A book to celebrate GWTW’s 75th Anniversary!
On Monday, July 3, 1939, Vivien Leigh was on holiday in New York City reunited with Laurence Olivier and in the audience for his last performance of No Time for Comedy.
Those remaining on Gone With the Wind’s set had little time for a holiday and no time for comedy as postproduction continued.
During the week of July 3, production designer William Cameron Menzies filmed the following close up scene inserts:
- Scarlett’s hand holding the clump of Tara’s soil that she flings into the face of Jonas Wilkerson;
- Scarlett’s hand pulling the radish from Tara’s garden. (Mozelle Miller doubled for Vivien Leigh in both of these inserts.)
- Frank Kennedy’s photograph on Scarlett’s dresser;
- The side-by-side graves of Gerald and Ellen O’Hara;
- The condolence letter announcing the death of Charles Hamilton;
- The $300 bank draft for the taxes on Tara;
- Scarlett removing her shoe on Tara’s staircase before confronting the Yankee deserter. (Joan Rodgers doubled for Vivien Leigh in this insert.)
- The military order granting Ashley’s Christmas leave;
- Rhett’s letter returning Melanie and Scarlett’s wedding rings. (Mozelle Miller’s hand doubled for that of Olivia de Havilland.)
Happy 75th Anniversary, Gone With the Wind!
Blog Bio: Pauline Bartel is the author of The Complete GONE WITH THE WIND Trivia Book (2nd edition) and an expert on the film and its history. Visit the website (www.paulinebartel.com/resources/books/books-available) for further information. Follow her on Twitter @PaulineBartel and “like” her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheCompleteGWTWTriviaBook).