After its Atlanta premiere on December 15, 1939, the film Gone With the Wind blew into Los Angeles for its December 28 debut at the Fox Carthay Circle Theatre. This most glamorous premiere of all was held three days before the deadline set by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for films to qualify for 1939’s Academy Awards.
And all of Hollywood’s glitterati attended, including Gone With the Wind’s stars, Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable; producer David O. Selznick; director Victor Fleming; production designer William Cameron Menzies; composer of the film’s score, Max Steiner; costume designer Walter Plunkett; the film’s first director, George Cukor; and many of actors and actresses that had been initially considered for the roles of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O’Hara.
Thanks to the timing of the Los Angeles’ premiere, Gone With the Wind entered Academy Award contention with an unprecedented 13 nominations in 12 categories (double nomination for Best Supporting Actress). The film went on to win a record-breaking 8 competitive Oscars® at the 12th annual awards presentation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Blog Bio: Pauline Bartel is the author of The Complete GONE WITH THE WIND Trivia Book and an expert on the film and its history. Visit the website (www.paulinebartel.com/resources/books/for-the-media) for further information.