# Gone with the Wind

> 1939 film directed by Victor Fleming

**Wikidata**: [Q2875](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2875)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_with_the_Wind_(film))  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/gone-with-the-wind

## Summary

Gone with the Wind is a 1939 epic historical romance film directed by Victor Fleming, based on Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel. It is one of the most iconic and commercially successful films in cinema history, known for its sweeping depiction of the American Civil War and Reconstruction era through the story of Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. The film was produced by Selznick International Pictures and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and it remains a landmark achievement in American filmmaking.

## Key Facts

- **Title**: Gone with the Wind
- **Director**: Victor Fleming (American, 1889–1949)
- **Release Year**: 1939
- **Production Companies**: Selznick International Pictures (defunct American film studio, founded 1935), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (American film and television distribution company, founded April 17, 1924)
- **Country of Origin**: United States
- **Genres**: Romance film, drama film, historical film, war film, melodrama
- **Publication/Distribution Dates**: December 15, 1939; October 6, 1941; December 16, 1940; January 15, 1953; November 17, 1950; 1939 (general)
- **Alias**: GWTW
- **Official Website**: https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/gone-wind
- **Preservation**: Selected for the National Film Registry (established 1988) for preservation in the United States Library of Congress

**Academy Awards Won**:
- Academy Award for Best Picture (1939)
- Academy Award for Best Actress (Vivien Leigh)
- Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Hattie McDaniel)
- Academy Award for Best Director (Victor Fleming)
- Academy Award for Best Production Design
- Academy Award for Best Film Editing
- Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay

**Other Recognition**:
- National Board of Review: Top Ten Films

**Related Works**:
- Scarlett (1994 television series directed by John Erman) — adaptation/continuation

## FAQs

**What is Gone with the Wind about?**
Gone with the Wind is an epic historical romance that follows Scarlett O'Hara, a Georgia plantation owner's daughter, through the American Civil War and Reconstruction era, focusing on her complicated relationship with the roguish Rhett Butler.

**Who directed Gone with the Wind?**
The film was directed by Victor Fleming, an American film director, cinematographer, and producer who lived from 1889 to 1949 and held American citizenship.

**Which studios produced and distributed Gone with the Wind?**
The film was produced by Selznick International Pictures (a defunct American studio founded in 1935) and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (commonly known as MGM, an American film and television company founded in 1924).

**What awards did Gone with the Wind win?**
Gone with the Wind won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director (Victor Fleming), Best Actress (Vivien Leigh), Best Supporting Actress (Hattie McDaniel), Best Production Design, Best Film Editing, and Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay.

**Is Gone with the Wind considered historically significant?**
Yes, the film was selected for the National Film Registry in 1988, recognizing it as a culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant work requiring preservation in the Library of Congress.

**What genres does Gone with the Wind belong to?**
The film spans multiple genres including romance film, drama film, historical film, war film, and melodrama—characterized by intense and exaggerated emotions and heightened dramatic situations.

**How many release dates does Gone with the Wind have according to the source material?**
The film has multiple documented publication dates: December 15, 1939; October 6, 1941; December 16, 1940; January 15, 1953; November 17, 1950; and a general 1939 release.

## Why It Matters

Gone with the Wind matters as a cultural touchstone that has shaped American cinema and popular consciousness for over eight decades. As the highest-grossing film of the classic Hollywood era (adjusted for ticket price inflation), it established template for the epic historical romance genre and demonstrated that films could be both prestigious artistic achievements and massive commercial successes. The film's portrayal of the Civil War and Reconstruction era, though controversial in contemporary scholarship for its romanticized depiction of the Confederacy, has made it an enduring subject of historical and cultural analysis.

The film's technical achievements revolutionized Hollywood filmmaking, particularly in production design, cinematography, and editing. Its success validated the viability of large-scale literary adaptations and established the prestige picture as a cornerstone of the studio system. The Academy Award sweep in 1939—winning eight Oscars including Best Picture—demonstrated the industry's recognition of epic filmmaking as a legitimate art form.

Gone with the Wind also holds significance for its representation milestones: Hattie McDaniel became the first African American to win an Academy Award (Best Supporting Actress), though she was required to sit at a separate table at the ceremony due to segregation policies. This historical context adds layers of complexity to the film's legacy, making it a subject of ongoing debate about art, history, and cultural memory.

The film's preservation in the National Film Registry underscores its importance as a primary source document of American cultural history, ensuring that future generations can engage with this pivotal work and its complicated legacy.

## Notable For

- **Academy Award Sweep**: Won 8 Academy Awards out of 13 nominations in 1939, including the coveted Best Picture
- **Box Office Success**: One of the highest-grossing films of all time when adjusted for inflation
- **Historical First**: First film to feature an African American acting Oscar winner (Hattie McDaniel, 1940 ceremony)
- **Literary Adaptation**: Based on Margaret Mitchell's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1936 novel
- **Directorial Achievement**: Victor Fleming won Best Director for his work on this film
- **Technical Innovation**: Recognized for groundbreaking production design and film editing
- **Cultural Longevity**: Remains relevant nearly 85 years after its release, subject to ongoing scholarly and public discourse
- **National Recognition**: Selected for the National Film Registry for preservation due to its cultural significance

## Body

### Production History and Studios

Gone with the Wind was produced by Selznick International Pictures, a defunct American film studio founded in 1935, with distribution handled by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), one of the major Hollywood studios founded on April 17, 1924. The production was notably ambitious for its era, requiring extensive set construction and location filming. Selznick International Pictures, headed by David O. Selznick, was specifically created to produce high-quality literary adaptations, and Gone with the Wind became its signature achievement. The distribution partnership with MGM, headquartered in Q65 (Burbank, California), provided the massive promotional infrastructure necessary to ensure the film's commercial success.

### The Director: Victor Fleming

Victor Fleming (1889–1949) served as the film's director, bringing extensive experience in both cinematography and directing to the project. An American citizen, Fleming's career spanned the silent era through the golden age of Hollywood. His occupation encompassed cinematography, directing, film production, and photography. Beyond Gone with the Wind, Fleming also directed The Wizard of Oz (1939), making 1939 an unprecedented year in his career. His ability to handle large-scale productions and manage complex emotional narratives made him the ideal choice for adapting Mitchell's epic novel.

### Genre Classification and Film Type

The film operates across multiple genres simultaneously, classified as a romance film, drama film, historical film, war film, and melodrama. As a melodrama, it emphasizes intense and exaggerated emotions and heightened dramatic situations—a hallmark of the genre that contributed to its emotional impact on audiences. The war film elements depict the American Civil War and its aftermath, while the historical film classification reflects its detailed recreation of the 1860s and 1870s American South. The romance film core drives the central relationship between Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler.

### Awards and Critical Recognition

Gone with the Wind's impact on cinema is evidenced by its remarkable awards success. The Academy Award for Best Picture, established in 1929, recognized the film as the outstanding achievement of 1939. The Academy Award for Best Actress and Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress honored the film's performances, with the latter making history as the first Oscar won by an African American performer. The Academy Award for Best Director (another 1929 establishment) went to Victor Fleming, while the Academy Award for Best Production Design recognized the film's elaborate sets. The Academy Award for Best Film Editing (established in 1935) and Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (established in 1929) acknowledged the technical and scriptwork excellence. Additionally, the National Board of Review: Top Ten Films recognition (established 1929) further cemented the film's critical standing.

### Preservation and Cultural Heritage

The film's selection for the National Film Registry in 1988 ensured its preservation in the United States Library of Congress. This program, recognizing films of cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance, ensures that Gone with the Wind remains accessible for future study and appreciation. The Registry selection process considers films that are "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," and Gone with the Wind's inclusion reflects its enduring importance to American cinema and culture.

### Distribution and Release History

Gone with the Wind's release history reflects the theatrical distribution practices of the classic Hollywood era. The primary release date was December 15, 1939, with additional significant releases on December 16, 1940, October 6, 1941, November 17, 1950, and January 15, 1953. These multiple release dates reflect the re-release patterns common for major studio films during this period, allowing films to maximize their theatrical revenue over many years. The current official website is maintained by Warner Bros. at https://www.warnerbros.com/movies/gone-wind.

### Related Works and Adaptations

The film's cultural impact extends to adaptations and related works. Scarlett (1994) is a television series directed by John Erman that serves as a continuation of the story, based on Alexandra Ripley's 1991 novel sequel. This adaptation demonstrates the enduring appeal of the characters and world created in Mitchell's original novel and Fleming's film.

### Technical and Artistic Attributes

The film's technical specifications reflect the ambitions of its production. As a sequence of images that give the impression of movement, stored on film stock (the fundamental definition of film), Gone with the Wind exemplifies the capabilities of 1930s cinema technology. The production design created elaborate sets recreating the Georgia plantation era, while the cinematography captured the sweeping landscapes and intimate dramatic moments that defined the film's visual style.

### Wikidata and Digital Presence

The film carries the alias "GWTW" in various databases and has a wikipedia_title of "Gone with the Wind (film)" with a sitelink_count of 97, indicating its presence across multiple language versions of Wikipedia. The wikidata_description simply states "1939 film directed by Victor Fleming," reflecting the film's identity in structured data systems. The film is categorized under film (class) in knowledge bases, emphasizing its primary identity as a cinematic work.

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