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Gone With the Wind: The Film Version

© Kathy Kehrli

Gone with the Wind: The Film Version

“There was a land of Cavaliers and Cotton Fields called the Old South. Here in this pretty world, Gallantry took its last bow. Here was the last ever to be seen of Knights and their Ladies Fair of Master and of Slave... Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered, A civilization gone with the wind.”

These are the heartfelt words that scroll down the screen in the opening scene of MGM’s timeless masterpiece, Gone With the Wind.

In July of 1936, David O. Selznick purchased the film rights to Margaret Mitchell’s Civil War saga for $50,000. At the time, this was the highest price ever paid for a first novel. Casting the lead role of Scarlett O’Hara proved to be a most difficult affair, and a nationwide casting call took place. Some of the actresses who screen tested for the role were Tallulah Bankhead, Lana Turner and Paulette Goddard. Others rumored to have sought the role included Bette Davis, Katherine Hepburn and Joan Crawford. Nearly at his wits end, Selznick finally awarded the coveted part to Vivien Leigh in December of 1938.

The screen version of Rhett Butler was written with actor Clark Gable exclusively in mind. He was reluctant to accept the part but just could not turn down the generous sum offered for his portrayal. The money allowed him to divorce his then wife and to marry his true love, Carole Lombard.

Just as the novel won Margaret Mitchell a Pulitzer Prize, the movie was a huge success with critics and audiences alike. It garnered several Academy Award nominations and in 1940, it walked away with ten Oscars, including Best Picture and Best actress.

The film itself stayed quite true to the original book. Because of time constraints and social mores present at the time, a few slight omissions were necessary. The birth of Scarlett’s first child, Wade Hampton Hamilton, was excluded from the movie and the mention of Ashley Wilkes’ and Frank Kennedy’s involvement with the Ku Klux Klan was skirted. The special effects are stunning, given that Gone With the Wind was filmed shortly after Technicolor was introduced. The burning of Atlanta is especially riveting.

Both the novel and the film have endured to remain all-time audience favorites. In 1998, an enhanced re-edit of the film was re-released in theaters, amidst a stir of controversy. It seems long time fans felt it disloyal to alter such a timeless classic. They may well be right. If you haven’t yet seen Gone With the Wind, rent the original version. Watch it as it was meant to be, an old-fashioned portrayal of life, love and loss.

The copyright of the article Gone With the Wind: The Film Version in Book Picks is owned by Kathy Kehrli. Permission to republish Gone With the Wind: The Film Version in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.