Vivien Leigh’s American agent, Myron Selznick, brother of David, introduced Leigh to the producer with, “Hey genius, meet your Scarlett O’Hara.”
Why, how unchivalrous of you. Why, think, Ashley, think – if it hadn’t been for Scarlett, I’d have died in Atlanta, and maybe we wouldn’t have had little Beau, and … and when I think of her picking cotton and plowing just to keep food in our mouths, I could just – oh, my darling!
“We had been waiting for over an hour on Vivien Leigh (there was some miscommunication about the time of the shoot).. the shots were in costume. Clark was pacing back and forth. “I couldn’t make love to that dame if she were the most beautiful woman in the world!” And then, a rustle of silk, the sweet smell of lilacs, and there was the most beautiful woman in the world, standing behind him, touching his shoulder, whispering like a summer breeze.. “I quite agree, Mr. Gable. If I were a man, I’d tell that Vivien Leigh to go right back to merry old England and fuck herself.” Gable turned and looked. Leigh looked right back. The look in their eyes had flashbulbs in it. Slowly, Rhett Butler took Scarlett O’hara by the arm and walked onto the Southern staircase, talking and smiling as though they’d known each other all their lives.”
