Description
One month after her novel Gone With the Wind was published, Margaret Mitchell sold the movie rights for fifty thousand dollars. Fearful of what the studio might do to her story-"I wouldn't put it beyond Hollywood to have . . . Scarlett seduce General Sherman," she joked-the author washed her hands of involvement with the film. However, driven by a maternal interest in her literary firstborn and compelled by her Southern manners to answer every fan letter she received, Mitchell was unable to stay aloof for long. In this collection of her letters about the 1939 motion picture classic, readers have a front-row seat as the author watches the Dream Factory at work, learning the ins and outs of filmmaking and discovering the peculiarities of a movie-crazed public. Her ability to weave a story, so evident in Gone With the Wind, makes for delightful reading in her correspondence with a who's who of Hollywood, from producer David O. Selznick, director George Cukor, and screenwriter Sidney Howard, to cast members Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland and Hattie McDaniel. Mitchell also wrote to thousands of others-aspiring actresses eager to play Scarlett O'Hara; fellow Southerners hopeful of seeing their homes or their grandmother's dress used in the film; rabid movie fans determined that their favorite star be cast; and creators of songs, dolls and Scarlett panties who were convinced the author was their ticket to fame and fortune. During the film's production, she corrected erring journalists and the producer's over-the-top publicist who fed the gossip mills, accuracy be damned. Once the movie finished, she struggled to deal with friends and strangers alike who "fought and trampled little children and connived and broke the ties of lifelong friendship" to get tickets to the premiere. But through it all, she retained her sense of humor. Recounting an acquaintance's denial of the rumor that the author herself was going to play Scarlett, Mitchell noted he "ungallantly stated that I was something like fifty years too old for the part." After receiving numerous letters and phone calls from the studio about Belle Watling's accent, the author related her father was "convulsed at the idea of someone telephoning from New York to discover how the madam of a Confederate bordello talked." And in a chatty letter to Gable after the premiere, Mitchell coyly admitted being "feminine enough to be quite charmed" by his statement to the press that she was "fascinating," but added: "Even my best friends look at me in a speculative way-probably wondering what they overlooked that your sharp eyes saw!" As Gone With the Wind marks its seventy-fifth anniversary on the silver screen, these letters, edited by Mitchell historian John Wiley, Jr., offer a fresh look at the most popular motion picture of all time through the eyes of the woman who gave birth to Scarlett.
About the Author
John Wiley, Jr., is the co-author of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood and was featured in the Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel. He also owns one of the largest private collections of Gone With the Wind memorabilia and writes a quarterly newsletter, The Scarlett Letter, for fans and collectors.
Reviews
Wiley offers a behind-the-scenes look at the makings of a Hollywood legend from its inception in this title that takes the readeron the journey with Mitchell via the letters she wrote during the years 1936-49 and includes correspondence with both those who were famous and those who are unknown. . . .[T]his book will appeal to both film historians and scholars of Southern literature, readers who adore Mitchell's novel and David O. Selznick's film, and anyone looking for a peek inside the mind of a creative, private, and charming writer. * Library Journal *
[John Wiley] has assembled Mitchell's correspondence with a keen appreciation of long letters in which writers speak in a chatty, personal voice that today's emails and tweets never match. Reading Mitchell's vivid and detailed musings is a treat for fans of both the book and the movie but also for anyone who likes a good conversation with an intelligent and often feisty woman. . . .The Scarlett Letters provides an excellent insight regarding the woman behind the famous work. * The Wall Street Journal *
Wiley supplies readers with a wealth of Mitchell's thoughts about the film. . . . And in this engrossing collection, Mitchell's voice speaks anew to anyone who cares about her book, her life and the endlessly interesting world of Southern literature. * Richmond Times-Dispatch *
The Scarlett Letters is wonderful, dishy, and a great book to curl up with if you love movies from the golden age of Hollywood, popular novels, and historical research. Mr. Wiley turns over every rock and documents every exchange, letter, and conversation regarding the making of Gone With the Wind. You even find out where Clark Gable sat at the Atlanta premiere and why-great fun and fascinating history. -- Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Big Stone Gap
The Scarlett Letters shows the 'tough' side of the genteel Southern lady named Margaret Mitchell. A shrewd businesswoman who was fiercely loyal to friends and family, Mitchell's insistence on authenticity in the production of Gone With the Wind ensured a motion picture that was received with great acclaim, not only in the South, but worldwide. This collection of her letters is a great read for aspiring writers, film students, and, of course, the legion of fiercely loyal GWTW fans. -- Mickey Kuhn, actor who portrayed Beau Wilkes in Gone With the Wind
The Scarlett Letters provides a fascinating look at the filming of Gone With the Wind from Margaret Mitchell's perspective. Her personality and humor shine as brightly in her letters as they do in her celebrated novel. My sincere thanks go to John Wiley, Jr., for the work he put into finding and assembling these letters. This is a significant contribution to our knowledge of this woman, her novel, and our history. -- Steve Wilson, curator of film, Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin
John Wiley, Jr., is the world's greatest authority on Margaret Mitchell. If you think Scarlett O'Hara is fascinating, wait until you meet Margaret Mitchell in these pages-she is laugh-out-loud funny, honest to a fault, often exasperating, and a brilliant judge of character. Thanks to John Wiley, Jr., and The Scarlett Letters, we now have the riveting inside story of how Mitchell's masterpiece Gone With the Wind became one of the greatest films ever made. -- Pamela Roberts, Emmy Award-winning producer/director of Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel for PBS
Never was an author so overwhelmed by the popularity of a book and its subsequent movie adaptation as was Margaret Mitchell by the fuss made over Gone With the Wind. For anyone who wonders why Mitchell never wrote another book, here's the answer. Her self-deprecating wit, her gossipy appraisals of the outrages and absurdities, her attention to detail and legal eye for self-protection, her generosity, and her gift of friendship are all on display in this must-read collection of her letters, the long-awaited companion piece to Gone With the Wind. -- Molly Haskell, author of Frankly, My Dear: Gone With the Wind Revisited and My Brother My Sister: Story of a Transformation
It's a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the making of a movie masterpiece. It also offers great insight into Southern belle/iron butterfly Mitchell herself and her perception of Hollywood. . . .All those interested in classic film will want to have this book in their libraries. * Pop Culture Classics *
Book Information
ISBN 9781493033546
Author John Wiley
Format Paperback
Page Count 536
Imprint The Lyons Press
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 717g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 143mm * 33mm
About the Author
John Wiley, Jr., is the co-author of Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind: A Bestseller's Odyssey from Atlanta to Hollywood and was featured in the Emmy Award-winning PBS documentary Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel. He also owns one of the largest private collections of Gone With the Wind memorabilia and writes a quarterly newsletter, The Scarlett Letter, for fans and collectors.
Reviews
Wiley offers a behind-the-scenes look at the makings of a Hollywood legend from its inception in this title that takes the readeron the journey with Mitchell via the letters she wrote during the years 1936-49 and includes correspondence with both those who were famous and those who are unknown. . . .[T]his book will appeal to both film historians and scholars of Southern literature, readers who adore Mitchell's novel and David O. Selznick's film, and anyone looking for a peek inside the mind of a creative, private, and charming writer. * Library Journal *
[John Wiley] has assembled Mitchell's correspondence with a keen appreciation of long letters in which writers speak in a chatty, personal voice that today's emails and tweets never match. Reading Mitchell's vivid and detailed musings is a treat for fans of both the book and the movie but also for anyone who likes a good conversation with an intelligent and often feisty woman. . . .The Scarlett Letters provides an excellent insight regarding the woman behind the famous work. * The Wall Street Journal *
Wiley supplies readers with a wealth of Mitchell's thoughts about the film. . . . And in this engrossing collection, Mitchell's voice speaks anew to anyone who cares about her book, her life and the endlessly interesting world of Southern literature. * Richmond Times-Dispatch *
The Scarlett Letters is wonderful, dishy, and a great book to curl up with if you love movies from the golden age of Hollywood, popular novels, and historical research. Mr. Wiley turns over every rock and documents every exchange, letter, and conversation regarding the making of Gone With the Wind. You even find out where Clark Gable sat at the Atlanta premiere and why-great fun and fascinating history. -- Adriana Trigiani, bestselling author of Big Stone Gap
The Scarlett Letters shows the 'tough' side of the genteel Southern lady named Margaret Mitchell. A shrewd businesswoman who was fiercely loyal to friends and family, Mitchell's insistence on authenticity in the production of Gone With the Wind ensured a motion picture that was received with great acclaim, not only in the South, but worldwide. This collection of her letters is a great read for aspiring writers, film students, and, of course, the legion of fiercely loyal GWTW fans. -- Mickey Kuhn, actor who portrayed Beau Wilkes in Gone With the Wind
The Scarlett Letters provides a fascinating look at the filming of Gone With the Wind from Margaret Mitchell's perspective. Her personality and humor shine as brightly in her letters as they do in her celebrated novel. My sincere thanks go to John Wiley, Jr., for the work he put into finding and assembling these letters. This is a significant contribution to our knowledge of this woman, her novel, and our history. -- Steve Wilson, curator of film, Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin
John Wiley, Jr., is the world's greatest authority on Margaret Mitchell. If you think Scarlett O'Hara is fascinating, wait until you meet Margaret Mitchell in these pages-she is laugh-out-loud funny, honest to a fault, often exasperating, and a brilliant judge of character. Thanks to John Wiley, Jr., and The Scarlett Letters, we now have the riveting inside story of how Mitchell's masterpiece Gone With the Wind became one of the greatest films ever made. -- Pamela Roberts, Emmy Award-winning producer/director of Margaret Mitchell: American Rebel for PBS
Never was an author so overwhelmed by the popularity of a book and its subsequent movie adaptation as was Margaret Mitchell by the fuss made over Gone With the Wind. For anyone who wonders why Mitchell never wrote another book, here's the answer. Her self-deprecating wit, her gossipy appraisals of the outrages and absurdities, her attention to detail and legal eye for self-protection, her generosity, and her gift of friendship are all on display in this must-read collection of her letters, the long-awaited companion piece to Gone With the Wind. -- Molly Haskell, author of Frankly, My Dear: Gone With the Wind Revisited and My Brother My Sister: Story of a Transformation
It's a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the making of a movie masterpiece. It also offers great insight into Southern belle/iron butterfly Mitchell herself and her perception of Hollywood. . . .All those interested in classic film will want to have this book in their libraries. * Pop Culture Classics *
Book Information
ISBN 9781493033546
Author John Wiley
Format Paperback
Page Count 536
Imprint The Lyons Press
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 717g
Dimensions(mm) 222mm * 143mm * 33mm
