gone with the wind photography

Stories From the Set: Gone with the Wind

“We had been waiting for over an hour for Vivien Leigh (there was 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 now 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 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.” — MGM stills photographer Clarence Sinclair Bull, as quoted in Long Live the King: A Biography of Clark Gable by Lyn Turnabene

Photos of Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Clarence Bull via Kate at Classic Film Scans.

Kendra has been the weblady at vivandlarry.com since 2007. She lives in Yorkshire and is the author of Vivien Leigh: An Intimate Portrait, and co-author of Ava Gardner: A Life in Movies (Running Press). Follow her on Twitter @kendrajbean, Instagram at @vivandlarrygram, or at her official website.

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Comments (4)

  1. I have the book that has all the photos. Close ups! Can’t recall the name of the book but there are all kinds of photos and close ups of this famous shoot. (from the 70’s I believe?)
    I probably have it in storage somewhere? I would not have gotten rid of it. In some of the photos it shows the crew that was
    at the shoot. They all seem fascinated by Clark and Vivien! Who wouldn’t be?
    Knowing that these actors are going to be in the most famous movie of all times!
    And such big stars too!

    I can see why Clarence Bull was considered one of the best photographers ever!

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