Gone with the Wind (1939): 15 Shocking Facts You Totally Missed

Gone with the Wind (1939): 15 insane behind-the-scenes facts you never knew The very first thing Selznick filmed was the burning of Atlanta, with real flames reaching five hundred feet and no lead actress cast yet. Vivien Leigh traveled to Hollywood, waited for her moment, and was introduced to Selznick on the burning set before anyone knew the search was over. Katharine Hepburn declared herself Scarlett O'Hara directly to Selznick's face and walked out carrying a one-liner that followed her career for decades. Clark Gable threatened to walk off the entire production over a few seconds of crying, watched the footage back once, and reversed course entirely. Leslie Howard thought the role was a dreadful milksop, hadn't read the book, and only agreed because Selznick threw in a co-producer credit on another film. Margaret Mitchell sold the rights for $50,000, refused to write the screenplay, and when asked who should play Rhett Butler suggested Groucho Marx. The script went through sixteen writers including F. Scott Fitzgerald. Three directors. Ben Hecht rewrote the entire first half in five days sustained on bananas and peanuts. Vivien Leigh was paid $25,000 for sixty-one percent of a four-hour film. Gable was paid $120,000 for thirty percent of it. And the bonus: Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Oscar. The venue wouldn't allow Black guests. Selznick called in a personal favor to get her inside. She sat at a separate table against the far wall, walked up and delivered one of the most gracious speeches in Oscar history, and then couldn't follow her castmates to the after-party because that venue didn't allow Black guests either. ⏱ Timestamps in the chapters below 👇 Comment which fact blew your mind