Daily Info Update
Posted by Faye Bell on August 27, 2000 at 22:01:29:
Did you know that the orchid percale dress that Wilbur Kurtz referred to as "a suit of armor for the embattled Scarlett" was one of Walter Plunkett's earliest decisions? He had to decide early what the dress would be, as Vivien Leigh's double would have to wear it first during the fire scene, which appeared mid-way in the movie.
From a print manufactured at the Pennsylvania mill, Plunkett made 27 separate, identical dresses, all assigned numbers and kept in careful order on their own rack. Five were used for doubles in the beginning alone; dress No. 1 was preserved for retakes.
The last appearance of the dress was when Scarlett goes for the green velvet portieres, scheming how she'll appeal to Rhett. If one of the versions of the dress was torn, burned, or bleached during a scene, wardrobe would tear, burn, or bleach the others exactly the same way. Getting the dress to fade for its last appearance was a problem.
Plunkett remembered, "We couldn't bleach any further. The dye was just too strong ... So, the last 5 or 6 were ripped apart and turned inside out because the color was weaker on the wrong side."
Dress No. 11 went for auction in June of 1999 in New York. It sold to a lady from Brazil for $80,000.00, plus 15% auction fee, for a total of $92,000.00. Wonder what Walter Plunkett would have thought of that sale!?!
