32. GONE WITH THE WIND: Paper Dolls

Film fans say that the most acclaimed movies ever made were those produced in 1939. That year, classics like Wizard of Oz, Dark Victory, Goodbye, Mr. Chips, Ninotchka, Stagecoach, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Wuthering Heights and Margaret Mitchell's much ballyhooed Gone with the Wind vied for Oscar honors. "Gone with the Wind" swept competition away--and millions of fans went agog over Scarlett, Rhett, Melanie and Ashley. Everything from soundtrack albums ("Tara's Theme" was a bestseller), period lamps, perfumes to coloring books and paper dolls such as these were made for a GWTW crazed market.

Above, you'll find cut 2 paper dolls of Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) and 3 of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh). These were made the year after the movie hit by Merrill Publishing. I got these dolls from a sweet old lady in the U.S. who operated a mail-order paper doll business from her home. An unused GWTW paper doll book would command about $300 in the American market today, but I got mine for a few dollars. They're used, cut, bent and missing a lot of clothes--but frankly my dear, I don't give a damn.