We Remember People We Lost in 2020-- Part 2: Bryant, Connery, Preston, De Havilland and Trebeck

KOBE BRYANT, 41

Eighteen-time NBA All-Star.  Won five NBA Championships.  Died January 26.

SEAN CONNERY, 90

Probably the most famous and beloved Agent 007s.  Played James Bond 7 times.  Also "The Untouchables," ""Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" and "The Hunt for Red October."  Died October 31.

KELLY PRESTON, 57

Actress.  "Jerry Maguire."  Husband was John Travolta.  Died July 12.

OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND, 104

The last living lead of 1939's "Gone With the Wind."  Played Scarlett O'Hara's sister-in-law.  Nominated for five Academy Awards during her50-year career.  Died July 26.

ALEX TREBECK, 80

Longtime host of "Jeopardy."  Began hosting it in 1984.  Died November 8.

The Spanish Flu Hits Delaware in 1918-- Part 1: "Shutting It All Down"

I was researching about Alicia Rhett who played India Wilkes in the movie "Gone With the Wind" in my Saw the Elephant: Civil War blog and found out her father, Edmund Moore Rhett, had died in 1918 in Wilmington, Delaware, because of the Spanish flu.

Pandemics are the big thing these days, so did a bit more research on its impact in Delaware over a hundred years ago.

From From the November 17, 2006, Flu Trackers.com  "The Great Pandemic  of 1918:  State By State."

In 1918, Delaware had the 4th smallest population with about 250,000 and was the second smallest state.  Yet, despite all that smallness, it reported thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths.  Exact numbers are not known and never will be, but, even so, the state took steps to contain the outbreak just as other states at the time did.

October 3, 1919, the Delaware State Board of Health met in an emergency session to stem the death toll and, essentially shut down the state.

"Whereas, a very serious epidemic of influenza is now raging within the  state of Delaware... to protect the entire  citizenship of Delaware...all schools, all theaters, all churches, all motion picture houses, all dance halls, all carnivals, fairs and bazaars, all billiard room and pool rooms, all bowling alleys in the entire state of Delaware shall be kept closed until further notice."

Sure Sounds Similar to Today.  --Cooter

Then & Now-- Part 6: The Blockbusters

Hollywood loves its "big" movies, especially when they provide big returns at the box office.  Here's what a "big" paycheck looked like then-- and now.

THEN

"GONE WITH THE WIND" (1939)

Clark Gable (Rhett Butler) $117,917 ($2,066,542 today)
Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O'Hara)  $30,851  ($540,676 today)


NOW

"CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR (2016)

Robert Downey, Jr received $40 million

THE LOWDOWN

Actors who made less than you might think.

MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY:  "Dallas Buyers Club" (2013)  received $200,000.

SEAN ASTIN:  "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)  $250,000 for three films.

--Cooter

"Gone With the Wind" Actors Still Alive As of April 2016

From the IMDB.

As of April 2016, a total of 15 actors and actresses who were in the movie "Gone With the Wind" are still alive.  Only two were credited.

The best-known is Olivia de Havilland who played Melanie Hamilton.

Also credited was Mickey Kuhn who played Beau Wilkes.

Two others are Skip Houghton who also played an Ozmite and Winkie guard in "The Wizard of Oz," and Greg Giese who played the newborn Bonnie and newborn Beau.

--Cooter

Deaths: Gone With the Wind Actress Mary Anderson in 2014

Mary Anderson, 96.  Born April 3, 1918 Died April 3, 1918.

American actress appeared in 31 films from 1939-1965.  Best-known for her small uncredited role in "Gone With the Wind."

She auditioned for the role of Scarlett O'Hare, but got the role of Maybelle Merriweather.

After 75 Years, Frankly, We Still Give a Damn

From the Dec. 2014/Jan. 2015 AARP Magazine by Bill Newcott.

The movie "Gone With the Wind" sits at the halfway mark between us and the Civil War at 75 years.  Atlanta went up in flames at its premier in Atlanta on December 15, 1939.  Most will say it is the most popular film of all time (even bigger than "Avatar") and in adjusted box office receipts has taken in as much at $5.4 billion.

Yet it remains the topic of discussion.  Some have nothing but breathless praise, others fiery condemnation.

Praise is easy.  David O. Selznick brought Margaret Mitchell's novel to life in a huge way, had Clark Gable at the peak of his suavity and Vivien Leigh able to break the hearts of young suitors and even middle aged men.

But, GWTW comes out just months after "12 Years a Slave," which pummels GWTW's fantasy of contented slaves.

Hollywood was a different place in 1939.

But, Miss Scarlett.  --Cooter

Oldest Surviving GTTW Cast Member Dies

Alicia Rhett, 98. Played Ashley Wilkes' sister, India Wilkes. I will write more about it in my Saw the Elephant Civil War Blog later today.

--Cooter

Dead Page: Bonnie Blue and Carreen

Two actresses from "Gone With the Wind"  Die in the last two years.

CAMMIE KING CONLON, 76

Died September 1, 2010.  Played the role of Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and Scarlett O'Hara's (Vivien Leigh) daughter, Bonnie Blue, whose death from the fall off her pony broke her family up.  I still can't believe that Rhett went out and shot the pony, though.  Was 4 when chosen to play the part in 1939 and liked to joke "that I peaked at age 5."

Three years later, she voiced the part of the doe Faline in "Bambi."  She earned $1,000 for her role in GWTW.


ANN RUTHERFORD (1917-JUNE 11, 2012)

Starred in radio, movies and film.  She was also in the 30s-40s Andy Hardy series.  In "Gone With the Wind" she was Scarlett O'Hara's sister Carreen, who had to take Scarlett's leftover beaus.  In December 1939, while promoting the movie, she visited six Confederate veterans at the Confederate Soldiers Home near Atlanta, Georgia, and one gave her a rose corsage tied with the Confederate colors.

She also had two guest appearances on "The Bob Newhart Show" as Suzanne Pleshette's mother.

In the late 1990s, she was offered the role of the elderly Rose Calvert on he movie "Titanic" but turned it down and Gloria Stuart got it.

I've seen "Gone With the Wind" so many times, I can't remember how many.  I'll sure see it again.

The only major actress still alive is Olivia de Havilland, 96, who lives in France.  She played Melanie.