It's the 75th Anniversary of David O. Selznick's 1939 classic movie Gone With The Wind, and the local Cineplex was showing the film on the big screen to commemorate the occasion.... WOW! What a great movie. I had never seen it before, or read the book, or even seen snippets of it on the telly. I always thought it had a happy ending, but apparently not!The film started at 12:30 and goes on for 3 hours and 42 minutes with a very short intermission, so I took my lunch to the theatre.... a yummy raisin bun, some slices of cheese and a banana. No need to starve in the name of cinematic art. GWTW is the longest running movie to win the Academy Award for Best Picture, and also walked away with awards for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actress, and Best Supporting Actress in 1940.
The lovely Vivien Leigh was not the first choice for the role of Scarlett O'Hara. 1,400 actresses were interviewed for the part, and 400 were asked to do readings. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood made screen tests, but the role eventually went to Vivien Leigh, who was at that time a comparatively unknown British actress. Vivien Leigh is in most scenes in the film. She worked for 125 days and received about $25,000. Clark Gable worked for only 71 days and received over $120,000. Double standards back then!
Some classic GWTW quotes:
Rhett Butler: [to Scarlett] Open your eyes and look at me. No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing badly.
Scarlett: You low-down, cowardly, nasty thing you! They were right! Everybody was right! You - You aren't a gentleman.
Mammy: Jes' get them britches in the boilin' pot!
Prissy: Lawzy, we got to have a doctor. I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies.
Mammy: It ain't fittin'... it ain't fittin'. It jes' ain't fittin'... It ain't fittin'.
Scarlett: After all... tomorrow is another day.
I don't think I have seen it all either. I remember it being on TV when I was young, but I suspect there was too much talking and not enough shooting for my liking!
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen the whole film through, only bits and pieces over the years. The thing that fascinates me is that most of the backgrounds are paintings and not actually real scenes at all. When it's on again I think I'll record it and then study the backgrounds a bit at a time.
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, I haven't seen the entire movie or read the book either.
ReplyDeleteI always say I will but somehow it never happens.
Glad you finally did it though.
Great review.
I am amazed and almost speechless that you and the three commenters before me have or had never seen this GREATEST of ALL films ever made.
ReplyDeleteI saw GWTW in the Theatre when it first opened in 1939--I was blown away then----even at 8 years old! I have probably seen this picture---35 or 40 times, since then. (Also read the book).....It is a true Masterpiece of Filmaking and to think it is 75 years old----They don't make pictures like this anymore. Everyone was superb!! HATTIE McDANIEL won the Best supporting actress award that year and is stunning perfection in this film. That scene on the staircase where she is telling Melanie about all that has happened---which is ALL one long'take'....MAGNIFICENT!
Vivien Leigh was utter perfection as Scarlet and as to her salary.....you must remember, Clark Gable was a HUGE star st the time this film was made. Ms. Leigh was well known in England, but not here in the U.S., at that time....thus, one of the differences in their salary's.
That you got to see it in a Theatre--(I hope it was a BIG Screen) was truly fabulous!!!!
I could watch this film again and again---and wish I could see it, right now!
I'm pretty sure I have never seen the entire movie either!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like I'm not alone, in that I'm not eager to make the nearly four-hour investment. Have you seen the parody skit from Carol Burnett?
ReplyDeleteAwww fiddle dee dee! I saw it for the first time on television only after the Carol Burnett skit that Craver Vii mentioned. Oh the curtains! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjUYw2HKB7o
ReplyDeleteI've only seen it once. And really, I didn't watch much of it. My junior year high school teacher played it for a whole week. I think she really didn't feel like teaching class. But for a 16 year old, I could write notes to my friends for 45 minutes every day for 5 days.
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