Vivien Leigh travelled to Hollywood, leaving Leigh in London. Goldwyn and the film's director, William Wyler, offered Leigh the secondary role of Isabella, but she refused, preferring the role of Cathy, which went to Merle Oberon. Hollywood was in the midst of a widely publicized search to find an actress to portray Scarlett O'Hara in David O. Selznick's production of "Gone with the Wind" (1939). At the time, Myron Selznick—David's brother and Leigh's American theatrical agent—was the London representative of the Myron Selznick Agency. In February 1938, Leigh made a request to Myron Selznick that she be considered to play the part
Doris Davenport now classic "Gone with the Wind", she did well enough to become one of the finalists for the role, but lost out to actress Vivien Leigh. Despite not winning that major role, Davenport impressed MGM executive Samuel Goldwyn. In 1940, he gave a lead role to Davenport in the film "The Westerner", starring opposite Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan. That same year, she starred in the film "Behind the News" opposite Lloyd Nolan. It was her last role. With no other offers following that film, she soon retired from acting. She eventually settled in Santa Cruz, California, where she lived