Happy 75Th Anniversary

S S costume ball, receptions, aparade days of celebration a included 1939) of costume ball, receptions, aparade days of celebration a included 1939) of premiere (on 15, December anticipation of thegala to Atlanta, Georgia, in a million traveled people eventy-five years ago, over premiere (on 15, December anticipation of thegala to Atlanta, Georgia, in a million traveled people eventy-five years ago, over Gone with the Wind the with Gone Gone with the Wind the with Gone Gone with the Wind Gone withtheWind Gone with the Wind Gone withtheWind . Three . Three flags. flags. film –andthousandsof confederate of limousines carrying stars from the who watch afilmonce, thenmove on While somemovies have casual fans blockbusters of all times. oneofto thebiggest become flags. flags. film –andthousandsof confederate of limousines carrying stars from the who watch afilmonce, thenmove on While somemovies have casual fans blockbusters of all times. oneofto thebiggest become Gone with the Wind the with Gone Gone with the Wind the with Gone went on went on Happy 75thAnniversary Happy 75thAnniversary Happy 75thAnniversary By Lillian Africano Lillian By By Lillian Africano Lillian By 144 five, wished for Scarlett’s tiny waist Butler’s roguish charmwhenIwas As adevoted Windy, Ifell for Rhett called “Windies”. for alifetime andare sometimes has legions of fans whoare loyal to thenext new thing,GWTW still five, wished for Scarlett’s tiny waist Butler’s roguish charmwhenIwas As adevoted Windy, Ifell for Rhett called “Windies”. for alifetime andare sometimes has legions of fans whoare loyal to thenext new thing,GWTW still favorite tripsof all time, akind of Some years ago, Itook oneof my down to defeat. time Iwatch theConfederates go when Iwas 12–andstill cryeach favorite tripsof all time, akind of Some years ago, Itook oneof my down to defeat. time Iwatch theConfederates go when Iwas 12–andstill cryeach visit theplacesMargaret Mitchell Gone with the Wind the with Gone visit theplacesMargaret Mitchell Gone with the Wind the with Gone pilgrimage, to pilgrimage, to

ALL PHOTOS: © TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES Georgia, Scarlett O’Hara’s Clayton My first stop was Jonesboro, in herstory. shebrought thepeople about to life movie was based–andto learnmore blockbuster novel whichthe upon had written inthe1936 about On theset of Vivian Leigh ontheset of Gone with the Wind the with Gone with the Wind the with RIGHT Gone Gone home of County was designated theofficial County home, Tara. girlhood Clayton signed scriptssigned andoneof theworld’s and played ononewall, over looking scenes from themovie, as itplayed at themuseum,enjoying favorite I couldhave spent anentire day sister, Careen O’Hara. Rutherford, whoplayed Scarlett’s by theestate of thelate Ann Recently were added items donated choice items to themuseum. worldwide andwhodonated many whose massive collection was known “Windy” collector HerbBridges, Grand Theater, acquired by thelate posters –andseats from theLoew’s atthe barbecue Twelve Oaks), movie is lacingupScarlett’s corset before Scarlett inthescenewhere Mammy (including thepantalets worn by novel, autographed photos, costumes dedicated fan: firsteditions ofthe Here issomuch to delight themost the U.K., ChinaandJapan. Sweden, New Zealand, Australia, visitors from Norway, Finland, world; theguest includes book drawn Windiesfrom all over the This relatively small museumhas 15milesabout southof Atlanta. 1867 Jonesboro Railroad Station, Road to Tara Museum,inthe housed My GWTW orientation beganat the Cynthia Evans. and,more recently,fiddle-dee-dees everyone shemeets withher worldwide inthisrole, delighting Vivien Leigh lookalike whotraveled Scarletts: Melly Meadows, astriking The county has even hadacoupleof Florist and–well, you get theidea. TaraSchool, Wedding Tara Chapel, GWTW country: Tara Elementary around were signsthat thisistruly Mitchell’s brother Stephens. All Gone with the Wind the with Gone by by 145 Hysterical andHistorical “ Those revelations cameduringa people. characters are based onreal to learn how many of Mitchell’s based inreality, Iwas surprised incidents in themovie were Though Iknew that someof the knows.” do itagain. Iknows. Ialways “Didn’t Isay thelast time? He’ll “He’ll comeback,” Mammy says. Scarlett thefinal speaking lines. final scene, with Mammy andnot working script with analternate for Rhett andScarlett –was a Iwantedbecause ahappy ending Perhaps my favorite exhibit – General licked.” Lee hadbeen old, itwas aviolent to shock learnthat she oncesaid.“WhenIwas 10years that theConfederates lost thewar,” “I heard everything intheworld except the Civil War. who grew uponfirsthand stories of to GWTW author Margaret Mitchell, One wall of themuseumisdedicated on TV, was Stuart Tarleton.) Reeves, wholater played Superman Tarleton twins. (Actor George movie’s bitplayers, suchas the is here of course, butsoare the celebrated her98thbirthday inJuly, Haviland, whoplayed Melly andwho autographed photos. Olivia de largest collections of GWTW of Civil War History. Peter Bonner, storyteller aborn with the Wind the with Movie Poster BELOW Movie Set Gone with the Wind the with Gone Wind the with Gone ” tour, given by

Gone Gone “Remember how Melanie gave birth for scenesinhernovel, asking: He saidthat Mitchell Jonesboro used William T. Shermanto take Atlanta. Confederacy General andenabled he explained, cutthesupplies to the (spelled “Jonesborough” at thetime), wounded. Theloss at Jonesboro smell of gunpowder, thecriesof the soldiers, itwas easy to imagine the against almost 100,000Union of 12,000Confederates arrayed he spoke inhisrichsouthernaccent ferocity of thetwo-day combat. As of thebattle, the vividlydescribed has taken partinpast re-enactments of Jonesboro are Bonner, buried, who 1,000 fallen soldiers from theBattle Confederate Cemetery, where some At thePatrick CleburneMemorial during theBattle of Atlanta?” Literature S S costume ball, receptions, aparade days of celebration a included 1939) of costume ball, receptions, aparade days of celebration a included 1939) of premiere (on 15, December anticipation of thegala to Atlanta, Georgia, in a million traveled people eventy-five years ago, over premiere (on 15, December anticipation of thegala to Atlanta, Georgia, in a million traveled people eventy-five years ago, over Gone with the Wind the with Gone Gone with the Wind the with Gone Gone with the Wind Gone withtheWind Gone with the Wind Gone withtheWind . Three . Three flags. flags. film –andthousandsof confederate of limousines carrying stars from the who watch afilmonce, thenmove on While somemovies have casual fans blockbusters of all times. oneofto thebiggest become flags. flags. film –andthousandsof confederate of limousines carrying stars from the who watch afilmonce, thenmove on While somemovies have casual fans blockbusters of all times. oneofto thebiggest become Gone with the Wind the with Gone Gone with the Wind the with Gone went on went on Happy 75thAnniversary Happy 75thAnniversary Happy 75thAnniversary By Lillian Africano Lillian By By Lillian Africano Lillian By 144 five, wished for Scarlett’s tiny waist Butler’s roguish charmwhenIwas As adevoted Windy, Ifell for Rhett called “Windies”. for alifetime andare sometimes has legions of fans whoare loyal to thenext new thing,GWTW still five, wished for Scarlett’s tiny waist Butler’s roguish charmwhenIwas As adevoted Windy, Ifell for Rhett called “Windies”. for alifetime andare sometimes has legions of fans whoare loyal to thenext new thing,GWTW still favorite tripsof all time, akind of Some years ago, Itook oneof my down to defeat. time Iwatch theConfederates go when Iwas 12–andstill cryeach favorite tripsof all time, akind of Some years ago, Itook oneof my down to defeat. time Iwatch theConfederates go when Iwas 12–andstill cryeach visit theplacesMargaret Mitchell Gone with the Wind the with Gone visit theplacesMargaret Mitchell Gone with the Wind the with Gone pilgrimage, to pilgrimage, to

That, he said, was based on a Mrs. choir, dressed in slave clothes and This past fall, Turner Classic Movies Hanes, who delivered a baby during singing spirituals during the three- sponsored 75th anniversary the Battle of Jonesboro. She was day premiere celebrations. screenings of GWTW in more than driven away in a wagon, just as 650 theaters nationwide, released a Melanie had been. In the front row is a 10-year-old boy special anniversary Blu-Ray/DVD in a white hat. It is Martin Luther edition of the movie and offered a “So much of Mitchell’s story was King, Jr. special televised presentation true,” Bonner said, “that after the hosted by film historian Robert novel came out, the local people Wow, I thought, wow, so much history Osborne. went around asking each other: and so many personalities woven into ‘Who are you in the book?’” the story of this movie and the novel But wait, there’s more. Coming soon, from which it was created. this time a prequel to GWTW: Donald I love bits of historical gossip, so I McCaig’s version of Mammy’s life, was pleased to learn that the famous It’s a story that seems to go on and entitled Ruth’s Journey. “Doc” Holliday of OK Corral was a on. In 1991, writer Alexandra Ripley cousin of Mitchell’s – and very likely penned Scarlett, a sequel authorized No doubt there will be even more. At the model for Ashley Wilkes. Like by the Mitchell estate – and earned this very moment, Peter Bonner is Ashley, “Doc” was in love with his scathing reviews (plus plenty of working to restore the iconic façade cousin Melanie, but the Catholic money) for her efforts. of the Tara movie set, which he church forbade the marriage. So acquired from the son of the late Melanie became a nun and “Doc” In 2007, Donald McCaig turned out Betty Talmadge (it’s a long story). headed West, never to marry. Rhett Butler’s People (also He hopes to make the set part of his Perhaps that’s why Mitchell allowed authorized); while light years better GWTW tours and believes that if he Ashley to marry his Melanie – and to than Scarlett, it isn’t nearly as builds it, the tourists will come. continue loving her after death. engaging as Mitchell’s work. Stay tuned. I learned that while there is no Tara in Georgia (the “real” Tara was in Ireland), the old Fitzgerald plantation did exist, where, as Mitchell wrote, “the earth is so red, it could be scarlet.”

The tumbledown Southern-style wooden mansion was owned by Mitchell’s grandparents, the county’s largest landowners and slave owners.

After my time in Jonesboro, I visited the Atlanta Cyclorama, where the battle of Atlanta plays out at regular intervals throughout the day. Viewed from a revolving platform, the panoramic painting that’s 42 feet high and 358 feet in circumference is a dramatic On the set of Gone with representation of the fierce struggle the Wind between the troops of General John Hood and General Sherman. Clark Gable (left) With music and narration, as well as on the set of Gone a diorama of 128 figures, a cannon, with the Wind trees and railroad tracks, the battle

Vivian Leigh Vivian Leigh and Clark Gable on as Scarlett the set of Gone with the Wind O’Hara in Gone with the Wind vividly comes to life. (Some her ankles and feet, she began what where she worked is re-created here, another $50,000 after the film’s education of some 50 black historians say that, for the most her friends jokingly called “the great even to the towel she used to cover spectacular success. Morehouse College graduates and part, Mitchell’s account of the American novel,” using stories of the her work because she was too gave money to many other causes. It’s battle may be the most accurate one war (Southerners called it “the war insecure to let anyone see it. The museum houses Mitchell’s family possible that Mitchell herself, along on record.) of the Northern Aggression”) that photographs and correspondence. with her Fitzgerald grandmother, was her elders had told while she was The book sold one million copies in They illuminate a woman who was the model for Scarlett. My pilgrimage ended with a visit to the growing up. the four months after publication, the daughter of a suffragette, the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta. no small feat with a cover price of first woman to cover hard news for The museum also has a collection of The original manuscript of Mitchell’s $3, a substantial sum in Depression- the Atlanta Journal and a tireless movie memorabilia, newsreels and The centerpiece of this complex is 1,037-page novel was five feet tall. era America. volunteer. photos surrounding the movie’s the tiny apartment – Mitchell called Though the Remington typewriter opening at the Loew’s Grand Theatre it “The Dump” – where she lived with she used is in the Atlanta Library, Producer David O. Selznick paid Mitchell funded black and white on Atlanta’s Peachtree Street. I was her second husband, John Marsh. along with the Pulitzer Prize she $50,000 for the movie rights, top emergency clinics at Grady Hospital, drawn to a small historic photograph

Here, while laid up with arthritis in received for the novel, the corner dollar at the time. He gave Mitchell WALKER. WALKER. LEAH LEAH BY BY PHOTOS PHOTOS ALL ALL sponsored the medical school of the Ebenezer Baptist Church

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The tumbledown Southern-style wooden mansion was owned by Mitchell’s grandparents, the county’s largest landowners and slave owners.

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