Gone with the Wind is a novel by
Margaret Mitchell. Published in
1936, the book was an international hit almost immediately. A story detailing the trials of southern belle Scarlett O'Hara during the
American Civil War and the
Reconstruction,
Gone With the Wind is an enormously long historical romance which has spawned an
Academy Award-winning film and several authorized sequels. A devoted fan base exists as well. The book won the
Pulitzer Prize in
1937.
The copyright holders attempted to suppress publication of a book, The Wind Done Gone, which told the story from the point of view of the slaves, but the federal appeals court turned them down in 2001. The successful defence was based on the court's acceptance of the book as parody.
In
1938, film producer
David O. Selznick decided that he wanted to create a movie based on
Gone With the Wind. He bought the rights for $50,000, a record amount at the time. A well-publicized casting search for an
actress to play Scarlett resulted in the hire of young British actress
Vivien Leigh, although many other famous actresses had been tested, including
Katharine Hepburn,
Barbara Stanwyck,
Joan Crawford,
Lana Turner,
Tallulah Bankhead, and
Lucille Ball.
The film premiered on December 15, 1939 with estimated production costs of four million dollars. It was a smash hit and is still regarded by many as one of the greatest films ever made; the film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.
(A full list can be found at
The Internet Movie Database: Gone With the Wind (1939) (
http://us.imdb.com/Credits?0031381)
- Directed by
- Writing credits
- Margaret Mitchell (I) (novel)
- Sidney Howard
- Ben Hecht (uncredited) and
- David O. Selznick (uncredited) and
- Jo Swerling (uncredited) &
- John Van Druten (uncredited)
- Cast (in credits order)
- Clark Gable .... Rhett Butler
- Vivien Leigh .... Scarlett O'Hara
- Leslie Howard .... Ashley Wilkes
- Olivia de Havilland .... Melanie Hamilton
- Hattie McDaniel .... Mammy
- Thomas Mitchell[?] (I) .... Gerald O'Hara
- Barbara O'Neil .... Ellen O'Hara (as Barbara O'Neill)
- Evelyn Keyes .... Suellen O'Hara
- Ann Rutherford .... Carreen O'Hara
- George Reeves .... Stuart Tarleton
- Fred Crane .... Brent Tarleton
- Oscar Polk .... Pork
- Butterfly McQueen[?] .... Prissy
- Victor Jory (I) .... Jonas Wilkerson, The Overseer
- Everett Brown (I) .... Big Sam, the foreman
- Howard C. Hickman .... John Wilkes (as Howard Hickman)
- Alicia Rhett .... India Wilkes
- Rand Brooks .... Charles Hamilton
- Carroll Nye .... Frank Kennedy, a guest
- Laura Hope Crews .... Aunt Pittypat Hamilton
- Ona Munson .... Belle Watling
- Produced by
- Oscar Record
- Nominated
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