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| Gone with the Wind (film) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Gone with the Wind |
| Director | Victor Fleming |
| Producer | David O. Selznick |
| Based on | Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell |
| Starring | Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, Hattie McDaniel |
| Music | Max Steiner |
| Cinematography | Ernest Haller |
| Editing | Hal C. Kern, James E. Newcom |
| Studio | Selznick International Pictures |
| Distributor | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer |
| Released | 1939 |
| Runtime | 238 minutes (roadshow), 221 minutes (general release) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $3.85 million |
| Gross | $390 million (nominal) |
Gone with the Wind (film) is a 1939 American historical romance film produced by David O. Selznick and principally directed by Victor Fleming. Adapted from the 1936 novel by Margaret Mitchell, the film stars Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable and features performances by Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel. Celebrated for its scale, music by Max Steiner, and cinematography by Ernest Haller, the production is notable within the histories of Warner Bros., Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the Academy Awards, and Hollywood studio practices of the 1930s.
The narrative follows Scarlett O'Hara, a Southern belle from Atlanta, Georgia, whose life is transformed by the American Civil War and Reconstruction era upheavals. Scarlett's romantic fixation on Ashley Wilkes and turbulent relationship with Rhett Butler propel events through depictions of the Battle of Atlanta, Atlanta's burning during Sherman's March to the Sea, and the social dislocations that touched families like the O'Haras and the Wilkeses. Scenes depict interactions with figures and settings connected to Tara (plantation), the plantation economy of prewar Georgia (U.S. state), and postwar struggles involving sharecropping and tenant farming as characters negotiate alliances, marriages, and survival. The denouement culminates in personal tragedies and the famous parting of Scarlett and Rhett amid questions about the future of Southern aristocracy and individual desire.
Principal casting positions were contested among stars under contract with studios such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists, and Warner Bros.. Vivien Leigh, an accomplished stage actress linked to the Old Vic and the British theatre, was chosen for Scarlett after screen tests that referenced her work in productions associated with Laurence Olivier and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. Clark Gable, already prominent from roles in films like It Happened One Night and Mutiny on the Bounty, was cast as Rhett Butler following negotiations involving Louis B. Mayer and agents representing major talents. Supporting roles included Leslie Howard, associated with The First World War–era theatrical circles; Olivia de Havilland, whose career would intersect with Warner Bros. Pictures legal disputes; and Hattie McDaniel, who had prior credits in productions linked to Fats Waller and Earl Hines. The ensemble also featured character actors whose filmographies connected to John Ford, Frank Capra, and the star system of Hollywood Golden Age studios.
Selznick acquired film rights from Margaret Mitchell and assembled an international production influenced by European craftsmanship from studios like RKO Pictures and technicians with ties to British film industry artisans. Directorial duties shifted among figures such as George Cukor, Victor Fleming, and other uncredited contributors who worked within the studio hierarchy crafted by Louis B. Mayer. Art direction drew on design traditions seen in works by Cecil B. DeMille and costume design referenced established houses servicing stars like Marlene Dietrich. Cinematography employed Technicolor processes developed in collaboration with laboratories used by Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation and cinematographers whose credits intersected with Dorothy Arzner and Ernst Lubitsch. The score by Max Steiner connected to his oeuvre including collaborations with RKO and orchestral arrangements similar to those used in productions involving conductors from the New York Philharmonic and recording practices employed by Victor Talking Machine Company successors.
The film premiered in 1939 with a roadshow release pattern that mirrored strategies used by distributors such as United Artists and venues affiliated with chains like Loews Incorporated. Box office returns placed the picture alongside major releases of the era including The Wizard of Oz and titles produced by 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures, ultimately becoming one of the highest-grossing films in nominal terms. Its theatrical run and reissues, coordinated through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer distribution networks and international releases negotiated with offices of Cinecittà and British distributors, sustained revenue across decades and influenced subsequent studio decisions about prestige productions and franchise-era reissues.
Contemporaneous reviews referenced critics writing for outlets like The New York Times and magazines associated with editors from Time (magazine) and Life (magazine). The film received multiple honors from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, including awards that linked performers and technicians to the institution's evolving canon. Its influence extended into theater, television syndication on networks such as NBC and CBS, and scholarship in film studies departments at universities like University of Southern California and New York University. Retrospectives by institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art and programming at festivals curated by entities like Cannes Film Festival and the San Francisco Film Festival have reinforced its status in cinematic history.
Criticism has focused on portrayals tied to the antebellum South and depictions of race that intersect with histories of slavery and Jim Crow-era politics, prompting debate among historians affiliated with institutions such as Howard University and Spelman College as well as commentators from The NAACP and civil rights organizations. Scholarly critiques in journals connected to Columbia University and Harvard University examine narrative framing, representation, and the film's role in shaping popular memory alongside critiques of Hollywood practices addressed in studies of the Hays Code and studio censorship. Public controversies have prompted discussions in municipal forums in cities like Atlanta and legislative bodies considering cultural heritage and museum curation.
The film has undergone multiple restoration efforts conducted by preservationists at archives such as the Library of Congress, the Academy Film Archive, and international institutions including the British Film Institute. Transfers to home formats have included releases by companies with ties to the LaserDisc era, DVD distribution managed by catalog divisions of Turner Entertainment and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment, and high-definition restorations screened at venues associated with IMAX Corporation and archival festivals. Digital restorations have incorporated color timing informed by surviving Technicolor matrices and sound remastering techniques used in restorations of works by directors like Fritz Lang and Alfred Hitchcock.
Category:1939 films Category:American films Category:Films based on novels