Masterpiece of the Week: Gone with the Wind, 1939

I’m always shocked when someone tells me that they haven’t seen Gone with the Wind. The idea of never having seen one of the most famous, celebrated, successful, enduring and innovative films in American cinematic history, is astonishing to me. Yet, there is a contingency that has not seen this film.

Gone with the Wind was producer David O. Selznick’s great triumph, and he didn’t mind destroying myriad people in the making of it. Adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s 1936 best seller of the same name, the script was written repeatedly by an ever-changing team of people (with a lot of interference from Mr. Selznick). Of the many who worked on the script, only Sidney Howard is credited. The writers weren’t the only people suffering behind the scenes. The film had more than its fair share of directors as Selznick grew increasingly dissatisfied with what he was seeing in the “rushes.” While Victor Fleming (who also directed another film in 1939 that you may have heard of—The Wizard of Oz) is credited as director, both Sam Wood and George Cukor sat in the director’s chair for awhile.

Olivia de Havilland: Turner Entertainment

The film boasts one of the most famous casts in film history, and, one of the most famous searches for a leading lady. One of the first to be cast was the exceptional Olivia de Havilland as the gentle Melanie Wilkes (the sympathetic antithesis of the film’s lead, Scarlett). Casting the other leading roles posed some considerable debate amongst the production team. Finally, Leslie Howard was cast as the rather ethereal Ashley Wilkes (the object of Scarlett’s affections), and—another great triumph for Selznick—Clark Gable agreed to play Rhett Butler, the uber-masculine blockade runner. But, who was to play Scarlett? Many tested. Many were considered. At one point, early on, it was rumored that Warner Brothers would lend Bette Davis to Selznick for the role of Scarlett, providing Errol Flynn would play Rhett Butler. Selznick declined. Other finalists included Jean Arthur and Joan Bennett. Only two of the finalist were tested in Technicolor: Paulette Goddard and a lesser known British actress Vivien Leigh whom Selznick’s wife referred to as “The Scarlett dark horse.” The dark horse won the race.

Leigh and Howard: Turner Entertainment

Completing the cast were Hattie McDaniel as “Mammy”, Thomas Mitchell and Barbara O’Neill as Scarlett’s parents, Alicia Rhett as “India Wilkes,” Butterfly McQueen as Prissy and a host of other popular character actors of the era too numerous to list here.

This was the most highly anticipated film of the 1930’s and is part of the reason that 1939 is considered the greatest year in motion picture history. Of course, even if you’ve not seen the film, you’re aware of its plot. Gone with the Wind follows the lives of two intertwined Southern families before, during and after the Civil War. While some will argue that the film glorifies the South, it also shows much of the turmoil of that period in American history in great detail.

Leigh as Scarlett: Turner Entertainment

Technically revolutionary, the picture employs techniques that were unheard of at the time—combining layers of motion picture film with glass paintings, trick shots and even an unusual title sequence. The film swept the academy awards that year. However, the most notable Oscar win was the award for Best Supporting Actress which went to Hattie McDaniel—the first African American to win an Academy Award.

I really feel that everyone should seeGone With the Wind at least once. It’s a masterpiece—like watching a living painting set to an amazing score by the brilliant Max Steiner. However, if those of you who have not seen it still refuse, well, “frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

Leading the Way: Hattie McDaniel

Born in 1895 to parents who were former slaves, Hattie McDaniel was a creative, precocious child known for writing songs, singing and a charming, easy-going disposition. Her graciousness and comedic talent led her into show business where she would work with the best of the best: Mae West, Will Rogers, Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Henry Fonda, Olivia de Havilland, Vivien Leigh and Katherine Hepburn, among others. McDaniel was much beloved on any movie set. Her coworkers began to rely on her warmth and generosity. Other actors fought to work with her. Word of her tremendous talent began to spread.


Nevertheless, she had to audition for the role with which most people associate her, that of “Mammy” in Gone with the Wind. She arrived at her audition dressed for the role, and won the part over many other actresses despite her past experiences in mostly comedic parts. Her fine performance as “Mammy” led to a nomination for an Academy Award—a first for an African American performer. More so historic was her win that year for Best Supporting Actress.

As "Mammy": Turner Entertainment

Even with an Academy Award win to her credit, Miss McDaniel still had many battles to fight. She was no stranger to discrimination. Even for the Atlanta premier of Gone with the Wind—the film for which she received her Oscar—event planners discouraged her (or any of the other black perfomers’) attendance. If she did go, she would have had to stay at a segregated hotel. She wouldn’t even have been allowed in the theater. In fact, her photo and the photos of the other African American actors were forbidden from being printed in the program. Clark Gable was furious—refusing to attend! However, McDaniel encouraged him to go.

Hattie McDaniel didn’t stand for the oppression around her. In 1945 she organized other African American residents of their posh Hollywood neighborhood to fight an injunction that dictated that homeowners could only be white. They won their battle and set a precedent that would be the groundwork for other such fights.

A member of the African American sorority Sigma Gamma Rho, McDaniel the Chairman of the “Negro Division” of the Hollywood Victory Committee, which offered entertainment for the soldiers stationed at military bases. Her good friend Bette Davis supported McDaniel in her efforts, making Davis the only white actor to perform for the African American troops. Known to feed, to clothe, to lend money or support to anyone in need regardless of knowing them, McDaniel also devoted her efforts to helping people who had been displaced by floods and natural disasters.

Hattie McDaniel died in 1952 after a long, celebrated career. Her last wish was to be buried in Hollywood Cemetery. The owner, however, refused to have a person of color buried in his cemetery. In 1999, the cemetery (newly renamed Hollywood Forever) wanted to correct this injustice as best they could. A large monument was erected in McDaniel’s honor. A fitting tribute to a remarkable person—if not fifty years too late.

Game Changers: Raintree County, 1957

Taylor, Clift and Saint studying MGM footage: MGM

Nearly twenty years after David O. Selznick began shooting Gone with the Wind, MGM launchedRaintree County. MGM promised that this epic Civil War drama—based on the novel of the same name by Ross Lockbridge, Jr.—was meant to surpass GWTW in spectacle and beauty. The cast was stellar. Elizabeth Taylor was to be paired, once again, with the enigmatic and handsome Montgomery Clift. Theirs was a magnificent team. The best of friends, they adored one another and worked perfectly together. Taylor, it was thought, could keep Monty’s drinking under control during the filming. Monty would keep Liz’s acting in check. Rising star Eva Marie Saint was cast as Monty’s hometown sweetheart. The glorious Agnes Moorehead (known to most of us as Endora) would play his mother. Rod Taylor, Walter Abel, Nigel Patrick, Tom Drake and Lee Marvin rounded out the cast.


MGM built lavish sets and planned detailed battle scenes meant to rival Gone with the Wind. The location shooting was planned to the last detail. Everything was in place. Production began…

And, then, one night, after leaving a little dinner party at Elizabeth Taylor’s house, Montgomery Clift crashed his car. His friend, Kevin McCarthy, was in the car ahead of Monty’s. He rushed to the wreckage, but couldn’t see Monty. McCarthy ran back to Taylor’s house, banging on the door. “Monty’s dead!” Taylor and others rushed to the scene. However, Montgomery Clift wasn’t dead. The impact forced his body under the dashboard. His head was swollen to the width of his shoulders. He was choking. Elizabeth Taylor forced her way through the rear windshield, cradling her dear friend in her lap as she removed two teeth that had been lodged in his throat.

While Montgomery Clift lived that night, part of him died. Production halted for months while he recovered. He returned to filming as a different man—the left side of his once-perfect face was paralyzed. His mind was muddied from pain and too much medication. Though at times, he appears gaunt and wooden, Clift still manages to give an outstanding performance in the film which is, otherwise, I hate to say it, rather uneven.

Clift, after the accident, his face paralyzed.

Taylor’s performance swells to sometimes unnatural crescendos. However, these moments of histrionics fit the increasing madness of her character. And, of course, she looks stunning. It’s not Taylor’s fault that the film falls flat at times. Nor is it Montgomery Clift’s—or anyone’s. It’s just a production that was chaotic from start to finish.

Strangely enough, the picture did well at the box office though everyone associated with it knew it wasn’t the best. Clift—in his own dark way—joked that people would go if only just to see if they could spot which scenes were filmed before and which were filmed after his accident.

So, why am I recommending the film? Frankly because it’s an important part of film history. It marks an important place in the lives of Montgomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor. Also, despite being overwrought, it’s an interesting film to watch. The plot is a bit murky, but the picture is beautifully shot. Not only is it a recreation of the Civil War, it’s, more importantly, a time capsule of the film world of the late-1950’s. Also, it’s historically significant as the first use of 70 mm cameras. Raintree County was a turning point in the film industry and worth seeing—even if only once.

(Note: The film has not yet been released on a legitimate DVD by MGM)

Film of the Week: The Oscar, 1966

Ah, The Oscar…what can one say about this film? It’s incredibly tawdry and garish and, truly quite comedic. Sadly, however, it was meant to be a very serious drama. Well, what can you do?

The film concerns the career of a conman/actor named Frankie Fane who is really just a louse. He begins his career “managing” a well-meaning stripper with the assistance of his overly-loyal friend and lackey, Hymie Kelly. Somehow, through his boorish behavior, Frankie manages to become a rather celebrated film star. Of course, he becomes increasingly difficult to deal with. Eventually, when his career is hitting a stalling point, he ends up being nominated for an Oscar. In order to sway the votes of the Academy, Frankie purposefully exposes a scandal from his past and makes it look as if the scandal was revealed by one of the other nominees. Will his little scheme work? Well, I’ll give you one guess.

The Oscar stars Stephen Boyd as the unctuous and positively bipolar Frankie. In his first film role, Tony Bennett plays Hymie Kelly and delivers the finest, and most impressive use of the word, “whore,” in 1960’s cinema. Elke Sommer plays Frankie’s love-interest. She’s a peculiar character, and Elke’s uneven performance makes what should be a tragic plot twist seem almost funny.

So, why watch this ostensibly awful picture? Because it IS unintentionally humorous. Even though it was peppered with notable guest stars, it was still “box office poison.” However, today, it holds the title of one of those “Awful films that we love.” And, it truly is loveable…and awful.

The Oscar [VHS]

Sunday Morning Special: Barbara Walters’ Interview with Bette Davis

On this Oscar day, it seems appropriate to showcase one of the greats—two-time Oscar winner Bette Davis.  Miss Davis enjoyed a long and amazing career, but she also suffered many tragic losses and setbacks in her personal life.  By the 1980’s, Miss Davis had battled cancer, a stroke and a broken hip, but the biggest blow was dealt by her daughter B.D. Hyman whose scurrilous book about her mother devastated the plucky Oscar winner.  In this late 1980’s interview with Barbara Walters, a post-stroke Bette Davis talks about her career and getting older.  Puffing on a cigarette, she showed herself to be wholly unsinkable.  We should all be so resilient.

Sunday Viewing: The Star, 1952

With 1950’s release of All About Eve, it seemed that Bette Davis’ star was rising once again. However, 1950 also marked the beginning of her tumultuous relationship with the simian Gary Merrill and a series of rather curious films which weren’t necessarily the best choices for her career.


By 1952, Davis’ renaissance was all but dimmed. She accepted the lead role in a film about a fading film star whose financial and personal difficulties made a “return” to films all the more difficult. To say that this tale of a former Oscar winner’s woes mirrored Davis’ own life is not entirely accurate, but it’s not too far off either.

It’s not the greatest of Davis’ films by any means, but The Star has a lot to offer. Davis’ performance is raw and angry and she seems to have been able to bring her own pain to the surface. She’s joined by the wooden Sterling Hayden as her love interest. Though rugged and attractively weathered, Hayden isn’t a good match of Davis and their attraction seems forced. But, it’s easy to not pay attention to him since Davis dominates the film.

In a small supporting role, Natalie Wood plays Davis’ whiney daughter in much the same way she played every part. She’s Natalie Wood, and that’s the best one can say of her.

However, for fans of Davis’ career, this is an interesting film and quite enjoyable. The scene in which a drunken Davis takes her Oscar for a swerving car ride is well worth the cost of the DVD.

Welcome to Our Special Oscar Day!

Since, tonight, Hollywood and fans around the world will celebrate the best in cinema at the 85th Annual Academy Awards, I thought we'd revisit previous Stalking the Belle Époque articles relating to Oscar-winners and cinema.

Now, I haven't seen one new film.  I've no idea what or who is nominated.  But, I do know the historical path which has been taken to get to this point.  And, that's what we'll be examining today.

Next week, we'll have all new old things to look at and enjoy.  We'll also have another "Exceptional Person," a "Treat of the Week" (on the correct day and everything!), a Gratuitous Bertie Dog Picture, and a lot of glittering gems.

Of course, Mr. Punch of Belgrave Square will continue with all new chapters as we discover how and why Fern has appeared at Punch's door, what Ulrika really wants, and just what Orpha intends to do with Marduk.  Lots of weird and exciting stuff ahead.  If you've missed any chapters, you can always catch up in the Chapter Archive.