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Merle Oberon Part II

© K Cruver

In 1938, Merle was delighted to learn she had been chosen to play the lead role of Cathy in the movie version of Wuthering Heights(1939). Laurence Olivier was offered the part of Heathcliff, but initially refused to take it because he insisted that his love Vivian Leigh be cast as Cathy. These were the days before Gone With the Wind(1939) made Leigh a star; Merle was much better known and Goldwyn insisted on casting her.

Olivier finally accepted the part, but he refused to speak to Merle (years later, Olivier finally accepted Merle's friendship). Once again under the firm direction of William Wyler, Merle gave her best performance. Wuthering Heights would also be her most enduring movie and the one she was most remembered for. Now Merle was one of Hollywood's most popular stars.

Merle went back to London to work with Korda. During this trip they became extremely close and they were married in 1939. Korda's family despised Merle; his brothers were especially protective of him. To make the situation worse, the whole family moved into a house together. The tension at home made Merle question the wisdom of her marriage.

When World War II broke out, Korda began working secretly for British Intelligence. Merle soon followed her husband in his efforts. She performed for the troops and visited wounded soldiers, often risking her life in order to serve her country.

Before the war was over, Merle went back to Hollywood. During one production, she became ill. She decided to take sulfa drugs to speed her recovery, as she wanted to be well for her next role in The Constant Nymph. One morning, she woke up to find that she had had a severe allergic reaction to the drugs. Her face was covered in a mass of red, itchy pustules.

In a cloak of secrecy, Merle rushed to New York for a dermabrasion treatment. The procedure scraped the first layer of skin off her face, turning it into a mass of red, exposed tissue. While she healed from this horrendous treatment, her hands were tied to her bed so she wouldn't scratch her face. Incredibly, she went through the same treatment two more times. Merle needed to preserve her beauty at all costs.

Though she still had scars around her mouth for years, Merle salvaged her looks enough to resume acting. She returned to Hollywood in 1940 to star in That Uncertain Feeling. Merle was changed now though; on the set she became increasingly irritable, demanding, and nervous.

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