Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!

With the title of my post, is it really any secret which movie I am talking about this time.  Why yes, it is Gone With the Wind.  This movie will be tough to review because what can I really say that hasn't been said.  After all it is one of the all time classics.

I will start with the cast and as a whole it is a very long list.  I am going to go with the the major people as I see it.  Thomas Mitchell as Gerald O'Hara, Barbara O'Neil as Ellen O'Hara, Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara, Evelyn Keyes as Suellen O'Hara, Ann Rutherford as Careen O'Hara, Hattie McDaniel as Mammy, Butterfly McQueen as Prissy, Victor Jory as Jonas Wilkerson,  Leslie Howard as Ashley Wilkes,  Olivia de Havilland as Melanie Hamilton, and Clark Gable as Rhett Butler.  There are others in this film, it was a huge production but I can't list everyone.

As I said before, it is kind of hard to say anything new about this movie, but I will begin with something that I have always thought about when thinking about Gone With the Wind.  Many movie buffs are aware that it came out the same year of the Wizard of Oz, but that wasn't the only classic movie that was released in 1939.    In both the American Film Institute (AFI) List of the 100 greatest films of all time and Entertainment Weekly list of the top 100, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is the third in that triumvirate.  I may be mistaken but as I perused both lists, 1939 is the only year to have three movies make either list.  What am I getting at?  '39 was a damn good year to see a movie.  If you look at the other seven Best Picture nominees, it isn't as if there are a bunch of slouches in there.  Stage Coach, Of Mice and Men, and Wuthering Heights may not have made the top 100, but they are all considered good films in their own.

1939 must have been a special year, one of those years where all the stars aligned.  OK maybe I am conveniently forgetting that World War II began in '39, but I am referring to movies.  Thomas Mitchell who played Scarlett O'Hara's father was in three of the Best Picture nominated movies that year.  He also appeared in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and Stage Coach.  The latter he won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role.  Not a bad year if you ask me.

Since I am mentioning nominations it might be a good idea to run down what Gone With the Wind was nominated for.  It received a total of 13 nominations, winning 9 and also won 2 special awards.  As I have mentioned over and over again, my wife came up with our list based on Best Picture and Best Director and all the acting nominations.  Gone With the Wind hit all of them except Best Supporting Actor.

Lets run down the nominations and the people or movies they were up against.

The first nomination goes to Clark Gable as Rhett Butler.  Also nominated were.

• Robert Donat as Mr. Chips in Goodbye Mr. Chips
• Laurance Olivier as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights
• Mickey Rooney as Mickey Moran in Babes in Arms
• James Stewart as Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Clark did not win as I am sure most people know.  Robert Donat won for his role in Goodbye, Mr. Chips.  I haven't seen Goodbye Mr. Chips yet, but he must have been incredible in that role, because Gable was fantastic in his.  I guess I will have to reserve comment on whether I agree or disagree until I blog about Mr. Chips.

The next nomination was for Best Actress and that went to Vivien Leigh for her role as Scarlett O'Hara and she deservedly won.  The other nominees were as follows.

• Bette Davis as Judith Traherne in Dark Victory
• Irene Dunne as Terry McKay in Love Affair
• Greta Garbo as Lena Yakushova (Ninotchka) in Ninotchka
• Greer Garson as Katherine Chipping in Goodbye Mr. Chips

I can't say anything any better than what has been said about Leigh's performance  I don't think many would argue that she shouldn't have won.  I certainly won't. 

On to Best Supporting Actress.  Olivia de Havilland for her role as Melanie Hamilton and Hattie McDaniel for her role as Mammy were both nominated.  The other nominees were.

• Geraldine Fitzgerald as Isabella in Wuthering Heights
• Edna May Oliver as Sarah McKlennar in Drums Along the Mohawk
• Maria Ouspenskaya as Grandmother Mme Marnay in Love Affair

Hattie McDaniel won the Oscar and again, I am not going to argue.  She was terrific and frankly I think her performance was better than Leighs.  Her win is probably more notable as being the first African American to win an acting Oscar.  It wouldn't be until Halle Berry that an African American woman won a Best Actress Oscar.  Not only was she the first to win, but she was also the first African American to attend the Oscars as a guest, not a servant.

Up next is the directing category and Victor Fleming

• Sam Wood for Goodbye, Mr Chips
• Frank Capra for Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• John Ford for Stagecoach
• William Wyler for Wuthering Heights

Pretty good company if you ask me, even more impressive that he won.  Another person who 1939 was a good year.  Not only did he direct Gone With the Wind, but he also directed Wizard of Oz.  Ironically he replaced the original director to smooth out production problems on both films.  I think he succeeded.

Last but not least, Best Picture.  I know I mentioned a few already, but I will run down the full list.  I will also repeat the fact that it won the Oscar and was the gem among many that year.  Also nominated for Best Picture were.

• Dark Victory
• Goodbye, Mr Chips
• Wuthering Heights
• Love Affair
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
• Ninotchka
• Of Mice and Men
• Stage Coach
• Wizard of Oz

I think they got this one right as well.  Although, Wizard of Oz is a close second, but that may be because I remember seeing it every year on TV and it brings back fond years of my childhood.  I didn't see Gone With the Wind until I was in high school.

I am sure most know that the movie is based on Margaret Mitchell's classic book of the same title.  I am an avid reader and have read the book as well.  The movie certainly did a good job of staying true to the book in most cases.  The movie is every bit as long as the book, clocking in at 226 minutes.  The re release is even longer at 238 minutes.  Despite its length for the most part it does not drag.  There are a few places where I have to admit it does, but they are few and far between.  I easily give this movie 5 out of 5 stars.