Last Year Watch: Gone With the Wind

Last night, at the last minute, my wife and I decided to catch an 85th anniversary screening of Gone With the Wind at the local Culver Theaters, the last film in its 100th anniversary of MGM Studios film series (tickets were only $7 apiece!)

I've seen it twice on the big screen and numerous times on the small screen, but this was my wife's first time in a theater, though she's seen it several times as well. The very opening credits opens with a shot of the Selznick International Pictures sign then pans out to reveal its iconic studio building (seen at right)—the audience applauded because the theater we were sitting in is only a few hundred feet from that still-standing building. 

As such, I've also included below a photo I took of the building earlier this year—it's been known for many years as the Culver Studios, but has been home to RKO, Desilu and several others (there's a commemorative plaque nearby that lists them). It's now under long-term lease with Amazon Studios, which made renovations on the lot—you can see the Amazon logo from the street on top of many of the new soundstages. The building is easily visibly accessible from a pedestrian plaza that includes the theater, as well as new buildings and the historic Culver Hotel. 

Anyway, seeing the film on the big screen with an audience was terrific. A local film historian spoke a little before the film and it included a film introduction by TCM host Ben Mankiewicz. The showing included the music overture before the film begins and Intermission. The film also opened with a title card with its new disclaimer, concluding that it is presented as it was created, which I think is important to acknowledge and does not detract from the achievement of it as a film and work of art.