The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind

Whatever your opinion of the 1939 classic, 'Gone With The Wind' (and I happen to think it is the best film ever made), this documentary will have something to interest you. Whether it be the headache of securing expensive film rights to an 'impossible' bestseller and then wondering how to recoup your investment; or the power struggles between producer, director(s) and writers; or the studio shenanigans to ensure the best possible cast; or the celebration of a job well done, it is all here.

Surviving cast members Evelyn Keyes, Ann Rutherford, and Butterfly McQueen (but curiously not Olivia de Havilland) contribute alongside Selznick colleagues and archive footage/reconstructed interviews with participants now dead. We see the story of GWTW from the first low-key appearance of Margaret Mitchell's soapy book, the fever as a nation sent it up the bestseller lists, and the struggle to condense its 1000 plus pages into a manageable film.

We see the screen tests of failed Scarletts, Melanies, and Ashleys (although there was only ever one man really in the frame for Rhett - the wonderful Clark Gable). We hear the romanticised story of how Vivien Leigh won the part of Scarlett. Finally, we hear about the film's preview and the rapturous reception it received before its glitzy premiere in - where else? - Atlanta, Georgia.

A worthy companion to a fabulous Follywood film. GWTW, all sprawling four hours of it, has no equal in the golden days of Tinseltown, and this documentary gives you just a few reasons why.

Selznick himself would have given his highest rating of approval to this fascinating documentary which traces the birth of the Margaret Mitchell novel through its publication and on to Hollywood, where it became a major chore for David O. Selznick to wittle the 1,000 page novel into a workable screenplay. Selznick's work habits are examined at length and the kind of stress his perfectionist behavior gave everyone around him is understandable. But his persistence paid off and, of course, the end result was all anyone could hope for.

Having read many books on this subject, I can assure you this is a project that is well worth viewing for anyone who has more than a passing interest in the making of the film. There are some interesting and revealing comments by George Cukor, the original director on the film who was fired after a few weeks of filming but still remained on good terms with Selznick after Victor Fleming took over.

Most interesting aspect are a series of tests made by various actors and actresses under consideration for roles--most of whom were highly unsuitable if the tests are to be taken seriously.

Missing among the cast members who speak about the film is Olivia de Havilland, who was probably too heavily involved in personal matters at the time this was being put together and could not find time to make her contribution--which would have been a significant one. Fortunately, she turned up for last year's DVD release of the film in a segment called "Melanie Remembers". But Evelyn Keyes and Ann Rutherford do a nice job of describing some behind-the-scenes events as well as the initial premiere of the film in Keyes' home town of Atlanta. Butterfly McQueen recalls what it was like to play Prissy.

Excellent commentary by Christopher Plummer is a definite plus, and the well written script gives the viewer a complete feeling of what it was like for everyone involved in the making of this great classic. By the time it reaches the film's world premiere reaction, you will be thoroughly involved and entertained by the interesting presentation of facts. As an added bonus, much of the documentary is accompanied by selections from Max Steiner's massive score.

Summing up: A documentary you can't afford to miss.

Gone With The Wind is a story you'll never forget. The documentry about Gone With The Wind was excellent because it explains in detail about the movie, how it was all set out and how long it took to take to decide who would take the main parts in it. It must have been very difficult for the people who made this movie to make up their minds of who shall be the best person to play and to take part in Gone With the Wind. I think it all started in 1937 when the people asks some Actors and Actresses to take an audition and show what they have got. The documentry is fantastic to watch. I give it 10 out of 10.

Regardless of how one feels about the epic movie that serves as its subject, this documentary is a very valuable lesson in the difficulties of film production itself. I rated it higher than the actual film, which might make David O. Selznick turn in his grave. While I very much like the first half of the actual film, I feel that the final two hours don't succeed in sustaining the intense drama and visual spectacle of the first two.

This documentary served to enhance greatly my understanding of and appreciation for the film production that it describes. I very much respect Mr. Selznick for his determination to see the monumental project to its end. I never realized before that a producer could become so emotionally attached and even obsessed by a production. Until seeing this, I always believed that producers were cold, calculating businesspeople who only saw value in the potential profit of a film rather than in its artistic merit. This film proves that I was wrong.

In addition to my gained appreciation for the producer, while I valued many of the cast members who appeared in front of the camera, most notably Vivien Leigh, Hattie McDaniel, and Butterfly McQueen, among others, I also learned to value the substantial contribution of the following individuals who stood behind the camera and out of the limelight: Jack Cosgrove for his impressive special photographic effects, William Cameron Menzies for his production design, including his legendary sketch boards, and, finally, Sidney Howard and Ben Hecht for their respective roles in developing the screenplay. What especially impressed me was Selznick's commitment and phenomenal stamina in seeing the film production to its end.

I also enjoyed glimpses of the various takes of the many competitors for the coveted role of Scarlett O'Hara. I won't list all of the possible Scarletts here, but Paulette Goddard, the favorite, must have been very disappointed when British actress Vivien Leigh, who had only appeared in minor roles of a few unremarkable films before, was chosen for the lead to the surprise of many. It was a brilliant decision as the special radiance and technical ability of Leigh added to the overall visual appeal of the film.

I was fascinated by this documentary as it reveals so many of the daunting challenges that could have prevented the movie from being made at all. It truly enabled me to appreciate the epic film much more than ever before, and David Hinton, the director, is to be commended for his outstanding effort. Thankfully, the documentary is only half the duration of the film itself and never disappointed me as the second half of the actual film did. Even if you don't love "Gone With the Wind", you should see this in order to learn about film production and about the rewards of perseverance and hard work.

A look behind the scenes at the making of and what went into the production of Gone with the Wind.

This is a really great documentary with loads of archival footage and interviews with the surviving cast and crew of the film. You get a great sense of how much work it was to put the book to screen and all the trials and tribulations that happened along the way. It'll give you a renewed appreciation for the movie and the effort that was put into it. Overall this had the flavour of a really strong DVD special feature made 10 years before they existed. TCM does it again!

The only slight would be that the racial aspects of the movie and book aren't really talked about, but they've been elsewhere so you can always just look there instead of expecting this to be all things to all people.