On Saturday, May 6, 1939, Sam Wood directed Vivien Leigh in “Scarlett’s Return to Tara.” Realizing that her mother is dead, Scarlett screams her shock and grief and collapses at Ellen O’Hara’s bier. A parallel to this heartbreaking scene...
In a May 2, 1939 letter to Howard Dietz, MGM Director of Advertising and Publicity, producer David O. Selznick shared his thoughts about ways to present in theaters “the longest picture ever made.” His ideas included “showings with two intermissions;...
To replace director Victor Fleming, producer David O. Selznick chose Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer director Sam Wood, who had just finished filming Goodbye, Mr. Chips. On Monday, May 1, 1939, Wood started his directorial duties with scenes of Scarlett and Ashley embracing at...
Gone With the Wind’s set was a pressure cooker during the week of Monday, April 24, 1939. Working under intense pressure made the exhausted Victor Fleming even more explosive as he directed scenes of: Scarlett’s bereavement and brandy Rhett’s...
During Gone With the Wind’s filming, Vivien Leigh complained constantly about the script’s unplayable dialogue and kept a copy of Margaret Mitchell’s novel with her to bolster her arguments. David O. Selznick frequently yelled at her to “please...
