The Charms of Miss O'Hara: Tales of Gone With the Wind & the Golden Age of Hollywood from Scarlett's Little Sister

by Phillip Done

In 2012, beloved screen star Ann Rutherford, Scarlett's youngest sister in Gone With the Wind , passed away. But fortunately — not her stories. The year before her death, Miss Rutherford invited author Phillip Done to her Beverly Hills home where she shared decades of heartening memories from her fascinating life in the Golden Age of Hollywood. Like a scene out of Sunset Boulevard , Done wrote it down in this masterful tribute and shrewdly crafted memoir. With never-before-seen photographs from Miss Rutherford's private collection, The Charms of Miss O'Hara takes readers on a guided tour through Ann Rutherford's rich career, including such roles as Polly Benedict in the Andy Hardy pictures, Lydia in Pride and Prejudice , and Carreen in Gone With the Wind . Oft told in Miss Rutherford's sharp and engaging voice, readers will discover delicious behind-the-scenes stories and anecdotes about Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Olivia de Havilland, Lana Turner, Mickey Rooney, Judy Garland, Ava Gardner, Debbie Reynolds, David Selznick, Louis B. Mayer, and many others. Much more than a celebrity memoir, The Charms of Miss O'Hara will delight Gone With the Wind fans and classic movie buffs with valuable life lessons from a movie star.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Memoir

281 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 2014

About the author

Phillip Done is the author of the soon to be released The Art of Teaching Children: All I Learned from a Lifetime in the Classroom by Simon & Schuster/Avid Reader Press. He is also the author of the acclaimed 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching, Close Encounters of the Third-Grade Kind: Thoughts on Teacherhood, The Charms of Miss O'Hara: Tales from Gone with the Wind & the Golden Age of Hollywood from Scarlett's Little Sister, and The Ornament Box: A Love Story with a foreword by screen legend Debbie Reynolds. Phil's writing has also been featured in Reader's Digest, Real Simple, The Chicago Tribune, and The New York Times.

Phil is the recipient of the prestigious Charles Schwab Distinguished Teacher Award, a Teacher of the Year in California, and a nominee for Disney's American Teacher of the Year. He has taught in public and private schools in the United States and internationally. To contact Phil, send him a message here on Goodreads or at Phillip Done on Facebook.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to win this book from Goodreads First Reads program. I love the movies of old Hollywood-the films of the 30s and 40s, and I'm fascinated by the whole studio system and lives of the stars-and semi-stars- of that era. So I was excited about this book even before beginning it.

But this book far surpassed my hopes for it. Phillip Done is a third grade teacher, currently living in Budapest. In 2011, he was in Hollywood in his role as writer (he has written two books about his experiences as a teacher which I plan to read asap). He was eating in a restaurant when he recognized Ann Rutherford, one of MGM's stable of actresses. (Her most famous roles, or at least the ones I know her for, are Polly Benedict in Mickey Rooney's Andy Hardy series and Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister in Gone With the Wind.) He went over to her and the usual fan's gushing turned (as we all, I believe, secretly dream it will) into a friendship. Over the course of the next year, Rutherford shared the story of her life with her infatuated fan.

Done is, to my mind, the perfect fan. He is absolutely appreciative, adoring, observant, and informed. He is genuinely interested in every detail Ann Rutherford went on to share about her work and her life. He has captured a vibrant voice of an earthy, funny lady in a book that seems to simply bubble forth but is actually beautifully crafted.

What emerges is a portrait of a warm, dynamic person who loves to share the stories of her life. Rutherford seems to appreciate everything and everyone, but especially her own good luck. She also enjoys the ingenuity she brought to her career, finding ways to extend her presence at the studio, taking advantage of every encounter and possibility life brought to her and eager to share her love of life with everyone. Rutherford appears to have been generous with time, with stories, with material things, and with energy. I could hear my father's voice giving her his ultimate compliment "what a great dame, what a good sport." A lady with her feet planted firmly on the ground, enjoying both the past and the present.

I wish everyone reading this would get a copy of this book and read it immediately and then contact me so we can share our favorite stories. Natalie Wood's discovery? Joan Crawford as mother? Judy Garland's mother? Mickey Rooney's genius? So many stories and I can't tell them without spoiling your experience.

Reading this book, I felt I was in Ms. Rutherford's presence (she died in 2012). I felt as though I were Mr. Done, experiencing his excitement, his conversations, and his sadness as she grows increasingly frail but still feisty. Although I only know her work slightly, Done's writing brought her powerfully present-I remembered the sound of her voice, the way she stood. The pictures that accompany the text are beautiful and also help bring her to life. I felt as though I was not alone while I was reading this book: I felt I was sitting listening to friends, enjoying some of the best company I've ever known.

So, please read this book-the prose is smooth and lovely and time goes much too quickly. When you finish, please share your favorite story/ies with me. For myself, I'm planning on rereading this book soon. It's the very best of fan literature/celebrity memoir.

Have fun.

[Amira Rutherford-Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel honored to have been able to read about such a great lady. What first got me to pick this up was that my grandfather always spoke about how she was a distant cousin. A movie star relative! Then I noticed the name of the book, she was the youngest O'Hara sister from Gone With the Wind. Phillip Done did such a great job! He clearly wrote every word with love and respect. I have loved the journey this book has taken me on! How she got started on radio, how she was discovered, how clever she was (which isn't a shock because, she is a Rutherford!) how many people she knew, even who's careers she started (She was the one to suggest Natalie Wood in a short) I loved every moment of this and did not want it to stop! You know she is going to die by the end of the book..but I still wasn't ready for it! I will for sure reread this book for years to come!

[Liz Estrada · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok, I must admit that the title of this book I got from my brother kind of threw me off, for it makes it sound a bit "cobi". But as soon as I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. I knew nothing about Ann Rutherford, except that she played Scarlett Ohara's younger sister in GWTW.
Só I was pleasantly surprised to see that the book was not just about that, but so much more. Ann seems like she was a true star of the Golden age of Hollywood.; and she knew everyone! Filled with great anecdotes of her time at MGM studios. a great beach read for the lovers of the good ole days.

[Shauna McGuiness · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading "The Charms of Miss O'Hara" made me wish that I could have lunched with the charismatic woman whose anecdotes and thoughts fill the pages. The affection Phillip Done feels toward Ann Rutherford is tangible through the remarkable way that he tells her story, painting a vivid portrait of classic Hollywood in a very human way. Behind the scenes tidbits that Ann shared with Done give a delicious peek into the antics of a bygone era of celebrities, and what life was like when people like Marilyn Monroe came to your house ... just to hang out for a while. Learning about Ann's adventures while filming "Gone With the Wind" made a rewatch necessary, now that I know all about the extraordinary person behind Carreen O'Hara's giant hoop skirts!

Adopting a verb that Rutherford liked to use, herself, I can say that this book "happied" me.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book, especially for those Gone with the Wind and Old Hollywood lovers. Ann Rutherford was perhaps best-known for her role as Scarlett O'Hara's little sister Careen, but she also made many other movies and television shows. Phillip Done has a very light, conversational writing style that makes this book a page-turner. Not to mention he includes lots of lovely pictures of past Hollywood stars, contemporaries of Ms. Rutherford, like Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Loretta Young, Ann Miller, Bonita Granville, Jimmy Stewart, and Red Skelton.

[Kimberly Tierney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put it down! I love the peek into old Hollywood through the eyes of old Hollywood. It makes you want to go watch all of her movies all over again.

[Jerry Jares · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a charming biography of Ann Rutherford. There are three roles for which she is still known. Ann was Carreen O'Hara, the youngest of the three daughters in Gone With the Wind. Ann also played Polly Benedict (Andy Hardy's love interest) thirteen times in the Andy Hardy series. She was Lydia in the 1940 production of Pride and Prejudice (she runs off with Mr. Wickham). Ann died in 2012 in Beverly Hills, CA. However, years before, she befriended a school teacher and budding author, Phillip Done. Over the years, she told him fascinating stories about the Golden Age of Hollywood.

This book is a labor of love because Ann Rutherford comes across as joyous and enjoying her life to the max. These are wonderful stories that are never spiteful or demeaning. The tidbits she shares are things only someone active in the movie business could have known. Ann says that Pride and Prejudice was filmed in black and white for a unique reason. Technicolor was a new medium, and there were only seven or eight cameras in the world then. Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz had them all. Since the stars were under contract and time was short, they were forced to use black and white cameras.

The book is a trip down memory lane if you are a Golden Age of Hollywood buff like me. Ann explains that the cast members always referred to Gone With the Wind as â The Wind (most folks writing about that film called it GWTW, but not those involved in it). Almost every page had something I didn't know. Vivian Leigh (Scarlett) had tuberculosis as a child and never fully recovered.

She was not well during the filming of The Wind, and David Selznik wanted to reshoot the opening scene with Scarlett (of her running out of Tara with the twins running behind her). But he could not because Vivian had aged too much. Vivian was constantly losing weight; when she took off a costume, the seamstresses immediately took it in for the next day's filming. Ann says The Wind was hard on Vivian; the filming took over six months.

However, Vivian never came to work late or unprepared, even though rewrites were constantly problematic for the actors (new lines to learn for the next morning). Ann mentioned that I hadn't realized that Vivian was in almost every scene. By the time the film was complete, they had twelve hours of story. However, they cut it down to four hours.

Ann had stories about everyone in the film. She said that Clark Gable was poor while growing up and never lost sight that other workers made him look good. He waited for his time to film by playing cards with the gaffers and other blue-collar workers on the set. He did not let anyone call him Mr. Gable; he was always Clark.

One of the few people Ann panned was Joan Crawford. She said she wished Christina Crawford, who wrote "Mommie Dearest," had called her. Ann could have told plenty more about Joan. Miss Crawford was an early star who descended on the studio (when she worked) with an entourage (of employees following her). When Joan wasn't looking, stars mimicked Joan and her entourage walking around the studio lot. When Joan found out, she wasn't amused.

Since the premiere of The Wind was before my time (in 1939), I had no idea about the hoopla associated with its opening. There were three premieres: Hollywood, New York City, and Atlanta, Georgia. The story of those premieres and the five, ten-year, and multi-year festivals was amazing. Films do not garner the kind of notoriety they did earlier.

This was a unique and fascinating book that I thoroughly enjoyed. Ann Rutherford was an interesting woman, full of joy for being alive. She loved everything about being a star, and it showed.

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Charms of Miss O’Hare of Gone With The Wind & The Golden Age of Hollywood from Scarlett’s Little Sister is written by Phillip Bone. This is an interesting book about Ann Rutherford who played Careen O’Hara in Gone With the Wind. It is her story told in her own words as well as from what she told Phillip and what he researched. It was his interest in Ann as Careen that he came to meet her. He was waiting for a concert and noticed Ann sitting with a man and he overheard the term, Atlanta. That piqued his attention. He went to their table and introduced himself and started talking to her. She sent her companion to sit with Phillip’s date and talked to him. She invited him to call her; but he got caught up with moving to Budapest that he forgot. She wrote him a note; but it got stuck in the middle of his other work. Eventually they reconnected and when he came home on vacation, they got together and talked some more. They were never disappointed in their meetings. They talked of her life beyond Gone with the Wind and her working with the to stars in Hollywood. After her death, he got permission from her daughter to write her biography and she graciously complied. The book is really good and well-written.

[D. Thrush · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! Phillip Done had a lucky chance meeting with Ann Rutherford in a restaurant. She was a Hollywood star best known for her role as Scarlett O’Hara’s younger sister in Gone With the Wind and as Polly, Andy Hardy’s girlfriend in that series of movies starring Mickey Rooney. Ann loves telling stories of her days in Hollywood and Phillip loves listening to them. She knew just about everyone in movies but this isn’t a tell-all. It’s a warm remembrance. Ann is a positive, upbeat person and happily eccentric. One of my favorite stories was how she was instrumental in the discovery of Natalie Wood. There are also stories about the cast of GWTW, Louis B. Mayer, the head of the studio, Debbie Reynolds, Judy Garland, Lana Turner, Ava Gardner, etc. Ann was in her 90’s and passed away a year later but Phillip had the opportunity to meet with her several times and document these great stories. There are also wonderful photos. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys hearing about the golden days of Hollywood. Of course, it wasn’t golden for everyone as this was a white, patriarchal Hollywood, and Ann acknowledges that. But I enjoyed her stories and this book.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and easy read. I really enjoyed the story of Miss Ruthoford, but probably would have given it 5 stars if it were written differently. If you’d like a biography written over 50% in the first person from the author’s perspective, this book is for you. To me, it felt a little juvenile and selfish for the author to continually insert himself into the story. I’d much rather hear about Ann’s time spent on Gone With the Wind (which is covered in only a few short chapters) than the time the author took her to lunch at the Polo Club. I especially felt this toward the end. (Small spoiler) As Ann grew older and more frail, the author seems almost dense in thinking that she should be up to a long visit from him, or that at such a critical time in her life she would even care to see someone she’d only seen in person three times.

However, overall she led a fascinating life, often in the background of “stars” lives, and the book is worth reading for that alone.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A love story of old Hollywood

A beautiful story of a gracious star of Hollywood's golden age. The author went from fan to beloved friend of Miss Rutherford and it shows in this brief, but beautiful book. You can feel the warmth and genuine relationship they shared. The book gives a brief and magical look behind the curtain of what it was like movie making and the way stars were groomed for the big screen and how to represent their studios off screen. Miss Rutherford was spunky and as wiley as any Scarlett when going for what she wanted. A woman both humble, smart, funny and loyal. She was truly one of a kind who lived her life to the fullest and was forever grateful for her small part in the behemoth of the movies GWTW. This is more than a book about the movie, An excellent read for any movie fan.

[Cheryl Lopatka · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very charming book

I am a fan of old Hollywood and this was a delightful peek into the life of Ann Rutherford, who was a cast member of Gone With The Wind. Well written and entertaining.

[Nancy Cook-senn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Delightful Hollywood dish from one of the Golden Age’s loveliest starlets. Ann Rutherford seems as vivacious and funny as some of her characters, but there is too much egregious author intrusion.

[Pamela Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enchanting

This was a wonderful, fabulous, glorious read. It's like being told a story in a comfortable warm setting. She lived life and did not squander time.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice bio of old Hollywood star

[Pam McCallister · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

[Heather Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great way to write a bibliography. This book is not about the main O’Hara sister but the second one. It tells how movies were done in the beginning.

[Whistler's Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally, I have no interest in celebrity bios. But I started reading and before I could say "Fiddle-de-dee" I was hooked.

Rutherford was simply a delightful, fascinating woman and would have been so even if she had never starred in the popular ANDY HARDY movies or appeared in GONE WITH THE WIND. I kept being reminded of my mother - two years younger than Rutherford and also a photogenic dark-haired beauty with spunky determination and an incurably optimistic attitude. The Depression Era youngsters who went at life full-tilt and made their own opportunities have no equals in modern American society.

While I'm not a movie fan, the early days of the big film studios is American social history and Ann Rutherford's stories are first-person material. It has been said that Louis B. Mayer (Head of the most powerful studio of all - MGM) refused the opportunity to film GONE WITH THE WIND because he disliked the main characters and thought the movie would lose money. I wonder if he was afraid that people might notice that the way he ran MGM was very similar to life on the old plantation under a not-always benevolent slave-owner!

Rutherford was a decent, but shrewd woman and her remarks are pithy and sometimes hilarious. Nobody has ever better described Jimmy Stewart's acting than "he said his lines as if he had just thought of them." She appreciated most of her co-workers, except for Joan Crawford who was notoriously difficult. Her stories of the filming of THE WIND (as she called it) are gripping, especially the harsh conditions and unbelievable hours which took such a toll on the already delicate health of Vivien Leigh.

It's interesting that Rutherford was so fascinated with the book and so determined to be part of the film since the racism she encountered in Atlanta in 1939 horrified her. Neither Hattie McDaniel nor Butterfly McQueen were allowed to attend the movie premiere and even their pictures were removed from the playbills. Hollywood itself wasn't color-blind at that time. When Lena Horne made a movie at MGM, the hairdressers refused to style her hair and the head of the department did it himself. Rutherford deplored this attitude and was delighted when Hattie McDaniel won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Film fan or not, this is a can't-put-it-down-'til-you-finish book. Miss Careen would be mighty proud!

[Graceann · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my fond memories of Cinecon (a film event in Hollywood that I used to attend) was the Sunday evening banquet, where we got to have dinner with as many of the Hollywood Golden Age celebrities as were still with us and able/willing to attend. One year, this list included the beautiful, dynamic and witty Ann Rutherford, someone I'd long cherished and never thought I'd get to meet.

This book is a narrative of Philip Done's visits with Ann during the last few years of her life. It's as much his memoir as it is hers, which is why I gave it four stars rather than five. The book is very much worth reading, but there are caveats.

For instance, Ann had routine phrases she used and habits that she engaged in - instead of just noting them and letting us enjoy them for ourselves, Done editorializes on them. For instance, she reminded herself of where her keys had been placed by saying it out loud. Next paragraph: "'She's adorable,'" I thought." He does that quite a little bit. In those moments, he makes the story "his," and though he may be a very nice fellow, he's not the reason I'm reading the book, and I'm not particularly interested in whether he finds anything adorable.

The one place where his making the story his own is merited is his description of his last visit to her home, just a couple of months before her passing. Any of us who has been with a much-loved, formerly vibrant elder and has seen them start to fade will understand his feelings, and he writes about them so beautifully that it can be forgiven.

Since we'll never now hear from Ann directly again, this is a much-to-be-treasured peek into her memories and her life. I love that she was pretty happy with everyone (except Joan Crawford) and that her private life seemed to be fairly trauma-free. I will be using her phrase for things that bring her pleasure - "this happies me," because it's so darned perfect. I will try to live by her example of enjoyment of each moment and kindness wherever possible. If I manage to arrive at 94 with as much class, grace, dignity and joy that she did, so much the better.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a person who loves a good biography. Biographies are not always written the same way. Unfortunately, this biography falls into my category of not how I like them. The author has made himself a part of the story. He is all dewy eyed over Mrs. Rutherford and gushes about his feelings for her a lot throughout the book.

Mrs. Rutherford was an interesting person and she seems very likable. In this book she never talks bad about anyone (except Joan Crawford) and doesn't dish the dirt. This book was written after her death, so there are stories that she took with her that we will never know.

One of the things I did enjoy was all the pictures throughout the book. It was fun to see Mrs. Rutherford with Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland and other stars at that time. I didn't realize how many movies she was in and with how many different stars. I may have to go back and watch some of them.

The author is a good writer and I wouldn't hesitate to read any of his other works. I just happen to be a person where I think that the author should take a back seat to the story being written. This book would appeal to people who enjoy seeing a friendship grow between two people and how they genuinely seem to care about each other and don't mind that the author has weaved himself throughout.



***This book was received from the GoodReads Member Giveaway. That did not influence my opinion.***

[Kelly Cravener · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun and interesting read.

They certainly don't make stars like Ann Rutherford anymore. I find this era of Hollywood to be interesting, and this book captures what made it so. If you enjoy biographies and stories about Hollywood, you will enjoy this book. Before reading g this I only had a vague knowledge of Ann Rutherford. This author, having met her much later in her life, really captured the essence of her and he makes you feel like you know her. Bravo to Mr. Done for his excellent work.

[judith swierczek · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful book!

While I am not usually a fan of Hollywood biographies, I really enjoyed this book. Fascinating, well written, not a kiss and tell tale...Ann Rutherford was a charming, down to earth actress who grew up in the movies, and lived a successful and happy life. Something we should all hope to have in our lives. Famous for being in Gone With the Wind, and the Andy Hardy movies, she was true Hollywood. Phillip Done, the author, does a wonderful job of recreating her life and times in the movies.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nicely written, but this is more of a personal adoration than a strict biography. The author definitely admires Ann Rutherford and does a nice job of conveying her story in Hollywood. The story of her career is told via a flashback method, interspersed with the author's interactions with her in his present day. It was a very quick read and pleasant. I think I was hoping for more tidbits about Gone with the Wind.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the author's cloying worship of Ann Rutherford, & his questionable basis of judgment that she wanted him to write this book, I found it delightful. Ann seems like someone who grabbed life by the horns & drank it in. I was worried at first that she'd be one of those saccharine-sweet people, but her opinion of Joan Crawford (& her words directly to her face!) showed me she had some grit under her sweetness. Recommend.

[Sally Beaudean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grand Lady of Hollywood's Golden Age

It's rare that I find a non-fiction book to be as entertaining as it is informative. If you are enamoured by the wonderful old movies and movie stars of the 40's, you'll love this book. I found myself loving Ann Rutherford and I truly enjoyed learning about her extraordinary life.

[Cario Lam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very detailed biography of Ann Rutherford who was probably best known for being Scarlett O'Hara's younger sister in "Gone With The Wind". She was considered a B-star during her years in Hollywood and she explains why that is a good place to be. In "The Charms of Miss O'Hara", Ms. Rutherford describes the working side of Hollywood before any of the lights are even turned on.

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this look into Ann Rutherford's fascinating life! It sounds like she was a great person to know. The stories about Hollywood in the 30's and 40's are wonderful. The writer did a good job of capturing Ann's spirit. I also appreciated all the beautiful pictures that were spread throughout the book.

[Lynda · Rating 5 out of 5]

entertaining reading! Makes me wish I had lived in the golden age of movies. it gave me a lot of insight of that era. "Stars" today definitely don't treat their fans as courteous as the true stars of that era did. Good reading during the summer, as it is a light read..

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a big fan of old Hollywood. The stars had so much more class than most of the stars today. I enjoyed this biography, even Mr. Dones personal experience. That is something most of us fans of old Hollywood would like to do. Good job.

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet reflection on one of the greatest, while lesser known a actresses. She started in some important flicks, but many have never heard of her. You should totally check this out if you love GWTW, Andy Hardy or old Hollywood. Ann knew everyone and saw tons.