DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Gone With The Wind - Four Disc Collector's Ed. (VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). (1 Viewer)

[Andrew Budgell]

The one additional bonus material that I wish was include would be a photograph gallery similar to The Adventures of Robin Hood disc with: historical art, costume design, concept drawings, cast/crew photos, & publicity stills. Also, I would have loved to have the screen tests in addition to the fine "Making of" documentary.

Andy

 

[Mark Mayes]

This disc has an amazing spectrum of color-unlike any I've seen for GWTW to date (this last was my 456th viewing-no kidding). I have seen the Academy technicolor print from '54 and this seems to have a lot that is true to that print. (The buckboard dress in that print registers closer to gray than blue, and gray was what the dress color was when I saw it on display before that screening and had thought maybe it had faded or been re-dyed for another film).

My 36 inch Toshiba makes this shine like a jewel.

My 52 inch Panasonic projection screen with Proscan (2 different makes) has a harder time. As with "Adv./Robin Hood" and the previous GWTW dvd, the reds read closer to orange. The problem is not so bad with "St.Louis" and non-existent with "SITR". There must be something in the older process that is making this a hard read. Does anyone else have this problem?
I tried it on another person's projection screen and the problem was the same.
Scarlett's bows in the first scenes, the flags at the Bazaar and the train station sequence, the reds in Belle's salon dress and the red robe in the dining room sequence all without the dramatic, true reds I get normally.
Anyone else notice this in projection?

 

[TedD]

Have these sets been calibrated by an ISF certified technician?

If not, (and even possibly if you have and have a set with a non-adjustable color decoder suffering from "red push") there is almost no way that the colors you see on your screen even remotely resembles the colors on the DVD.

Ted

 

[DeeF]

I'm not a techie, but I'd like to make my own comparison shots. How do you all get screenshots from a commercial DVD? I have Mac, G5.

 

[Michel_Hafner]

If you want to compare screen shots use 1:1 shots, not downsampled versions. Naturally downsampling reduces fine detail and differences between the versions.

 

[Haggai]

I just watched the "Melanie Remembers" feature, and I chuckled when Olivia De Havilland talked about how they would play the game "Battleship" on the set in between shots. I assume she's talking about an earlier version of the game I played as a kid, which had some memorable commercials back then, in the late '70s and early '80s. I can only imagine how much more popular it could have been if they had replaced those kids playing it in the commercials with Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh saying "You sunk my battleship!"

 

[Roger Rollins]

I'm glad Haggai brought up "MELANIE REMEBERS", as I think everyone has been so (RIGHTLY SO!) amazed by the incredible quality of the feature itself, that the overall presentation by WHV and the special features in general have been somewhat overlooked by the press and those here on the forum.

One thing that has gone completely un-noticed is that WB went to the trouble of getting Christopher Plummer, who did the fine narration on the MAKING OF A LEGEND documentary years ago, to come back to do all the narration for the new special features and introductory pieces on the DVD release. This gives the whole presentaion an additional cohesion, that I think most people would not notice, but I certainly noticed, and want to commend Warner for this extra classy touch.

Lastly, all the "making-of" docu producers that have emerged in the DVD generation need to watch the incomparable 1989 MAKING OF A LEGEND: GONE WITH THE WIND showcased here, as a textboox example of how to make a great film about how a film was made. It has never been equalled in this respect.

Although I have a stack of new DVDs that I've yet to look at, I find myself instead re-watching portions of the new GWTW or LOONEY TUNES #2 , the new SCTV set or the THAT'S ENTERTAINMENT trilogy!

 

[Haggai]

A question here about a famous bit of GWTW lore, that Vivien Leigh got the role of Scarlett very late in the game. The story of her meeting Selznick as they filmed the burning of the ammo dump sequence, in Dec. '38, is recounted or alluded to in several of the special features I've watched so far--Making of a Legend, the Vivien Leigh doc, and the Behlmer commentary. But someone submitted this entry on the IMDB trivia section for GWTW:



It does sound sort of convincing, although the burning of the ammo dump wasn't exactly the beginning of filming on the movie, as explained in some of the DVD extras. The burning sequence achieved the double purpose of getting rid of some old sets that were slated to be destroyed anyway, along with providing great footage for a big scene. Principal photography on GWTW with the cast didn't start until late Jan '39. But--is there really a memo somewhere that shows Selznick having decided on Leigh as early as sometime in '37? Wouldn't uber-historian Rudy Behlmer have mentioned it? I'm skeptical about some of those details.

Edit: Another thing--did that legendary first meeting between DOS and Leigh really mark the first time they'd met each other? If Selznick had decided on casting her at some much earlier date, wouldn't he have had to meet her, one way or the other, before having made that decision? Maybe he went to London, or she came to the States at some earlier point before she came over with Olivier in '38, but the IMDB "de-bunker" I'm quoting above would also be straining credibility if there had never been a meeting between Leigh and DOS before Dec. '38. It strains credibility to the breaking point to believe that he would have cast someone as Scarlett before having ever met her in person.

 

[Alejandro]

Well, actually she was not cast right away. as you can see in the doc she passed countless reading and tests before it was clear to Selznick she could pull off that role, and boy was he right!

 

[DeeF]

We've been hashing this out out my board, http://p069.ezboard.com/fsondheimandusfrm2

Here's something I wrote there:

Ok, I think I'm getting the picture.

DOS watched Fire Over England in 1937, so he knew about Vivien Leigh (originally, he didn't want her). Myron Selznick became Laurence Olivier's Hollywood agent in 1938, so there was a connection, and probably plenty of communication about Vivien between David and Myron.

DOSelznick wanted an unknown for Scarlett. He made a big public showing of auditioning unknowns across the country, but realized that it was no good -- he would have to choose somebody who could actually act. He started seeing actresses like Paulette Goddard in February, 1938 (and a bunch of unknowns) but still he was unsatisfied.

Meanwhile, people like Jean Arthur and Katharine Hepburn were NEGOTIATING to get the role, probably without a test. I'm fairly sure that Hepburn would have refused to audition -- she was a pretty big star at this point, just like Bette Davis. Again, I don't think DOS ever considered Davis. And I wouldn't be surprised that Arthur refused a test, too. She tried to appeal to DOS from the standpoint that they were old friends. Hepburn had Cukor in her favor, and Arthur had DOS.

The negotations break down over the summer (1938), and David goes back to testing Paulette, among others. He still wants an unknown, but is now stuck with the problem of negotiating for a known actress (or her agents). In November, he comes pretty close to signing somebody like Hepburn or Goddard, but the negotiations break down, once again. In steps Myron. Myron REMINDS David about Vivien Leigh, saying the obvious -- she's beautiful, she's a good actress, and virtually unknown (and she'll be CHEAP, something to consider). DOS reluctantly says to bring her over to test for the part, during the last group of tests. Myron informs Vivien, who has known all along that she has a chance, a good chance, though not contracted. Vivien turned down a role in "Wuthering Heights," surprising everyone.

Now we're at December, 1938. Hepburn is out, but Jean Arthur has finally agreed to a screentest -- she wants it that badly. Leigh appears, and is admittedly impressive in person. DOS writes the letter to his wife, calling Vivien "the dark horse," and saying it was down to Paulette Goddard, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett, and Vivien Leigh. DOS adds her to the list of screentests he's making. She'll be the last one. At this point, she's not really the darkhorse -- she's the one to beat. If he really didn't know about her, she would have gone first, like the next day after meeting him. She went last, just as she was the last one considered, and the last to meet DOS.

The other three were known commodities, and one of them, Paulette, has done 15 different screentests. But now the screentests are exactly the same scenes, even the same costumes (except Jean's seems to be different, I don't know why -- maybe because she was blond?)

Myron's hunch about Vivien turned out to be absolutely correct. I did read that the other three finalists were sent lovely roses and rejection letters. I tell you, if I had been Paulette Goddard, I would have killed myself.

Jean wanted her screentest destroyed, because she felt she had denigrated her own talent and career by agreeing to do it.

Interesting that the one she destroyed was the "drunk" scene. Where's Vivien's? Paulette's? These are not on the documentary.

P.S. So, my hunch is that both the theory of pre-planning, and the surprise visit of Vivien Leigh at the "fire" turn out to be true. I think DOS knew she was coming, but he wasn't convinced until she got there that she was the right person. After she arrived, it all happened pretty quickly.

 

[Alejandro]

DeeF, as usual, you are pitch perfect:b

I only have a few comments to make, if I may:

That bit I didn't know. What is your source? It's so interesting...

Again, Deef, very good post

 

[DeeF]

Post removed.

 

[Haggai]

DeeF, thanks for your excellent post. And I agree on Paulette Goddard, I had never seen the Making of a Legend doc before, so I hadn't seen any of her screen tests. It looks like she might have done an excellent job if she had been cast. Different from Leigh, but maybe great in a different way. Still, it's good that us fans have nothing to regret from the way the casting turned out!

Alejandro, regarding this:


My point was that this was another reason to be skeptical about the IMDB version of the story that I posted. If DOS had "secured" Leigh in the role as early as '37, as the IMDB trivia entry claims, then surely he must have met her one way or the other before giving her the role, but no evidence was given to indicate that they had met each other before she came to the US in '38 with Olivier. So I was expressing my doubt about the "he cast her in '37" claim, since it might require one to believe that he would have promised the role of Scarlett to someone he had never met in person, which is really not a believable scenario.

 

[DeeF]

I got my ideas reading DOSelznick's own memos.

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibition...gwtw/scarlett/

U of T @ Austin's Site on GWTW and the Search for Scarlett

They apparently have all the telegrams and correspondence regarding the purchase and casting, and some interesting things are revealed.

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibition...ett/desp1.html
Memo to Cukor from Selznick, 10/21/38

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibition...ett/desp2.html
Memo from Selznick to his secretary on 11/12/38 (less than a month before the fire sequence was shot)

http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/exhibition...enders/ja.html
Here's the Memo about the destroyed Arthur test

 

[DeeF]

About Hepburn, it's true that he didn't find her sexy enough. But she was on the short list right up until the end of November, 1938, and there's no evidence that she ever made a screentest.

On 11/21 he wrote to O’Shea:

“In connection with Scarlett: we’re getting so close to the starting date of the picture that I’m commencing to grow fearful of losing any of our really good possibilities and I think we should make clear to Katharine Hepburn, Jean Arthur, Joan Bennett, and Loretta Young that they are in the small company of final candidates: and on my return I hope you will be able to tell me immediately the situation in relation to each of these.

“I think the final choice must be out of this list plus Goddard and our new girl [Doris Jordan], plus any last-minute new-girl possibility that may come along.

In another note to Shea from the same day, “I am anxious about Doris Jordan because I think, apart from the photography and hairdress, her new test is even more promising than the first one and shows decided promise. I think that George [Cukor] has done wonders with her since her New York test, and I hope he is continuing to work with her daily….”

Only a few weeks later though is the “dark horse” letter, and he mentions Goddard, Arthur, Bennett, and Leigh only.

So, Hepburn and Loretta Young were suddenly out, without tests, and he's holding a "spot" for some new girl who might come along.

He knew about Vivien Leigh, unquestionably.

 

[Haggai]

Regarding Loretta Young, I wonder if DOS knew about her love child with Gable? Could they have kept it under wraps if the two of them had starred together in what was then the biggest movie ever made? Even if she was just mentioned without really being seriously considered--no screen tests, as DeeF says--I wonder if that had anything to do with it.

 

[Alejandro]

Yes, Haggai, I must agree with you. It doesn't make sense.


DeeF, regarding the links (thanks though) it's funny but I found out about this site like 4 o 5 years ago, and I was so thrilled I printed them all the texts and have them binded. I've read it many times but somehow I missed the "drunk scene" Arthur destroyed. I'll check again.

Don't you guys find the making of this picture ever as fascinating as the film itself?

 

[DeeF]

Loretta Young really is the unknown in these discussions. One revealing thing on the Rebecca disk is that Young's contract wasn't renewed, so she was forced to audition for Rebecca. This says to me that she had refused to audition for GWTW.

But really, I do think a lot of the memos were for show. DOS was waiting to see Vivien Leigh, and he may have made those last tests just to see the other actresses in comparison to Vivien.

Vivien wasn't made to do a hundred readings and tests. She did one reading with Cukor, the 3 black and white tests, and one color test.

Of the color test, she said that the costume was still warm from having been worn by Paulette, the only other actress with a color test. Paulette's final test was canceled after she was in costume and makeup.

By the way, Jean only agreed to a test if a dress would be made for her, so the reason her dress looks different is because Irene made it just for her.

 

[Andrew Budgell]

I personally do find the making of films to be as interesting, exciting, and as emotional as the films themseleves, which holds true for Gone With the Wind. I also find this to be true with Cleopatra starring Dame Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.

Andy

 

[DeeF]

"Don't you guys find the making of this picture ever as fascinating as the film itself? "

Yes, I said earlier, that the movie itself has become a historical artifact, in some ways more important than the story in the movie.