Gone With the Wind – Best Picture Winner; 1939

The Basics – Gone With the Wind (1939) – Director, Victor Fleming; starring Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh; Run Time – 238 mins. – Drama, Romance, War – “A manipulative Southern belle carries on a turbulent affair with a blockade runner during the American Civil War.”

Prior Knowledge

Kristy – I had watched bits and pieces of this film before but never sat down to watch it in its totality.  I am obviously aware of its theme as well as some of its more popular lines.

Koob – This is my mom’s favorite movie and we saw it together on the big screen around 14 years ago.

Fun Facts from IMDB

Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to be nominated for, and win, an Academy Award.

Vivien Leigh worked for 125 days and received about $25,000. Clark Gable worked for 71 days and received over $120,000.

The movie’s line “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” was voted as the #1 movie quote by the American Film Institute (out of 100).

1,400 actresses were interviewed for the part of Scarlett O’Hara. 400 were asked to do readings.

Viewing Source – we own this on DVD but it is available for only $0.99 on Amazon Instant Video

Post Viewing Responses

Ratings (with 1 star = the worst and 5 stars = the best)

Koob: 3 stars

Kristy: 3 stars

Double Gobble Score: 3 stars

 

The Takeaway: A beautifully shot movie with great acting but with an outdated worldview that glorifies the Old South and slavery.

Mutiny on the Bounty – Best Picture Winner; 1935

The Basics – Mutiny on the Bounty (1935) – Director, Frank Lloyd; starring Clark Gable, Charles Lauhgton, Franchot Tone; Run Time – 132 mins. – Adventure, Drama, History –  “Fletcher Christian successfully leads a revolt against the ruthless Captain Bligh on the HMS Bounty. However, Bligh returns one year later, hell bent on avenging his captors.”

Prior Knowledge

Kristy – My knowledge of this movie is limited to the fact that it takes place on a ship near Tahiti.

Koob – Once again, I saw this movie around 12 or 13 years ago.  I remember it being pretty entertaining and Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh is one of the great screen villains of all time.

Fun Facts from IMDB

-The only film in Oscar history that had three nominees for Best Actor: Clark Gable, Charles Laughton, and Franchot Tone. Because of this, the Academy introduced a Best Supporting Actor Oscar shortly afterward to ensure this situation would not be repeated.

–James Cagney was sailing his boat off of Catalina Island, California, and passed the area where the film’s crew was shooting aboard the Bounty replica. Cagney called to director Frank Lloyd, an old friend, and said that he was on vacation and could use a couple of bucks, and asked if Lloyd had any work for him. Lloyd put him into a sailor’s uniform, and Cagney spent the rest of the day as an extra playing a sailor aboard the Bounty. Cagney is clearly visible near the beginning of the movie.

–Clark Gable had to shave off his trademark mustache for this film for historical accuracy. Mustaches were not allowed in the Royal Navy during the time the story takes place.

-In order to break the ice before shooting, Clark Gable, apparently unaware of co-star Charles Laughton‘s homosexuality, took him to a brothel. Laughton’s wife Elsa Lanchester always said that Laughton was nevertheless “flattered” by this gesture.

Viewing Source – Amazon Instant Video ($1.99 rental)

Post Viewing Responses

Ratings (with 1 star = the worst and 5 stars = the best)

Koob: 3 stars

Kristy: 4 stars

Double Gobble Score: 3.5 stars

The Takeaway: Worth seeing for the incredible story and the great performance by Charles Laughton as the villainous Captain Bligh.

It Happened One Night – Best Picture Winner; 1934

The Basics – It Happened One Night (1934) – Director, Frank Capra; starring Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert; Run Time – 105 mins. – Comedy, Romance – “A spoiled heiress, running away from her family, is helped by a man who’s actually a reporter looking for a story.”

Prior Knowledge

Kristy – Although I have little knowledge on the plot of this movie I am excited to see it because many people have told me how great it is.

Koob – As is the theme with most of these early best picture winners, I saw this film around 12 years ago and I remember it being a very witty and clever romantic comedy.  I also know that it is one of only three films to win all five of the major categories at the Academy Awards (Best Picture, Actor, Actress, Director, and Screenplay).

Fun Facts from IMDB

-Constance Bennett and Myrna Loy, among others, turned the script down. Claudette Colbert only accepted because Capra promised he would double her salary and she would be done in four weeks. She disliked the film so much she didn’t even attend the Oscars; when she won for Best Actress she was found about to leave on a trip and was rushed to the ceremony, where she made her acceptance speech in a traveling suit.

-Friz Freleng’s unpublished memoirs mention that this was one of his favorite films, and that it contains at least three things upon which the character “Bugs Bunny” was based; the character Oscar Shapely’s (Roscoe Karns) personality. the manner in which Peter Warne (Clark Gable) was eating carrots and talking quickly at the same time, and an imaginary character mentioned once to frighten Oscar Shapely named “Bugs Dooley.”

-Director Frank Capra came up with the idea about “the walls of Jericho” because Claudette Colbert refused to undress in front of the camera.

-When director Frank Capra asked Claudette Colbert to expose her leg for the hitchhiking scene, she at first refused. Later, after having seen the leg of her body double, she changed her mind insisting that “that is not my leg!”

Viewing Source – Amazon Instant Video ($2.99 rental)

Post Viewing Responses

Ratings (with 1 star = the worst and 5 stars = the best)

Koob: 4 stars

Kristy: 4 stars

Double Gobble Score: 4 stars

The Takeaway: A little dated but still a witty, well-written classic and the standard bearer for all future romantic comedies.