Daily Dialogue — December 2, 2012

“Oh, Miss Scarlett! I don’t know nuthin’ ‘bout birthin’ babies.”

— Gone With The Wind (1939), screenplay by Sidney Howard, novel by Margaret Mitchell

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week is giving birth, suggested by blknwite.

Trivia: While directing the scene where Prissy says “Oh Miss Scarlett! I don’t know nuthin’ ‘bout birthin’ babies,” director George Cukor told Vivien Leigh to actually slap actress Butterfly McQueen and to make it as realistic as possible, and directed Butterfly McQueen to scream. After many takes, McQueen broke down in tears, complaining that Vivien Leigh was hitting her too hard. In a later interview, Butterfly McQueen said that she “bargained” with the others, stating that if Vivien Leigh hit her, she would NOT scream, but if Vivien Leigh’s hand only passed close to her face with the illusion of hitting her, she would scream as loudly as she could. McQueen also giggled and said that she thought “Prissy should have been slapped often, because she was horrid!”

Dialogue On Dialogue: One of the more memorable lines from this classic movie.