the films of 1939: Gone With The Wind

the films of 1939: Gone With The Wind by ric gustafson


Book editor Harold Latham was on a scouting expedition in Atlanta Georgia in the late autumn of 1935. He was searching for new writers of Southern fiction. At a bookstore luncheon, he met a charming woman by the name of Peggy Marsh. They struck up a quick friendship and she began to tell him of a story that she was writing about life in the South during the Civil War. At first the name of her heroine was Pansy O'Hara and that her hero was Rhett Butler.
One day, She handed Latham a mountain of pages wrapped in string. Latham took it back to New York to study it. The story's heroine was now named Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler was now bigger than life. Even though she was named Peggy Marsh, for the novel she went by her maiden name. That name was Margaret Mitchell.
Kate Korbaly, who was Louis B Mayer's assistant, read the finished manuscript to her boss. Mayer listened but passed. Warner Brothers turned it down also. Next, it was shown to RKO. Macmillan published the story in May of 1936. It was long at 1,037 pages. After it became a bestseller, David O. Selznick bought the movie rights for $ 50,000.
Selznick picked George Cukor to direct the film. He had a record of turning out successful and profitable films. Selznick had always had Clark Gable as he vision for the role of Rhett Butler. Handsome and well built, he seemed a natural for the part. Because Gable was part of MGM's roster, a deal was made between the two studios. Until Gable was done with his MGM commitments, a search began to cast Scarlett. Many actresses tried out for the coveted role including Tallulah Bankhead, Paulette Goddard and Lana Turner. In all, over 1,500 women were looked at. One day, Selznick set his eyes on Vivien Leigh and knew that he had his Scarlett. The role of Melanie went to Olivia de Havilland and the role of Ashley Wilkes went to Leslie Howard.
Several writers worked on a script and filming started in January of 1939. Problems arose and Cukor was fired and Victor Fleming was brought in to direct. The Selznick studio had the final reshoot on July 1 1939.
The first cut of the film ran for five hours. It was cut down to four hours and twenty minutes. And then another fifty six minutes was taken out.
The movie had it's premiere in Atlanta on December 15 1939.


research help: ' 1939, the making of six great films' by Charles F Adams


Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric