Rebecca Redshaw

The movies selected for review are the choice of the reviewer. Suggestions for DVD titles are welcome. Enjoy the movies.



NEW RELEASE of a CLASSIC

"Gone with the Wind" 70th anniversary



Before the advent of home video, movies played the big screens and then disappeared into film vaults, rarely to be seen again. If a truly epic film such as "Gone with the Wind" was produced, then a theatrical re-release was a possibility. In fact, the adaptation of Margaret Mitchell's best-selling novel premiered in 1939 and was released in movie theaters again in 1947, 1954, 1967 and 1989.

This year "Gone with the Wind" is celebrating its 70th anniversary and a re-mastered anniversary DVD set is the latest re-mastering of the film.

Even if you have seen GWTW a number of times (I personally can count four different occasions), it is worth another viewing. We see things so differently depending on our life changes and experiences.

I remember sitting in the Bellevue Theatre in Pennsylvania with my grandmother in 1967. Her advanced age and cataracts made it impossible to read the opening crawl. Even though I hate when people talk in the movies, I whispered in her ear, "There was a land of cavaliers and cotton fields called the Old South ... Here, in this pretty world, gallantry took its last bow .... Here was the last ever to be seen of knights and their ladies fair, of master and of slave .... Look for it only in books, for it is no more than a dream remembered - a civilization gone with the wind."

It would be at least a decade later when I saw "Gone with the Wind" at the old Pittsburgh Playhouse. This screening was memorable on two counts: the wooden seats were unpadded and they didn't have an intermission. Those factors are indelibly etched not in my brain but on another part of my anatomy.

Of course, the reason "Gone with the Wind" is one of the most memorable of films has little to do with its length (226 minutes) or format (it was the first film released using Technicolor and it was shot in a 1.37:1 aspect ratio, not the widescreen image we've become accustomed to).

David O. Selznick was an extraordinary producer and his efforts on "Gone with the Wind" emphasize the collaborative nature of film projects. With his involvement, this producer gave new meaning to the opening credits - "Selznick International in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer has the honor to present its Technicolor production of Margaret Mitchell's story of the Old South Gone With The Wind."

There were numerous credited writers as well as "script doctors" hired. Principal photography began on Jan. 26, 1939, and by the time the film wrapped, three directors had contributed measurably to the picture: George Cukor (preproduction and 18 days of shooting), Vincent Fleming (93 days of shooting and screen credit as the director) and Sam Wood (24 days, taking over when Fleming was treated for exhaustion).

The only constant throughout the production was Selznick and his daily activities and decisions are all preserved in the book "Memo from David O. Selznick: The Creation of "Gone with the Wind" and Other Motion Picture Classics, as Revealed in the Producer's Private Letters, Telegrams, Memorandums and Autobiographical Remarks."

But why has "Gone with the Wind," basically a love story set in the midst of battles, survived the test of time when other films collect dust on the video store shelves?

"GWTW" is a good story, well-paced. The editing of Hal C. Kern and James E. Newcom garnered one of the eight Academy Awards won by the picture. Max Steiner's musical score is every bit as lush and memorable as Selznick dictated. The effects are spectacular (the burning of Atlanta/the train station of wounded soldiers), particularly given the relative technical naiveté of a new industry.

And, most importantly, the casting paid off. Selznick's nationwide pre-publicity blitz in search of the actress who would portray Scarlett created buzz about the movie as early as 1936, shortly after the producer purchased the rights to the novel for $50,000.

Hundreds of actresses were tested until he finally offered the role to Vivien Leigh. Even though there was a stir over an Englishwoman portraying a Southern belle, Leigh proved the quintessential Scarlett.

Selznick ponied up another $50,000 in the form of a bonus to convince Clark Gable to sign on as Rhett Butler. Gable, apprehensive about looking foolish in period costumes, brought a roguish attractiveness to Butler. When he utters arguably the most famous eight-word line in film history, there isn't a soul who doesn't believe him. (Inclusion of "damn" in the film cost Selznick $5,000 and permission finally was granted by the Hays Office in October 1939.)

Hattie McDaniel eloquently accepted the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as "Mammy" but was not permitted to attend the Atlanta premiere with other cast members. But that was 70 years ago and, thankfully, times have changed.

Over the years, the art of making movies has evolved in countless technical ways and yet a good story trumps special effects every time. In 1939, "Gone with the Wind" broke all box office records as well as being named "Best Picture" against formidable competition. ("Dark Victory," "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "Love Affair," "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," "Ninotchka," "Of Mice and Men," "Stagecoach," "The Wizard of Oz" and "Wuthering Heights.")

"Gone with the Wind" is not a historically accurate depiction of the Civil War and its aftermath but it never claimed to be. It is a good story, well-told. Whether watching Scarlett and Rhett for the first time or reliving favorite scenes, "Gone with the Wind" is an epic film that entertains, even after the passing of seven decades.



Rebecca Redshaw can be reached at r2redshaw@hotmail.com.