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William Hartsfield Gone With the Wind Premiere Film

 Collection
Collection number: ahc.VIS194

Scope and Content

The footage, in its original format, is one reel of black and white acetate 16mm film. The film is edited from several individual reels and includes title and story cards. The first several minutes of the film captures the arrival of the principal actors and studio executives as they disembark at Atlanta Municipal Airport and proceed down the streets of Atlanta. There are many close-up shots of principal actors including Olivia De Havilland, Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Ona Munson, and Laura Hope Crews. The director, David O. Selznick, is pictured along with Carole Lombard, wife of Clark Gable, and Laurence Olivier, companion of Vivien Leigh. The next several minutes capture the ball hosted by the Atlanta Junior League. The film shows guests arriving, some in Civil War period costume, and dancing to music by a live band. The final minutes of the film capture some of the principal actors touring the Cyclorama, the site of the Battle of Peachtree Creek, and a residential area as well as the arrival of guests for the movie premiere.

Dates

  • 1939

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

Unpublished manuscripts are protected by copyright law. (Title 17, U.S. Code) Permission for use must be cleared through the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center. Licensing agreement may be required.

Administrative/Biographical History

William Berry Hartsfield (1890-1971) served as Mayor of Atlanta 1937-1962. He served on the Atlanta City Council from 1923-1928 and represented Fulton County in the state legislature. Hartsfield was Mayor of Atlanta in 1939 when the city hosted the premiere of Gone With the Wind, the movie based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell (Marsh). The film Gone With the Wind, based on the novel by Margaret Mitchell (Marsh), premiered in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 15, 1939.

Extent

1 film reel(s)

Language

English

Additional Description

System of Arrangement

Collection is arranged by catalog number.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Carl Hartsfield, 1985 (1985.50)

Existence and Location of Copies

A DVD access copy is available for the entire film.

General Physical Description

Sixteen and half minutes of 16mm black and white acetate film transferred to digital format (DVD)

Description Control

Collection processed in 2011.

Subjects

Related Names

Creator

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
William Hartsfield Gone With the Wind Premiere Film
Status
Completed
Author
Melanie Stephan
Date
March 2011
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center Repository

http://www.atlantahistorycenter.com/
Contact:
130 West Paces Ferry Road
Atlanta GA 30305
404-814-4040