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Archive regarding use of the word "Damn" in Gone With the Wind including David O. Selznick letter.

Currency:USD Category:Memorabilia Start Price:2,000.00 USD Estimated At:2,000.00 - 3,000.00 USD
Archive regarding use of the word  Damn  in Gone With the Wind including David O. Selznick letter.
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113. Archive regarding the use of the word Damn in Gone With the Wind including David O. Selznick letter to Will Hays of the Hays Code. (1939) Vintage original fascinating archive of (8) documents regarding the battle between David O. Selznick and Will Hays regarding use of the word damn in Gone With the Wind. The word was the exclamation point of the most famous exit line of dialogue in movie history, uttered to Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) by Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. A line so integral to the story and to the impact of the film, that it's abundantly clear why Selznick fought to keep every word of it. In October 1939, just weeks before Gone With the Wind premiered, Selznick, the famed producer of the film, and Hays, architect of the Hays Code, battled over the word's inclusion. Including (1) inter-office memo from Selznick to John Hay Whitney and Lowell Calvert dated 10/20/39 telling the recipients he's sent the film and a letter to necessary parties and needs to move on a resolution as soon as possible, (1) typed aforementioned letter dated October 20, 1939 to Will H. Hays in which Selznick makes his case, in part: I have always attempted to live up to the spirit as well as the exact letter of the producers' code. Therefore, my asking you to review the case, to look at the strip of film in which this forbidden word is contained, is not motivated by a whim. A great deal of force and drama of Gone With the Wind, a project to which we've given three years of hard work and hard thought, is dependent upon that word... , (2) Western Union Telegrams regarding screening the film and sound for the Hays team, (1) 2-page typed letter dated November 14th, 1939 from Lowell Calvert to Selznick and J. H. Whitney giving the blow-by-blow of the stormy session that was held with the Hays people. In part: Silverstone states that at the end of the meeting Hays weakened to a point of where he said that he was willing to do something helpful... In the end, Selznick was so determined to keep the word in the film that he threatened resigning from the Producer's guild and then face decency lawsuits, causing Hays to relent and add an amendment to the Code allowing for the discretionary use of the word. Ultimately, the word stayed and the rest is Hollywood history. Exhibiting age and handling. In overall vintage very good to fine condition. $2,000 - $3,000