Why not Franchot Tone?

Rating: Null/10 (16 October 1998)

My only criticism of this, my all-time favorite film, is the casting of Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes. In the book, Ashley is 28 when the story begins (and Leslie Howard was then pushing 40). Franchot Tone would had been perfect and just the right age. Why was he never considered? Also, wouldn't it had been great if Elizabeth Taylor had been cast as Bonnie Blue? She too was EXACTLY the right age (seven) and would had been completely believable as the daughter of Vivien Leigh.