Gone With The Wind: A best-selling book and movie

On Dec. 15, 1939 — 85 years ago Sunday — “Gone With the Wind,” a sweeping tale of romance set against the Civil War and its aftermath in the South and based on a Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, premiered with a gala three-day celebration in Atlanta, Georgia.

The film has been soundly criticized for its rose-colored depiction of plantation life in the pre-war South and its depiction of slaves as generally happy with their role in that culture.

Nevertheless, “Gone With the Wind” became the highest-grossing movie of all time — and still is, when adjusted for inflation.

From A Best-Selling Novel ...

Margaret Mitchell, recovering from injuries she received in a car crash was taking time off from her job as a features reporter for the Atlanta Journal and decided to pass the time by writing a historical romance novel about the old South. She named the heroine of her book Pansy O’Hara before an editor suggested she change it to Scarlett.

“Gone With the Wind” was published in June 1936 and became a huge seller. It won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1937.

Producer David O. Selznick paid Mitchell $50,000 for the movie rights to her novel. After the release of the film, he felt so guilty for what he considered a bargain that he gave Mitchell a bonus of another $50,000.

First, though, the enormous saga had to be converted into a movie screenplay. Sidney Howard followed Selznick’s instructions and completed a first draft that would have resulted in a 5½ movie. At least 16 more writers — including F. Scott Fitzgerald — were bought in to help. The original director, George Cukor, was fired after just 18 days of filming and replaced with Victor Fleming — who wasn’t quite yet done directing MGM’s “The Wizard of Oz.”

The Governor of Georgia declared Dec. 15, 1939, a state holiday. A crowd of 300,000 — many of them in Civil War-era costumes — massed around Atlanta’s Lowe’s Grand Theatre to take in the festivities and the red-carpet entrances. Time magazine noted that was bigger than the combined Union and Confederate armies at the Battle of Atlanta in 1864.

“Gone With the Wind” would win 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

The novelist: Margaret Mitchell

David O. Selznick, the producer

Victor Fleming, the director

Sidney Howard, the script writer

... To A Top Selling Movie

Gary Cooper turned down the role of Rhett Butler, proclaiming the film would be “the biggest flop in Hollywood history.” Also considered: Errol Flynn and Ronald Colman. Clark Gable didn’t like the script or the film and was reluctant to sign on. Selznick offered him a $50,000 bonus — enough to pay for a divorce so Gable could marry Carole Lombard.

In the wake of the success of the novel, Selznick held a highly-publicized “Search for Scarlett O’Hara,” interviewing 1,400 actors and having 400 of them read for the part. Among those considered: Katharine Hepburn and Tallulah Bankhead. Selznick’s eventual choice, British actor Vivien Leigh, would earn an Academy Award for Best Actress.

None of the Black actors in the film were allowed to the premiere at the segregated Lowe’s Theater. Hattie McDaniel talked an outraged Gable out of boycotting the event. McDaniel would go on to become the first Black actor to be nominated for and to win an Academy Award. Even at the Oscar ceremonies, she was forced to sit at a small side table.

The production needed 2,500 extras for the hospital scene. Only 1,500 extras were available, so 1,000 dummies were costumed and used in the shot. Technicians moved the dummies’ arms and legs with strings. A 125- foot-tall crane with a 90-foot extension was brought in to film the stunning scene in one smooth take.

Censors disliked Gable’s climactic “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” line and urged Selznick to use other options: “I just don’t care.” “It makes my gorge rise.” “My indifference is boundless.” “I don’t give a hoot.” “Nothing could interest me less.” Selznick, feeling the line needed the weight of Mitchell’s original swear word, made a deal with censors to keep it.

The NAACP suggested the production hire technical advisors to watch the treatment of Blacks depicted in the film. Selznick agreed and hired two. Both were white. The Chicago Defender called the finished film “a weapon of terror against Black America.” The film is often criticized for its inaccurate depiction of history and of racial stereotypes.

While the premiere of “Gone With the Wind” was held in Atlanta on Dec. 15, 1939, the film wouldn’t go into general release nationwide until after the holidays.

This was the poster for the film's original 1939-1940 release.

This much more familiar poster art was created by Italian artist Silvano Campegii for the 70mm re-release in 1969. It's been used with every release since then.