MOVIE NEWS – One of the greatest cinema classics that Hollywood has ever produced is Gone with the Wind. Now you can find out which actor turned down the role of Rhett Butler because he couldn’t imagine making even a single dollar from the movie!

In the early years of Hollywood, landing a role for an actor could prove tricky. Because if you had a contract with a studio that did not make the film, negotiations between studios were necessary.

When the project to adapt Gone with the Wind to the big screen began, producer David O. Selznick auditioned nearly thirty professional actresses to find his Scarlett O’Hara: Vivien Leigh.

All that was left to do was choose Rhett Butler as the male lead. However, Clark Gable was only his second choice. The actor was under contract with M.G.M. The latter would have “loaned” Selznick only if they received half of the profits from the film.

Selznick instead turned to actor Gary Cooper, also an established star and hero of A Farewell to Arms, Mr. Deeds, and The Virginian. Cooper was offered the role, but he was also under contract to the Samuel Goldwyn studio, which flatly refused to lend him the role.

Selznick didn’t give up and went around the studio to talk to Cooper directly. He asked her to break her contract with Goldwyn and accept the role of Rhett Butler. However, the actor categorically refused. It came as a cold shower for the producer, as he learned of Cooper’s comments in a whisper in private:

“Gone with the Wind is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history. I’m glad it’ll be Clark Gable who’s falling flat on his nose, not me.”

Frustrated, Selznick eventually reluctantly accepted M.G.M. conditions and nevertheless hired the actor he thought was right for the part.

In the end, Gone with the Wind not only earned Clark Gable an Oscar nomination for Best Actor but also became the most inflation-adjusted film of all time!

If it were to hit theatres in 2023, it would have grossed more than $4 billion. Even ahead of the huge successes that have appeared in cinemas since then. Gary Cooper is said to have regretted turning down the role all his life. Years later, Hector Arce attributed these words to him in his biography of the actor:

“It was one of the best roles ever offered in Hollywood… But I said no. I didn’t see myself as quite that dashing, and later, when I saw Clark Gable play the role to perfection, I knew I was right.”

Source: The Vintage News, Allociné