I picked a strange time to read about Vivien Leigh.  The Mister says that I like to read sad stories and so maybe he’s right here.  If I wanted to sum up Leigh’s life for you in a rash generalization I could say that it was half charmed and half tragic.  Life handed her just as many lemons as it did plums.  Perhaps the juxtaposition of the two make the sour appear that much more harsh and made this book a bit of challenge for me.  Some of Leigh’s experiences with mental illness closely mirror that of someone very close to me which certainly didn’t make it any less poignant. 

This book is a harrowing look at bi-polar disorder.  For someone who had a career showing emotions in film and on stage, this illness was crippling.  She would inhabit roles and then not be able to shake the character.  She would demand much of her friends and lovers.  Even when not manic, she would rarely sleep long and would expect the same kind of energy from others.  Her emotional needs would create a wedge between her and the man she loved.  Her marriage to Laurence Olivier would last twenty years but would suffer as Vivien fought her battle for sanity.  Finally, “Larry Boy” would retreat to another woman when Vivien’s needs threatened his career and his wish for serenity.

Vivien underwent several courses of ECT (Electro Convulsive Therapy aka shock therapy) when nothing else worked.  She feared a descent into madness as her moods became unpredictable.  She also suffered from tuberculosis and would fight it off once only to lose her life to it. 

Leigh’s life was not all struggle though.  She could count a Tony award and two Oscars to her credit.  Her star turns in Gone With the Wind and A Streetcar Named Desire live on thanks to her powerful characterization.  She may not have been the most talented actor to grace the stage but she felt most at home there.  She reveled in the pattern of repeating her lines daily before stepping on the stage and giving her performance.  She was blessed with such beauty that it often felt like a hurdle, that she perhaps wasn’t being taken seriously but being judged on her looks alone.  I could think of greater crosses to bear though I’m sure it was frustrating.  (Do I sound unsympathetic?  I certainly don’t mean to!)

What I liked best about this book was the little details it shared of Leigh’s life.  When entertaining she managed every aspect, from cutting the flowers for each guest’s breakfast tray to learning about the best wines though she never drank the stuff, Vivien was an artful hostess.  As part of the famous acting couple, the Oliviers, we are able to view the very famous through Vivien’s eyes.  It’s fairly intriguing stuff.  I liked this book for the peek behind the curtain it offered.  I thought that Walker was very sympathetic in his description of Leigh’s battles with her bi-polar disorder.  Many of the events that resulted from Leigh’s mania were not dramatized and merely reported when it would have been easy to flaunt her illness for entertainment value.

It’s not an upbeat read but it is a good one.  I think that I’m going to wait awhile to hear Larry’s side of the story though. This book won me over to Vivien’s side of the fence so completely that I’m not sure I’m in the mood to read about how gosh darn important his contribution was to Shakespearian theater.  Not that Vivien wouldn’t want me to read up on him or anything, she’d probably set the book on my bedside with some fresh begonias.

Vivien: The Life of Vivien Leigh

Alexander Walker

Last night, I had the immense pleasure of seeing Gone with the Wind for the 4th time on the big screen.  This makes viewing #…I have no idea how many times I’ve seen that movie all together (more times than any other film, to be sure).  The screening was at Grauman’s Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.  The Egyptian is the original Picture Palace with the art deco ceilings inside, and an organ and everything, and it just screams “HOLLYWOOD!”

The Egyptian on Hollywood Blvd (source: Flavorpill LA)

I was meant to meet up with my friend Mark, another big Vivien Leigh fan who lives in Hollywood, and his friend Will at the French Market in West Hollywood to grab a bite before the screening.  Despite leaving my house at 4:30 for what is normally a 45 minute–1 hour drive, I underestimated Thanksgiving weekend traffic and didn’t get there until 6:15.  Sorry to keep you waiting, guys!  We discussed the event in Atlanta two weeks ago and I showed Mark my makeshift photo album that I had brought with me to show fellow fans at the Marietta Museum.  It makes me happy when I’m able to show people “new” photos (ones they haven’t seen before), especially if the person I’m showing them to has seen everything under the sun already!

We made our way to Hollywood and Highland at about 7 pm to pick up the tickets.  I’m happy to say there were a lot of people there, including Tatiane, a vivandlarry.com visitor/Vivien Leigh/Gone with the Wind fan from Brazil who happened to be in town.  Tatiane is working with Turner to set up a special screening of GWTW in Brazil to coincide with the Blu-ray release there.  Heads up, Sao Paulo, it’s going to be amazing, and she’s been working really hard on making everything perfect!  Great to finally meet you, Tati!

The American Cinematheque held a drawing and gave away 4 copies of the newly restored 70th anniversary DVD, and one of the new boxed set.  I didn’t win any of them.

Finally it was showtime!  I had my Junior Mints and water cup and was ready to go!  As soon as those iconic white letters started scrolling across the screen, everyone started clapping.  This happened in Marietta ( and indeed every place I’ve seen it in the theatre), but the crowd in LA is different–there’s a different vibe for one, and also if there were any “Windies” there, they were incognito.  No period costumes to be seen.  It was just a random assortment of film lovers coming together to see the most beloved movie of all time in the town where it all began.  And it was awesome!

The print was so crisp and gorgeous–breathtaking, really. With such advances in film restoration, it’s hard to believe this movie is 70 years old!  I’m not sure if it was the same print they screened in Marietta a couple weeks ago.  I think this was the Blu-ray?  Regardless, it was SHARP, and very small details were clearly apparent, from the red velvet on the bows in Scarlett’s hair, to the male actors’ wig lines, to the pimples on Vivien Leigh’s cheek.  Yes, Vivien Leigh had some acne going on there.  Especially in the beginning of the film when Scarlett and Gerald are walking through the woods at Tara talking of Ashley and the war.  It was strange seeing Vivien Leigh as anything less than the poster child for enviable skin, but it suddenly brought into sharp focus for me the fact that she was only 25 years old when she made this movie!  I’m the same age as Vivien Leigh was when she played the most coveted woman’s role in film history.  She accomplished so much at my age and I haven’t done anything.  Talk about perspective!  Vivien Leigh was a normal person; who knew?   But the great thing about it is that even though digital restoration has allowed us to see many of the movie’s little details and flaws, it in no way subtracts from the actual quality of the film itself.

Vivien Leigh: A pretty human.

Favorite moments during the screening:

• When someone in the audience cat-called Vivien Leigh and whistled when she came on screen in her red dress for Ashley’s party.  That costume was so stunning in this print!
• When Mark and Will’s friend Alan fiercely chided a kid in front of us and told her to turn off her cell phone, lol
• My two favorite scenes: When Rhett leaves Scarlett on the road to Tara and tells her he loves her, and the end of the film which is always so amazing.

It was great to hear people discussing the amazing performances while exiting the theatre.  I was saying how I don’t understand how anyone could not like Vivien Leigh, or at least appreciate her performance in Gone with the Wind.  It really is the best and she really does carry the film.

As usual, I give this movie a solid A(+), and I really hope all of you have the opportunity to see it in a theatre some day because GWTW was not meant for TV screens.

An now, some photos to illustrate the prettiness of the Blu-ray:

"A secret?! Who about?"

"You once said you loved me. If you still love me, Rhett..."

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

Not Blu-ray but amazing anyway. (collage by Ariel)

DEFYING GRAVITY: Currently thrilling all “Gleeks” (as fans of the hit FOX-TV show are called: The new Sony CD, Glee: The Music, Volume 1. Series star

MICHELE: powerhouse

Matthew Morrison (aka Mr Schu) and Wicked alumnus Kristin Chenoweth deliver a powerhouse performance of Heart’s Alone. Spring Awakening star Lea Michele duets with Chenoweth on a dynamic version of Kander & Ebb’s Maybe This Time, pairs with series co-star Chris Colfer on a soaring version of Stephen Schwartz’s Defying Gravity, and joins co-star Cory Monteith on lead vocals for Journey’s Don’t Stop Believin’. Music lovers and Broadway show tune aficionados characterize this first Glee CD as “delectably youthful” and “electrifyingly fresh” — and who are we to argue? And here’s another one to add to your Christmas list. The all-star soundtrack for Rob

FERGIE: one of Nine

Marshall’s screen version of the Broadway hit Nine will be released digitally December 15 and available for purchase in stores on December 22, three days before the film opens here. Bonus material on the disc includes a new version of Quando Quando Quando, performed by Fergie, who also sings one of the show’s big hits, Be Italian. Other so-far unlikely warblers include a clutch of Oscar winners who star in the movie — Daniel Day-Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard and Judi Dench, who gets to deliver the Follies Bergere showstopper. Can’t wait.

THE SHADOW OF HER STYLE: Supertalent Camilla  Scott always delivers the goods, in big stage musicals like Crazy For You, Mamma Mia and We Will Rock You, on U.S. soaps like Days Of Our Lives and The Guiding Light and

SCOTT: Larry's lady?

in intense TV dramas like Law And Order and This Is Wonderland. Now she’s playing another sublimely talented dame – the late, great Vivien Leigh – in Austin Pendleton’s wry behind-the-scenes comedy Orson’s Shadow. Set in 1960, it’s Pendleton’s version of what really happened when legendary London critic Kenneth Tynan brings Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier together to collaborate on the English language premiere of Ionesco’s Rhinoceros. Olivier, deep in the throes of his affair with his young co-star Joan Plowright, is not yet separated from the mercurial, iconic and fatally unstable Ms Leigh, which makes backstage rehearsals very, very interesting. After previews start tomorrow, Orson’s Shadow opens next week at Theatre Passe Muraille, with Christopher Stanton as Kenneth Tynan, Paul Eves as Olivier, Janet Porter as Joan Plowright, and Steve Ross as Orson Welles. To order tickets, click here.

DICKINSON: dog show?

DRAGONS’ DEN GOES TO THE DOGS: Woofstock creator Marlene Cook, the brainy entrepreneur whose annual summer salute to Man’s Best Friend drew 300,000 participants to downtown T.O. this year, pitches the Dragons tonight with five look-alike dogs — one for each dragon. Would you be surprised to learn that Ms Cook matched Kevin O’Leary to an English bull terrier?  Probably not. But apparently finding an apricot poodle with a coat that was just the right shade of red to represent Arlene Dickinson was a far greater challenge. To catch all the Dragons and their canine cut-ups, tune in CBC-TV tonight at 8 pm.

TOMORROW:

Julia Roberts, The Frantics, and more Dragons!

crimson, cherry, berry, rose, ruby, wine – shades of glamour

source: Russh Magazine

photography: Annie Lebowitz, model: Karlie Kloss

source: stardustandsequins, model: Mary Kate Olsen

photography: not known, source: google

photography: Sofia Sanchez & Mauro Mongiella, source: Numbero #94, inspiration: Ophelia vs. Millais

photography: Greg Kadel, source: Numbero # 104, model: Toni Garrina

source: stockholmstreetstyle

photography: Magnus Unnar, source: 10 Magazine, model: Ali Stephens

source: google, model: Marilyn Monroe

source: google

source: fancy that – red.eye

source: Prada SS 2010 via chouion

source: thecheapgirl – {style inspiration} short shorts + red lips

source: Masterheads with Marie Claire

source: Russh Magazine October 2009

source: beautyinreallife…

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!

The Q&A was held at the newly restored Strand Theater

the castmates at the Q&A

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.

Video below is of Connie Sutherland (director of the Marietta GWTW Museum) welcoming visiting author Sally Rains to the stage.

Video below is of Connie Sutherland introducing  Geneva Roberts and Ann Rutherford at the Q&A

I thoroughly enjoyed the question and answer session… here are some of the highlights:  Greg Geise revealed how he got the role of baby Bonnie and baby Beau. Apparently the test audience felt that the babies didn’t look newborn (because they weren’t) so David Selznick sent someone over to the local hospital to find a newborn! Mr. Geise said it was the only time in his life that he’s been in the right place at the right time! Another fan asked Mickey Kuhn to talk about his experience working with Vivien Leigh in 2 films. Someone else asked why Clark Gable was snubbed at the Academy Awards. Kendra asked Ms. Rutherford how she thought the film would be different or better had George Cukor been its director. Every actor and every writer had an opportunity to speak and answer questions so it was fascinating!

Robert Osborne talks about GWTW & the Oscars & TCM at the Q&A

After the Q&A it was time to cross the street to witness history in the making. Costumed Beaus and Belles gathered in the historic Marietta square creating the ‘Guinness World Record for the Largest Virginia Reel.’  Women wearing Scarlett O’Hara and Belle Watling inspired gowns, Confederate soldiers, Rhett Butler look a likes, and even a Carol Burnett curtain rod copy lined up and danced in front of hundreds of spectators, including Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway and Ann Rutherford. Ms. Rutherford told the crowd that her role as Scarlett O’Hara’s little sister “was a nothing part. But that nothing part has turned my golden years into platinum.” It was difficult to get a good view of the dance because everything was roped off but it appeared to go splendidly.

After lunchtime I had a pass to the VIP autograph signing with the celebrities and visiting authors at the Strand (the general autograph singing was scheduled on Saturday at the Museum). I think THIS autograph session was specifically for the ‘Windies’ – the die-hard Gone with the Wind fans. It was amazing to hear about their passion and collections. The woman in front of me had an 1936 copy of Gone with the Wind she wanted signed by the castmates. Apparently the book had been passed down through her family and had a ton of sentimental value (in addition to monetary!). Other fans in line had photographs, magazines, Christmas ornaments and even a huge wall-sized banner that they hoped to have signed. I merely brought a couple books.  Every star and every author was wonderful in person. Robert Osborne liked looking at my book The Art of Gone with the Wind- he said he had never seen it before. I asked Molly Haskell why she called Vivien Leigh a ‘flibbertigibbet’ in the Criterion That Hamilton Woman DVD essay- she gave me a coy look and asked me how I enjoyed her piece. Therefore never answering my question exactly. Though she did inscribe my book: “For Leigh,  with best wish to a fellow flibbertigibbet.” Hmmm. Mickey Kuhn was a doll and reiterated to me his adoration for Vivien Leigh. We posed together for a photo later on, and he seemed a bit shocked at my 6ft tall height. I initially bent down but he wouldn’t have anything to do with it so he hopped up on a chair to pose with me. All the stars and writers were quite gracious despite the lack of food and water (with things behind schedule they didn’t get much of a lunch before coming to the autograph session. What troopers.)!

with Mickey Kuhn

Sally Tippett Rains at the Autograph signing

In the evening, a large, formal ball has held at the Marietta Hilton where fans had an opportunity wine and dine in the presence of the Gone with the Wind celebrities. I stayed at this hotel for the next two nights and I ended up staying on the same floor as Ann Rutherford and Molly Haskell. I rode in the elevator with both of them on a couple occasions and even nearly ‘bumped’ into Ms. Rutherford Saturday morning as I rounded the corner.  The stars were everywhere!

First up Friday evening was a cocktail hour in the foyer of the ballroom followed by a 3 course meal inside the ballroom. The stars and writers were present at both parts and were very approachable. I had my photo taken with Patrick Curtis and Robert Osborne- and both men were quite charming and willing to take a picture! Everyone was dressed beautifully- from modern ballgowns to Civil War attire to tuxes. There was even a male Carol Burnett dressed in the curtain rod gown! A highlight of the evening was the opportunity to have your photo put into a scene of Gone with the Wind. The line for the ‘green room’ took over an hour but I did get my 2 seconds of fame. Below is my photo with Vivien Leigh. She wanted to know where I got my earrings and I wanted to know how she arches her eyebrow. The evening ended just before midnight and the DJ in the ballroom finished things up with a little bit of Spice Girls. Bizarre, I know!  However THE highlight of the evening was the opportunity to talk ’shop’ with many VL and GWTW fans. It’s wonderful swapping stories and engaging in discussion!

Nearly 300 attended the lavish ball

Robert Osborne & I

big thanks to Warner for coming out and creating Tara for all of us fans

Leigh Mills & Scarlett O'Hara

Later in Vivien Leigh’s life, her good friend Noel Coward made a comment about how he didn’t understand why she kept taking film roles in which she played a desperate, sad woman who is left alone by her husband or lover, after all, she was still beautiful and undoubtedly talented as a screen actress.  Watching a film like Anatole Litvak’s 1955 film The Deep Blue Sea (based on a play by Terence Rattigan), I can’t help but agree.

The plot of the film is quite simple (SPOILERS!): Hester Collier (Vivien Leigh), the wife of Sir William Collier, a prominent judge in London (Emlyn Williams), falls for a young ex-pilot named Freddie Page (Kenneth More).  When Freddie decides he’s had enough of their relationship, Hester, unable to go back to her husband and a life of luxury despite the fact that he still loves her, decides she’s desolate enough to want to asphyxiate herself by turning the gas on in her flat.  Did I mention Eric Portman is in this movie?!  He is!  He plays the “doctor” who ends up saving Hester from self-demise.  Eric Portman was also in 49th Parallel with Laurence Olivier back in 1941, so color me excited to see him in another film.

The Deep Blue Sea

After her big break in 1939’s epic Gone with the Wind, Vivien seemed condemned to a screen life of tragedy.  In some ways this may have paralleled her personal life as she was a tragic figure herself, but what I’m curious to know is why these particular roles were chosen.  After That Hamilton Woman in 1941 Vivien more or less broke her 7 year contract with Selznick International and then sort of freelanced for different studios when she felt like making a movie for the rest of her career. With two Oscars behind her, she could have had any parts she wanted.  Perhaps she felt most “at home” playing these (for lack of a better word) “needy” women, and if that was the case it makes me sad because to me she seemed like a strong, brave woman; one with a fantastic personality and intelligence, and one who deserved better parts in better films.

Vivien looked all sorts of classy

The film overall recalled the British productions that she starred in in the 1930s: interesting but not of very high substance or quality.  Vivien’s co-star, Kenneth More, didn’t have much respect for her, sadly, but then again he never reached the same heights of fame that she did.

Vivien and Kenneth More

On top of this they made an odd pair and it seemed more plausible that Hester would have returned to Sir William Collier who was posh and educated and classy just as she was. Perhaps, though, it was simply the fact that the story seemed rather shallow for such dark subject matter, which is a pity because I thought Vivien was very good in it–as she usually was in these types of roles. The Deep Blue Sea is interesting and worth watching for nothing other than the fact that it’s an extremely elusive film.

I would give it 3 out of 5 stars

*Note: This review comes from a total film snob, so please don’t take harsh but honest criticism as a sign that I don’t respect the people acting in said film.

I’M BACK! I had an amazing time at the Re-Premiere weekend in Marietta, GA. I saw amazing things, met new friends, and came home with a suitcase full of memories. There was little time to ‘relax’ because each day was packed with events and activities. Now that I’m home, I will relive the weekend here on my website for you to enjoy. Hope you will enjoy reading, seeing, and listening to my experience at the 70th Anniversary of Gone with the Wind celebration.

~ Leigh Mills

Atlanta History Museum

I arrived by car in the bustling city of Atlanta on Thursday afternoon. First on the agenda was to visit the Atlanta History Museum in the Buckhead suburb. Buckhead is a gorgeous historic village flanked with tall trees, Spanish moss, and beautiful Georgian mansions. Tucked between these sprawling estates is the History Museum which features a temporary exhibit dedicated to Gone with the Wind. “Fashion and Costumes in Gone with the Wind” is on display until January 31, 2010 and spotlights 7 of Walter Plunkett’s costume sketches, a woman’s Rhett Butler coat, and one of the original green drapery gowns worn by Vivien Leigh. The exhibit is quite small (only 2 glass cases) and is located near the front desk. The ladies ushered me in for free since all I wanted to see was the GWTW exhibit. The green velveteen gown is in excellent condition and is a faded mossy color. Vivien Leigh’s waist is unbelievably small- a reported 22 inches! I definitely believe it! To read the info card displayed with the gown, click HERE!

The green Velveteen drapery gown Vivien Leigh wore to the jailhouse to visit Rhett Butler

Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara. One of the two cases at the History Museum.

This case contained sketches of costumes for Aunt Pittypat, Melanie, Rhett

For my first night in Georgia I decided to stay at the Georgian Terrance Hotel, site of the 1939 press Reception honoring the Gone with the Wind stars. The hotel, built in 1911, is a historical landmark in Midtown Atlanta. The hotel is modernized but still retains some historic elements like its main ballroom with ornate chandeliers and large windows. The stars stayed in this hotel during the 3-day 1939 Gone with the Wind world premiere (though Vivien Leigh reportedly stayed elsewhere so she and her lover Laurence Olivier wouldn’t cause a scandal). She (and he) was married to someone else at the time. We stayed in Room 508 and it was extremely modern–apparently the hotel was used as an apartment building in recent decades– with a full kitchen, large dressing room, and spacious bedroom. In case you were curious, Clark Gable had three rooms: 918, 919, and 920 when he stayed there. Ms. Olivia de Havilland had 2 rooms: 904 and 905. Laurence Olivier stayed (or did he?) in room 523. To see more photos and information about this hotel, see my previous post on the subject. The most unfortunate, if not annoying, thing is that Vivien Leigh’s name is misspelled everywhere… from the Historical Information located in the room, to the plaque on the wall, to the mirror near the coffee bar. They spelled it ViviAN Leigh instead of ViviEn Leigh. Shame on you Georgian Terrace! My stay at the hotel was memorable and I enjoyed wandering around the lobby snapping photos. Up next, Marietta! Check back tomorrow!

I stayed at the Georgian Terrace Hotel for $139 per night.

Misspelling!!

This is the site of the 1939 Press Reception for GWTW

Southern Roadtrip/GWTW event wrap up:

I’ve decided I’m most definitely not a “Windy” but rather a “Viv and Larry-y” (I just coined that term).  Don’t get me wrong, I love me some Gone with the Wind; it literally changed my life (cheesy, I know, but I’m totally serious), but I don’t feel like I fit in with the costume-wearing/convention-going crowd (unless this counted as a convention?).  Sorry, Windies, but keep on keeping on anyway!

I love seeing GWTW on the big screen, and I hope all of you get a chance to see it some day.  It’s a great experience! My favorite thing about the screening last night was when Robert Osborne introduced Maggie and Kasia and said they were from Warsaw, and the whole crowded theatre clapped for them!  Coming all the way from Europe: that’s dedication, people!

All in all it was a great and memorable trip.  I enjoyed traveling with my friends from Poland, and meeting new friends at the event.  There were some awesome moments, some awkward moments, and some strange moments–all of which added up to an experience I think will stick with me for a long time.  And Anne Rutherford said I could call her on the phone (we live in the same general area) about a little something I’ve got brewing on the side.  Exciting!  I hope she remembers.

Highlights:

Drayton Hall, Charleston, South Carolina

Good lord it was freezing that day, but I can finally check “seeing a real plantation” off of my bucket list.  Drayton Hall was beautiful!

Team Vivien

I like talking with other people who know a lot about my favorite actress/couple.

Robert Osborne and Anne Rutherford

And look at the giant GWTW poster/drapery/billboard/thing in the background!

Me, Maggie, and Anne Rutherford

Anne is such a doll.  She’s also really sharp and very enthusiastic!  Us kids seemed to captivate her for quite a while!

The Windies

They’re real!!

Thanks to all of you who made this trip what it was: AWESOME.  Now that I’m home in CA (blessed constant 75 degrees), I miss being back in Georgia.  Good times!

And now, I think London is the next stop for a group Vivien/Larry sight-seeing tour

The past couple of days have been really busy.  We didn’t get to do any walking around Charleston, which was sad, because the bus tour made it look really pretty.  The weather was horrible, though, so it was hard to do much of anything enjoyable.  Dammit, tropical storm!  It reminded me a bit of Savannah, minus the squares, and the houses were very close together, but they were very beautiful, especially along the Battery by the Ashley River.  Oh, and Rhett Butler was mentioned on the bus tour!  We passed the old brothel and the tour guide said Rhett would be found in there hiding under some lady’s skirt.  Yes, even fictional people are included in the history of some cities!

On the way out we stopped at Drayton Hall, a real plantation on the Ashley.  It was beautiful.  The house reminded me of something out of an Austen novel, only a little smaller.  The grounds were amazing though–there was a real swamp!!  They used to grow rice and indigo at this plantation, and when Sherman came marching through during the Civil War, the owners put up yellow flags outside, which signaled a yellow fever epidemic.  Sherman and his men didn’t want to take any chances with it, so they didn’t burn it down like a lot of other plantations in the area.  It was freezing there, though.  There has been such a contrast in temperatures along these coastal states.  In Savannah it was so humid and in Charleston it was very cold.  They are two cities i’d like to visit again when the weather is a bit more fair.

The drive back to Atlanta and subsequently Marietta was  a long one.  Google maps led us down some back road into the middle of nowhere South Carolina.  It ended up taking us about 6.5 hours to get back.  Blah. But the weather cleared up, and really, Georgia and South Carolina are very beautiful with all of the trees.  And I didn’t hear any banjos (Deliverance reference).

So yesterday was day 1 of the GWTW festivities.  In the morning there was a cast and author Q&A panel.  The author one sucked because only about 5 people got to ask questions before they ran out of time.  I really wanted to ask Robert Osbore and Molly Haskell how, as historians, they think GWTW would have been a different film had George Cukor stayed on to direct instead of Victor Fleming.  Alas, I was too nervous to raise my hand!  But I did ask Anne Rutherford the same question, and after telling some story that was great but really had nothing to do with my questions, she said that she thought it would have been a wonderful film.  Oh Anne, she’s so cute and old <3.

We met up with some fellow Vivien/Larry fans–Leigh from vivien-leigh.com, Lori, Debbie and Meredith.  They were really nice.  It’s always interesting to meet people I know via websites and have talked to off and on for quite a while.

Spice Girls pose! I always end up being Posh Spice. L-R: Lori, Leigh, Maggie, Kasia, yours truly

I got my picture taken with Robert Osborne whose job I’ve wanted for quite a while!  He was really nice and very interested in the fact that Kasia and Maggie came from Poland just for the event.  I was like “Hey, I came from CA!” and he said ‘That’s good, too!”  Haha, oh man, I’m obnoxious.

Mr. Osborne and Me

One of my favorite things about last night was having so many interesting and engaging conversations with fellow Larry and Viv fans (and Clark and Carole, hey!).  I just love talking about them, and even when people have different views on aspects of their lives, it’s fun to be able to discuss your opinions without bantering, which I think happens quite a lot online.  I know I’m really opinionated so I feel like I always have something to say about the subject, but I think it’s mostly because most people in real life don’t understand what I’m talking about or don’t really care, so when i get around other people who “know” I get really excited and then I just start yapping about it.  Sorry if I talked your ear off, anyone!  If you’ve met me before and you like Larry and/or Vivien, you know what I mean about talking a lot, I’m sure!

Best costume

There were a lot of people who dressed up in period-inspired costumes.  It was fun but a bit strange.  This guy clearly had the best costume, I mean, come on.  Some of the “Windies” were a bit sassy and one told me that you can’t be a “Windy” unless you have a dress to match.  So, I thought I liked GWTW a lot, but apparently I’m not fan enough.  Damn!

This morning we are going to get some autographs and then possibly have a one-on-one with Anne Rutherford.  She loved us, especially Kasia and Maggie for being from Poland, but she said I had a beautiful name!  Thanks, Anne Rutherford!  She had cool sparkly glasses that were very Las Vegas.  More old movie stars, please!

Bring on the Empty Horses

By: David Niven

©1975 G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York

David Niven’s 336 page collection of written sketches is a veritable goldmine of Hollywood tidbits:  A classic film fan’s dream text. It’s one of those books which takes over your life and forces you to read it cover to cover asap. Every task falls by the wayside in its path…David Niven’s tales come first.

The writing itself is the best out of any star book I’ve ever read.  The gorgeous language flows off the page while jokes are effortlessly and hilariously woven throughout. If you’re in need of a sophisticated, fun read to curl up with, look no further my friends – it’s here.

Among the scores of fascinating stories related in this book are vivid descriptions of Hollywood’s most famous (but, now, sadly extinct) restaurants and cafés. This book was a huge source of inspiration for me when I was working on my Trip to Hollywood project. I started looking up to see if I could find photos of these amazing places, and along the way I found the logos, which for a graphic designer, is even more thrilling than the photos. I could in no way do justice to Mr. Niven’s writings in a summary, so here are some of the restaurant description excerpts:

Shortly after this interlude Flynn took me to lunch with Barrymore at the Brown Derby in Beverly Hills. This restaurant was designed so that everyone could see everyone else; the tables were set at a series of semicircular brown leather banquettes, the backs of which fitted uncomfortably into one’s lumbar region. The waitresses, all would-be actresses, wore very short bell-shaped and highly starched skirts and spent much time dropping and provocatively retrieving forks and spoons before the tables of producers and directors. Barrymore caused quite a stir when he entered, and he boomingly table-hopped his way to our corner.

Chapter 6 – Errol, page 111

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“Lucey’s,” he said to his chauffeur.

When he entered the small grottolike restaurant opposite Paramount Studios, it took a few seconds for his eyes to become accustomed to the gloom.

The dim lighting was not accidental. Lucey’s was the favorite rendezvous of the starlets and young actors from the nearby studios, the Italian food was inexpensive, the steaks were good, and the kidneys grilled in their own natural cradle of fat were delicious…

…The restaurant was filling up, and the discreet little alcoves around the main floor became nests of opportunity; at the exposed tables in the center, out-of-towners sat, taking their time over long drinks and trying to spot celebrities in the smoke-filled gloom.

Chapter 3 – Our Little Girl (Part 1), pages 63-64

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Restaurateur Mike prospered during World War II, and by 1945 he was firmly established at the owner-manager of the highly lucrative Romanoff’s in Beverly Hills. The imperial R was emblazoned on the front door. When he branched out into an even larger and more elaborate establishment, his loyal staff and clients and the imperial R made the move with him.

Chapter 8 – “The Emperor,” page 142

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Other attractions in Bring on the Empty Horses include the continuing adventures of Hedda and Louella (Chapter 4). David Niven reveals how much power these two lunatics actually had, and what they were willing to do to maintain it. I was amazed when I found out how many stars lived in fear of Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons. I have never been able to understand how either of them managed to become such famous, important figures, but according to our friend DN, they were both utterly ruthless, willing to throw anyone and everyone under the bus for their own personal gain. They were the heads of spy rings even 007 would have envied, and were in possession of every scrap of gossip as soon as it happened. Thank heaven they are safely gone, because a world with them in it sounds like a nightmare.

And last, but most certainly not least, we have Missie. DN devotes two whole chapters to the strange life of Missie, a famous Hollywood star who remains nameless because of the shocking nature of the stories DN shares about her. She is described as follows:

Her face, which was snub-nosed and pretty, was saved from being unremarkable by a pair of huge gray eyes. It was topped by a cloud of golden hair and had the great good fortune to be strategically placed above the most beautiful body in Hollywood.

She has cat-like eyes and was given her first screen appearance in a solo number in a Busby Berkeley musical. She has recently given birth to her daughter, Sharon when we first meet her.

I was racking my brains for a candidate and finally ended up guessing Lana Turner (even though her looks were far from “unremarkable”).  But, then I did some research and found that the general consensus seems to be that Missie is Vivien Leigh. All the red herrings were DN’s effort to confuse everyone as to her true identity.

This is but a tiny sampling of the wealth of classic film goodness awaiting you in Bring on the Empty Horses. You have no excuse for not obtaining your own copy, either, because Amazon has an extensive listing of used copies ranging in price from $.90 to $92. A price to fit everyone’s pocketbook. I obtained my lovely hardcover copy for a mere $5 in an antique shop. So, what are you waiting for? Get reading!

Whoever said Savannah was only two hours from Atlanta was lying.  or maybe I just made that up–no, I’m pretty sure I read it on the internet.  It actually takes about 3-3.5 hours to drive.  Our roadtrip consisted of miserable weather.  Hey, hurricane-i’m-not-sure-what-its-name-is-because-i-haven’t-watched-the-news, STOP IT!  I mean, it was raining.  And there wasn’t anything good on the radio.  But at least we had some Jr. Mints and Sour Patch Kids to tide us over.

Once we got to the hotel we decided to take a little trip to a place I’d wanted to visit for a while now should I ever get to Savannah:  Bonaventure Cemetery.  Cemeteries are probably a dime a dozen around these parts; with the Civil War and all sorts of tropical climate diseases.  Bonaventure was made famous by John Berendt’s true crime novel Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (haven’t read it?  WHY NOT?!).  The novel isn’t set in the cemetery, but the cover features a statue that was once found there (the Bird Lady is now in an art museum here in the city due to the amount of tourist traffic that came to see it after the book was published).

The Bird Lady

The cemetery is known for being one of the creepiest and most haunted places in the city (and people say the entire city is pretty haunted), and I can definitely see why people think that.  It’s sprawling and old, tucked away on Bonaventure Road–a little narrow two way street that runs past old, run down houses and is littered with trees raining Spanish moss.  It sits on a bluff overlooking the Savannah River on what used to be a plantation.

One of the most famous graves there is that of Gracie Watson, otherwise known as “Little Gracie.”  Gracie Watson died of pneumonia when she was 6 years old in 1889.  The plaque by her grave says:

Little Gracie Watson was born in 1883, the only child of her parents. Her father was manager of the Pulaski House, one of Savannah’s leading hotels, where the beautiful and charming little girl was a favorite with the guests. Two days before Easter, in April 1889, Gracie died of pneumonia at the age of six. In 1890, when the rising sculptor, John Walz, moved to Savannah, he carved from a photograph this life-sized, delicately detailed marble statue, which for almost a century has captured the interest of all passersby.

Here is one of the photos I took of Little Gracie–I thought it was creepy but awesome.  Apparently she haunts both Bonaventure and the Pulaski House.

Little Gracie Watson

We were taking photos by the river when a massive downpour started, so we ran back to the car and came back to our hotel.  I’m sad the weather is so gross, Savannah looks so brilliant and old–I bet it’s great in the sunshine.

In a couple of hours we are taking a trolley ghost tour around the city and we are going to eat she-crab soup at the Pirate House restaurant which is apparently the oldest building in Savannah.

More on evening adventures later.

Today, Kasia, Maggie and I navigated the Georgia highways via rental car.  Driving here is hard!  There wasn’t even that much traffic, it was just that we kept getting lost and taking wrong turns.  For example, this evening we were trying to find a shopping center in East Point, and google maps told us to take the freeway.  We got on going north instead of south, and if my human GPS system (Kasia) hadn’t figured out we were going the wrong way, we’d have gone to Birmingham!  Haha.  I feel like CA isn’t this hard, or maybe the streets are better marked at home?  Or maybe I’m just out of my element?  Probably the latter.

First, we drove up to the Scarlett on the Square museum in Marietta so Kasia and Maggie could pick up their tickets.  The lady at the ticket counter seemed really excited to learn they were the ones who came from Europe just for the event.  There were also a LOT of old people there taking tours.  We’re really wondering what the demographic for this event will be, and if we’ll be the younest people there.  I can’t wait to see!

Afterword we drove down to the Atlanta History Museum.  But first we stopped at Taco Hell Bell to grab some lunch, which was exciting for my European friends.  When we got on the right road, we were amazed at all of the stately homes back in the forest there.  Have any f you ever seen them?  I felt like I was driving through 10 Mile Drive at Pebble Beach in Monterey.  They were HUGE mansions of all sorts of styles.  It was quite obnoxious and fascinating at the same time.

The History Center was tucked away at the other end of the woods, and since we were just interested in seeing the “Costuming Gone with the Wind” exhibit, the curator let us in for free (but we dropped a donation into the box when we left).  The best piece was 1 of the 3 green curtain dresses worn by Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind:

I used myself to show scale

I knew Vivien was small, but it’s always hard to tell the size of someone from a photo.  She was very petite.  You can use me for comparison.  I’m 5′7″.  A couple weeks ago, an author friend told me I’d probably  have fit into a dress he used to own that Vivien wore in The Sleeping Prince.  I said “I disagree!” Lo and behold, I knew I was right in that I wouldn’t have fit into anything that that lady wore!  Anyway, this dress was beautiful and very well preserved.  I should have liked to try it on for fun (even if it wouldn’t zip up all the way, lol.

Next we headed down to Jonesboro to see the Road to Tara Museum.

The old train depot at Jonesboro

It was really cute!  The people who worked inside were so nice and seemed very eager to talk with us about our adventures.  Apparently people all around the world actually think Tara is a real place, so when they’re told there is no “real Tara,” some people apparently even cry!  But there was an inspiration for Margaret Mitchell’s Tara (which isn’t at all like the Tara from the film).  It was MM’s ancestor’s plantation:

The real Tara

I think Georgia should combine all of the GWTW museums around the Atlanta area and make them one big GWTW museum.  This would be more practical, I think, because then the die hards like us wouldn’t have to drive all around to see everything.  You know?  But they were all wonderful, and I look forward to exploring the Marietta museum some more this coming weekend.

Well, off to bed.  There’s an interesting program about the Hoover Dam on PBS right now.  We’re old ladies at heart.  Have you been to the Hoover Dam?  It is pretty cool to see it in person.

Tomorrow: Savannah!!  I’m so excited to see Bonaventure Cemetery, and we’re taking a ghost tour!

We got up early this morning and took the shuttle from our hotel back to the airport and caught the MARTA (the metro) into the city.  It was virtually a ghost town, which was really confusing because I’d never seen a big city so dead.  The ticket guy at the station said a) it’s Sunday and b) there’s a football game in town.  It was strange.  MARTA is pretty efficient, and I like that the train cars are fairly big; we weren’t packed in like sweaty sardines in a can like on some lines of the Tube in London, but it also doesn’t come every 6 minutes like the Tube does.  Still, it got us to where we needed to go for fairly cheap, so that was awesome.

LONDON?! No? Where is everyone?

This station reminded me of one in London–Charing Cross, I think.  Look at all those stairs!  It’s like climbing a concrete mountain.

Our first stop was the World of Coca-Cola, which is an actual factory and we took an interesting tour and saw some pretty cool memorabilia, like this:

Clark Gable and Joan Crawford like Coke

At the end of the tour, there was a room with about 5 or 6 different kiosks that served Coca-Cola products from all over the globe.  Some of them were pretty good, others were really interesting, and some were really not very good.  We tasted a drink from Italy called “Beverly” which happened to be the most disgusting soda I’ve ever had in my life.  I can’t even decribe it, it tasted like some sort of medicine.  No thanks, “Beverly!”

We then made our way to Midtown MARTA station and took 10th street to the Margaret Mitchell Museum.  We had remembered reading somewhere that Margaret Mitchell called this house “the dump” because it was so small.  When we saw the outside we said, “Say what?  This house is big!” But it turns out MM and John Marsh only lived in the downstairs apartment which was 3 small rooms.  She called it “the dump” because she had grown up in a mansion.  Anyway, MM wrote most of Gone with the Wind in this house.  And isn’t it funny to think that she didn’t think anything of her book when she was writing it?  She didn’t think it any good.  WRONG, Margaret Mitchell!  Yours is the only novel I’ve ever read more than once (I’ve read it 3 times, actually).  So I think it was good!

Margaret Mitchell House & Museum

There was a small movie museum next door to the MM House that had the huge painting of Scarlett that was used in the film of GWTW.  It looks kind of scary but it was so cool!

It was used in the movie!

Autumn

Afterword, we walked up Peachtree Street and found the Georgian Terrace Hotel, where stars from GWTW stayed during the premier.  It was really posh inside, very fitting for Vivien Leigh, methinks, although did she stay in the governor’s mansion with Larry instead?  I got a chocolate/raspberry cupcake at Mims Cafe next door.  We were then accosted by a possible vagrant who “needed $2.15 to get a MARTA ticket because he just moved to Decatur and his friend left him stranded.”  I hope he enjoyed that ‘MARTA ticket.”

For dinner we headed over to the Pittypat’s Porch restaurant downtown.  It was pricey but we figured we had to try it.  I think I gained 10 lbs in that one sitting, there was so much food!  I got the salmon, which was really good.  We also decided we had to try mint juleps since none of us had ever had one/  I think we were expecting it to be a mojito but boy were we wrong.  It looked like dirty pond water with algae at the bottom.  And it tasted about the same.  The bourbon and mint were so strong.  Kasia forced herself to drink almost the whole thing, but it looked like quite a struggle.  I quit after 1/2 a glass. Oh! The ladies’ room at Pittypat’s was so cute!  It had a powder room and everything.

Mint juleps = Beverly...or pond water. Are those organisms swimming around in there?

We decided mint juleps are the “Beverly” of cocktails.    I tried to picture Scarlett O’Hara (if she were real) or even Vivien Leigh drinking mint juleps on the porch (or the balcony?) and had a hard time.  Although Vivien’s favorite drink was apparently a gin and tonic which I also don’t like very much because it’s so dry.  Oh, Alcohol.

Then we went into a food coma and decided to go back to the hotel.  The night ended with Tool Academy on VH1 and a program about monorails on the Travel Channel.

Tomorrow: Atlanta History Center, Jonesboro, and beyond!

Made it!  I woke up at the crack of dawn yesterday to go to th airport.  The flight from Orange County was smooth and without incident.  When I got to the airport, I met up with Kasia, but her sister had a problem with her ticket on Air France and therefore had to book a later flight.  Thankfully she got another one that arrived later last night!

Once we got checked in to the hotel, Kasia and I went across the street to a restaurant called Ruby Tuesday–which is basically Red Robin and had really bad service.  But the spinach and artichoke dip was really salty/delicious!  Then later we got an Atlanta map and tried to plot Gone with the Wind on the map.  For example, based on incidents we remembered from Margaret Mitchell’s book, we decided that “Tara” was (hypothetically) right here–yes, right at this hotel.

Then we got a bit of a kick out of The da Vinci Code being on Peachtree TV.  Everything here seems to be a GWTW reference but hey, who’s complaining?  Not me.

The da Vinci Code

Not Tom Hanks' real hair ^^

The da Vinci Code is a terrible movie in which Tom Hanks is especially awkward.  I’ve met Tom Hanks in real life and I’ll let you in on a little secret.  That’s not his real hair.  I’m serious, it’s either extensions or some kind of wig because Tom is really thinning out up top in reality. The magic of the movies.

Well, it’s 8:30 am, earlier than anyone should be up on a Sunday, but we’re going to go take advantage of the complimentary breakfast offered at the hotel and then go back to the airport and take the metro down town for a little sight-seeing!  The metro station at the airport reminds me of the Tube in London, only not.

Until next time!  Hopefully then I’ll have something more entertaining to talk about.

I’m leaving tomorrow morning for Atlanta and I have to say I’m really excited!  At first I was a bit indifferent, not because I didn’t want to go, but because the event tickets were pretty pricey and because all of this other stressful stuff kept happening here on the home front.  But now that it’s actually here and plans have started to fall in line, I’m really stoked about it! This is something I felt I just had to participate in.

I’ve never been to the South before (unless you count Texas, but isn’t that more of the “midwest”?), so I’m really curious as to what my impression will be.  A good one, I hope, for his California girl.  I do know this, though: I’ve wanted to take a “Gone with the Wind roadtrip” for YEARS, and now it’s finally happening!  I’m traveling with my friend and fellow Larry and Viv lover Kasia, who I met in London back in February, and her sister, Maggie.  They’re traveling from Poland just for the event!  We’re staying in Atlanta, and then driving to Savannah and Charleston in search of a little Southern hospitality and a fictional guy named Rhett Butler before going back to Marietta for the GWTW re-premier event.  Exciting!  I’m hoping to see lots of old houses and dripping Spanish moss.  I’ve also been told the hush puppies are a must-eat.  I don’t know what a hush puppy is but I’ll give it a try!

Let’s see, do I have everything ready?

• fancy dresses: check
• fancy shoes: check
• laptop: check
• phone: check
• charged ipod: check
• Siamese cat: check–wait!  Coco’s not coming with me!
• camera: check
• tickets: check
• something to share with fellow Vivien Leigh fans: check
• everything else: check, check

expect lots of photos for vivandlarry.com

I will try and update here every day about my experience so please check back often!  Have a wonderful week, and if you’re attending the event, I look forward to hopefully meeting you!

This morning I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sally Tippett Rains, a St. Louis based writer, to discuss her new book. She’s a delightful person! She even gave me a sneak peek at her upcoming book: The Making of a Masterpiece: The True Story of Margaret Mitchell’s Classic Novel ‘Gone with the Wind’. The soft cover book covers the topic of Gone with the Wind–the book, film, and legend. The book, published by Global Book Publishers in Beverly Hills, California (www.bookpubintl.com), is 371 pages long and due out in November, making its debut at the Marietta event. This book contains new, never-told interviews and information about the phenomenon that is Gone with the Wind! For more information about Mrs. Rains, please visit her website at  http://www.writeasrains.net/

V-L.COM: What inspired you to write about Gone with the Wind?

Sally Tippett Rains: My natural curiosity. I had read the book and seen the movie, so when I read about the possibilities that Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara may have been based on real people it got me going. I started doing research and found out some incredible things.

V-L.COM: Like What?

Sally Tippett Rains: Since this is the Vivien Leigh website, I would like to mention something about her. Mickey Kuhn, who played Beau Wilkes was also in A Streetcar Named Desire with her. I was fortunate enough to get to talk to Mickey and when he talks about his memories of Vivien Leigh his whole face just lights up. He loved her. Even though Mickey was a child in GWTW, she remembered him and took a great interest in him when they appeared together in Streetcar. He has a story, which I relay in my book about how when she found out he was in the movie, she arranged to meet with him and they talked for quite a while. She asked him all about his life and his career and did not act like a big star, full of herself. He remembers her as a big star, but one who was very caring and kind. “No one can say a bad word about Vivien Leigh to me,” he said.

V-L.COM: Who did you interview or meet during the research process?

Sally Tippett Rains: At this point the question is really, who didn’t I meet? I talked to about 75 people while doing my research, starting with authors of books I had read on Margaret Mitchell or Gone With The Wind; then I expanded it to historians and collectors. As I would interview one person he or she would say, “oh you should talk to so and so.” That was how I got to interview five of the actors from the movie and eventually a cousin of Margaret Mitchell’s.

V-L.COM: Do you have any anecdotes you’d like to share about the research/writing process?

Sally Tippett Rains: One of the most exciting was on one of my many trips to Atlanta when I first met Margaret Mitchell’s cousin. We had planned to meet for breakfast and she was a little late. When she got there she told me she could not find something she wanted to show me, but she found some of her grandmother’s things and I was welcome to look at any of it. She produced a wrinkled plastic bag with various items in it…including a family scrapbook. Since I’d read biographies of Margaret Mitchell I knew the names of her elderly aunts who had lived at Rural Home, the family estate. There in the scrapbook were the pictures of “Aunt Mamie” and “Aunt Sis.” They were the ones from whom she had heard so many stories about the Civil War. There was a picture of Rural Home and stories about their relatives.

V-L.COM: What topics does your book explore?

Sally Tippett Rains: The book started out just talking about the real people who could have provided inspiration for some of Margaret Mitchell’s characters in Gone With The Wind, but it ended up going way beyond that. I was fortunate enough to meet the sons of Marcella Rabwin, who was producer David O.. Selznick’s executive assistant. Marcella had been involved in every aspect of Gone With The Wind and her sons, Mark Rabwin and Paul Rabwin were so nice and helpful. They provided me with pictures, which I used in my book of their mother. One is of Marcella wearing the “green sprigged dress” that Scarlett wore. It was at an antebellum costume party and their good friends Lucile Ball and Desi Arnaz are in costume with them.

Ann Rutherford & Sally Rains

V-L.COM: How is your book different from other Gone with the Wind books available?

Sally Tippett Rains: All of the books are different and that is the great thing for readers who love to read about Gone With The Wind. The biggest way mine is different is that I had access to the family scrapbook. I quote from it, use pictures from it and compare events mentioned in the book to storylines in Margaret Mitchell’s book.

V-L.COM: What are some special features of your book?

Sally Tippett Rains: The cover features artwork from a 100-foot painting by Stephen Verona, commissioned in 1989 by Ted Turner, Turner Entertainment, and MGM to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the film’s release. Stephen Verona is an award-winning artist, and was the director of The Lords Of Flatbush starring Henry Winkler and Sylvester Stallone, so I was honored that my book got to feature his artwork. Another fun thing about my book is there is a “Book Club” section in the back with discussion questions and bonus material. The pictures are also fantastic. I have a picture of Margaret Mitchell’s great-grandfather, Philip Fitzgerald that has been in storage for years.

V-L.COM: You’re involved in an upcoming television documentary about your book and Gone with the Wind. What can you tell us about the production?

Sally Tippett Rains: At the time of this writing we are in the pre-production phase, although we have already shot six interviews. I was fortunate that the same people putting on the event in Marietta helped me set up the interviews with the actors. Connie Sutherland and Dr. Chris Sullivan do a great job with their events and I would encourage everyone to try to attend it.

Sally Rains interviews Ann Rutherford for the television documentary.

V-L.COM: And just for fun, how many times have you watched GWTW?

Sally Tippett Rains: I have watched it so many times (like many GWTW fans!) I can pretty much tell what is coming next and quote from it. I find myself using quotes from the movie in my everyday life. Example: If I don’t feel like doing something I might say, “I won’t do it, I tell you I won’t do it!” Scarlett O’Hara fans might remember Ashley Wilkes saying this to Scarlett.

V-L.COM: Do you think Scarlett O’Hara got Rhett Butler back in the end?

Sally Tippett Rains: I’m guessing yes, eventually. Women like that seem to get whatever they want, and men like that seem to fall for it. I saw the movie as a child and then as an adult. The older I get, the less I see Rhett was a “cad” and the more I see the really caring father and friend that he turned out to be. (The really handsome caring father and friend!)

V-L.COM: This year marks the 70th anniversary of the film, Gone with the Wind, and in honor of the film, the Marietta GWTW Museum is hosting a Re-Premiere weekend November 13 and 14. You, along with castmates Ann Rutherford, Mary Anderson, Mickey Kuhn, Patrick Curtis, and Greg Geise, will participate in celebrating this legendary film. What does Gone with the Wind mean to you?

Sally Tippett Rains: Gone With The Wind was an amazing book and movie, and it means a lot to me because I got to write this book. I enjoyed meeting all the wonderful people I met doing research for my book and I got to talk about Gone With The Wind every day. I appreciate Ann Rutherford, Mickey Kuhn, Cammie King, Patrick Curtis, Greg Giese, and the late Fred Crane all for talking to me.

V-L.COM: Thank you for answering my questions. I’m so looking forward to your book! Stay tuned for more GWTW Interviews this week! And don’t forget to enter the November Contest for your chance to win a copy of Mrs. Rains book.

Vivien-Leigh.com is announcing a Enter for Your Chance to Win Contest! Together with Sally Tippett Rains & Creative Book Publishing International, V-L.com will be giving away 2 autographed copies of The Making of A Masterpiece: The True Story Of Margaret Mitchell’s Classic Novel Gone With The Wind! Written by St. Louis based writer Sally Tippett Rains, this book covers the topic of Gone with the Wind–the book, film, and legend. Mrs. Rains will be in attendance at the November Gone with the Wind Re-Premiere weekend in Marietta, GA and will be signing copies of this book. For more information about the Re-Premiere weekend, please click HERE. This book will be available November 15 at the Marietta event and in fine book stores shortly after for $18.95. Visit www.bookpubintl.com for more information. Check back tomorrow to read my special interview with the author!!

To enter the contest, please answer the question below. One winner will be chosen at random from the correct submissions. This contest is open to  everyone! To enter for your chance to win, click on the email link below and send your answer in the email. Please put “GWTW Contest” in the subject line.  The contest ends November 30! Good Luck, everyone!

QUESTION: Vivien Leigh did not see eye to eye with Gone with the Wind director Victor Fleming, who was considered more of a ‘man’s director.’  Therefore she secretly sought out the film’s original director George Cukor (who was suddenly fired early on in the filming process) for coaching on the weekends. What other GWTW star also secretly went to George Cukor for direction during his/her time off?  Hint: Answer can be found on Vivien-Leigh.com.

ANSWER: Email you answer to webmaster@vivien-leigh.com or click HERE.

Press Release information:

2009 Is The 70^th Anniversary Of The Movie Premiere Of Gone With The Wind. Margaret Mitchell’s own life provided inspiration for Gone With The Wind and with the help of a recently discovered scrapbook written by her cousin, this new book tells about the people and events that may have provided characters and storylines. Five of the actors from the movie were interviewed as well as relatives of some of those who were involved in the Hollywood production.

The Making Of A Masterpiece by author Sally Tippett Rains will be a must-read for all Gone With The Wind enthusiasts and fans! It contains new interviews with cast members, Margaret Mitchell relatives and people who   knew her, historians, collectors, GWTW experts and authors and many others.

On November 5:

1605  Gunpowder Plot: A conspiracy led by Robert Catesby to blow up the English Houses of Parliament was thwarted when Sir Thomas Knyvet, a justice of the peace, found Guy Fawkes in a cellar below the House of Lords.

1850  Ella Wheeler Wilcox, American author and poet, was born.

1872 In defiance of US law, suffragist Susan B. Anthony voted for the first time, and is later fined $100.

 1881 Sixteen hundred police and volunteers took part in the attack on Parihaka, a settlement in western Taranaki which had become the symbol of protest against confiscation of Maori land.

1911  Roy Rogers, American actor, was born.

1913 Vivien Leigh, English actress, was born.

 1916 The Kingdom of Poland was proclaimed by the Act of November 5th of the emperors of Germany and Austria-Hungary.

1920  Douglass North, American economist, Nobel Prize laureate, was born.

1921  Fawzia of Egypt, Queen of Iran, was born.

1931  Ike Turner, American musician, was born.

1935  Lester Piggott, British jockey, was born.

1940  Elke Sommer, German actress, was born.

1940  Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected to a third term as President of the United States.

1941  Art Garfunkel, American musician, was born.

1946  Gram Parsons, American musician, was born.

1963 – Tatum O’Neal, American actress, was born.

1968 Republican Richard Nixon won the American presidency.

2006  Saddam Hussein, former president of Iraq, and his co-defendants Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti and Awad Hamed al-Bandar were sentenced to death in the al-Dujail trial for the role in the massacre of the 148 Shi’as in 1982.

Sourced from NZ History Online & Wikipedia.

If you’re a big fan of films from 1939, you know that this year is the 70th anniversary of such classics as The Wizard of Oz, Wuthering Heights, and of course, Gone with the Wind.  Every year the American Cinematheque screens classic films at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, CA, and Grauman’s Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Blvd.

This year, in honor of 70 years of 1939, The Egyptian will be screening Gone with the Wind on Saturday, November 28 at 7:30pm.  What makes the Egyptian special is that it was THE original “picture palace” and is now a Los Angeles historic-cultural landmark.  It may look rather small on the outside, but don’t let that fool you.  The inside looks like an opera house with gilt ceilings and a real organ!

Interior: Grauman's Egyptian Theater circa 1922

The Egyptian is steeped in Hollywood history–having been built by the famous Sid Grauman (who also built the Chinese Theater  and the El Capitan Theater a few blocks down)–and was the location for the first ever Hollywood premier:  Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks in 1922.  In later years the theater fell into disrepair and was sold to the American Cinematheque in 1996, whereupon the funds were raised to restore it to its former glory.  Though the Chinese Theater has surpassed it in fame due to its location and all of those celebrity hand prints out front, The Egyptian is still a wonder to behold and a pleasure in which to see films of Hollywood’s Golden Age.

Street Entrance on Hollywood Blvd.

This will be the second time I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Gone with the Wind at the Egyptian and I can say first hand that is it such a wonderful experience.  The print that they’ve shown previously is pretty old and very saturated with Technicolor, so it’s always interesting to see this film  as it was shown over the decades to different audiences, and how technology has come so far in digitally restoring films.  Moreover, it’s always fun to see it with a whole crowd of people who love it as much as you do.

Gone with the Wind

If you’re in the LA area, you can purchase tickets to the screening on Fandango.  Don’t miss out on this fabulous opportunity!

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