Gossip Friday: Scarlett Also-Rans

From March 1940:

Talk of Hollywood, recently, is how much luck the girls who did NOT get the Scarlett O’Hara role in Gone with the Wind had!

Of course, Vivien Leigh was the “lucky” one who got the part. But look at the others–

Bette Davis did Jezebel instead and won an Academy Oscar; Norma Shearer, in The Women, did such a swell job that she may get the next Award; Tallulah Bankhead, when she flopparooed on Scarlett, did the stage play that’s getting her international raves…ditto Katharine Hepburn, who also did NOT get the O’Hara plum, but who scored hugely behind the footlights in Philadelphia Story. And Susan Hayward, Paulette Goddard and Miriam Hopkins, who also went pfft on their O’Hara tests, are running tops in the Hollywood handicap in other films.

Margaret Tallichet was another Scarlett also-ran. But instead of getting a part-time role as the O’Hara, she got herself a full-time role as Mrs. Willie Wyler!

And Carole Lombard!–whee, without even being IN the picture, much less Scarlett O’Hara–Carole got Rhett Butler all for herself!!!

____

Today and tomorrow I am attending the festivities in Marietta, GA the Marietta Gone with the Wind Museum is hosting to celebrate thne 75th anniversary of the novel! Details are here. I will have a full report!

We’ve reached 9,000 images in the gallery! Wahoo! New this week are screenshots from Men in White.