Gone with the Wind (movie)
| Gone with the Wind | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Victor Fleming George Cukor (uncredited) Sam Wood (uncredited) |
| Produced by | David O. Selznick |
| Written by | Margaret Mitchell (novel), Sidney Howard (adapted screenplay), Ben Hecht (uncredited), David O. Selznick (uncredited), Jo Swerling (uncredited), and John Van Druten (uncredited) |
| Music by | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Ernest Haller Lee Garmes (uncredited) |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Release date(s) | December 15, 1939 |
| Running time | 222 |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3,900,000 (estimated) |
| IMDb profile | |
Gone with the Wind is the 1939 movie based on Margaret Mitchell's book with the same name. The movie premiered in Atlanta, Georgia. It starred Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, and Olivia de Havilland. Gone with the Wind told the story of the American Civil War from the perspective (view point) of a young southern woman named Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh).
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[change] Summary of the Story
Scarlett O'Hara (played by Vivien Leigh) is a spoiled, beautiful, young Southern woman living in Georgia in the year 1861. In this time, who a woman marries is very important to the rest of her life, and Scarlett loves only one man. His name is Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard). Unfortunately, Scarlett finds out that Ashley is going to marry a woman named Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland), his own cousin. During a barbecue at Ashley's plantation named Twelve Oaks, with all the families in the area, news arrives that a war between the Northern and Southern parts of the United States has begun. Before Scarlett lets Ashley marry Melanie, she decides to tell him how she really feels. While all the women were taking their naps to get rested for the upcoming party that evening, Scarlett slips down and waits for Ashley to come out of the "meeting" the men are having about the war. During the meeting, Rhett Butler, a rich, clever, confederate "gentleman", man stands up to warn the men about being to sure of their victory in the war. The men get mad, and Rhett decides to leave the room to let the men cool down. He decides to show himself around the house. Ashley leaves the room as well, to show Rhett around himself. But, before he can catch up with him, Scarlett peeps out from her hiding place and waves Ashley over. He follows her into a room where they can be alone. Scarlett tells Ashley how much she loves him, but Ashely has already made up his mind to marry Melanie. The wealthy and spoiled Scarlett throws a fit, and because of that Ashley leaves the room. Scarlett in a frenzy picks up a vase and heaves it across the room over a couch and into the wall. The charming Rhett Butler rises from the couch, scaring and embarrassing Scarlett. He agrees not to tell anyone about the conversation, although humorously mocking her about it all. Before all the men leave, Scarlett agrees to marry Charles Hamilton (Melanie's younger brother), only because she wants to get revenge on Ashley for marrying Melanie. Unfortunately, Charles gets sick and dies in the war, and Scarlett is left alone.
Scarlett goes to Atlanta, Georgia to stay with Melanie, although she really has Ashley in mind. While there, she sees Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), with whom she had the brief encounter with at the party. He makes Scarlett very uncomfortable but she agrees to dance with him at a party, a thing which she should not have done since her husband had just died and she is in mourning. But since she hated wearing black, and having no social life, she dances with him to the Virginia Reel. A few months later, the battle gets very close to Atlanta, and Melanie has Ashley's baby with Scarlett's help. Rhett helps them escape the battle and takes them home, but Scarlett finds her house, which she calls Tara, in very bad shape and Ashley Wilkes' home burned to the ground. Her father is very sick and her mother has died. Scarlett famously vows to always take care of herself and her family, no matter what it takes.
After an intermission (a short break used in very long movies), the movie returns to Tara, where Scarlett and her family are working very hard to survive. The far-away war is over now, and Ashley Wilkes arrives. Melanie and Scarlett are both very glad to see him, but Scarlett should not say so because he is Melanie's husband. Scarlett finds out that Rhett Butler is in jail and she plans to trick him into giving her some money to help her family. However, the scheme does not go according to Scarlett's plan, and in her anger, Scarlett meets a man she knew from before the war. His name is Frank Kennedy, and because he is a very good businessman, Scarlett decides to marry him, despite the fact that he was going to marry her own sister.
Frank, however, is killed when he goes to clear out a shantytown, where beggars lived after the war because they could not afford to live anywhere else. Amazingly, Scarlett is not without a husband for long, because Rhett proposes to her and she accepts. This angers the other residents of Atlanta because they do not think it is right for her to marry so soon after Frank died. Rhett promises to help rebuild Scarlett's home and they build another mansion in Atlanta. Scarlett has a baby that Rhett names Bonnie. After Bonnie is born, Scarlett says she will have no more children, and Rhett takes the news badly. Scarlett still wishes she could marry Ashley Wilkes, and she sees him one day and is caught hugging him. Melanie is very forgiving and refuses to believe anything bad about her friend Scarlett or her husband Ashley. Rhett, however, is very angry and hurt, but he finds out that Scarlett is pregnant with another baby. He accidentally pushes her too hard and she falls down the stairs, killing their unborn child.
Scarlett and Rhett are further devastated (very upset) when Bonnie, now their only child, has an accident while riding her horse and dies. Melanie is also very sick, pregnant with another baby. News reaches Scarlett and Rhett that Melanie will probably die, and they hurry to see her. While Melanie and Scarlett are alone, Melanie asks Scarlett to look after her husband, Ashley, and to never stop loving Rhett, who loves Scarlett very much. She dies just after, and Ashley is extremely upset. Scarlett finally realizes how much Melanie meant to Ashley, and that Scarlett could never have meant so much to him.
Scarlett hurries home to find Rhett and tell him how much she loves him, but he tells her he wants a divorce because he feels like she never loved him. He is still very hurt by losing Bonnie, his daughter, and he leaves Scarlett feeling like she has nothing left. Then, she realizes she always has her home to return to, and if nothing else, her home will last forever.
[change] Memorable quotations
There are many famous lines from this movie. People remember these lines and think they are important to the movie.
- Scarlett: Sir, you are no gentleman.
- Rhett: And you, miss, are no lady.
- Rhett: With enough courage, you can do without a reputation.
- Rhett (to Scarlett): No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.
- Scarlett: I can't think about that right now. If I do, I'll go crazy. I'll think about that tomorrow.
- Scarlett (to Frank): Great balls of fire. Don't bother me anymore, and don't call me "sugar".
- Rhett (to Scarlett): Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.
- Scarlett: After all, tomorrow is another day!
[change] Recognition
Although Gone with the Wind premiered in 1939, it is still remembered today as one of the greatest American movies of all time. When it was released in Atlanta, a parade came before it, plus three days of parties in which the stars of the movie wore costumes and many stores in the city redecorated to look like they would have in the Civil War.
[change] Awards
Gone with the Wind received 10 Academy Awards in 1940.
- Best Picture - Selznick International Pictures (David O. Selznick, producer)
- Best Actress in a Leading Role - Vivien Leigh
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Hattie McDaniel
- Best Cinematography, Color - Ernest Haller, and Ray Rennahan
- Best Director - Victor Fleming
- Best movie Editing - Hal C. Kern, and James E. Newcom
- Best Writing, Screenplay - Sidney Howard
- Best Art Direction - Lyle Wheeler
- Honorary Award - William Cameron Menzies - for "the use of color for the enhancement of dramatic mood"
- Technical Achievement Award - Don Musgrave
It was nominated for five more.
- Best Actor in a Leading Role - Clark Gable
- Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Olivia de Havilland
- Best Effects, Special Effects - Fred Albin (sound), Jack Cosgrove (photographic), and Arthur Johns (sound)
- Best Music, Original Score - Max Steiner
- Best Sound, Recording - Thomas T. Moulton (Samuel Goldwyn SSD)
[change] Impact
Gone with the Wind was named the #4 best movie of all time by the American movie Institute. The quote "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," said by Rhett Butler at the end of the movie, was voted the #1 greatest movie quote of all time.
Gone with the Wind has become the movie that made the most money of all time, after taking inflation into account.
[change] Other websites
