Gone With The Wind DVD special
Finding a beautiful box-set of a classic for a bargain! A review of the four-disc collectors edition of the 1939 epic Gone With The Wind.
Like everyone on the planet, I love Gone With The Wind. Isn’t Scarlett O’Hara everyone’s dream role even more than 80 years after the book was published? I saw it for the first time over three years ago when I bought it from a DVD stall for about £4. I was desperate to watch it as I my interest in Old Hollywood films and movie stars had already begun. I have since watched GWTW five times in total and I still adore everything about it!
However this post isn't just about my love for GWTW. Last week I found a copy of the film in a charity shop. Only it was the four-disc collectors edition released in 2004 to celebrate the 65th anniversary of Gone With The Wind. For only £3 and in excellent condition, I bought it immediately. I do already have GWTW on DVD, however I have a regular one-disc version and this one included special features which I love!
Here is my review of the product rather than the film- To begin the entire set is enclosed in an attractive glossy case with the GWTW title in the iconic colours and font. The box-set folds out to present a beautiful booklet and four DVDs with one of the four main characters on each disc.
Disc One and Two: The Movie
Both discs consist of the digitally remastered and restored Gone With The Wind split onto both discs due to the duration of the film. There is an option to watch the film with commentary by historian Rudy Behlmer. As I had recently re-watched GWTW on my other DVD and then watched most of it again on Turner Classic Movies last week, I haven't watched it again with the commentary. Therefore, I cannot review this element of the collection, however the quality is amazing and no doubt the commentary provides information and detail.
FACT- Vivien Leigh worked on Gone With The Wind for 22 weeks with only four days off. At the time, her role was the longest in history and her wardrobe was the largest any actor had in a single production.
Disc 3: About The Movie
This disc contains hours of material about how Gone With The Wind was made into the film we know and love today. The two-hour documentary The Making of a Legend: Gone With The Wind is absolutely fantastic and filled with so much information about David O. Selznick, Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh and Margaret Mitchell. Narrated by actor Christopher Plummer, the documentary provides the audience with an array of knowledge about the three-year film. It includes footage from some of the 90 screen-tests for the part of Scarlett O’Hara, with Margaret Sullivan, Paulette Goddard, Lana Turner and of course Vivien Leigh.
There is also a short documentary Restoring A Legend which is about the technical and digital process of restoring GWTW for this edition without changing or removing anything from the original version. It’s very interesting and eye-opening and although it was restored in 2004, the quality, colours and restoration are just as impressive.
Other features on this disc includes Atlanta Premiere Newsreels giving us the opportunity to see Vivien, Clark, Margaret Mitchell and even Carole Lombard. There is also a gallery of the GWTW trailers released over the decades and the prologue from the international release which was also used to introduce GWTW when it was secretly previewed to unexpected but excited audiences.
Disc 4: About The Cast
This disc contains three documentaries about the main cast as well as a mini-documentary titled The Supporting Players: Cameo Portraits of an Unforgettable Ensemble. One of the best features of this entire box-set is Melanie Remembers: Reflections by Olivia de Havilland. This exclusive 2004 documentary includes Olivia’s memories which are so vivid and detailed that it’s as if it was only yesterday as opposed to 1939! Age 102, Olivia is the last surviving member of Gone With The Wind.
Gable: The King Remembered is an insightful profile narrated by actor Peter Lawford. This documentary reflects Clark’s incredible career and legacy told through pictures, old footage and interviews with Director William Wellmann, Adela Rogers St Johns, Andy Devine and Yvonne De Carlo. It’s filled with lovely and sad stories about Clark and Carole Lombard and is a beautiful celebration of his legacy.
“Gable did it better than anybody else. Try to imagine any star today filling Gables’s shoes as Rhett Butler in Gone With The Wind and you’ll see what I mean.” — Peter Lawford on Clark Gable
Vivien Leigh: Scarlett and Beyond is a 1990 documentary on disc four hosted by actress Jessica Lange featuring memories and tributes from fellow actors Claire Bloom, Kim Hunter, John Gielgud and Sir Douglas Fairbanks Jr. It was lovely to hear their thoughts and feeling towards Vivien as they all admired her deeply. This documentary was more of a biographical documentary than Gable: Remembered but is nonetheless a tribute equal to the beauty and charm of Vivien Leigh herself.
Disc four also includes mini-documentaries about the supporting actors in GWTW. I haven’t watched them yet so I cannot comment about the quality of these documentaries. However, I am glad that the rest of the cast was celebrated and remembered for their part in GWTW.
One of the most beloved and beautiful features of this collectors edition of is the 19-page booklet that is actually a replica of the souvenir movie program sold in theatres showing Gone with the Wind! It was published by Greenstone and edited by Howard Dietz in 1939 for 25c per copy!
The program includes mini biographies of the cast, facts about the production and two articles; Scarlett by Vivien Leigh and Rhett by Clark Gable. The articles especially tells us their personal thoughts and discussions about their characters. The booklet is filled with wonderful illustrations of the actors and is the ideal bonus!
This four-disc collectors edition is so beautiful and enjoyable. I’ve learnt so much and I will definitely watch it all again!As a fan of GWTW, Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable, this box-set is a treasure chest of facts, quotes and footage and was a complete joy to watch. Costing just £3 makes it even better! It is a must-have for fans of Gone With The Wind and Old Hollywood and ideal for those interested in films.
Thank you for reading. I hope you liked this review blog post. I would definitely recommend this box-set for Gone With The Wind trivia! I have book and film reviews coming soon so follow me for more. Check out my Instagram accounts below for more Old Hollywood stars, quotes, facts, film and book reviews.
