Producer David O. Selznick decided that he wanted to create a film based on the novel after his story editor Kay Brown read a pre-publication copy in May 1936 and urged him to buy the film rights. a year fallowing the book's publication inside June 1936, he bought a rights for $50,000, a record total at the instance. The easily-publicized casting look for for an actress to play Scarlett resulted in the hire of young English actress Vivien Leigh, although many more famed or even even soon-to-exist as-famous actresses experienced been auditioned, considered for the role, or tested, including Katharine Hepburn, Norma Shearer, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford, Lana Turner, Susan Hayward, Carole Lombard, Paulette Goddard, Irene Dunne, Merle Oberon, Ida Lupino, Joan Fontaine, Loretta Young, Miriam Hopkins, Jean Arthur, Tallulah Bankhead, Joan Bennett, Frances Dee, and Lucille Ball.

Many actresses tend screen tests for the a portion, but only deuce finalists — Paulette Goddard and Vivien Leigh — were tested in Technicolor, on December 20, 1938. Producer Selznick got been quietly looking for Vivien Leigh for the role of Scarlett since at least February 1938, although for publicity reasons he intended to foremost meet her on the nighttime of December 10, 1938, when a burning of the Atlanta Depot was filmed. Her casting was announced in January 13, 1939.

Main photography began January 26, 1939, and endways June 27, 1939, with post-production function (including the fifth version of the opening scene) attend November 11, 1939. Virtually all of the motion-picture photography was done on the Selznick International lot, with a pack location scenes photographed around Los Angeles County or neighboring Ventura County. Judged production costs were $3.9 million; sole Ben-Hur (1925) had cost additional.

A film premiered within Atlanta, Georgia, on December 15, 1939, and has become the highest-grossing movie of all time (adjusted for inflation). It garnered long dozen Academy Award nominations and eight Awards. Rhett Butler's ill-famed farewell line to Scarlett O'Hara, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," was voted in the poll per American Film Institute within 2005 as a virtually all memorable line in cinema history [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200506/s1398449.htm].

Although a select few stand criticized a film for sanitizing or promoting a values of the Old South, filmgoers within 1939 had a different review. Scarlett O'Hara's father, Gerald, deferred to his married woman, Ellen, world health organization wwhen portrayed as the rattling head of the O'Hara menage. The black woman, Mammy, was non shy just about upbraiding her whiten mistress, Scarlett. Within early 1940, Hattie McDaniel won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the number one instance an Oscar was given to an African U.s..

Within 1998, the American Film Institute ranked it #4 on its "100 Greatest Movies" list. A film has been selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry and has undergone a complete digital restoration.

Credits
Directed by Victor Fleming George Cukor (uncredited) Sam Wood (uncredited) Writing credits Margaret Mitchell (novel) Sidney Howard - adapted screenplay Ben Hecht (uncredited) David O. Selznick (uncredited) Jo Swerling (uncredited) John Van Druten (uncredited) Cast Clark Gable .... Rhett Butler Vivien Leigh .... Scarlett O'Hara Leslie Howard .... Ashley Wilkes Olivia de Havilland .... Melanie Hamilton Thomas Mitchell (I) .... Gerald O'Hara Barbara O'Neil .... Ellen O'Hara (when Barbara O'Neill) Evelyn Keyes .... Suellen O'Hara Ann Rutherford .... Carreen O'Hara George Reeves .... Stuart Tarleton Fred Crane .... Brant Tarleton Hattie McDaniel .... Mammy Oscar Polk .... Pork Butterfly McQueen .... Prissy Victor Jory (I) .... Jonas Wilkerson, A Overseer Everett Brown (I) .... Heavy Sam, a foreman Howard C. Hickman .... John Wilkes (when Howard Hickman) Alicia Rhett .... India Wilkes Rand Brooks .... Charles Hamilton Carroll Nye .... Frank Kennedy, the guest Laura Hope Crews .... Aunty Pittypat Hamilton Ona Munson .... Belle Watling Produced by David O. Selznick Oscar Record Better Picture - David O. Selznick, producer Better Actress around the Leading Role - Vivien Leigh Better Actress within the Supporting Role - Hattie McDaniel Right Art Counsel - Lyle R. Wheeler Right Motion-picture photography, Color - Ernest Haller, and Ray Rennahan Better Director - Victor Fleming Better Cutting - Hal C. Kern, and James E. Newcom Better Writing, Screenplay - Sidney Howard Honorary Award - William Cameron Menzies - "For outstanding achievement in the use of color for the enhancement of dramatic mood in the production of Gone with the Wind." (plaque). Technical indicator Accomplishment Award - Don Musgrave - "For pioneering in the use of coordinated equipment in the production Gone with the Wind." Better Actor around the Leading Role - Clark Gable Better Actress within the Supporting Role - Olivia de Havilland Right Results, Favorite Results - Fred Albin (sound), Jack Cosgrove (photographic), and Arthur Johns (sound) Right Music, Original Score - Max Steiner Better Healthy, Recording - Thomas T. Moulton (Samuel Goldwyn SSD)