▲Two of the most cherished films in cinema history were made over 80 years ago. 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Gone with the Wind' were both released in 1939, and have since become classics of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Click through the following gallery for rare stills and some interesting facts and amusing anecdotes about two of the greatest movies ever made.

▲MGM's musical fantasy takes place in Munchkinland in the Land of Oz.

▲This epic historical romance is set in the American South, against the backdrop of the American Civil War.

▲The film's director Victor Fleming (center) with producer Mervyn LeRoy (left) talking over sketches for set designs with artists on the lot, assigned to the production.

▲In the same year, while working on 'The Wizard of Oz,' Victor Fleming (1889–1949) also directed 'Gone with the Wind,' for which he won an Academy Award for Best Director.

▲Judy Garland starred as Dorothy Gale, a farm girl from Kansas who runs away from home with her pet dog, Toto.

▲The film starred Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and Vivien Leigh as Scarlett O'Hara.

▲Shirley Temple and Deanna Durbin were considered for the part of Dorothy, but producer Mervyn LeRoy insisted on the casting of Judy Garland.

▲Leading man Clark Gable (1901–1960) was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role as Rhett Butler. Apparently Gable was initially reluctant to accept the role.

▲Dorothy was joined in her adventure by Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr).

▲Vivien Leigh (1913–1967) won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role as Scarlett O'Hara. Born in India, she was initially considered too "British" for the role by producer David O. Selznick.

▲Over a hundred little people were cast to play Munchkins, with each paid over US$125 a week (equivalent to US$2,200 today). The Wicked Witch was recast just three days before filming.

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The original director of the movie was George Cukor. He was dismissed three weeks into filming by producer David O. Selznick.

▲Victor Fleming is credited as director of 'The Wizard of Oz,' but it was King Vidor who completed the film after Fleming left to pick up directing 'Gone with the Wind.'

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Gary Cooper and Errol Flynn were early contenders for the role of Rhett Butler. Before Vivien Leigh was cast, Bette Davies, Tallulah Bankhead, and Katherine Hepburn had all been considered.

▲The special effects, makeup, and costumes were praised for their ingenuity. For example, the oil used to grease Tin Man's joints was made from chocolate syrup. The tornado scene was also complex and costly.

▲Principal photography on 'Gone with the Wind' began January 26, 1939, and ended July 1. Post-production work continued until November.

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A critical success at the time, it nevertheless took 10 years for the film to realize a profit. The budget was US$2.8 million. Initially making only US$3 million, it only started to make money after a 1949 re-release.

▲Clarke Gable nearly walked off set when he discovered the studio facilities were segregated and were designated "White" and "Colored." After complaining to the film's director, Victor Fleming, the signs were taken down immediately.

▲Toto, Dorothy's faithful companion, was played by a female brindle Cairn Terrier named Terry. The dog has its own memorial at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

▲Hattie McDaniel (1893–1952) was the first African American to win an Oscar, an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as "Mammy."

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'The Wizard of Oz' is one of the few films on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register.

▲An enormous success when first released, it became the highest-earning film made up to that point, generating US$390 million. When adjusted for monetary inflation, 'Gone with the Wind' remains one of the most commercially successful films in cinema history.

▲'The Wizard of Oz' is highly regarded for its musical selections and soundtrack. Included among the many songs featured is 'Over the Rainbow,' which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and became Garland's signature song.

▲Olivia de Havilland, who played Melanie Hamilton, passed away at the age of 104 in 2020. She received her first Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the role.

▲Another memorable tune is 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road.' The film won the Oscar for Best Original Score by Herbert Stothart. Incidentally, it took the studio's art department almost a week to settle on the final shade of yellow used for the yellow brick road.

▲When actress Carole Lombard first offered Clark Gable, her husband, a copy of Margaret Mitchell's novel 'Gone with the Wind,' he refused to read it.

▲Some songs were cut from the final theatrical version. Pictured here is a lobby card with a still of the deleted musical number 'Hail! Hail! The Witch is Dead!' The actual film of this scene is lost.

▲A gallery assistant holds Vivien Leigh's personal copy of a 'Gone with the Wind' film script at Sotheby's, London in 2017. It sold for £58,750 (about US$81,000).

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'The Wizard of Oz' ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in 1939 were valued in 2011 at US$3 million.

▲Rhett Butler's last line in the film, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," is one of the most famous lines in movie history.

▲The interior title plate of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,' the popular 1900 novel by L. Frank Baum, from which the film is adapted.

▲Clark Gable tried to boycott the premiere of 'Gone with the Wind' in Atlanta, Georgia (pictured) because African-American actress Hattie McDaniel was not permitted to attend.

▲Actress Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, received severe burns on her hands and face when an accident took place with the fire while filming her exit from Munchkinland.

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The film was re-released on several occasions throughout the '40s and '50s. For its 1967 re-release, it was blown up to 70mm, and in 1989, it was given a complete audio and video restoration. Clarke Gable once said that whenever his career would start to fade, a re-release of 'Gone with the Wind' would quickly revive his popularity.

Gone with the wind: still a must-see 85 years later

'Gone with the Wind' had its world premiere on December 15, 1939

14/12/24 por StarsInsider

MOVIES Cinema

Two of the most cherished films in cinema history were made over 80 years ago. 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Gone with the Wind' were both released in 1939, and have since become classics of Hollywood's Golden Age.

Click through the following gallery for rare stills and some interesting facts and amusing anecdotes about two of the greatest movies ever made.