St. James Theatre

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Uploaded on: October 31, 2026

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Highlight of the seasons social calendar in Sydney was the Gala Charity opening of “Gone With The Wind” Tuesday 30 April 1940, with all proceeds going to the Lord Mayor’s Patriotic and War Fund to provide comforts for the troops. The function, under Vice Regal Patronage represented by Lady Wakehurst (1899-1994) wife of the NSW Governor, presented an opportunity for the cream of Sydney’s society to mingle, with many ladies naturally displaying beautiful Southern Belle attire. Although branded a ‘preview’ the event had klieg lights, thousands of onlookers, bands, the flashes of press camera bulbs, and all the hoopla one would expect of a Hollywood premiere – minus any movie stars. From among 200 hopefuls Miss Joyce Field (center) was winner of the Scarlett O’Hara lookalike contest. This reminds me that I once dated Miss E. Pender, an entrant in the “Doctor Zhivago” Geraldine Chaplin lookalike contest run by the local office of MGM – many year after this, but long ago now.