The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988)

(On Cable TV, September 2022) If you ever wanted to learn everything about the making of Gone with the Wind, well, I guess you could pick up a book. But if you’re in a hurry and thirsty for audiovisual material, then The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind should do it. A largely chronological retelling of the film’s production from novel to casting to shooting to reception, it’s a documentary that only highlights how much of a colossal undertaking Gone with the Wind was to shoot, the numerous problems that popped up during production (including three directors themselves directed by producer David Selznick) and the impact it had on Hollywood. By the time the film ends, you’ll feel as if any film deserved a making-of, it’s Gone with the Wind—not only because it remains the all-time box-office champ (adjusted for inflation) never to be dethroned, but because it was such a dramatic production. Coming from late 1980s TV production pedigree, there’s no denying that The Making of a Legend looks rough around its standard-definition edges and classic production techniques. On the other hand, it benefits from a few first-hand recollections of the making of the film, something that would be impossible to get from a documentary made today. Tons of archival footage is wisely used here, including rare test footage, and it all helps make this feel like the definitive documentary about Gone with the Wind, never to be dethroned.