"Gone With The Wind" by Victor Fleming, George Cukor, Sam Wood: a review

Made from Margaret Mitchell’s novel by the same name, Gone With the Wind was made in 1939. It gave American culture memorable characters, scenes, and lines. Directed by Victor Fleming, it starred Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O’Hara, Clark Gable as Rhett Butler, Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes, and Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Hamilton.

The movie was a high dollar production for the time, but it paid off as a smashing success. It won 8 Oscars. Hattie McDaniel, who played the part of Scarlett’s maid, was the first African-American to win an Academy Award, which she won for Best Supporting Actress. Was Gary Cooper ever wrong when he turned down the role because he thought the movie would be a flop!

Gone With the Wind is an epic film set during the American Civil War. The plot revolves around Scarlett, who matures from a spoiled, selfish young lady to an independent, tough woman. She is forced to leave her rich plantation, Tara, and venture in poverty to the war-torn city of Atlanta. She vows, “I’ll never be hungry again.”

She spends much of the movie longing for and trying to get Ashley to marry her. While she is waiting for him to come around, she has three husbands, the last of whom is Rhett Butler. Sounds like she didn't have a need for single health insurance does it? Just adds to the allure of the movie! Finally, after a tumultuous time together, when he’s had enough, she asks him, “…where shall I go, what shall I do?”

Rhett replies with what may be THE most famous line in movie history, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

The movie ends with Scarlett struggling to keep her plantation but not defeated as she explains, “Tomorrow is another day!”.