This week is the 75th anniversary of the movie “Gone With The Wind.” The book was released in May, 1936 to Book Club members and in June, 1936, to the general public. It was the middle of the Depression and $3.00 for a book was a bit pricey. Many went together and kicked in a quarter each to make the purchase.
The movie came out in December, 1939 with its premier in Atlanta on Dec. 15 It is reported that when an actress from England was chosen for the top female role, a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy in Florida commented, “at least it wasn’t a Yankee”.
Then there was the reporter meeting the ship “Scarlett” came in on, is said to have asked “And just what part in the movie do you play, Miss Leigh?”.
Author of this tome, Margaret Mitchell, was well aware of the ancestors she had in Fayette County. In the late 1930’s she stopped in at the drug store for a soda. The pharmacist’ wife asked the visitor if she had read the famous new book. Miss Mitchell gently replied, “yes, I wrote it.”
In the Fall of 1970 C.J. Mowell and I realized that Fayette County would be 150 years old the next year. Being young and confident we could do anything, we put together an eight day celebration with a different historical slant each day. Really, this was four days too many, but that did not dawn us until it was over.
One of the historical events that involved Fayette County, although indirectly, was the movie, “Gone With The Wind”. So we decided to show it at the Sams Auditorium. No problem. Right?
Wrong. The movie studio had other ideas. So we called up Margaret Mitchell’s brother, Stephens Mitchell, and asked him to get it for us.
And he did. More next week.
