Photo Feature: Gone with the Wind’s Grand Premiere
By Ashley Sankey, Digital Storytelling Contributor
On December 15, 1939, Atlanta’s Loew’s Grand Theater on Peachtree Street lit up for the premiere of David O. Selznick’s epic, “Gone with the Wind.”
While the film offered its own lens on the Civil War and Reconstruction, the premiere event itself became a canvas for recreating an embellished version of the 19th century.
The theater’s exterior was transformed into a Southern plantation, with grand pillars, floral garlands, and potted trees lining its facade.
Peachtree Street buzzed with anticipation as attendees awaited the arrival of luminaries. Notable arrivals included novelist Margaret Mitchell, producer David O. Selznick, actress Vivien Leigh, and her husband, Laurence Olivier.
Each celebrity’s presence elevated the night’s allure and gravitas. Yet, glaringly absent were the film’s Black actors and actresses. Even Hattie McDaniel, who made history as the first African American Academy Award recipient, and Butterfly McQueen, who played Prissy in the film, were conspicuously missing. In a nod to the supposed halcyon days, Confederate veterans were invited to the premiere and honored for their service.
Want to see more images from that December night in 1939? Check out our Atlanta History Photograph Collection. This diverse collection of prints, lithographs, and cased images includes portraits of prominent men and women in Antebellum Atlanta, scenes from the aftermath of the Civil War, street scenes and photographs of neighborhoods, images of Atlanta landmarks, notable events, and people.
