Fred In 2001, while wandering through the exhibitor halls at the Snowbird Extravaganza, I noticed an advert for a B&B with a Gone with the Wind theme close to I-75. I phoned the contact which resulted in an invitation for Kathy and I to visit the property. Tarleton Oaks, a c1849 antebellum manor with a white-columned portico similar to Tara in the 1939 movie, lies in Barnesville deep in the heart of Georgia. During the Civil War, it had served as a Confederate hospital; a convenient railroad track at the rear provided transportation for wounded soldiers from the battles of Atlanta and Macon. And at Tarleton Oaks, I met Fred Crane. Now I’m sure that you don’t recognize the name but, if you have seen Gone with the Wind (and who hasn’t), you will have seen him and heard his voice. Fred played the role of Brent Tarleton and had the movie’s first speaking lines as he and his friend Stuart Tarleton (George Reeves, later of Superman fame) made their amorous moves on Scarlett O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) in the opening scenes. Fred and his wife Terry purchased their beautiful home in 2001 and turned it into a Gone with the Wind museum withmany mementos fromFred’s time on the film set. Over the years, we got to know Fred, Terry and their young son Tray very well. Fred enjoyed classical music and, before becoming an actor, was a classical music presenter for 40 years on a radio station in Los Angeles. He enjoyed the harmonica and we had some wonderful evenings playing harmonica and ukulele together. Those who have seen me at Extravaganza, joking around on stage with the Harmonicats, will know the level of skill I brought to these sessions, but Fred didn’t seem to mind...we were just having fun! Here are some photos of Fred as he prepared for his opening scene on the set of Gone with the Wind. We enjoyed dining out together and one of our favourite spots was the Grits Cafe in Forsyth, just off I-75. Owned by Wayne Wetendorf – a graduate of Toronto’s George Brown Culinary School – who always made sure that colouring mats and crayons were available for Tray so that he could enjoy his evenings out with us. Fred and Terry’s front room library was of particular interest since it was here with its large windows that Confederate surgeons were able to operate late into the night, amputating arms and legs and throwing them out of the windows to the lawn outside. Getting ready for the opening scene, Vivien makes some lastminute adjustments to her makeup. Fred is to the left costumed as Brent Tarleton and George is to the right in his role as Brent’s brother, Stuart. Action! Brent leans towards Scarlett and says, “What do we care if we were expelled from college, Scarlett? The war is gonna start any day now.” Her response? “Fiddle-dee-dee! War, war, war; this war talk's spoiling all the fun at every party this spring.” 24 | www.snowbirds.org Travel
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