Behind the Scenes of Gone With the Wind Part 1

About the movie Gone With the Wind, a plot summary of one of the greatest films of all time.

INSIDE STORIES OF THE 10 GREATEST FILMS

GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)

The Story: Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), a spoiled and flirtatious Georgia belle, is in love with Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), a neighbor whose plantation, Twelve Oaks, is near Scarlett's splendid home, Tara, Ashley, delicate and well mannered, loves his cousin, Melanie Hamilton (Olivia de Havilland), whose quiet, aristocratic nature is closer to his.

Ashley announces his engagement, and when Scarlett pleads with him not to marry Melanie, the conversation is overheard by Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), a gambler and cynic. Rhett is immediately attracted to Scarlett, knowing that underneath her beauty she is as ruthless and cold-blooded as he is. Scarlett ignores Rhett's advances and, realizing that Ashley is going ahead with his marriage to Melanie, spitefully marries Melanie's bland brother, Charles.

When the Civil War breaks out, both Ashley and Charles enlist, and Charles dies shortly afterward in a training camp, leaving Scarlett a widow. Bored, the spoiled Scarlett travels to Atlanta, where she scandalizes society by dancing with Rhett while she is still in mourning. Rhett has become a war profiteer and is getting rich. When Atlanta is sacked and burned by Sherman's troops, Rhett helps Scarlett and Melanie escape, and Scarlett returns home to Tara.

Tara is in ruins, Scarlett's mother is dead, and her father is out of his mind. Vowing to survive and restore Tara, Scarlett takes over as head of the house. When Ashley returns to Twelve Oaks, he too finds his plantation in ruins. Though weak and defeated, he turns down Scarlett's pleas to run off with her.

Ashley is of little help to Scarlett in her struggle against the carpetbaggers who have invaded after the war, so Scarlett tricks wealthy Frank Kennedy into marrying her. Using Kennedy's money, she invests in a sawmill, and under her hardheaded management the mill thrives, bringing wealth to the family again, and to Ashley, whom she has taken in as a partner.

After Scarlett is attacked on her way to the mill, her husband is killed on a reciprocal raid on shantytown. Once more a widow, Scarlett immediately marries the now wealthy Rhett, although she still loves Ashley.

With Rhett and Scarlett's combined wealth, Scarlett lives in a florid and ostentatious style. Rhett is deeply in love with Scarlett, but Scarlett, despite having Rhett's child, continues to openly pursue Ashley. Shortly after Rhett and Scarlett's child is killed in an accident, the fragile Melanie dies. Seeing Ashley's uncontrollable grief over the loss of his wife, Scarlett finally realizes how much Ashley has always been in love with Melanie, and how futile her efforts have been to win him away.

Rid of her obsession for Ashley, Scarlett turns to Rhett. But it is too late. Rhett, tired of his humiliation and constant rejection, leaves her.

Returning to Tara, Scarlett makes another vow, this time perhaps in vain, that she will win Rhett back.

You Are Here: Trivia-Library Home » Inside Story of the 10 Best Movies » Behind the Scenes of Gone With the Wind Part 1
Behind the Scenes of Gone With the Wind Part 2 »