Scarlett, Rhett and a Cast of Thousands: Filming of "Gone with the Wind"

Heyne Filmbibliothek

by Roland Flamini

A book about the details of the filming of Gone with the Wind. Includes index at the end so it's a great resource for research. Includes pictures from the film as well as pictures of the cast and crew working to create the film.

Genres: Nonfiction, Media Tie In, Film, History

360 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1975

Reviews

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

read some time in 1979

[Betsy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a big fan of GWTW. I try to watch it frequently on TCM. I definitely try to catch the scene when Scarlett attends Ashley's birthday party because I am awestruck everytime I see Vivien Leigh standing there in that burgundy dress with that disdainful look on her face.

And that's just one of the memorable moments in this blockbuster film. This book looks at many of those moments, including many photos that the reader will recognize. It was not an easy movie to make. It cost heaps of money, the actors were often displeased, a director had to be replaced, and basically the author wanted nothing to do with it once she had her money.

This is a 'tell-all' book of sorts, but never gets vulgar (well, almost never). I enjoyed reading about all the shenanigans, and frankly I am amazed that Selznick was able to carry it off.

[E.H. Nolan · Rating 4 out of 5]

For fans of Gone With the Wind, this is an incredible must-read. Every bit of trivia you ever wanted to know and every detail of the making of the epic classic is recorded in Roland Flamini’s wonderful book.

Sure, everyone knows Vivien Leigh was an unknown girl before she became an overnight sensation in 1939; but three entire chapters are dedicated to the audition process to find the perfect Scarlett O’Hara. A nationwide search was conducted, and the biggest names in Hollywood vied for the part before Vivien was signed on. And you’ll never guess who Margaret Mitchell wanted to play her literary hero Rhett Butler!

From the littlest details—David O’Selznick ordered pantaloons for every woman in the cast (even the extras) so that they would feel completely in character during the 1860s—to the long stories—Clark Gable’s infamous objections to director George Cukor, this book has it all. If you love the movie, read this book!

http://hottoastyrag.weebly.com/scarle...

[Carole · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very informative and entertaining book about the making of the movie "Gone with the Wind". The chapters which detail the exhaustive search for an actress to play the role of Scarlett O'Hara were particularly fun to read.

The author definitely delighted in including lots of juicy Hollywood gossip about who was having an affair with whom and how powerful various lobbies were in influencing the content of the film.

Interesting fact: In 1939, David Selznick, the producer of the film, was fined $5000. by the Motion Picture Production Code Office because he insisted, on the grounds of fidelity to Margaret Mitchell's novel, on including the word "damn" in Rhett Butler's famous sentence, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."

How times have changed!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joan Crawford and Katherine Hepburn were considered for the part of Scarlett. WHAT??? I can't really think of anyone who is less Scarlett-like. Also, apparently most of the main cast members did not want to make the movie.

[Michelle Marie]

old book my mom gave me!

[Sandra Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book answered questions about a great movie Gone With the Wind. Enjoy the book and the movie.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had some fun details about the making of "Gone with the Wind," but I didn't appreciate the Hollywood gossip and bad language.

[Leonardo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book chronicles the passionate and sometimes insane journey that started with an epic novel by a reclusive writer and culminated in the movie that set the standard for every future Hollywood's classic mega-production. Originally published in 1975, it has stood the taste of time and remains a major source of information about the pre-production and production process as well as all they behind-the-screen drama (Scarlett's casting, the constant changing of directors and writers, the shady deals made to guarantee the production's budget, the shameless publicity red herrings, etc.). However, the fascinating (and even threatening) figure of producer David Selznick hangs over every section of the production and the book. In that sense, the book is a clear, brutal protrayal of an era before directors became the main figures behind movies. Selznick had his hand in every aspect of the process, from getting hold of the adaptation rights, to the casting of the main stars (and the way that some of their out-of-marriage relationships were kept in the dark), to the writing (and constant modification) of the scripts, the press campaigns, all the way to last minutes edits and additions. Selznick was indeed passionate about the movie, but his aggresive and tyrannical personality isn't subject to a deep critique and Flamini goes to great lengths to justify some of his actions in the name of the ultimate goal. And here we find the point where the book feels dated: sexual harrasment and the infamous casting couch are barely touched... a single paragraph in the whole book is devoted to Selznick's "attitude" to aspiring Scarletts (although not the major stars bidding for the role). Despite this major shortcoming, the book remains entertaining and a major source of information about one of the great movies of all times.

[Malcolm Frawley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most enjoyable read on the making of one of the most successful, & now one of the most controversial, movies from Hollywood's golden age. We are almost halfway through before shooting begins, such are the problems of constructing a screenplay & casting the female lead. A must for any film buff.

[LMTZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the parts & photos about the search for perfect Scarlett.

[Nathan Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Juicy but not sensationalistic, this relatively thin but detailed account of the production of the most sprawling, complicated film of the classic Hollywood period has a lot of narrative thrust, and gives a great sense of the personalities and eccentricities of all involved parties, from Vivien Leigh to William Cameron Menzies to the great Butterfly McQueen (god, now there's a biography I'd read), but of course David O. Selznick most of all. I knew quite a lot about Selznick already -- I read that whole book that collected all of his damned memos -- but wow, does he come off worse than I expected in this. If I have a critique, it's that the book glosses over the actual shooting and editing of the film in favor of the long pre-production process, but there's still plenty here dealing with all phases; I also will say you shouldn't come to this if you want an actually good-faith analysis of the film. This is more about the miraculous fact of its existence in the first place, and its overall tone is of skepticism about the film's artistic value -- which is neither here nor there, but be forewarned if it's something that matters to you. I'm a fan of the film but what I really appreciate about the book is the robust sense it gives of the environment of Hollywood in the '30s and all the savage bullshit of it all, the "inside" dirt on studio heads and random directors. Probably one of the things I most love reading about, from both positive and negative standpoints, so this was a breeze for me, especially because -- being written by a legitimate reporter -- it's not some tabloidesque Hollywood Babylon sort of thing. You get the sense that the whole thing only comes off as crazy because it was.

Decades ago when I had ambitions to go into film myself -- it's a long story but let's just say I do not regret giving up on that, to whatever extent I had a choice -- one of the fantasy projects that rolled around in my head a lot was a long, epic film about Selznick, insane with power, desperate for cash and high on Benzedrine, putting _Gone with the Wind_ together from start to finish. I still think it's a good idea. But I don't know of any actor who could play Selznick except the younger Raymond Burr, whose resemblance to the producer has been argued as a key factor in his casting as Thorwold in former Selznick employee and semi-enemy Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window.

[Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone obsessed with old Hollywood and Gone with the Wind, this book was one of the most fun things I've read in a while. There are so many interesting details in here that I'd never read anywhere else! I came away from this book even more impressed with the scale and ambition of this film than I was before. Super thorough and super fun to read!

[Yvonne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but very detailed and I got tired of hearing about every little disagreement and change along the way. It was interesting to hear of the long search for Scarlett however. I would probably give it 3.5 stars.

[Melli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very interesting. I wish there was more about vivien leigh honestly though. I had heard some things about her and the filming that i didnt read anything about. still interesting.