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| The Novel Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell |
While there were 1400 actresses who were interviewed, only 400 were actually chosen to perform readings for the part of Scarlett O'Hara.
The movie Gone With the Wind is a historical romance adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s novel which tells the story of the American Civil War and its aftermath from the viewpoint of a Southern family. It was directed by Victor Fleming and produced by David O. Selznick of Selznick International Pictures in 1939.
Producer David O Selznick knew this was going to be an epic movie for all time. Big movies were expensive, not just for the production but also for the salaries. He needed to spend his money on the best actors and actresses for each role.
Many actresses were screened for the role of Scarlett O'Hara because Selznick couldn’t decide who would be best to play Scarlett. With no actress signed to the role, he used a person to physically stand-in so he could start filming because the tremendous “Burning of Atlanta” scene was one of the first scenes to be filmed.
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| DVD version of Gone With The Wind |
Many actresses were screened for the role of Scarlett O'Hara because Selznick couldn’t decide who would be best to play Scarlett. With no actress signed to the role, he used a person to physically stand-in so he could start filming because the tremendous “Burning of Atlanta” scene was one of the first scenes to be filmed.
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| Vivien Leigh |
When the very popular Britsh actress Vivien Leigh expressed interest in the part, she was called for a screen test immediately. However, her British accent almost lost her the part when she gave her first informal reading. She had to hide the accent and learn how to talk with a Southern drawl in order to get the part.
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| Left to right, Vivien Leigh as Scarlett, Gone With The Wind Poster, Rhett Butler with Scarlett O'Hara, and Katherine Hepburn who was considered for the role of Scarlett |
When it was decided that Vivien Leigh was going to play Scarlett, the Ocala Florida chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy was greatly offended that a British actress had been chosen to play the role.
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| Katherine Hepburn |
However, when they found out that the role could have gone to a Yankee like Katharine Hepburn, as the only other actress given serious consideration, then they stopped their protest. They thought that it was better for Scarlett to be played by a British woman than by a Yankee!
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