Here's what IMDB wrote about it, "In attendance were David O. Selznick, his wife Irene Mayer Selznick, investor John Hay Whitney and editor Hal C. Kern. Kern called for the manager and explained that his theater had been chosen for the first public screening of Gone with the Wind (1939) though the identity of the film was to remain undisclosed to the audience until the very moment it began. People were permitted to leave only if they didn't want to hang around for a film that they didn't know the name of, but after they'd gone, the theater was to be sealed with no re-admissions and no phone calls. The manager was reluctant but eventually agreed. His one request was to call his wife to come to the theater immediately, although he was forbidden to tell her what film she was about to see. Indeed, Kern stood by him while he made his phone call to ensure he maintained the secret. When the film began, the audience started yelling with excitement. They had been reading about this film for nearly 2 years, so were naturally thrilled to see it for themselves."
So...on a TV thing about it, they said people were standing on their chairs cheering. It was kind of a big deal!
Last night, I had the opportunity to go to the same Fox Theater and watch the movie on the big screen, just as it had been shown originally. The theater was beautifully ornate with carved ceilings and detailed carvings and decor all over. Amazing! Definitely a vintage place.
I had seen the movie before, but there was something special about being there in the theater with a sold out crowd of people, of all ages, who were passionate about the movie. Before the movie got started, the three guys who played Beau Wilkes as a baby and little child and Bonnie Blue, Scarlet and Rhett's baby girl (yes, she was played by a he in the newborn and infant shots) came out on the stage and talked a little bit. Also there, was Ann Rutherford (now 90 years old), who played Carreen O'Hara in the movie, and Ann Jefferies, who was not in "Gone With the Wind", but is an old movie star in her own right. During intermission, they all happily autographed anything and everything people asked them to...very cool and nice people!
To add even more excitement, Olivia de Havilland (she plays Melanie Hamilton Wilkes), herself, introduced the movie via a phone recording from Paris, France. People cheered as the beginning credits came onto the screen, but the crowd went wild when Tara's Theme began playing and the movie title scrolled across the screen. Whenever a main actor, like Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, or Olivia de Havilland, came on the screen for the first time, people clapped and screamed. And people cheered for the babies and Carreen when they came on screen to show appreciation for the people in the movie that were in attendance. It almost seemed like it was the first time everyone was seeing it! One of the things that struck me was how beautiful the scenery was when on the big screen. I had never really noticed the beauty of some of the shots until it was huge, right in front of me:
Anyways, the event started at 7 pm and didn't end until about 11:30 pm. Despite the late hour, even the super old people were buzzing and excited to see the show. I'm really glad I went. When we got our tickets, I figured it would be fun to see the movie on the big screen, but I had no idea how awesome it would really turn out to be!
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