Gone with the Wind
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Gossip Friday: Runaway Race for Rhett?
From February 1937: ...I note that Joan Crawford is gaining strong support for the role of Scarlett O’Hara, that Melvyn Douglas and Franchot Tone are threatening Leslie Howard’s lead in the race for Ashley’s role and that Clark Gable’s runaway race for the part of Rhett Butler is stirring up determined opposition. Those who want Clark can see nobody else in the role–those who don’t wax pretty savage in their counterblasts. As, for instance: “All I can say is ‘Heaven forbid Gable in the role of Rhett!’ and you can tell the horde who had the stupidity to choose him that they had better read the book over again. Such…
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Gone with the Wednesday: Repost–Gone with the Wind Hits Los Angeles
This week, here is a repost of a post I did in 2010 detailing the Los Angeles premiere of Gone with the Wind, which took place December 29, 1939. Carole Lombard, in a gold gown, was the belle of the ball on Clark Gable’s arm! See who else attended and what the wore… http://dearmrgable.com/?p=591
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Gone with the Wednesday: Merry Christmas from David O. Selznick
Clark Gable and Gone with the Wind producer David O. Selznick didn’t exactly always see eye-to-eye (to put it mildly), but nonetheless David let bygones be bygones and gifted Clark with this gorgeous Tiffany’s cigarette case for Christmas in 1939: “Presented to Clark Gable at the completion of “Gone with the wind” Atlanta–Dec. 25, 1939 David O. Selznick.” I wonder if he gave it to him at the Atlanta premiere, which was just ten days before Christmas? The case went for $20,000 at auction a few years back (complete with the unfiltered cigarettes). Quite a priceless artifact! Here’s hoping maybe it pops up in a museum one day…
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Gone with the Wednesday: 45 Atlanta Premiere Facts
1. Tickets for the premiere went on sale at Loews Grand Theater on November 18, 1939. 2. The premiere festivities lasted from December 13-15, 1939. 3. Ann Rutherford (Careen O’Hara) was the first star to arrive, on December 13. She was given the key to the city. 4. One of Ann’s first stops was at the Atlanta Journal newspaper offices, where she requested to see where Margaret Mitchell worked. She had her picture taken at the typewriter Ms. Mitchell used. 5. Vivien Leigh (Scarlett O’Hara) arrived on December 13, accompanied by Olivia de Havilland (Melanie Wilkes), Mr. and Mrs. Selznick and Laurence Olivier. 6. Evelyn Keyes (Suellen O’Hara) and Ona Munson (Belle…
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Gone with the Wednesday: On the Set
Photos from the set of Gone with the Wind:
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Gone with the Wednesday: Gone with the Turkey
In what has become a yearly tradition, AMC (American Movie Classics) is showing a full day of Gone with the Wind today, the day before Thanksgiving! It will air starting at 10:00am, then 3:00pm, 8:00pm and 1:00am (all times EST). Read more here. Enjoy and have a Happy Thanksgiving!
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Gone with the Wednesday: My Film Passion
In 2013, I participated in a blogathon that asked to describe the film that peaked your interest in classic films. My choice was, of course, Gone with the Wind. Read why here!
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Gone with the Wednesday: It Pays to Advertise
Here’s just a small representation of the many kinds of posters used to promote Gone with the Wind upon it’s release and re-release:
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Gone with the Wednesday: Via Col Vento Signed by Clark Gable
Clark Gable was famous for thirty years and in that time signed a lot of things–pictures, movie posters, books, handkerchiefs, napkins, hairbows, baseballs, hats…I’ve seen it all. This one, however, is new to me. Here Clark has signed–and inscribed–a copy of Gone with the Wind in Italian! Clark Gable writing in Italian! I would believe that this was inscribed while he was in Europe, either during his tax hiatus in 1952-1954 or while he was in Italy filming It Started in Naples in 1959. I am no expert on the various editions of GWTW so maybe someone can help me out with the year. I also know very little Italian, but this…
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Gone with the Wednesday: Carole Lombard O’Hara
Since it’s time for another Gone with the Wednesday and it’s the end of Carole Lombard month, let’s combine the two! Carole Lombard was a warm-blooded female in the 1930’s, which means she read Gone with the Wind and dreamed of playing Scarlett. Carole was so enamored with the idea that she appealed to everyone’s first choice for Rhett Butler—Clark Gable, naturally. Before they were romantically involved, she reportedly sent him a copy of the book with a note that said, “Let’s do it! Carole.” Clark promptly called her up for a date, thinking it was a proposition of a different sort. When it turned out not to be, that…