Important Dates

1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940

1936

May

20 - Gone With The Wind brought to Selznick's attention by Kay Brown, story editor of NY office.
25 - Selznick says no to "paying $50,000 to an unknown author."

June

30 - Publication date for the book.

July

6 - Kay Brown closed the deal the week the book was released.
30 - Gone With The Wind purchased by Selznick International Pictures. Price $50,000, the largest price ever paid for a first novel.

August

George Cukor hired as director.

September

11 - The book is reported as best selling novel in every one of the seventy leading bookshops from coast to coast for 6 consecutive weeks.
29 Sydney Howard agreed to write script at his farm in Massachusetts.

October

The book - a runaway best seller and Margaret Mitchell - a celebrity.
Media blitz on casting the movie -- national talent search.

November

11 - Kay Brown sets out on first talent search in South.
19 - Talullah Bankhead, the only actress seriously considered at this time for Scarlett.
25 - Brown auditions more than 100 girls in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore.

December

4 - 500 people auditioned already.
22 - Talullah Bankhead tested in N.Y. for role of Scarlett.
25 - Sydney Howard finishes 50-page treatment.

1937

January

8 - Cukor hasn't seen anyone interesting at N.Y. auditions.

February

Vivien Leigh is recommended for the role of Scarlett, but is by Selznick.
15 - Kay Brown discovers Alicia Rhett, eventually cast as India Wilkes.
20 - First draft finished--script for 5 1/2 hour movie.

March

25 - Cukor and his team, which includes set designer Hobe Irwin, on research trip to South; hires historian Wilbur Kurtz.

April

16 Cukor reports from South.
Walter Plunkett researches costumes.

May

4 - Margaret Mitchell awarded Pulitzer Prize for GWTW
24 - Auditions still underway in N.Y. for the role of Scarlett.

Sales for the book reach $1,375,000.

July

Selznick finally starts working on script with Howard and Cukor; "
Scarlett role is about a million to one."

August

5 - New draft of the script is 15 pages longer.

September

William Menzies comes aboard as production designer.

October

Photoplay magazine selects Clark Gable as Rhett Butler

1938

January

Selznick: "I am reaching the end of my rope,"; considers selecting a known actress.

February

Paulette Goddard first test in Hollywood for role of Scarlett.

March

Warner Bros. completed "Jezebel," starring Bettie Davis; movie resembled GWTW.

May

4 - Selznick had already spent $400,000; no principal cast yet; no satisfactory script.
27 - MGM offers to buy Gone With The Wind script.

August

Selznick sells world distribution rights to MGM for $1.5 million.
24 - Clark Gable reluctantly signs on as Rhett Butler.
27 - Talent agent Maxwell Arnow hired to find Scarlett.

September

Selznick takes a vacation for a month in Bermuda to finalize the script which consisted of four packing cases full of drafts.

Screen Guild magazine announces that Norma Shearer and Clark Gable have the leads in the movie.

October

21 - Selznick sends confidential memo to Cukor showing anxiety and despair over casting Scarlett.

November

8 - Paulette Goddard set as front-runner for Scarlett.
18 - Lana Turner tests in Hollywood for Scarlett.

Marcella Martin tests for Scarlett; eventually cast as Cathleen Calvert.

December

1 - Vivien Leigh arrives from Europe.
10 - First scene shot, the "Burning of Atlanta"; Leigh introduced on set.
21 - Leigh tests for Scarlett.
25 - Vivien Leigh gets Scarlett role

1939

January

12 - Orchids & personal notes were sent to Paulette Goddard, Joan Bennett and Jean Arthur before the announcement of Scarlett's casting is made public.
13 - Announcement of Vivien Leigh in the role of Scarlett, Olivia de Havilland as Melanie and Leslie Howard as Ashley.
25 - Selznick revises the script--night before shooting.
26 - Principal photography finally begins.
31 - Gable arrives on set; Atlanta bazaar scene filmed.

February

Selznick unsatisfied with dailies.
7 - Cukor quits; Leigh upset.
17 - Victor Fleming takes over for Cukor; rejects script; production shuts down.

27 - Script re-written, final shooting script is completed.

March

2 - Filming resumes
3 - Shots turn out too dark, cameraman Lee Garmes fired, Ernest Haller brought in.
9 - More problems with sets, back lots, too fake-looking.

April

Over budget--MGM refuses to spend more money; Bank of America steps in with $1Million.

17 - Costume problems.
29 - Fleming quits, cites "nervous breakdown" but returns in two weeks. Sam Wood is interim director.

June

Black cast problems; word "nigger" is deleted from script.

30 - First cover story - Family Circle magazine - color photo of Vivien Leigh in the green sprigged muslin dress.

July

1 - Last day of scheduled production with principals.
18 - Look magazine - cover photo of Vivien Leigh in burgundy velvet costume

August

Max Steiner arrives from Warner Bros. to compose score.

September

1 - Editing of GWTW
9 - Surprise sneak preview in Riverside, CA without press; overwhelming crowd reaction.

November

9 - Steiner late with score.
11 - Final shot completed.

December

11 - Gone With The Wind is finally completed.
15 - Atlanta Premiere at Loew's Grand Theater with 2051 in attendance.
19 - New York Premiere at the Astor and Capitol Theaters.
28 - Los Angeles Premiere at the Carthay Circle Theater.

1940

February

Academy Awards Presentation - A Record Ten Oscars

	Best Picture - David O. Selznick
	Best Actress - Vivien Leigh
	Best Supporting Actress - Hattie McDaniel
	Best Director - Victor Fleming
	Best Screenplay - Sidney Howard
	Best Art Direction - Lyle R. Wheeler
	Best Cinematography, Color - Ernest Haller, Ray Rennahan
	Best Film Editing - Hal C. Kern, James E. Newcom
	Achievement - Don Musgrave For pioneering use of coordinated equipment
	Honorary (plaque) - William Cameron Menzies For outstanding achievement in the use of color for the enhancement of dramatic mood

Academy Award Nominations:

	Best Actor - Clark Gable
	Best Supporting Actress - Olivia de Havilland
	Best Music, Original Score - Max Steiner
	Best Sound, Recording - Thomas T. Moulton
	Best Special Effects - Jack Cosgrove (photographic), Arthur Johns (sound), Fred Albin (sound)

This Webpage was created by Carol Dowdy on 9/6/1998
Any questions or comments, please send them to Carol

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These pages are in no way associated with the Alexander Doll Company, Madame Alexander Doll Club, etc. They are meant for collector education purposes.

"GONE WITH THE WIND" �1939 Turner Entertainment Co. All Rights Reserved.
"GONE WITH THE WIND," its character names and elements are trademarks of Turner Entertainment Co. and the Stephens Mitchell Trusts.

Important Dates

1936 | 1937 | 1938 | 1939 | 1940

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

May

July

August

September

October

January

February

March

May

August

September

October

November

December

January

February

March

April

June

July

August

September

November

December

February

Academy Awards Presentation - A Record Ten Oscars

Academy Award Nominations:

This Webpage was created by Carol Dowdy on 9/6/1998 Any questions or comments, please send them to Carol

These pages are in no way associated with the Alexander Doll Company, Madame Alexander Doll Club, etc. They are meant for collector education purposes.

"GONE WITH THE WIND" �1939 Turner Entertainment Co. All Rights Reserved. "GONE WITH THE WIND," its character names and elements are trademarks of Turner Entertainment Co. and the Stephens Mitchell Trusts.

This Webpage was created by Carol Dowdy on 9/6/1998
Any questions or comments, please send them to Carol

"GONE WITH THE WIND" �1939 Turner Entertainment Co. All Rights Reserved.
"GONE WITH THE WIND," its character names and elements are trademarks of Turner Entertainment Co. and the Stephens Mitchell Trusts.