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STUDIO: Warner Home video
MSRP: $39.92
RATED: G
RUNNING TIME: 238 Minutes (both discs)
SPECIAL FEATURES:

DVD Features: Disc 1 & 2 (The Film)
* Commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer
* 5.1 Dolby Digital Soundtrack
* Original Mono Soundtrack
DVD Features: Disc 3
* The Making of a Legend: Gone With The Wind the acclaimed 1989 documentary made by Selznick's sons and narrated by Christopher Plummer (125 Minutes, Never-before-available on DVD)
* Restoring a Legend- An in-depth look at the restoration and Ultra-Resolution process utilized by Warner Bros. For this new DVD presentation
* Footage from 1939 Atlanta and 1961 Civil War Centennial Atlanta premieres
* The Old South - Fred Zinnerman directed this historical 1940 theatrical short, which was shown by MGM in theatres prior to the release of Gone With The Wind
DVD Features: Disc 4
* Melanie Remembers: Olivia de Havilland Recalls Gone With The Wind - All new documentary produced especially for this new DVD set, features Ms. de Havilland's personal recollections of the film
* Clark Gable: A King Remembered - A Portrait of the legendary actor's long and distinguished career as M-G-M's most famous leading man
* Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond hosted by Jessica Lange, this is an insightful look at Leigh's short and troubled life
* Mini documentaries covering lives and careers of the most prominent cast members


"My God, that man has fancier pants than ours!"

Introduction

Epic. Classic. Blockbuster. Masterpiece. Tour de force. These words and more (Moneybags comes to mind.) can be used to describe David O Selznick’s screen adaptation of the 1936 best-selling Margaret Mitchell novel Gone With The Wind. You know, that little known book that sold 1 million copies in its first 6 months and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1937? Yeah, that’s the one. Gone With The Wind took America by storm in the summer of 1936. People demanded a film version of the book, and continuous news coverage kept every American informed of its production. Lines stretched for blocks when the film opened, and some movie houses had a 24/7 loop of the film for people to randomly walk in and enjoy.

I ask you now to hang in through this review. Like the film, it’s going to be one hell of a juggernaut, as I made it a goal of mine to deliver the entire box-set experience to you. In terms of the goodies, there’s a huge reveal that you will find somewhere below; where I decide to include it will depend on how much writing I do in order to cover the special features. Onward!


Upskirt cam: 1860's style

The Flick

It wouldn’t feel right to me to write this review without separating the first part of the film from the second part. Especially when the film is spread across two individual DVDs.

The first part of the film introduces us to the major characters and focuses on the buildup and destruction caused by the Civil War whereas the second part focuses on the rebuilding of the South and the conflicts that the major characters continue to have with one another.

The two discs are both complete films themselves, as I learned this from the Selznick son documentary (see Goodies below for more). Separating the two pictures was something considered by the studio before the picture was released. If Gone With The Wind were released today as a new film, I guarantee that it would be split in half in order to increase profits.

Be forewarned, I will be describing the film’s plot in its entirety.


"Now I want you to remember that no bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country."

Disc 1, Part 1 – 1 hour, 45 minutes

Part one of Gone With The Wind begins with the original two minute and thirty second overture intact. It then moves into the prologue and then into the sweeping title card oversized on producer’s David O. Selznick’s request. A full rendition of the “Tara” theme is used, a theme you will hear used many times throughout the film.

This moves into the introduction of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), a young Southern belle out to get whatever she wants. We learn that Scarlett has a strong affection for Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard) when Scarlett’s father tells her that Ashley is scheduled to wed his cousin, Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland). This stirs up aggressive feelings within Scarlett, and her father reminds her that nothing but Tara is important. The scene ends famously with Scarlett and her father standing on a hill at the sunset overlooking the Tara plantation.

The next day, Scarlett travels to Twelve Oaks, the Wilkes’ plantation, for a barbeque. Here Scarlett is the center of attention for all the young men at the gathering. Every girl at the party loathes her and Scarlett is engrossed in this fact. Elsewhere, Ashley and Melanie discuss their upcoming marriage as they overlook the garden, where we see Scarlett surrounded by all of the local boys. Having these boys wrapped around her finger, Scarlett teases the young Charles Hamilton before asking him to choose a dessert for her. He is overjoyed by this fact, but his desert selection is shot down when Scarlett spots Ashley and Melanie happily walking together. Some time later, Scarlett sneaks past a group of her sleeping companions, where she overhears a group of men discussing the upcoming and unavoidable war.

All of the men, except for a reluctant Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), feel that the South will easily win the war. Butler’s comments stir up anger in the group, and Butler leaves. Ashley chases after him, but is intercepted by Scarlett in the hallway. She requests his presence for a moment, where she declares her love for him. Ashley describes his true affection for Melanie and then leaves. This fuels Scarlett enough that she picks up a pitcher and tosses it across the room. It smashes against the wall behind a couch and Butler reveals himself from behind the couch. Here, Rhett seems to take control of Scarlett; leaving her reeling back on her heels. Scarlett leaves, and hears a group of girls talking negatively about her. Melanie sticks up for Scarlett, but the damage has already been done in Scarlett’s mind.


Scarlett's narcolepsy always strikes at the most inopportune times.

“The war! The war has started!” This is where the film picks up the pace as the local men and boys rush to their horses and to their lovers to say goodbye. Caught up in the moment, Charles Hamilton (the rejected dessert gatherer) asks Scarlett for her hand in marriage. Scarlett is appalled at this until through the window she sees Ashley kissing Melanie from atop his horse. Scarlett says yes to Hamilton to make Ashley jealous. It seems that Scarlett will do whatever it takes to keep herself in Ashley’s mind. In a double marriage ceremony, a tearful Scarlett is married to Hamilton and Melanie is married to Ashley.

Next, we see a letter written to Scarlett describing how her husband, Hamilton, has died honorably of pneumonia. With this news, Scarlett is now a widow. Ellen O'Hara (Barbara O'Neil) agrees for her daughter Scarlett to visit her Aunt Pittypat and Melanie in Atlanta. Soon after, a Confederate charity dance is held, and the three women show up dressed in black. Beforehand, Scarlett is reluctant to wear the colors of a widow. “I’m too young to be a widow,” she tells her servant, Mammy (Hattie McDaniel) as she tries on a luscious red hat, a symbol of her defiance and true uncaring for Hamilton.

Scarlett encounters Rhett Butler for a second time at the charity dance. Melanie joins the two, and in one of the most touching scenes of the film, a man asks for their gold jewelry to help the Confederacy and Melanie gives her wedding ring for the cause. Scarlett, seeing that Melanie is giving hers away to help Ashley, gives her now-useless wedding ring away as it is no use to her anymore. (Butler eventually returns the rings to the two women with a sarcastic note to Scarlett.) Later, Butler bids $150 to dance with Scarlett. The spectators are surprised by this move considering that Scarlett is a widow. They are surprised even further when Scarlett accepts the offer and dances with Butler.

Christmas time comes and many of the soldiers, including Ashley, receive a three-day leave. Ashley’s leave comes short, and Ashley asks Scarlett to take care of Melanie for him. Later, Melanie and Scarlett volunteer at the Confederate hospital, where Scarlett watches as a man gets his leg amputated without the use of chloroform. The man’s screaming of “don’t cut!” as we watch his struggling shadow on the far wall is chilling and brings a lump in your throat. Seeing this horror, Scarlett rushes to her Aunt’s house as General Sherman of the North begins his invasion of Atlanta. Scarlett encounters one of her old slaves, Big Sam, who tells her that her mother is ill back at Tara. Scarlett is then overwhelmed by the evacuation and Rhett Butler picks her up in his wagon and delivers her to her aunt’s home. Scarlett wants to go back home to Tara, but Dr. Meade (Harry Davenport) warrants against that since Melanie is very close to delivering her child.


...of Devin Faraci.

Nearly all of Atlanta is deserted now, and Melanie eventually has her baby. The siege of Atlanta is right on top of Scarlett, Melanie, and her other servant, Prissy. Scarlett sends Prissy to track down Butler, whom is found at the local bar, to help evacuate them. After some playful works with Prissy from a second story window, Butler brings a wagon to the house and they make an exciting and visually dashing journey across the burning city of Atlanta. The visual effects really sell this scene to the audience.

Butler delivers them to the crossroads to Tara, but leaves Scarlett there in order to join the war. Butler hands Scarlett his gun for protection and tells her that it is now up to her to deliver the group to Tara. The women’s trip is a grueling one as they travel through the remnants of the destruction of the war. They eventually come upon the ruins of Twelve Oaks (Ashley’s home). With some optimism they travel to Tara, and Scarlett is overwhelmed to see that it still stands.

Scarlett then rushes to the front door, and her mindless father greets her at the door. Mammy is still there with the family, and she and Scarlett share an embrace. Scarlett travels upstairs only to find her mother dead in her room. Scarlett is very distraught and starving at this moment. We see her travel out to the plains, where she rips a carrot from the ground and devours it like a rabid animal. Composing herself, Scarlett stands and says, “As God is my witness, as God is my witness they're not going to lick me. I'm going to live through this and when it's all over, I'll never be hungry again. No, nor any of my folk. If I have to lie, steal, cheat or kill. As God is my witness, I'll never be hungry again.” The camera pulls away from Scarlett just as it did at the beginning of the film standing with Scarlett overlooking Tara with her father.

Part one ends with the original three-minute intermission intact.

Score: 10 out of 10


"I told them not to drink the juice!"

Disc 2, Part 2 – 2 hours

Does the North prevail over the South? Well, if you paid attention in history class, you’ll know the answer.

The one minute and thirty second entr’acte starts the second portion of the film. This transitions into a fiery montage of Northern soldiers storming through Georgia. We then move on to Scarlett and her sisters using their own hands to pick cotton at Tara. One of the sisters describes her hatred for their Tara home and Scarlett slaps her, telling her to never say anything like that again. Scarlett then walks into the house and encounters a “Yankee” looter rummaging through her late mother’s things. Scarlett uses Butler’s gun to shoot the man in the face and then she and Melanie take the man’s looted money from his dead body.

Soon after, the war is then declared over and men begin to return home. Many of them pass through the Tara plantation, where the women feed and nurse many of them back to health. As Scarlett, Melanie, and Mammy stand on the front porch of the home, “another one” of them marches up the path to the home. Melanie realizes that it is her lover Ashley, and she rushes to him. Scarlett attempts to follow, but Mammy holds her back.

Frank Kennedy, a friend we recognize from the barbeque held at earlier in the film, is looking for Gerald O’Hara when he runs into Scarlett. He informs Scarlett that he is going to ask for her sister’s (Suellen) hand in marriage, and Scarlett gives her the blessing of the family for her father. Soon after this, Northern carpetbaggers and Southern scalawags declare $300 worth of taxes on Tara. Scarlett thinks of a means of paying the debt, and travels out to the plantation barn to talk to Ashley. Here, she (once again) confesses her love for him. They kiss, and Scarlett asks Ashley to run away to Mexico with her. (Something suggested earlier to Scarlett from Butler.) Ashley declines her offer, once more expressing his love for Melanie and his commitment to rebuilding the plantation. Ashley tries to explain to Scarlett that she really doesn’t love him, but she pays no attention to what he says. Beset, Scarlett runs back to the house, where she encounters the old plantation Overseer, Jonas Wilkerson (Victor Jory) and his wife, Emmy Slattery (Isabel Jewell). Jonas offers to pay the taxes on Tara by purchasing the land, but Scarlett refuses and kicks them off the premises. Scarlett’s father Gerald chases after them on horseback, but dies when the horse jumps over the fencing and he falls from the horse.


"I love you so much I want to scoop your eyeballs out of their sockets and chew and suck on them."

Later on, Scarlett decides to visit Rhett Butler in Atlanta to ask for the $300 needed for the taxes on Tara. In a famous move, Scarlett rips a green velvet curtain from the window and tells Mammy that a dress will be made from it. Scarlett wears this dress when she arrives in Atlanta only to learn that Butler has been thrown in jail. He informs Scarlett that all of his money is in Europe and that he can’t help her. Scarlett leaves, but then runs into Frank Kennedy (the man Scarlett’s sister is to marry). Scarlett welcomes Frank to their home, where she tells him that her sister, Suellen, doesn’t want to marry him. (This is untrue.) After this, we see Frank writing a check for $300, after wedding Scarlett. Suellen is crushed, and at this point it seems that Scarlett will do just about anything to get what she wants no matter who is hurt in the process.

Speaking of that, in order to keep Ashley from running off to New York City, Scarlett starts a lumber company with Ashley behind Frank Kennedy’s general store. One morning on her way to the mill, two men attack Scarlett, and one of her former slaves, Big Sam, saves her life. That evening, the husbands travel to the woods to rid the Earth of the men that attacked Scarlett. The women wait for the men to return from their said “political meeting” when Butler enters the home, asking where the men went. The women are reluctant to tell him at first, believing he will go to the local officers and tell them what the men are really doing. Butler eventually gets the information from the trusting Melanie and leaves the home. Minutes later, there is a knock at the door by the local officers. They enter the home, and interrogate the group of women. Just as the soldiers are leaving, the door opens and the husbands (sans Frank Kennedy), along with Butler, stumble into the house, acting intoxicated. Butler lies to the officers about them spending the evening drinking, and the officers leave. Ashley is then revealed to have been shot, and is rushed away to be treated. In this scene we also learn that Frank Kennedy was shot and killed during the raid. So…

Once again, Scarlett is in mourning. (She actually appears sad about taking Frank from her sister.) Butler visits her and asks for her hand in marriage, saying, “I can't go all my life waiting to catch you between husbands.” This time Scarlett says yes, and they spend their honeymoon in New Orleans. They return home to Tara, and Butler tells Scarlett to do whatever it takes to restore the land to its original form. He also builds her a grand mansion in Atlanta, where Scarlett eventually gives birth to their daughter, Bonnie Blue Butler. Rhett is completely infatuated with the girl, and gives her the best of everything. One evening, Butler finds a picture of Ashley in Scarlett’s bedroom and learns that Scarlett believes that she is still in love with Ashley. Butler erupts in a great scene, where he kicks the bedroom door open, pours a drink, and then throws the glass at an enormous painting of Scarlett hanging over the fireplace on the other side of the room. Butler then leaves, but returns home when he realizes that his daughter, Bonnie, needs him.

Matters only get worse when two women enter the lumber company to find Scarlett and Ashley embracing one another. Nothing was happening between them, Ashley was simply attempting to comfort Scarlett, but the damage is done. Butler hears of the incident, and forces Scarlett to go to Ashley’s birthday party alone, where she has to confront the people of the community. Surprisingly, her friend Melanie welcomes her with open arms, and forces the party members to treat Scarlett like nothing happened.


The true Black Mamba.

By this time, Butler is incredibly drunk, and Scarlett comes downstairs to talk to him. Butler forces Scarlett to sit in a chair in the dining room and attempts to rid Scarlett’s mind of Ashley in one of film’s most humorous and disturbing scenes between the two characters. Butler attempts to rid Scarlett’s mind of Ashley by wrapping his hands around her skull and moving them around as if he were peering through a crystal ball. Scarlett demands that he take his hands off of her and she runs to the stairs. Butler informs Scarlett that running away, “isn’t that easy,” and he forcibly kisses her. This leads to my absolute favorite shots in the film where Butler says, “this is one evening where you’re going to turn me on,” and picks up Scarlett into his arms. He then carries her up the stairs and disappears into the darkness above. The energy in this scene implies that he is going to rape Scarlett, even though they are married.

Morning comes, and Scarlett wakes up in a bright and cheery mood. This scene has always puzzled me, as her reaction should be the exact opposite, but it isn’t. Butler then enters the room and apologizes for his actions then night before. He informs Scarlett that he will be traveling to London and that he is taking their daughter with him. Rhett travels with Bonnie to London, where she eventually tells Butler that she hates it there and wants to return home. Butler grants her request and they return home to their mansion in Atlanta. Scarlett greets them at the top of the stairs, where she also informs Butler that she is pregnant. They both agree that they don’t want the child, and Butler suggests that Scarlett cheer “up, maybe you’ll have an accident.” After hearing him say this, Scarlett swings her arms at Butler and accidentally falls down the stairwell.

Soon after, Melanie informs Butler that Scarlett lost the baby but that she will live. Days later, Scarlett and Butler talk on their terrace when Bonnie tells them that she’s ready to jump the hurdle on her pony. Scarlett is against this, and pleads with Butler to stop her. Before he can, Bonnie takes off and crashes into the hurdle, falling off her horse in the same way Scarlett’s father did. Bonnie is seriously hurt and Butler is devastated; so much that he locks himself with Bonnie in her bedroom. An ill Melanie comes to visit Bonnie, and Mammy struggles to keep herself calm as she recounts the events occurring after Bonnie’s accident. (Supposedly Rhett shoots and kills the pony.) Melanie informs Mammy that Butler is ready to have Bonnie’s funeral and then collapses and never recuperates. Melanie dies soon after asking Scarlett to, “be kind to Captain Butler. He loves you so.” Scarlett exits the room, hugging Ashley. Butler sees this and quietly leaves. Ashley tells Scarlett that he truly loved Melanie and that he never loved Scarlett. Finally, Scarlett realizes that she has been chasing something that never existed and rushes home to talk to Butler. However, for Scarlett, it’s too late. Butler has already decided to leave Scarlett, believing Scarlett will always continue after Ashley now that Melanie is gone.

Scarlett pleads with Butler to stay, but Butler is done with her. He doesn’t believe Scarlett is ready to change. He compares Scarlett to Bonnie, saying that she was the only thing keeping them together. Butler walks through the front door where Scarlett asks him, “Rhett, if you go, where shall I go? What shall I do?” In a powerful stare, Butler replies, “Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn.” Scarlett is crushed, promising to come up with a solution “tomorrow”. Distraught, she collapses the on the stairs as the three voices her father, Ashley, and Butler flow through her mind. The voices build up into a repetitive “Tara! Tara! Tara!” as Scarlett vows to return to Tara where he will come up with a way to get Butler back.

The film closes with Scarlett on a hill overlooking Tara, mirroring the shot with her and her father overlooking Tara and mirroring the shot of her vowing to never being hungry again. The Tara theme builds up into conclusion as the words, “The End” finally fall onto the screen. The original “exit music” closes the film as it appears on the disc.

Score: 9 out of 10

Side note: I always felt that Olivia de Havilland (Melanie) deserved the Best Supporting Actress Academy Award more than Hattie McDaniel (Mammy). I understand how important and historic McDaniel’s win was for African American actors, but I feel de Havilland gave a much stronger performance, considering how much more screen time she has throughout the picture.

Final note: Gone With The Wind is a spectacular example of a producer’s vision and determination. Without David O. Selznick’s obsessive attention to detail and constant revisions to the script, this film may have never become the epic it has become. Gone With The Wind consumed Selznick’s life for nearly half a decade, and it’s truly a miracle that everyone related to the picture came out intact.

Every cinemagoer should be proud to see this film.

Combined "The Flick" score: 9.5 out of 10


I didn't know there were MILF hunters in the 1680s!

The Look

The restoration of the Technicolor print (see “Restoring A Legend” in the goodies section for more) is miraculous, bringing this film back to life. It’s not a restoration that of the Lowery Star Wars Trilogy treatment, but it is a vast improvement over previous releases of the film. (Also, it will never match the original Technicolor print which was as clear as anyone was ever going to see it.)

The colors are richer and blacker than I’ve ever seen them (much better than my Laserdisc copy) and the level of detail is surprising. There still remains a level of grain in this release, but I feel that it assists the picture in terms of giving the film a proper sense of aging and style.

9.0 out of 10


"Well, what kind of mule?"

The Noise

Included on the two discs is a remixed Dolby 5.1 soundtrack especially created for this release of the film. Interestingly, the original mono soundtrack is also included. The only major difference between the two tracks is the difference in how the sound effects come through the speakers.

The 5.1 remix was made to support the picture; when only dialogue is heard, the picture retains the original mono soundtrack. When sound effects are heard, they are enhanced and come through the proper channel. Under contract, the restoration team could not add additional sounds to the soundtrack. They could only enhance what was originally there. A majority of the sound that was recorded was never heard in theaters because sound systems where not enhanced to the degree in which the original editors wanted the sound to be heard.

9.0 out of 10


"The mutton chop shall rise again!"

The Goodies

I’m going to go into much depth in terms of describing the special features included both discs. Like with my review of the film, I will be separating my thoughts just as the material is separated on the discs. Each disc will get a separate score, which will then be used to give an overall score for the “goodies” themselves. Ready? Let’s go.

DISC 1

Commentary by Rudy Behlmer, Part 1

The commentary starts off on good feet. Behlmer begins by mentioning different technical aspects that open the film. (i.e. The largest title credit being shown on the screen was the largest of the time at Gone With The Wind’s premiere).

This type of informative commentary continues for some time, but then it starts to unravel. The scripted feeling of his commentary isn’t what causes this, as I expected a film historian of his type to be prepared and have prep in front of him. It’s the fact that it no longer feels like he is watching the film. He begins to talk about the actors themselves, which is fine, but he doesn’t stop talking about the actors for the rest of the film.

For example, there's all of this symbolic imagery being shown on the screen, and he’s busy talking about an actor's contract. What really annoyed me the most on was when he’s talking about Leigh’s screen test during the famous (second) pull away shot in the film were Scarlett has carrot in hand, and vows, “I’ll never be hungry again.” There was plenty of time beforehand to discuss the terms of her contract on the film. This shot is one of the most famous and quotable dialogues of its time, and he’s not even making mention of it.

Score: 7.0 out of 10

DISC 2

Commentary by Rudy Behlmer, Part 2

Belmer continues this route for the second part of the film. To demonstrate my frustration in regards to his lack of discussion about the symbolic imagery and tone in the film, here’s a direct quote from my notes that I took while watching: “Scarlett just shot the Yankee thief in the face and he's silent for the whole goddamn scene. There’s a slew of symbolic imagery here, certainly in terms of how the scene as a whole was shot.” Can you tell I was a bit annoyed? Here’s another notes from that portion of the film: “And then as the Yankee falls down the stairs, [Belmer] starts talking about Olivia de Havilland’s childhood. Christ.”

Again, Belmer continues discussing just the actor’s history throughout the film.

I’m feeling a good vibe from posting my notes, so here’s another clip: “Now Belmer is talking exclusively about A Streetcar Named Desire when a brilliant scene is being played out (note: the one where Captain Butler brings Ashley home after the raid to rid the Earth of Scarlett’s attackers) with every single major player onscreen. No, wait… he actually just said something about it. Damn, that took some time.” He only mentions that the actors where all on call for that day. What I was wanting from him was to mention how the shot itself was composed. (Remember, this film wasn’t shot in widescreen, it’s full frame, 4:3.) This scene (which I believe was shot by David Fleming) shines with composition like that of the later Alfred Hitchcock film, Dial ‘M’ For Murder. It’s absolutely brilliant for such a simple dialogue heavy scene.

Score: 4.0 out of 10

Final notes on Commentary by Rudy Belmer:

Belmer does such a great job talking about the history and career of the actors, that he would have been perfect for a second commentary or even a great narrator for the fourth disc documentaries/biographies (more on those later). He talks very little about what the film stands for or what is going on screen that the information he gives quickly becomes annoying; up to the level that turning the commentary off would be suitable for most people. I have very little issues with the information that he presents, but I feel that it could have been used in a much better form; those of documentaries based on the major players.

It's not a bad commentary; it's just not very relevant to what is happening on the screen.

Final "Belmer Commentary" score: 5.5 out of 10


Bush's economic policies were so bad that they started bleeding into the space-time contium

DISC 3

"The Making of a Legend: Gone With The Wind"

The first thing you encounter on the third disc is a heavy hitting 125-minute documentary created in 1988 by David O. Selznick’s two sons. This was the last documentary I watched before moving onto the film itself. Thank god. (This is a good thing.)

Voice actors are used in this documentary; they read from letters, journals, and various other media produced during the preparation and production of Gone With The Wind. The reason voice actors were used is because many of the major players and crew had passed on before production. (Gable passed in 1960, Leigh in 1967, Selznick in 1965.) In fact, Jeffery Selznick, one of the producers, reads as his father throughout. Christopher Plummer covers the narration.

I must commend the effort put into this documentary. It is leaps and bounds better than any I’ve seen before. It flows with an incredible efficiency that many film documentaries lack. Perfectionist producers? Fanatical directors? Insane demands from the stars of the picture? Numerous script doctors? Organizations stepping in? Hires? Fires? Over budget? Gone With The Wind (and this documentary) has them all. I won’t go into details because there are entirely too many of them. (I took more notes during this documentary than I did for the entire film, so that’s saying something.)

There’s a reason why this documentary was never-before-available on DVD. It was waiting for this release.

Score: 10 out of 10

"Restoring A Legend"

This 18-minute documentary was filmed particularly for this release. It describes the grain hiding and restoration process of the “glorious Technicolor” (RGB) print of Gone With The Wind. Various people are interviewed, and a variety of print issues and solutions are discussed.

One issue in particular was an alignment issue, which was fixed with a special piece of software that the company wrote themselves. Some of the interviewees describe the amount of time that it took to recover various copies of the film to use for this reissue of the film. One story in particular is rather famous amongst film buffs: MGM was clearing out their inventory of prints and told a worker to throw away the print of Gone With The Wind that was in storage. He told them that he would and relabeled the print as something else so that it wouldn’t be tossed out. He kept an eye on the print over the years and handed it over to this group of restorationists for this release of the film.

The interviewees also describe the process and hierarchy of released prints. It seems that larger cities would get the better prints and smaller cities would the less than stellar issues of the film.

Examples and comparisons of the restoration process are intermingled amongst the interviews. The clarity and details really show through and the software allowed for alignment of the red, green, and blue Technicolor prints so that textures could be seen at a higher quality.

A lot of work went into bringing this film back to life, and this short documentary is an interesting view.

Score: 10 out of 10

"Dixie Hails 'Gone With The Wind'"

This is the 4-minute “News of the Day” news segment showing footage from 1939 Atlanta premiere of Gone With The Wind. These news segments are famous for delivering news to the general public before the screening of the film. It’s an interesting look at how news was delivered to people at the time.

Score: 9 out of 10


Scarlett chases the green dragon.

"The Old South"

This is an 11-minute historical theatrical short (“a miniature”) directed by Fred Zinnerman in 1940. This was shown by MGM in theaters in the northern portion of the United States. It showed in communities that weren’t quite happy with the way the south was portrayed in the film and what it stood for in terms of the story. The history of cotton is used to explain the feeling of the film, as if to say, “everything that happened in the South was alright.” It explains the “slave question” that many must have had at the time of the film’s release as well.

The words, “Gone With The Wind” are used in many different cases, as if to prep the audience for what is to come. There is also a weird melting special effect used in the middle of the film. Lightning would be shown and then various still images would melt on the screen. I didn’t find it very effective, but maybe audiences of the time did.

This is very much a historical prequel of Gone With The Wind.

Score: 8.5 out of 10

"Atlanta Civil War Centennial"

This special feature is a montage of various footage from the 1961 Civil War Centennial re-release of Gone With The Wind at the Loew’s Grand Theater in Atlanta. There are no words; only music is played underneath. It’s basic, especially since much of the footage can be seen (with description) in the included 2-hour Selznick son’s documentary.

Score: 7.0 out of 10

"International Prologue"

This is a special prologue created especially for screenings overseas. It was added to explain the history of the Civil War for those unfamiliar with its history.

Score: 9.0 out of 10

"Foreign Language Versions"

This special feature demonstrates what Gone With The Wind sounds like in different languages. The first footage shown is in French, and the footage shown is the opening scene of Scarlett talking to the two brothers about there being a chance of war. Much like the French, it’s awkward and overly energetic.

The second footage is in Italian. The footage used is the “crossroads” scene, where Butler leaves Scarlett to join the war. It runs up until she slaps him after he kisses her. It’s very chatty and romantic. Exactly what the ladies would enjoy watching.

The third footage is in German. The footage used is of Butler and Scarlett riding in a carriage. I found the choice of scene quite boring, as I do the language.

It’s an interesting inclusion, but nothing to write home about.

Score: 6 out of 10

"Theatrical Trailers"

Included on the third disc are five trailers used throughout the past century to advertise Gone With The Wind during its numerous theatrical runs. When you enter the trailer sub-menu, there is a “Play All” option or you can watch each trailer individually if you choose.

1939 – Announcement Trailer

This is a unique preview trailer used much like a teaser in today’s standards would be used. There are no frames of the film shown in this trailer. It is a very simple sequence where a large leather back book pages are turned by a woman’s hand. Text and various pieces of artwork created for the film are printed on the pages.

Stories tell of this trailer being shown to a sneak preview audience some months before editing on the film itself was completed. Apparently, when the words, “production of Margaret Mitchell’s…” came on the screen, the theater audience exploded in applause and then erupted when the page turned and “Gone With The Wind” appeared onscreen.

It’s a very effective trailer, even though it was created on a simple level.

1961- Civil War Centennial Trailer (2min 45 sec)

Up until the Centennial screening of Gone With The Wind, the announcement (teaser) trailer was used to advertise the film. This Centennial trailer is much longer, and shows various scenes from the film.

1967 – 70mm Re-issue Trailer

This trailer was used to announce the 70mm re-issue of Gone With The Wind. It begins with a boxed frame of the movie playing; much like that used to advertise the Star Wars Special Edition of A New Hope where the X-Wing flies out of the television.

The trailer advertises that this re-issue of the film will be shown in 70mm and will be heard on 6 channels of audio.

1968 – Re-issue Trailer

This trailer was used for the “hugely successful” 1968 re-issue campaign. This was to be the 7th major release of the film. This trailer uses elements of the 70mm trailer, but feels much more like the traditional trailers used today for most major motion pictures. It advertises “big screen projection” which made me chuckle a bit.

1989 – 50th Anniversary Trailer

The unique announcement (teaser) trailer is used here (the one with the leather back artwork book).

A much more subtle version of the main “Tara theme” is used here, and there is no narrator. There is one major difference here, though. At the end of the trailer, there is a “before and after” restoration print comparison, which I find quite ironic since this issue of the film was pretty much cleaned up as far as it could be. There really isn’t much of a difference shown in the trailer, in my opinion.

Note: Trailers are interesting again. Who’d a thought?

Score: 9.0 out of 10

"Awards"

In this section of the disc, submenus are used to show the Academy Awards that Gone With The Wind received at the 1939 Oscar ceremony. There is a copyright notice hidden at the end of this section as well.

Score: 10 out of 10

DISC 3 final notes: This disc is very solid. The material is exactly what I expected it to be, and then some. The 2-hour documentary is a welcomed edition, and it’s the foundation of the disc.

DISC 3 score: 8.7 out of 10


"The doctor said the rash would clear up in just a few weeks! I swear it!"

DISC 4

Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland

In this 39-minute documentary, de Havilland discusses her “illegal” (behind Jack Warner’s back) read for the part of Melanie Hamilton. One interesting story is of de Havilland requesting to have her contract temporarily transferred to Selznick for the production of Gone With The Wind. Jack Warner says no to her, so de Havilland goes to his wife and days later Warner is signing her contract over to Selznick.

De Havilland also goes into detail about how she felt on the set. Apparently, she was terribly frightened of Clark Gable, but her fears were subsided after beating him in a couple of games of Battleship. That’s right, BATTLESHIP.

For an 88 year old, de Havilland is very energetic; she breathes excitement into her recollections. She clearly appreciates the opportunities that she’s gotten in her life, but I get the feeling that she’s not telling the whole story. (I know she isn’t because the 2-hour Selznick son documentary describes all of the extreme tempered hijinks happening on the set.)

Score: 8.0 out of 10

Gable: The King Remembered

"Gable’s back and Garson’s got him!"

This 1-hour plus documentary produced in 1975 is hosted and narrated by Rat Pack member, Peter Lawford. Throughout the documentary, Peter talks to various people that worked with or was friends with Gable over the years. These people include: Adela Rogers St. Johns, Andy Devine, Yvonne DeCarlo and William Wellman.

The interviews are very conversational, mostly due to the close relationship that Peter has with those that he’s talking to. One interesting note from the documentary was that Gable complained to MGM about being typecast, so they put him in It Happened One Night to punish him. By the way, he won an Academy Award for the role.

The documentary as a whole is a bit boring and entirely too chatty for my tastes. It feels disjointed due to the editing. E! Entertainment ran a documentary about Gable 2 years ago that was very solid, and I’m wondering why Warner didn’t pick up the rights to it to put it on the disc.

Score: 5.0 out of 10

Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond

This 1990 45-minute documentary is hosted by Jessica Lange and covers the life and career of Gone With The Wind’s own Scarlett O’Hara, Vivien Leigh.

The documentary discusses Leigh’s early stage and film career, and even dwells into her love affair and eventual marriage with Lawrence Olivier. It does a much better job of covering Leigh’s life during the production of Gone With The Wind than the Gable documentary does.

Score: 7.5 out of 10


"No, I will NOT do my Charlie Chaplain routine again!"

The Supporting Players

I won’t discuss this section in much detail because it feels like they are giving everyone 5 extra seconds of fame. It’s a nice tip of the hat, but a little unnecessary, in my opinion. A complete commentary talking about all of these actors would have been better in the hands of say, Rudy Behlmer.

Final notes: The documentary, “The Making of a Legend: Gone With The Wind”, makes this fourth disc obsolete, in my opinion. If I hadn’t left that documentary and then the audio commentary for last, watching the biographies included on this disc may have been even more excruciating than they already were.

Like I mentioned above, a small production crew in the hands of film historian Rudy Behlmer (whom did the film commentary included on the first two discs) would have been an incredible fountain of information. Instead, old and outdated documentaries are included on this disc, making it pretty much useless and unnecessary.

Score: 5.0 out of 10

And now for the big reveal I promised you at the beginning of this review…

THERE’S A FUCKING POLAR EXPRESS PREVIEW HIDDEN ON THIS DISC.

Was Warner Bros. hurting that badly that they felt compelled to sneak this in? Are they afraid their TV campaign isn’t turning those precious young children that will watch this film to their cause? This makes the whole set feel a bit tainted now with its inclusion.

Score: 0.0 out of 10

DISC 4 score: 5.1 out of 10

Final “Goodies” Score: 7.0 out of 10

The Artwork

I have no issue with the artwork used on the front of the sleeve box this comes in, but I do have an issue with how this artwork opens.

There are beautiful prints of painted artwork inside, which really helps give a classy vibe to the set. Included inside the box is a re-printed version of the original program that was sold at first run showings of Gone With the Wind. It’s a nice addition, but it does present a problem when opening and closing the box art. (It tends to slide out before you can get the fold closed.)

8.5 out of 10


A welcomed sight

Conclusion

Gone With The Wind is a beautiful piece of cinema history, and the included extras on the 4 discs are enough to entertain one for hours. The set should sell for below its MSRP, which would be a steal even if it weren’t. If you've avoided Gone With the Wind because of it's running time, trying giving it another consideration. It's well worth the time.

Gone With The Wind should be a welcomed addition to any DVD collection.

Overall: 8.9 out of 10