos and enjoyed meeting people in the Museum and the gift shop. For example, I was introduced to Robert Rostermann, a long time Vivien Leigh fan. He was in town from Chicago and he and I had a charming chat on a bench. He told me he was a member of the previously mentioned Vivien Leigh Society (at that point I showed him one of the publications I had brought). He also described to me his experience seeing Vivien Leigh on the stage in Duel of Angels in Chicago (multiple times) and Tovarich (on opening night) on Broadway. He met her backstage a couple times and he even had a drink with her in Chicago- she had never heard of the cocktail named Scarlett O’Hara! He was such a kind man, and he shared many stories with me. I hope to speak with him again in the near future.

After the excitement of the morning, I actually had a few moments of ‘down time.’ I enjoyed a restaurant establishment on the historical Marietta Square for lunch. No big surprise when Robert Osborne was seated near me 30 minutes later. I should note that he had a copy of Herb Bridges’ book Gone with the Wind: The Three Day Premiere in Atlanta. He read it throughout his solo lunch. After lunch I retired to my hotel room at the Marietta Hilton to prepare for the grand finale of the weekend, the Strand’s showing of Gone with the Wind! The big screen showing was preceded by a vintage car parade from the Hilton to the theater. It so happened that I was running late and caught the beginning of the parade at the hotel! I adored seeing all the shiny, classy cars pull up and welcome the stars, authors and special guests. The parade was police escorted so the parade received the royal treatment in Marietta!! I arrived and parked just in time to see the tail end of the parade as it arrived in front of the theater. The red carpet unfurled to greet its VIPs.

Inside the theater, and by ticket only, a special few (it was a sold out event), had the opportunity to wine and dine (on appetizers) with the stars and authors before the big show. It was a splendid last opportunity to speak at length with the friends I made that weekend. The theater seating was assigned and I was not seated next to anyone I knew. I had a second row, aisle seat so big thanks to Connie Sutherland, the GWTW Museum director, for giving me such a fabulous seat! Robert Osborne introduced the film (and told a story about how he met Vivien Leigh backstage) and a special audio recording made by Olivia de Havilland. De Havilland lives in France and was unable to attend the event. I must say that watching GWTW with a room full of fans is unlike anything! Everyone cheered when Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable first appeared and everyone laughed at everything– even things you never thought might have been funny! Aunt Pittypat, for instance, got a laugh anytime she spoke! It was a wonderful experience watching the film with people who appreciate every word and every scene.

Olivia De Havilland addresses the audience via prerecorded audio.

This video hows the inside the theater before the showing of GWTW. The stars are seated in the 2nd row next to me. An organist plays music from the film.

Please note that pictures from the entire weekend can be viewed at Vivien-Leigh.com. Click HERE to view them!
December14th

Two Letters by Vivien Leigh

Posted in: Vivien Leigh

I just received in the mail today an early Christmas gift (to myself) –and it’s simply adorable. It’s a miniature book titled Two Letters, by Vivien Leigh. Apparently it was privately published in 1985 and only 300 copies were printed. The book contains the content of two letters written by Vivien Leigh- one to George Cukor and one to Clark Gable’s wife– followed by an Appreciation by Charles H. Williamson. I’d love to know the story behind this little book… it seems rather peculiar. If you’d like to snag this collector’s piece, check out Abebooks.com. They have 3 available for purchase. I’d like to share with you this latest addition to my collection.

truly a mini book

title page

The first letter, to George Cukor, reads:

Dear Mr. Cukor,

I, in fact all of us, found your wonderful direction such a great help in our work; & we have found ourselves unable to give our full attention, as it was in your case, to any director since.

Yours

Vivien Leigh

The second letter is written to Kay Williams, Gable’s 5th wife.

the 2nd letter

The Appreciation by Charles H. Williamson reads:

Vivien Leigh was born Vivian Mary Hartley in Darjeeling, India on November 5, 1913, the daughter of Gertrude and Earnest Hartley. Shortly before her seventh birthday she was taken to England and enrolled in Roehampton’s Convent of the Sacred Heart. Later, she entered the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, but her marriage at the age of eighteen to Leigh Holman, a lawyer, and the birth of their daughter, Suzanne, in 1935, caused her to drop out of that famed school.

In 1934, however, she began to act professionally and within a year had delighted London with a display of her beauty and talent in Ashley Duke’s costume drama, “The Mask of Virtue.” Signed to a five year contract by Alexander Korda, she made several films in England–among them, “Fire Over England”, in which she played opposite Laurence Olivier, who was also married. They fell in love, and in 1938 she visited him in Hollywood where he was making “Wuthering Heights.” At that time the much publicized search for an actress to play Scarlett O’Hara in Margaret Mitchell’s best selling novel, “Gone with the Wind”, had been going on for over a year. The film’s producer, David O. Selznick, has yielded to the public demand that Clark Gable play Rhett Butler. To obtain Gable, Selznick was forced to give Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which had him under contract, exclusive distribution rights and half-share of the film’s profits.

In December, with Scarlett still uncast, production commenced on the film under George Cukor’s direction. It was on the night that the burning of Atlanta was being shot that Myron Selznick, Olivier’s agent and David’s brother, brought his client and the visiting Vivien to the Selznick studios in Culver City to witness the spectacular event. During a break Selznick and Cukor came over to the three visitors and Myron Selznick said, half-jokingly, “David, I’d like you to meet Scarlett O’Hara.” Selznick, taken by the young girl’s beauty, suggested that Cukor test her. The race had narrowed down to three actresses–Jean Arthur, Paulette Goddard, and Joan Bennett, but once Selznick and Cukor saw Leigh in two test scenes, there was no doubt in their minds that she was their Scarlett.

There was an immediate rapport between Leigh and Cukor, a mutual admiration and affection that deepened and lasted until the actress’ death on July 7, 1967. When the director was removed from the film and replaced by one of Gable’s favorites, Victor Fleming, Leigh was bereft. She pleaded with Selznick to keep Cukor but he refused. She always maintained that the inital confidence Cukor gave her helped her throughout the shooting of the entire picture. Also, unknown to Selznick and Fleming, she visited Cukor’s home every Sunday during shooting and he coached her for the forthcoming week’s work.

“Gone with the Wind” was the only film Vivien Leigh made with Clark Gable. Although they had a satisfactory working relationship, she never became a close friend, preferring instead, along with Olivier, the company of George Cukor and the distinguished group with which he always surrounded himself.

When “Gone with the Wind” opened in Atlanta on December 15, 1939, and soon thereafter in New York, the relatively unknown English girl united the North and the South in approval of her performance. For her portrayal of Scarlett, Hollywood awarded her the first Academy Award of her career, while Gable, although nominated for best actor, lost to Englishman Robert Donat for his performance in “Goodbye, Mr. Chips.”

Although Leigh never met Kay Gable, it is interesting to note that it was her old friend and mentor, George Cukor, who gave the future Mrs. Gable, then known as Kay Williams, her first important film role- Hazel Dawn in the screen adaptation of Ruth Gordon’s play, “Years Ago”, released by Metro in 1953 as “The Actress.” Although in a small part, the beautiful young woman made a striking impression.
November18th

{'Follow Me to Tara' Report} The Stars are Everywhere!

Posted in: Re-Premiere Weekend in Marietta

On Friday morning I check out of the Georgian Terrace, braved Atlanta traffic and headed north to Marietta, GA. The festivities for “70 Years of Gone with the Wind: A Re-Premiere” began at 9:30am at the newly-restored Earl Smith Strand theater. As soon as I walked into the theater, I immediately recognized people from my 2007 trip to Atlanta for the Rhett Butler’s People book launch. I was quickly introduced to others that I’ve met online through my website and The Golden Age of Hollywood forums. Carolyn of DearMrGable.com, Kendra of VivandLarry.com, and Kendra’s friends from Poland were also in the lobby. It was wonderful to meet so many Vivien Leigh fans in one place at one time!

First up was a Q&A session with visiting authors Herb Bridges (The Filming of ‘Gone with the Wind‘), Molly Haskell (Frankly, My Dear: ‘Gone with the Wind’ Revisited), Sally Rains (The Making of a Masterpiece: The True Story of Margaret Mitchell’s Classic Novel ‘Gone with the Wind’), Michael Scragow (Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master), Kathy Witt (The Secret of the Belles) and Turner Classic Movies host Robert Osborne (80 Years of the Oscar). Then the castmates were brought out on stage: Greg Geise (baby Bonnie, baby Beau), Patrick Curtis (Toddler Beau), Mickey Kuhn (Beau), Geneva Miller Roberts (an extra during the BBQ scene), and Ann Rutherford (Carreen O’Hara). Cammie King Conlon (Bonnie) and Mary Anderson (Maybelle Meriwether) canceled at the last minute due to illness.

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