The regal and stylish Merle Oberon was one of the biggest movie stars of the 1930s and 1940s. Appearing in over 40 films, she was nominated for Best Actress in The Dark Angel and delivered striking performances in The Scarlet Pimpernel, opposite Leslie Howard, and in Wuthering Heights, opposite Laurence Olivier. Studio publicists said she was born into a wealthy family in Hobart, Tasmania; yet rumor was that the exotic, almond-eyed actress concealed her true past. Using all the elements of an unraveling mystery, this intriguing documentary pursues many stories within the story, looking not only at the controversy surrounding Merle's birthplace and her ethnic origins, but ... at the demands on the actress burdened by the Hollywood myth, as well the inter-relatedness of people's lives affected by the made-up story. Produced by Film Australia. 08DR JSCA 55 min. Home