On February 29, 1940, the Cocoanut Grove of the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles was the venue for the 12th annual awards presentation of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Hollywood was abuzz and aglitter with Oscar fever that Thursday afternoon. As was the custom, the names of the Oscar winners were revealed in advance to the press, with newspapers making a solemn promise not to break the news before the ceremonies. But one newspaper couldn’t contain the excitement.
The Los Angeles Times printed the names of the winners and splashed Gone With the Wind in banner headlines across the front page. The results greeted Academy Award-goers as they arrived for the banquet. Talk about spilling the beans!
Happy 75th Anniversary, Gone With the Wind!
Special 75th Anniversary Offer for Gone With the Wind fans: free personally inscribed, autographed bookplate for readers of The Complete GONE WITH THE WIND Trivia Book. Details here: http://paulinebartel.com/?p=1793
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).