Scarlett Kills the Yankee Deserter 75 Years Ago Today

On Wednesday, May 10, 1939, Sam Wood directed Vivien Leigh and Paul Hurst in the scene of “Scarlett Killing the Yankee Deserter.” Scarlett spots the Yankee cavalryman trespassing at Tara and then dashes upstairs to retrieve the pistol Rhett had given her...

Sam Wood Directs “Scarlett’s Return to Tara”

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...

Vivien Leigh Fights for Scarlett

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...

Slap Happy Scarlett O’Hara

Last night as I watched the broadcast of Gone With the Wind in  honor of the 20th anniversary of Turner Classic Movies (www.TurnerClassicMovies.com), I was struck by the number of times Scarlett resorts to slapping others across the face. After proclaiming her love to...

A Gone With the Wind Goof: Shadows Out of Sync

During the week of April 10, 1939, filming of Gone With the Wind centered on the sequences in the Atlanta church turned hospital. In the Shadow scene, while caring for the wounded, Scarlett complains that she is tired. “Aren’t you tired, Melanie?”...