The Complete Gone with the Wind Trivia Book: The Movie and More

by Pauline Bartel

A collection of everything trivia fans might want to know about a true : movie classic. Readers will learn what brand of typewriter Margaret Mitchell used to type the original book, the parallels between Scarlett's life and the author's, and the ins and outs of casting. Trivia quizzes and a bibliography are included.

Genres: Nonfiction, Film, Media Tie In, History, Classics, Romance, Trivia

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1989

Reviews

[Christopher Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the ultimate guide to knowing everything about everything about Gone With The Wind. It was entertaining and informative from the first page to the last. It tells trivia and stories from the novel to the movie to all the sequels (some that can never be published) It gives information on all the GWTW museums, recent auctions, private collections and events through the years celebrating both book and film. i'm so Happy that I own this book ( I got it at The Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta) i've always loved this book and movie. I've read the book 4 times and seen the movie more times than I can remember. I also have a nice collection of GWTW memorabilia. This is a must have for any fan of Gone With The Wind.

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is by far the most thorough and comprehensive GWTW trivia book I've yet to read. I very much enjoyed this.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I usually wouldn’t include this sort of my book in my blog or in my reading challenge, but it really surpassed my expectations. The Complete Gone with the Wind Trivia Book reads more like a non-fiction collection of stories surrounding both the Gone with the Wind book and movie than an actual trivia book. Filled with mini biographies about everyone related to the book and movie, industry secrets behind its publication and filming, and a lot of interesting backstories behind things such as the sets, the scripts, the revisions, and so much more, I feel like I learned so much from a relatively short book.

I already considered myself pretty well-versed with the Gone with the Wind history, but this book was just filled with so much more information. An incredibly thorough and engaging read, I felt fully entertained. One downside to this book was the fact that it’s older than me (just by a tad), so Alexandra Ripley’s Scarlett was still in the process of being written (the book mentions her monumental undertaking just briefly at the end), and I would have liked to know more about how it was received back then. Personally, I’m not a fan of Scarlett (the book, not the character, obviously), and I know it’s pretty unpopular with a lot of Windies, but for the time, I would have been interested to know how well it did with sales, critics, and the general public.

This book may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but to my fellow Windies, you will not be disappointed!

[Darrell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very thorough book. Everything you ever wanted to know about the movie is in there. But Pauline Bartel seems to have neglected to tell us that every structure that is featured in the film has since been torn down... every structure except one that is: the Old Mill (otherwise known as Pugh's Mill) rests comfortably in the quiet neighborhoods of North Little Rock, Arkansas. You can see the mill during the opening credits of Gone With The Wind. But Bartel loves the subject matter and it spills over onto the printed page. An easy and informative read...

[Ashlee Haynie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I flew threw this book in one sitting and it was so interesting! While I'd heard some of the trivia given in this book, there was lots more that was completely new to me. The story of the making of the film was astonishing and now it's hard to believe it ever got made at all! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book.

[Garrett Nicolai · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and informative look at the transformation of one of America's most beloved books from page to screen... and to screen again... and again... and again. Fans of the book or the film will probably appreciate this in-depth look at this wonderful story.

[Keli Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! I had so much fun reading it!

[Bulk Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was NOT what I expected it to be. I own a GWTW movie trivia book that is very tall, thin, and has a ton of pictures. I though it would be more like that. This was written like a chapter book, more like a complete biography of GWTW than mere trivia.

Even though I already knew a lot of the information, I was surprised at how much I didn't know, and it was fascinating. It was also frequently hilarious and I laughed several times. I would've given this five stars just for some chapters alone, but alas, some chapters were way more interesting than others. I was also questioning the validity of the information at some points. Some tidbits directly contradicted a few stories I've heard over the years, so, of note:

1. According to Marcella Rabwin, Selznick told Gable's wife that he would pay her a large amount of money if she convinced him to play Rhett. The way this book presents it makes a little more sense to me, but is a lot more manipulative: Gable wanted a divorce so he could marry Carole Lombard, so Selznick convinced his then-wife Rhea to ask him for an exorbitant divorce settlement. Selznick would then present Gable with the money he needed by way of salary for GWTW, thereby convincing him to take the role. Evil, but genius.

2. An oft-told story is that Gable was so furious Hattie McDaniel couldn't attend the premiere in racially-segregated Atlanta that he refused to go, until she convinced him. However, this book states that Gable refused out of solidarity with Victor Fleming, who was boycotting the premiere due to being pissed off at Selznick after a tactless remark in a recent interview. Then it was MGM, not McDaniel, who convinced both of them to attend (although Fleming opted out anyway after a friend's sudden death.) Either both are somewhat true, this book is incorrect, or the Hattie McDaniel story has been fabricated/blown out of proportion. I'm interested to know which it is. (But I love the detail that Gable flew separately because he didn't want to be stuck on a plane with Selznick.)

3. Clark Gable's Wikipedia page does a massive disservice to him if this book is true. It went in-depth about his love child with Loretta Young. Wikipedia states that Gable only saw his daughter once, at 15, and her family members claim their affair was date-rape. However, this book states that Gable visited Young when his daughter was a baby and gave her several hundred dollars in support, and it's also implied he would've claimed her had Young not sworn him to secrecy. Also, Young apparently regretted that she never got Gable to marry her. If veritable, this version is much kinder. The way Young went out of her way to hide her pregnancy and birth was so unnecessarily over-the-top it was hilarious. Crazy story. (Which btw didn't have much to do with GWTW and I'm not sure why this book went into it, other than that Judy Lewis was the same age as Cammie King and they ended up being colleagues.)

Although the "making of the movie" chapters were my favorite, my next favorite was the chapter about the authorized sequels. I simply have to reread those now, because I cannot believe some of the things Alexandra Ripley and Timothy Dalton allegedly said.

The script-writing process was nuts. I am not surprised they made a play out of it. This was my favorite quote:

Selznick ruled that food interfered with creativity so he banned all sustenance except for bananas and salted peanuts. Selznick took Benzedrine to keep awake and recommended the wonder drug to his cohorts. On day four, Fleming suffered a burst blood vessel in his eye, and the following day, Selznick collapsed while eating a banana.

It's this sort of writing that kept me engaged in the book; I don't normally read non-fiction. Thank you Pauline Bartel for doing what seems like a lot of meticulous research, and managing to compile it all into a sensible plot!

[Abigail Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book! I love the Gone With The Wind movie and book. I own both so naturally, I wanted to know more about the book and the making of the movie. This book offers a lot of information. Tells you about things happening on set, how they casted each character, and the release of the movie. It also talks about Alexandra Ripley's sequel to GWTW: Scarlett. It talks about the t.v. show that was made from that book in 1980s. It even talks about Donald McCaig's "Rhett Butler's People" book. Not only is there all that information, there are also trivia quizzes that you can test out your knowledge on all three of those books and the movie and show on. Quizzes such as who said that quote, match the characters with the actors, and other trivia questions. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves GWTW.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a classic movie fan I enjoyed all the details about the making of the movie.

[Bookwormgyrl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book filled with tidbits, gossip, and whatnots about Margaret Mitchell, GWTW novel, and making of the film. 5.0 bookworms

[Anika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covers pretty much all kinds of trivia concerning Gone With the Wind , starting with tidbits about Margaret Mitchell and her writing process, moving on to the casting, filming and production of the movie, all its (and the novel's) various reissues, up to all sequels, the actors' fate and what not. I can't think of any aspect of the GWTW universe that isn't covered. But this is not only thorough, but also presented in enjoyable form with many short chapters, lists and bullet points, just like I like to digest my trivia. As extra, there are many quizzes accompanying the various sections.

[Lisa Mcbroom · Rating 4 out of 5]

At age 11 I viewed Gone Withe Wind for the first time. Scarlett O'Hara has always gotten me through times of trouble with the refrain What Would Scarlett do? Bartel mixed triva nad fact in this book for Gone With the Wind Fans!

[Jackie · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was just for prue entertainment.

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting trivia.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was very interesting, I would recommend for all GWTW fans. The end of the book seemed disjointed, and sometimes repeated things that had previously been covered.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Lots of interesting stuff for GWTW fans. Made me laugh to many times. I'd recommend it to any fan

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many interesting facts, stories, legends, quizzes, and more!