If (or, rather, when) I finally get my hands on a time machine, one of the dates in my list would be September 9, 1939. That’s the date that David O. Selznick held a surprise sneak preview of Gone with the Wind for a bunch of lucky-but-shocked moviegoers who happened to be at this movie house, the Fox Theatre in Riverside, about 60 miles east of LA. I can only imagine how electric the atmosphere in the auditorium must have been when the manager made the announcement. (And, in fact, I have imagined it – it’s a scene in my 3rd book, “Citizen Hollywood.”)
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As I’m sure GWTW fans know, there is a very moving account of this special preview screening in the lengthy docu. feature, “The Making of GWTW” which is included in some dvds of the movie. That documentary is one of the best insights into the studio-based movie business we have. Another is the documentary on the filming of the 1963 “Cleopatra” which appears with dvds of that movie.
Thanks for the reminder, John. I’m tempted now to dig it out and play it again.
I worked for Ted Morris in Santa Barbara in the 90s, he was the door man that night at the Riverside fox. Later he was associated with walnut acre properties that owned many of the fox theatres
Lucky Ted!