Bargain With A Devil: The Tragedy Behind Gone With The Wind

by Gloria Gravitt Moulder

This book is not about Scarlett, Rhett, the Civil War or it's aftermath. It is about a "bargain" made by Margaret Mitchell the famous author of "Gone With The Wind" that eventually led to her death, and how it impacted the life of Hugh Dorsey Gravitt and his family. It's about manipulation psychopathic behavior, sexual deviance, and a murder that was made to look like an accident, false imprisonment, alcoholism, medical malpractice, attempted suicide, the hardship of survival during the great depression, moonshining, child abuse, and racism.

This book tells about Hugh Gravitt watching the disastrous fire that destroyed the Winecoff Hotel in Atlanta Georgia killing 119 people as mother's threw their babies out windows before jumping to their own death to escape the flames. It tells how this author spent twenty years reading and researching everything she could find about Margaret Mitchell and her husband John Marsh to expose the cover-up and falsehoods surrounding the death of an icon. In this book is a photo of the death scene, and documents that tell more than any words can ever say.

Genres: True Crime

312 pages, Paperback

First published March 7, 2012

Reviews

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I normally don't review books but, in light of the importance of this book to the literary world and my dear love for it. I am compelled to go outside my normal routine.I am a nurse which gives me a medical understanding of what you are seeing when you look at the photo of Margaret Mitchell laying face down on Peachtree st. A EMT or Paramedic's first duty is to take a victim's vital signs and then render whatever first aid is necessary to stabilize the patient. This Paramedic is standing rendering no medial aid. It is evident that Margaret Mitchell is dead. Trama victims are immobilized and prepared for transport even in 1949 And according to the photo and Mr.Gravitt's statement she recieved neither medical aid or immobolization for transport. Bargain with a devil by Gloria Gravitt Moulder proves to me The Mitchell Tragedy did not happen they way the public has been lead to believe. I would have rated this book much higher if possible for not only it's historic value to the world but,the much deserved forgiveness to the Gravitt family for the terrible stigma placed on it. By lying politicians and a public too eager to condemn. {Rest in peace Mr. Gravitt}.

[Kathy Whiten · Rating 5 out of 5]

July 8, 2013
Review of Bargain with the Devil
Author: Gloria Gravitt Moulder
My interest in the death of Margaret Mitchell was sparked as a young child growing up in Georgia. I was born in 1953, 4 years after her death. Older relatives, neighbors and friends would sit around discussing her death as I was growing up and with the inquisitive mind of a young child; I found what they were saying interesting enough to listen in. They talked about how the taxi cab driver, Hugh Gravitt, (some of which knew him as this was a small southern town where everyone knew everyone) was not a drinker because of his health and how the newspaper articles had written he was drunk and speeding when it wasn’t true. I overheard many things about how the media was wrong regarding the circumstances of her death. Some speculated she committed suicide; others suspected her husband pushed her in front of the car Mr. Gravitt was driving. All commented that both Margaret and John were drunk and jaywalking across Peachtree Street.
I read the book (Gone with the Wind) when I was 13 and went to see the movie in 1969 at the Fox theatre with friends. I cannot relate how this impacted me. I became interested in all I heard as a child again and over the years have read many articles on the subject of Margaret Mitchell and John Marsh. I never believed the stories about Hugh Gravitt being at fault in her death as a result of all those conversations I had overheard by my elders as a child.
Gloria Gravitt Moulder, the daughter of Hugh Gravitt, has written the perfect book called “Bargain with the Devil” with facts derived from her own father on his death bed. I could not put this book down; I read it in one day. It has confirmed everything I heard from people who suspected in the few years after Margaret Mitchell’s death what actually happened.
Thank you Mrs. Moulder, for your courage in bringing your father’s version to light after all his suffering from 1949 to his death. Also, for confirming my beliefs in what I heard growing up as this was only suspicion until I read about your father’s version.
Kathy Whiten
621 Brighton Drive
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
404-516-0623

[Bob Munneke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms.Gravitt does an extremely good job of showing how quickly justice can turn into injustice by over riding the rights of the accused to politically accommodate a public prejudiced mob. I've read other books over the years that describe the incident that killed Margaret Mitchell and if a person will apply logic and common sense to what Ms. Gravitt has provided in her book no one can dispute the fact there was a cover up. Ms. Gravitt puts her CSI like skills to use tracking down the truth behind this aged mystery drawing not only on her Father's account but, on original crime scene reports, photograph and psychological studies she makes an irrefutable case, She reveals gaping holes in the original investigation and in my mind cleared her Father of any wrong doing. Very well written and researched book Without reservation one of the best can't put it down books I've ever read.

[Beth Shultz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this great book in one evening. Wonderful. I had heard that there was more to the story about Margaret Mitchell's death than people were told. Thank you Gloria for a great book and God bless your dad who went through so much here on this earth.

[Gloria Antypowich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I believe that there could be few tragedies greater than being convicted and sentenced to prison for a crime you knew in your heart that you did not commit, nor the anguish and stigma that is extended to the innocent family who are involved in the situation. The injustice of it would burn in your consciousness, crying out for absolution; for the truth to be told. Only the naïve believe that the judicial system is fool proof; we see examples of its failings more than we’d like to admit. Some people are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time and at times people with notoriety, power and means can outsmart the process, sloughing off the responsibility and blame on a hapless source.

Gloria Gravitt Moulder has written this book to tell her father’s story and clear his name by revealing the true source of the tragedy in which his vehicle was only the instrument used to cause the victims death, not the true reason behind it.

Bargain With A Devil is not only the poignant story of Hugh Dorsey Gravitt who was sentenced to prison for causing the death of Margaret Mitchell (Marsh), a celebrity known as the author of Gone With The Wind. It's about the lives of Margret Mitchell (Marsh) and her husband, John Marsh: it is the result of painstaking research which reveals their destructive life style of deceit, manipulation, psychopathic behavior, sexual deviance, and alcoholism.

Moulder has painstakingly researched and obtained documents that do support her work, and they reveal a story of corruption, injustice and abuse that is hard to deny. The information in this book is shocking and heart wrenching. This is a peek into the world behind the scenes in the lives of a proudly acclaimed couple who portrayed one image to the whole world and lived a totally different reality.

If you are interested in a page of American history, don’t miss reading this story. It is painfully enlightening.

[Katherine Basto · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to give this book more than two stars. The premise is very interesting in itself. The author tells the story about her father, the man that hit famous author Margaret Mitchell in an unfortunate car accident in August 1949, snuffing the 48 year old author's life out. Throughout his life, he was ostracized and treated like a pariah. He never recovered from it.
The author, his daughter, sets out to make things right and tell the "true" story of what really happened. One of the first problems, and she does warn the readers, is that the spelling and grammar are atrocious. She wasn't kidding. My point here is you have an interesting story set to exonerate your father, you could find get a copy editor to look over the manuscript! What about an old-fashioned spell check that is on computers? There is no excuse these days for this type of disregard to readers.
When you write a story like this, you want readers to take your information seriously, and that your theories will garner respect. Perhaps with some royalties, the author will publish a second edition with corrections? It's a matter of pride that was lost in the translation of the story.
Some interesting aspects include the author's life in rural Georgia versus urban Atlanta. The background of her family was very intriguing considering the context. Ironies abound however. The first anecdote she shares is her father got a used car at 14 without telling his father, fixed it up and proceeded to race through ditches, creeks etc until he got caught. Funny how he became a cab driver, clearly drove too fast that fateful day and was accused of being drunk.
I do feel that Hugh Gravitt did not get a fair trial. He spent 11 months in jail and went back to his regular job, only this time as a cab mechanic. Did Hugh expect to really fit in and be accepted after hitting and killing America's and the world's most popular author?
It's true sometimes the rich and famous get away with murder, but the common person takes a hit. The author feels her father was a victim just like Margaret Mitchell herself. Perhaps he was. It is unfortunate when you critically injure a famous person, people don't want to listen to your story.
What really bothered me is the last section of the book. It goes into Margaret Mitchell and her husband's life. There are repetitions galore that make for challenging reading. I'm just not sure Mitchell's interest in erotica, not wanting to have children, being rebellious, made her a bad person. In fact, this information has very little to do with that day. What the author proposes is that the disgruntled husband literally pushed her into the upcoming traffic and he got out of the way, so she would perish. How can you possibly read murderous motives into this accident? As if the husband just planned to push her into an oncoming car? The author mentions he then burned all her manuscripts and clothing soon after her death. But reading other books on the subject, it is stated she wrote this wish out in her will.
She was with her husband for 24 years, and he died a few years later. Ms. Gravitt Moulder feels because he edited "Gone with the Wind" nay, practically wrote it, that he was angry for not getting the credit?
Many authors, including myself, have editors, beta readers and people who may help in various ways. I'm not sure how she can project this motive, intention and a scheme to rid himself of his wife really works here. I understand how angry Ms. Moulder is over the treatment of her father. I can't tell you how many times she brings up Margaret Mitchell's short time at Smith College as a way to comment on her sexual preferences, and then to give evidence about all the men she was involved with? So what??? She liked men.
It's clear that Ms. Moulder believed her father's story and what daughter wouldn't? But once again, it's hard to believe that whilst in the middle of the accident, he could specifically say that her husband pushed her backwards into the car?
Hugh Gravitt was in the wrong place at the wrong time on that fateful day. Supposedly, the Mitchell-Marsh couple was jaywalking, rushing to the theatre. This was in 1949 when there were no cameras to film the event on the street. Gravitt certainly was innocent of any murder. He received involuntary manslaughter, served his time and needed to get on with his life and ameliorate any guilt he had.
I am a person who is against maligning the dead in this manner. Just because Margaret Mitchell had "issues" and was bohemian is no excuse for blame. I'm not even sure what the point was with this? She was,in fact like Scarlett O'Hara, spoiled and rebellious.
Whether she received help from her husband writing the tome is between them and God. The maligning of this couple took up the later half of the book. It would have been much better to get corroborating evidence, aspects of the trial, other witnesses, etc.
It's sad there was so much angry projection in the book. Commenting on Mitchell's lack of education, lack of previous publicity, trouble with grammar, etc all to me sounded like a page from the author's own life. This could have been a stellar book if all the mistakes were remedied and the author stuck to the facts, not her angry projections about the Mitchell/Marsh marriage.
One good aspect of this book was is it got me interested in the subject of the life of Margaret Mitchell and I will probably read a few of her biographies to compare information. "Bargain with a Devil" could have been a very compelling book, if the author took the time, resources and energy to produce and publish a professional, readable book!

[Nvadanvdo Silvarahawk · Rating 5 out of 5]

In her own words Gloria Gravitt Moulder has revealed the truth about what really happened on 11 August 1949. It has taken her many years to formulate the words for Bargain with a Devil, collect pertinent papers, and to finally fulfill a promise to her Dad. Margaret Mitchell is someone that many know was the "author" of Gone With the Wind. Within the pages of this book, the "true author" and the circumstances around the death of Margaret Mitchell Marsh. Bargain with a Devil is a book that I recommend because once picked up - cannot be laid down until the last page is turned.

[Cheryl Smiddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book did a wonderful job of keeping my interest. It left me wanting more. I now want to research Margaret Mitchell.

[Missy Eversole · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I commend Ms. Moulder for writing this book to clear her father's name, there is no one alive to defend John and Margaret. It is a hard book to follow along, given that it hadn't gone though an editor.

[Kathy Whiten]

I read Bargain With the Devil and it was exactly the way I heard all the rumors growing up and listening to the grown ups (they were either kin to and knew Hugh Gravitt). Now I must read Death of Margaret Mitchell. I love the way Gloria Gravitt Moulder tells the true story.

[Carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are kinder reviews on Goodreads than Amazon. As of today the book only has 3 stars on Amazon and 4 stars on Goodreads.

I do think the author has a story to tell but the heavy bias and poor editing detract from the credibility of the book. Even tabloids have better editors! The book jumps around a lot. One big example is the second to last chapter is her father's obituary. The last chapter details her father's death....(???) There are spelling and grammatical errors throughout the book. Even a paragraph starting with a lowercase letter!

The author's scorn of the Mitchells is apparent throughout the book. She claims John set out to write a bestselling novel even before he met Margaret. However the book's references do not include any direct writings of Margaret. If the author would've read the direct letters (which are published) she would've learned how the success of the book surprised the Mitchells and wanted the publicity to go away. Margaret was "cheered" when the book was off the bestseller list. It seems odd to claim the Mitchells set out for fame and fortune when facts prove otherwise. John kept his job for several years after the book was published. Also Margaret refused to write anything else, even though there was begging and pleading, therefore it is obvious she didn't cash in on her fame. A sequel to Gone with the Wind would've been a cash cow!!!!

The author also made some libelous claims including one that they didn't have children because John was gay. The author also claimed that Margaret "had neither the education, nor the discipline to achieve that goal [to become a published writer]." The fact that Margaret is an accomplished writer can not be disputed by reading Gone with the Wind or her written correspondence that is published. It is even more amusing this claim is coming from this author whose book is poorly written as mentioned above.

The author did make some good points - that other drivers around the same time in Atlanta were not as severely punished by the courts for hitting jaywalkers as her father was. The author pointed out the photo of the scene showed no one administering care to Margaret as she lay in the road. However she died in a coma 5 days later? Also newspapers claimed her father was an on-duty, drunk taxi cab driver. The author clarified he was not on duty and had one beer earlier in the afternoon. He had been driving to pick up a prescription for a sick child. The author suspects it was the Mitchells who had been drinking but their fame shielded them.

If the author would've taken a more objective approach her arguments would've held much more weight.