JOAN BENNETT's screen test for GONE WITH THE WIND

The search for an actress to play Scarlett O'Hara in GONE WITH THE WIND remains one of the most competitive casting calls in the history of cinema (sorry, BATMAN RETURNS.) The list of actress rejected for the role is a "who's who" of Hollywood legends, including names such as Lana Turner, Paulette Goddard, Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn.

Also up for the role was JOAN BENNETT, who appears in a montage of screen tests in the video above. Based solely on her work in DARK SHADOWS, I'd once have argued that she would have been a bad a fit for the part. But, in her prime, Bennett was a vibrant, edgy actress who illustrates in this video that she was more than capable of playing Scarlett O'Hara. If you want to see some of Bennett's best work, make sure you check out the ironically titled SCARLET STREET, directed by the great Fritz Lang.