Marcella Martin | |
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 Portrait forGone with the Wind (1939) | |
| Born | Elsie Marcella Clifford (1916-06-05)June 5, 1916 Champaign, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | October 31, 1986(1986-10-31) (aged 70) Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| Years active | 1939–1942; 1969 |
| Spouse(s) | John Martin James Ferguson (divorced) Robert Lee McGratty |
Marcella Martin (June 5, 1916 – October 31, 1986) was an American actress, remembered for her role as Cathleen Calvert inGone with the Wind (1939).
Born in Illinois, Marcella Martin lived with her first husband John Martin inShreveport (Louisiana) in the late 1930s. She appeared at auditions held atThe Shreveport Little Theatre, where she was found by Hollywood agents who wereSearching for Scarlett. Martin was screen-tested for playing Scarlett O'Hara inDavid O. Selznick'sGone with the Wind and was for some weeks a leading candidate for the role. Selznick's agentMaxwell Arnow described Martin as "quite good looking" with a "nice figure". Arnow also called her a "grand actress" and "without doubt (...) the best of the hundreds of people that I interviewed during my trip".[1]
Scarlett O'Hara was later played byVivien Leigh in the film, but Martin also received a credited supporting part asSouthern belle Cathleen Calvert, who tellsScarlett O'Hara at the Twelve Oaks staircase aboutRhett Butler. She also served as Leigh's coach in Southern dialect through the movie and was reportedly her roommate on location. Marcella Martin later played love interests to the leading role in theColumbia Pictures moviesWest of Tombstone (1942) andThe Man Who Returned to Life (1942). In the 1960s she appeared in a supporting role in the filmVoyage to the End of the Universe (1964) and played Ruth Collier in the episodeBoomerang of the television seriesThe F.B.I..
Marcella Martin was married three times. She died on October 31, 1986, at the age of 70. She is buried at Saint Marys Cemetery inChampaign, Illinois.
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