The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-03-19
Clark Gable Is
Favored for Role
of Rhett Butler
Critics Differ in Choice for
Filling Scarlett's
Part

MEMPHIS, Tenn, Mar. 10
(UP)-Clark Gable will be Rhett
Butler; an unknown southern girl
will take the part of ScarIett
O'Hara; and lines will be spoken
in straight English" with no
trace of pseudo-accent IN the
screening of Gone with inc
Wind" if film moguls heed the
cries OF critics in the old SCUM.
In a poll taken by the Uniteo
Press, newspaper critics from tne
states which made up the CoH-
federacy were practically unani-
NOUS in their call for Gaoie 10
be the rascally Butler. Uni! one,
Cleveland Sessums Of the New
Orleans Times-Picayune, thouEnt
otherwise. He favored Basil Rath-
bone.
II am convinced that Rathbone
is the perfect Rhett Butler, oes-
sums said. Gable might storm
through the part, but Rathbone
has that suavity and polish which
Gable lacks and tie role de-
mands. .-','.
Every critic was emphatic in
his denunciation of .Hollywood's
idea of southern accent.
One said: keep the southern
accent off the set. Let the cast
speak English Another believed
that if all the players were true
southerncrs there would be no
need for worry about the use Of
"you all" in the singular and 9TH
er mistakes the industry is accus-
ed of making. :,
"The trouble is that Hollywood
doesn't distinguish between the
southern Negroes dialect and the
southern white mans speech,
said Harry Martin, movie column
list for the Memphis Commercial
Appeal. while one may have
some influence on the other, the
real negro dialect is no more typ
zeal of the southern drawl than
the genuine Brooklyn brogue is
that of Park avenue infection"
Some reviewers voted for Joan
Crawford to portray the daring
Scarlet. Others said Miriam Hop
kins, while still others cast votes
for Tallulah Bankhead and Mar
garet Sullivan. The majority,
however, was for some unknown
girl from south of the Mason
Dixon line to be cast in the part.
As an Arkansas critic pointed
out, the entire reading public of
the nation likely will see the pic
ture, regardless of who takes the
leading roles. And, he said, this
would be an ideal chance for the
producer. sto catapult new star
into the cinema heavens.
DigresSions from the written
plot would be overlooked, said the
critics, so long as the spirit of
the story was left intact. Many
expressed fear Of "phoney scenes
in slave quarters, synthetic spirit
ual sessions, unnecessarily pro-
tracted mint julep bouts and a
forest of COATES"
In the supporting roles there
was more dissension. Frances
Dee, Andrea Leeds. Janet Gaynor
and others were suggested for
Melanie Wilkes. They (the crit
ics) frowned on the choice of
Walter Connolly as Gerald OLA
ia. Charles Winninger led the
race for that post.
Ashley Wilkes was another
character to provoke argument.
Actors ranging from Joel McCrca
and Robert Taylor to Frederic
March and Paul NUM- were NAM
ed.
All in all the suggestions from
critics in the IL southern states
which mothered the Boys in
Gray" summed up three ways:
|. Gable for Butler and an un-
known for Scarlet.
9. Forget the studio southern
accent and stick to stage-En@lish.
8. Liberties with the plot would
be allowed if the flavor of the
story remained unchanged.