"Gone With the Wind" is a great film — at least, the first two-thirds of it is — not just because of its lavish production values but because it's carried by an Oscar-winning performance by Vivien Leigh, who appears in nearly every scene. It also features the first Academy-honored supporting performance by an African-American, Hattie McDaniel.
However, it's based on a racist book. Gone With the Wind the novel is packed with pro-slavery sentiments and offensive Negro dialect. Margaret Mitchell sure knew how to write, but let's just politely say she was a product of her time (1900-1949) and place (Atlanta, Georgia).
Now, Republicans and right wingers are all upset because the streaming service HBO Max has temporarily pulled "Gone With the Wind" from its catalog until, in light of the anger and unrest in the country today, they can figure out how to handle its shortcomings. "A spokesperson for HBO Max explained that the film would eventually return, along with additional content that would contextualize the controversial historical depictions and elements of the story," ET Online reported.
Because learning benefits us all, we cats think this is a good thing. We also hope that the added content will acknowledge that producer David O. Selznick struggled with this issue as well. Lobbied by African-American organizations and well aware of what was happening to Jews in Europe, he and his primary screenwriter, Sidney Howard, eliminated a lot of direct slavery references and completely expunged the Klan. Ultimately it was inadequate, but we give them credit for trying.
Nevertheless, it needs to be said: The biggest fault of "Gone With the Wind" is that it contributed mightily to romanticizing the antebellum South, a culture and economy that rested the enslavement of black Americans and that eventually declined into a traitorous rebellion against the United States. Recognizing that will not ruin our lives — something that's become abundantly clear on the day that NASCAR has banned the Confederate flag.
Times change for the better. In 1939, Hattie McDaniel wasn't allowed to attend the Atlanta premiere of the movie that eventually won her a milestone Academy Award. It's her 125th birthday today, by the way. We cats salute her, and we PURR.
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