Moonlight and Magnolias (2010)

Poster by Emma Baines

by Ron Hutchinson

Directed by Mark Ireson

Performances: Tue 7th – Sat 11th September 2010, Bell Theatre

Introduction

Hollywood, 1939, and mogul David O. Selznick has just shut down production on the most eagerly anticipated movie in history, Gone With The Wind, scrapping the script and sacking the director for good measure. Determined to produce a rewrite in five days, he engages the reluctant services of ace script doctor Ben Hecht - possibly the only person in America who has not read the novel - and the movie’s new director Victor Fleming, straight from the set of The Wizard Of Oz after squabbling with the Munchkins and coming to blows with Judy Garland.

With his reputation on the line, and nothing but peanuts and bananas to sustain them, Selznick locks the three collaborators in his office, and a marathon creative session begins…

Cast

• David O. Selznick - Chaz Doyle
• Ben Hecht - Barry Heselden
• Victor Fleming - Matt Platt
• Miss Poppenguhl - Caroline Doyle

Crew

• Assistant Director - Paula Kelly
• Stage Manager - Graham Clements
• Lighting Design - Stuart Draper
• Sound Design - Gerard Johnson
• Scenic Artist - Hazel Hindle
• Lighting and Sound Operators - Rebecca Williams and Jen Campbell
• Assistant Stage Managers - Kay George, Chris Briggs, Clodagh Reynolds and Rodney Quinn
• Fight Direction - Anton Krause
• Makeup Design - Helen Chadney and Caroline Doyle
• Set Design - Mark Ireson
• Set Construction - cast, crew and Jem Solak
• Vocal Coaching - Lily Ann Coleman and Sam Trueman

The characters

David O. Selznick Fanatically driven producer, son in law of the producer Louis B Mayer, the movies were in his blood. The son of a movie distributor who became bankrupt in the 1920s, Selznick rose to the top of the Hollywood tree working at RKO, Paramount and MGM before starting his own Selznick International Pictures. He was notorious for his frantic, benzedrine-fueled pace of work and the astonishing volume of memos he produced on every aspect of the productions (seen by some as meddling and by others as attention to detail).

Victor Fleming Started his working life as a motor mechanic, but got a break in the film business as a camera assistant, moving on to direct many action movies in the 1920s and 30s. With a robust manner and love of outdoor sports Fleming was known as a “man’s director”, but his two best known and most successful directing credits were The Wizard Of Oz and Gone With The Wind. Coincidentally, in both cases he was a substitute, brought in to replace the original director in the early weeks of shooting.

Ben Hecht A successful Chicago journalist, Hecht became one of the most celebrated and prolific screenwriters in the early days of film in Hollywood, as well as contributing uncredited work as a “script doctor” on many more [including Gone With The Wind]. As well as journalism and screenplays he wrote short stories, novels, plays [including The Front Page] and later ghost wrote Marilyn Monroe’s autobiography. A lifelong activist for Jewish causes, his active support of the Zionist movement in Palestine led to a British boycott of his work in the late 1940s and 1950s.

Miss Poppenguhl Selznick’s exceptionally efficient secretary. Usually tireless, by the end of the five days even she is more than a little dazed. In reality, Selznick employed two full time secretaries to keep up with his frantic pace of dictation.

Reviews

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Reminiscences and Anecdotes

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See Also

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References

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External Links

• Victor Fleming on Wikipedia
• Ben Hecht on Wikipedia
• David O. Selznick on Wikipedia
• Gone With The Wind on Wikipedia and IMDB, the internet movie database
• An album of posters and publicity material for Gone With The Wind over the years