On the road to Tara : the making of Gone with the wind

Written with the aid of access to the private archives of producer David O.

Selznick, as well as other collections, this is the story of the making of "Gone With the Wind".

It sets out to reveal how a bestselling novel was transformed into one of the most celebrated of all films, and describes how decisions were taken on topics such as how Tara should look, how Scarlett should wear her hair, how the burning of Atlanta should be captured on film, and how Rhett Butler was allowed to say "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn", in contravention of the 1930s production code.The book contains preliminary drawings for many different versions of Tara, photographs of Vivien Leigh in various wigs, and letters telling how Selznick threatened and cajoled the authorities over Rhett's famous line.

It also includes prospective cast lists, pages from original as well as revised scripts with the producer's and writers' notations, watercolour renderings of sets and backgrounds, costume sketches with fabric swatches, story-boards, paintings, architectural drawings, snapshots taken by studio photographer Fred Parrish, and many of Selznick's memos.