"Gone With The Wind" Tonight

Tonight, I showed my ex-roomie (and current house guest) Jessica the 1939 classic, Gone With The Wind.  She had never seen the movie before.

Her reaction after it was over: "That was a long-ass movie!"

Yes, it clocks in at 3 hr 58 min.

Oh, well.

"Gone With The Wind" and the "Adventures of Superman"

Above, George Reeves as Clark Kent changing into Superman with Tara (below left) in the background in 1951.

In 1951, the first season of the Adventures of Superman was in production in and around the studio called "40 Acres" in Culver City, California.

One of the season's episodes was "The Mind Machine," which involves a machine that was developed to aid in the treatment of people with mental illnesses. The machine was stolen, and its inventor kidnapped, by crime boss Lou Cranek, played by Dan Seymour.

In one sequence in the episode, the former bookkeeper of Cranek was to testify before an investigating committee. During the man's testimony, his mind was "invaded" by the machine, which causes him to flip out (and eventually die).

During the chase of the machine's victim, Clark Kent (George Reeves) had to change into Superman as the man hijacked a school bus with several children inside. Just before Kent ducked out of sight to change, a shot of the former plantation, Tara, from Gone With The Wind could be seen in the background. The sequence was shot atop of the Baldwin Hills, which is above Culver City. (The location where Kent began changing into Superman was not too far from the site of the Baldwin Hills reservoir that burst in December 1963.)

Above, Vivien Leigh with Tara in the background in 1939.

George Reeves's first movie role just happened to be in Gone With The Wind in 1939. It is as if his past caught up with him 12 years later.

"Gone With The Wind" Rarity

Here's a rarity (thanks to Lee Pecue for finding it).

The above photo is a behind-the-scenes shot taken during filming of the Gone With The Wind opening scene featuring Fred Crane (near the camera), Vivien Leigh (fixing her make-up) and George Reeves. Crane and Reeves portrayed the Tarleton Twins (or Tarleton Brothers) who were wooing Scarlet O'Hara and discussing the upcoming barbecue at the Wilkes's plantation during the beginning of the movie.

Note the size of the the three-strip technicolor camera used. The movie was produced in 1939.

Above, the familiar publicity shot of Fred Crane, Vivien Leigh and George Reeves.

Toho Cinemas Bringing Clark Gable and George Reeves To Japan

Above, Fred Crane (left), Vivien Leigh and George Reeves.

Toho Cinemas in Roppongi Hills in Tokyo will be screening the 1939 classic, Gone With The Wind, starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. The movie also features the screen debut of actor George Reeves as one of the Tarleton Brothers (also called the Tarleton Twins). Reeves went on to fame as television's first Superman. Gone With The Wind will be screening February 8-21, 2014.

According to Time Out Tokyo:

Toho's popular 10am Film Festival – a season of morning movie screenings that allowed audiences to revisit classics from Belle de Jour to Back to the Future – looked set to bow out in 2013, yet another victim of the switchover from celluloid to digital. But fret not, cineastes: after some last-minute wrangling, the event will be continuing in a new, all-digital format. That's not the only change, either – there are now four Tokyo-area cinemas taking part, with each film now getting an extended, two week run.

 For details, go here.