for Vivien

The role that made Vivien a star and gave her her first Oscar.

One of the great cinematic achievements, technically as well as in enduring appeal, this is a movie that keeps finding an audience with every successive generation (it was restored--somewhat controversially--and re-released theatrically in 1998). The story and characters are familiar to even the most casual moviegoer: an indomitable Southern belle (Leigh) loves and loses and loves again a slyly dashing war profiteer as she struggles to protect her family and beloved plantation, Tara, from the ravages of the Civil War. Based on Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel, which at the time of the film's release, had surpassed 1,500,000 copies sold. Selznick paid $50,000 for rights to the book and brought in a number of screenwriters in addition to Sidney Howard to help him shape the material. Among them were Edwin Justin Mayer, John Van Druten, Ben Hecht, F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jo Swerling. For the part of Scarlett O'Hara, Selznick conducted a national talent search for the part of Scarlett that has in itself become movie legend and the basis of a movie. Scores of famous Hollywood actresses tested for the part, including Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Miriam Hopkins, Joan Crawford, Margaret Sullivan, Barbara Stanwyck, Paulette Goddard, Lana Turner, Jean Arthur, Mae West, Tallulah Bankhead and Lucille Ball. In all, 32 actresses did screen tests for the film. Leigh was given the part on Christmas Day 1938. Ronald Coleman, Errol Flynn and Gary Cooper were considered for the part of Rhett Butler, but the character was written with Clark Gable in mind. George Cukor was the film's original director, and Fleming was Cukor's successor. When Fleming fell sick, Sam Wood took over, but only for a short time. In addition to its nine Oscars, GWTW also won special Academy recognition for production designer Menzies's outstanding contribution to the use of color. GWTW was shot in 3-strip Technicolor. At the time, there were only 7 Technicolor cameras in existence, all of which were used for the production. McDaniel's Best Supporting Actress award was the first given to an African American.

Tom Keogh, Amazon.com essential video
David O. Selznick wanted Gone with the Wind to be somehow more than a movie, a film that would broaden the very idea of what a film could be and do and look like. In many respects he got what he worked so hard to achieve in this 1939 epic (and all-time box-office champ in terms of tickets sold), and in some respects he fell far short of the goal. While the first half of this Civil War drama is taut and suspenseful and nostalgic, the second is ramshackle and arbitrary. But there's no question that the film is an enormous achievement in terms of its every resource--art direction, color, sound, cinematography--being pushed to new limits for the greater glory of telling an American story as fully as possible. Vivien Leigh is still magnificently narcissistic, Olivia de Havilland angelic and lovely, Leslie Howard reckless and aristocratic. As for Clark Gable: we're talking one of the most vital, masculine performances ever committed to film. The DVD release has optional French subtitles and theatrical trailer.

From Leonard Maltin's Movie & Video Guide
If not the greatest movie ever made, certainly one of the greatest examples of storytelling on film, maintaining interest for nearly four hours. Margaret Mitchell's story is, in effect, a Civil War soap opera, focusing on vixenish Southern belle Scarlett O'Hara, brilliantly played by Leigh; she won Oscar, as did the picture, McDaniel, director Fleming, screenwriter Sidney Howard (posthumously), many others. Memorable music by Max Steiner in this one-of-a-kind film meticulously produced by David O. Selznick. Followed over five decades later by a TV mini-series, Scarlett.