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July21st

{Summer 2011 Contest} Enter for your chance to win Anne Edwards’ book Scarlett & Me

Posted in: Anne Edwards, Contest

I’m here to announce a new CONTEST for the summer! This contest is open to everyone and you will have 2 chances to enter. See details below.

Scarlett & Me was recently published by the Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum for their most recent Gone with the Wind event. The book is 55 pages long and describes what really happened with Anne Edwards’ sequel to Gone with the Wind. Yes, she wrote the first sequel, but it was never published! The back of the book reveals more : ” Scarlett & Me is the personal and dramatic story of how Anne Edwards’ life and work became enmeshed with that of Scarlett O’Hara, Margaret Mitchell, and a sequel to Gone with the Wind. It reveals for the first time the back story of how it came to be and includes details of what that sequel might have been had it not been caught up in a long, complex, legal battle among the Mitchell estate, the studios, and the producers who had contracted Edwards to write it.” I have read the book and I found it fascinating! It is a must have for Vivien Leigh and GWTW fans! I picked up an extra copy at the June event and had Ms. Edwards sign it for one lucky person.

Eligibility to win an autographed copy of Anne Edwards’ Scarlett & Me:

1) Simply leave a comment on the blog and tell me if you have read Alexandra Ripley’s sequel Scarlett or Donald McCaig’s Rhett Butler’s People.

2) For a second chance to win, either link to this giveaway on Facebook/Twitter or write about this contest on your blog (and leave a second comment telling where you linked, FB, Twitter or your blog). The link for this post is http://vivien-leigh.com/blog/?p=1811

Giveaway ends Wednesday August 31st 2010 at 8 p.m. EST. One winner chosen by Random.org.

Good luck!!
May16th

{Video} 1987 special on the Making of GWTW

Posted in: gone with the wind, video

I just came across this gem on YouTube! “Our World” was an ABC News history series that ran for one season (1986-87). On this episode, the show reports on the making of “Gone With The Wind.” The following stars and production staffers are interviewed in this episode: Olivia de Havilland, Butterfly McQueen, Evelyn Keyes, Fred Crane, Mary Anderson, Marcella Rabwin, Kay Brown, Lydia Schiller, Lyle Wheeler, and Ray Klune. Big thanks to YouTube user OceanKingNY for uploading these videos. So sit back and enjoy!
March23rd

{Upcoming Event} Celebrate Margaret Mitchell in Marietta, GA June 10-11

Posted in: upcoming events

Check out this amazing weekend planned for June 10-11 in Marietta, GA! I’m especially excited about the Evening with Anne Edwards, Here’s Looking at You Kid program (featuring stories from Patrick Curtis, Mickey Kuhn, Karolyn Grimes, and Morgan Brittany), and The Golden Age of Hollywood program with Ann Rutherford. Let me know if you plan to attend as I’m always looking forward to meeting VL fans!

Cast members Ann Rutherford, Mickey Kuhn, and Patrick Curtis will return to Scarlett and Rhett country on June 10-11, when the Marietta Gone With the Wind Museum-Scarlett on the Square, hosts “A Tribute to Margaret Mitchell: The Book That Touched The World.” This two-day event will celebrate the book’s 75th birthday in style with interviews, Q&A sessions, autograph signings with the celebrities, an author’s panel discussion, breakfast with the stars, dinner and a program, and more. Supporting partner, Georgia Public Broadcasting has plans to release the long-awaited documentary about Margaret Mitchell on June 30th on GPB at 8:00 p.m. Locals should tune in as many of the scenes were filmed in and around Marietta and feature a few familiar faces from the immediate area. Book your Tribute package by calling the museum at 770-794-5145 or emailing csutherland@mariettaga.gov.

See the itinerary
February19th

{VIVIEN: A Portrait in Depth} “Fate doesn’t like us”

Posted in: Portrait in Depth series, Vivien Leigh

Welcome to the conclusion of VIVIEN: A Portrait in Depth, written by Alan Lloyd. I hope you’ve enjoyed the article and learned something new! And if you did learn something new, tell me about it! Or, if you have a comment about something the author said, please share. Thanks for reading!

___________________________________________________

In Hollywood, David O. Selznick was testing one famous actress after another for the coveted role of Scarlett O’Hara in his monumental production of Gone with the Wind. Not convinced that any of them was perfect, he eventually started filming with the part unfilled.

Vivien judged that the time was right.

Spectacular preparations had been made for a gigantic bonfire to represent the burning of Atlanta by night. Flying to America, she drove out to the location with Olivier and his agent, and there, at one o’clock in the morning, her hair streaming in the breeze and the flames of “Altanta” in her eyes, Vivien made her bid for the part that brought her world-wide fame.

Once again, the duet of beauty and determination proved infallible. There were few things that couldn’t be done—with a fight.

Laurence Olivier was less sure. He saw popularity as a limiting factor in his work. In the early days, he didn’t much like his audience. He even felt that an actor had a certain connotation of absurdity. He was liable to hunch silently over his lunch while she chatted, his thought in another world.

“Things are apt to crowd in on one,“ he has said. “Then selfishness creeps in, and one keeps saying: I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.”

But Vivien lived by the creed of “I can.”

When Olivier, in a bleak mood, told her, “Fate doesn’t like us,” she retorted, “I’ll make it like us.” And, usually, she got her way.

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January30th

Gateway to the Wind Recap, Day 2

Posted in: Gateway to the Wind

Day two of the Gateway to the Wind celebration was even more busy and action-packed than day 1! That morning the breakfast room of the Drury Inn was packed with Windies and honored guests, all waiting and anticipating a wonderful day. The three Beaus from Gone with the Wind, Patrick Curtis, Mickey Kuhn and Greg Geise, had arrived and were mingling with everyone. This was something that happened all weekend and is something I loved about this event. It was very informal and everyone had an opportunity to get to know these three splendid gentlemen!

The morning activities included: an autograph session with the three Beaus; Joe Yakovetic’s artwork was on display; a separate room was dedicated to the Market Bazaar where visitors could buy collectibles and meet visiting authors like Kathy Witt and Herb Bridges; and Dr. Novella Perrin’s impressive GWTW collection was on display. I headed the autograph session so I didn’t have the opportunity to visit Novella’s collection or the Market Bazaar but I heard wonderful things about both! And I had a friend snap photos with my camera, so I technically did get to “see” those separate rooms. I was stationed in the ballroom and had the lovely opportunity to work with some fellow Windies and the Beaus. They are complete gentlemen and quite the joksters! They were so welcoming to me and their fans. As a thank you, they all gave me a signed autograph and Mickey gave me a rare photo of him and Vivien Leigh on the set of A Streetcar Named Desire!

Me working the autograph table

Patrick Curtis signing autographs

Novella's collection- chairs from the film!

Novella's collection- costumes from the film!

The sons of Marcella Rabwin, executive assistant to David Selznick, sign their mother’s book Yes, Mr Selznick at the Market Bazaar

After the morning festivities came lunch at the Margaret Mitchell & Vivien Leigh Birthday Celebration in the main ballroom! Guests were provided sandwiches, side items, and birthday cake! There were three cakes made for the occasion, 1 dedicated to Ms. Mitchell, 1 dedicated Ms. Leigh, and 1 featuring the Gateway to the Wind logo. All three were beautiful and were created by designer Meghan Godsy! During lunch artist Joe Yakovetic’s latest masterpiece “Young Master Wilkes” was unveiled by GWTW star Mickey Kuhn! The three Beaus also had an opportunity to speak that afternoon in a segment called “Beau Knows Gone with the Wind” ! They each had a moment to speak to the crowd and Mickey shared his story about meeting Vivien Leigh! (Read about it HERE in my 2009 interview with him) Herb Bridges spoke about The Atlanta Premiere accompanied by a visual slideshow featuring rare photos of our favorite stars (some of which I had not seen!). Dr. Novella Perrin spoke about her GWTW collection and how she got into collecting. Windie Joseph Thompson created a beautiful video tribute to the late Cammie King Colon — there were lots of sniffles in the room!

Cakes for the birthday girls

Mickey Kuhn unveils his portrait, created by Joe Yakovetic

the three Beaus

The rest of the afternoon was free to rest up before for the big Gateway to the Wind Charity Ball at Orlando Gardens! This ball was a show-stopper: delicious food, live bands, tons of people dressed in Civil War costumes, a massive silent auction to benefit Rainbows for Kids, and plenty of dancing (including the Virginia Reel). Well I didn’t get out on the dance floor until Mark Rabwin forced me to dance the last dance of the evening with him… which I did and I’m glad I did! It was fun! There was a lot of energy in that room. I didn’t get to bed until after midnight!

The Virginia Reel

The Yessir Band playing

Some of the Windies at the Ball