Cammie King, Bonnie Butler in 'Gone With the Wind,' Dies at 76

By PopEater / Wire Services Posted Sep 3rd 2010 08:30AM

Cammie King Conlon, the former child actress who portrayed the doomed daughter of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in 'Gone With the Wind,' has died at the age of 76. She died of lung cancer Wednesday morning at her Fort Bragg home on California's north coast, said friend Bruce Lewis. Her son, Matthew Ned Conlon, was by her side.

Conlon was picked to play the small but pivotal role of Bonnie Blue Butler in the 1939 Civil War epic at age 4. Her character's death in a fall from a pony irrevocably damages Rhett and Scarlett's tumultuous marriage.

Conlon also voiced the young doe Faline in Walt Disney's 'Bambi' three years later. It would be her final film role.

"My mother decided she wanted me to have a normal childhood," she wrote on her blog, which talked about her brief career and a memoir she published last year on her 'Gone With the Wind' experience. She often joked with interviewers that she had "peaked at 5."

The Los Angeles native graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in communications and spent two years editing California Pictorial magazine. She moved to Mendocino County 30 years ago, working as director of the Kelly House museum and as a publicist for the Mendocino Coast Chamber of Commerce and the Little River Inn.

Conlon stayed in touch with her 'Gone With the Wind' family. On Sunday night, she took a call from Olivia de Havilland, who played Scarlett's sweet-hearted nemesis Melanie in the film, her son said.

"It's amazing because she is so much more than Bonnie Blue Butler, but ... that is what she is remembered for, and it's a pretty great thing to be remembered for," Matthew Conlon said. "Nobody told it better than mom -- when you debut in 'Gone with the Wind,' it's downhill."

She told the Santa Rosa Press Democrat last year that she had few clear memories of her time on the studio lot that served as the set for the fictional plantation Tara.

One was watching her stunt double for the pony scene, a male dwarf, smoking a cigarette while dressed in a reproduction of her riding habit costume. Another was being scratched by Clark Gable's mustache in the scene where Rhett Butler hugs and kisses his cherished daughter.

"As the years have gone by, I realize it's an honor, and it's so humbling," she had said. "I had nothing to do with it. I was 5. They said 'Stand here. Do this.' And yet it's resulted in this incredible experience."

Conlon spent much her adult life gamely reprising her Bonnie Blue days for 'Gone With the Wind' enthusiasts. She appeared at parades, retrospectives, museum exhibits and anniversary celebrations for the film in both Georgia, where the movie was set, and in California.

Just last year, she donned her hoop skirt and petticoat again to visit a middle school that was studying the Civil War.

"It wasn't her whole life, but she had a lot of fun with it," Lewis said.

Conlon is survived by her son and a daughter, Katie Conlon Byrne. A memorial service is planned for next week in Fort Bragg. Another will be held in Los Angeles on Sept. 22 and a third at a later date in Marietta, Ga., home of the 'Gone With the Wind' Museum.

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Tags: Cammie King Conlon, Gone With the Wind

Comments

(51)

Friday 03 September

By BTDT

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Sounds like her mother was a wonderfully wise woman.
I'm glad Cammie had a good life outside of Hollywood.
Just asking, are there any left?

By JoannC

If you are asking if there are any cast members left from GWTW. the only one I can think of is Olivia dehaviland, Melanie Hamilton/Wilks. I believe she lives in France is over 90. The only one of the four major cast members who died in the movie is alive today.

Saturday 04 September

By BDC

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Yes, I believe Melanie played by Olivia de Havilland is one of the only ones left. I'm not sure if there are any more other than her left.

By TJK

Brett??? JUST PROVES THE PROOF READERS ARE PROBABLY FROM SOME THIRD WORLD BANANA REPUBLIC

By rendadb

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Conlon is survived by her son and a daughter, Katie Conlon Byrne. A memorial service is planned for next week in Fort Bragg. Another will be held in Los Angeles on Sept. 22 and a third at a later date in Marietta, Ga., home of the 'Gone With the Wind' Museum.My boyfriend left me a year ago. now..I may be in need of someone to love..still..My friends told me about
A g é L é s s m a t e . ℃○M. and i got curious about it.. they met their boyfriends there.,It's the best place to meet a older boyfriend or a younger girlfriend. i cant risk myself..So i got a username sammyli there in order to find a new boyfriend.is it wrong?

By pat

Olivia deHavilland is still alive and kicking. I wish she'd publish her memoirs already!

By momoffour

The photo at the top has the caption "Brett's little girl." BRETT?!? Are the ones who run this site too lazy (or stupid) to proofread, or are they culturally illiterate? RIP, Cammie King.

By frances

Ann Rutherford who played Careen is also alive.

By lostlawoman

I'm glad someone else noticed that! I was thinking, "seriously?"

They're probably too young to remember the film, or just don't care

Every one knows Brett Rhutler.

By patrick curtis

To answer your question about other living GWTW castmembers, there are five: Olivia deHavilland (Melanie Wilkes), Ann Rutherford (Careen O'Hara), Mickey Kuhn (Beau Wilkes), Patrick Curtis (Baby Beau Wilks) and Greg Giese (Infant Beau)

By frogpirate

you have the same name. you must be baby beau!

By LT

BRETT'S little girl?! What moron wrote that?!

By Gammy

LT, thank you. Read the book at least six times and never heard of "BRETT".

By Annoyed with typos

They also messed up in that they said she lived in Fort Bragg on California's north shore. To my knowledge there is only one Fort Bragg and it's in North Carolina, not California.

@Annoyed with typos;
There is a city in northern California named Ft. Bragg.
It's up north in Mendicino county. Only has about seven thousand people which is why most have never heard of it.

By Bonnie

I was named Bonnie after this character

By Outlaw Josey Wales

Look at the pictures of the staff on the right side of the page and you will see why these pages have so many errors. It's a lot of the younger generation that just doesn't care.

By katydid579

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Unfortunately, some of you don't care about proper spelling or grammer either. So sue me, I'm the spelling police. I just hate it when someone criticizes someone else when they aren't perfect either.

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