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Gossip Friday: Scarlett O’Hepburn
From November 1938: “Idiot’s Delight” with Norma Shearer and Clark Gable, is pushing toward the finish line and Gable expects to rest over the Christmas holidays in preparation for a prospective start on “Gone with the Wind,” shortly after the first of the year. Gable and others predict that Katharine Hepburn will be announced shortly for the Scarlett O’Hara role. ___ I like Hepburn and all, but it’s hard to imagine that she was seriously considered for the part.
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Gossip Friday: Good Exercise
From May 1940: “Gone with the Wind” [director Victor Fleming] is now directing Clark (Rhett Butler) Gable in “Boom Town”–and thereby hangs a chucklesome anecdote. Seems that Clark, who unmercifully ribbed Fleming during the filming of “Gone” by charging him with slave-driving tactice, has been harping on the same theme during “Boom Town.” The other day, with visitors on the set, he commented loudly on the “cruelty” Fleming displayed by making him carry Vivien Leigh up a flight of stairs 22 times or “GWTW.” “Clark,” retorted the director, “I’ll let you in on a secret–just to prove that ribbing often backfires. The third take was okay–you carried her upstairs the…
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On the Auction Block, November 23
TCM has paired with Bonhams again for another classic-film themed auction, this time called “Treasures from the Dream Factory.” Everything is up for grabs on November 23. There are a few Clark Gable items; some of them I know I have seen sold at auction before, either on Ebay or in the 1996 Estate Auction. Clark’s personal bound screenplay for “The Hucksters.” (est. $3,000-$5,000) Clark Gable bound screenplay of The Hucksters Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1947. Mimeographed manuscript, screenplay by Luther Davis, 135 pp, November 15, 1946 (with revision pages as late as April 2, 1947), housed in yellow Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer wrappers, with Script Department label to upper front cover, stamped “Complete,” with Script Department…
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Gossip Friday: Rhett Butler–A Menace to a Career?
From April 1940: I asked Clark Gable if he felt it dangerous to work so long in a single film such as “Gone with the Wind.” Fans forget easily. Will the role of Rhett Butler, no matter how colorful, be strong enough to hold Clark at the top, to overcome the long months of getting him on celluloid? Gable writes thus: “Rather than being too dangerous to work too long in one picture, I can say from experience that it is of definite value to an actor and makes for a superior film. There is no substitute for adequate and careful preparation. ‘Gone with the Wind’ proves this. From an…
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Gossip Friday: Gray and Blue Compromise
From April 1939: Clark Gable has about decided to wear a thin upper lip mustache with waxed ends for his role of Rhett Butler. His idea was to wear all black throughout the picture but he was talked out of it because the picture will be done in color—so he has compromised on grays and blues.
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Gone with the Wednesday: That’s All Folks
Today is our last Gone with the Wednesday! I’m a bit proud that there was a GWTW-related post once a week, every week for an entire year! I’ll have a recap of all the posts tomorrow in my annual “Year in Review” post. I am devoting this post to all you GWTW fans out there. The fact that this film has endured for 75 years is because of you! Thank you to all the Gable and GWTW fans who have egged me on and supported the site throughout the year!
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Gone with the Wednesday: Repost–Gone with the Wind Hits Los Angeles
This week, here is a repost of a post I did in 2010 detailing the Los Angeles premiere of Gone with the Wind, which took place December 29, 1939. Carole Lombard, in a gold gown, was the belle of the ball on Clark Gable’s arm! See who else attended and what the wore… http://dearmrgable.com/?p=591
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Gone with the Wednesday: Merry Christmas from David O. Selznick
Clark Gable and Gone with the Wind producer David O. Selznick didn’t exactly always see eye-to-eye (to put it mildly), but nonetheless David let bygones be bygones and gifted Clark with this gorgeous Tiffany’s cigarette case for Christmas in 1939: “Presented to Clark Gable at the completion of “Gone with the wind” Atlanta–Dec. 25, 1939 David O. Selznick.” I wonder if he gave it to him at the Atlanta premiere, which was just ten days before Christmas? The case went for $20,000 at auction a few years back (complete with the unfiltered cigarettes). Quite a priceless artifact! Here’s hoping maybe it pops up in a museum one day…
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Gone with the Wednesday: 45 Atlanta Premiere Facts
1. Tickets for the premiere went on sale at Loews Grand Theater on November 18, 1939. 2. The premiere festivities lasted from December 13-15, 1939. 3. Ann Rutherford (Careen O’Hara) was the first star to arrive, on December 13. She was given the key to the city. 4. One of Ann’s first stops was at the Atlanta Journal newspaper offices, where she requested to see where Margaret Mitchell worked. She had her picture taken at the typewriter Ms. Mitchell used. 5. Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O’Hara) arrived on December 13, accompanied by Olivia de Havilland (Melanie Wilkes), Mr. and Mrs. Selznick and Laurence Olivier. 6. Evelyn Keyes (Suellen O’Hara) and Ona Munson (Belle…
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Gone with the Wednesday: On the Set
Photos from the set of Gone with the Wind: