Star of the Day

She was born Estelle Merle O'Brien Thompson, but we all remember her as Merle Oberon and today, August 27, she is the star of the day on TCM's Summer Under the Stars:

Wuthering Heights (1939)

August 27, 8:00 PM (EST)

TCM

Oberon returned to England for her most famous screen assignment as Cathy Earnshaw in William Wyler's lush adaptation of Emily Brontë's "W
uthering Heights" (1939) - the most beloved film adaptation of the tragic novel. But while the finished film went over very well with critics and the public, the production was a less than happy experience. Co-star Laurence Olivier's relationship with the actress on-set was soured by his disappointment over Oberon being chosen for the part instead of his off-screen paramour, Vivien Leigh. The pettiness and pointless bad behavior that ensued from Olivier, fortunately, did not come across in the leads' performances and they display wonderful romantic chemistry, making "Wuthering Heights" the penultimate romantic tragedy.