Paisley Curtain: Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind has made more than $400 million so far but if adjusted for inflation to current prices, the amount comes to $2.9 billion, which makes it the highest grossing film of all time.

Based on Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer winning novel, movie got 10 Oscars, (out of those 2 were honorary).

It was among the first few movies shot in color, and at 3 hours and 44 minutes was the longest American sound film at that time.

Clark Gable was not the first choice for lead role, it was Gary Cooper, but David Selznick could not borrow him from Samuel Goldwyn. Gable was his second choice. He was able to borrow Clark Gable from MGM, but for a high price. Louis B. Mayer, MGM chief and Selznick's father in law offered him Clark Gable, almost half the movie budget ($ 1.25 million) in return for 50% of the movie profits to MGM, the distribution credit to MGM's parent company Loew's Inc. and 15% of movie gross income for Loew's and last but not least Selznick had to pay Clark Gable's $7000/= weekly salary.

For the lead female role Jean Arthur, Lucille Ball, Tallulah Bankhead, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Irene Dunne, Joan Fontaine, Katharine Hepburn, Carole Lombard, Norma Shearer, Lana Turner, Loretta Young and others were either auditioned, considered or screen tested. Margaret Mitchell wanted Miriam Hopkins for the lead, but Selznick wanted Vivien Leigh, and he got her.

George Cukor was replaced as director of the movie within first 2 weeks of filming by Victor Fleming.

The filming was done between January 26 and June 27, 1939, and post production finished by November 11, 1939.

The movie premiered on December 15, 1939 in Atlanta, Georgia. Thousands lined the streets for the parade of the stars as it was declared a public holiday by the Governor. President Jimmy Carter said "it was the biggest event to happen in the South in my lifetime."

Motion Picture Association board passed an amendment to the Production Code on November 1, 1939, to accommodate the word "damn" in the last dialogue of Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."

In those good old days "hell: or "damn" were considered vulgar for good taste and could not be used in movies.