How 'Gone with the Wind' Helped Shape My Love of Movies Forever

It was a very different time growing up without DVDs or movie channels on TV. The only movies shown on TV when I was a child were the "B" movies. These were films that did not have the "A" list stars in them. They were oftentimes melodramatic with poor acting and uninspiring storylines. Unfortunately there was no other choice.

Once in a while an epic film would come to town to the local theater that was a big deal. During the mid to late '60s there was a re-release of "Gone with the Wind." This was in honor of the 100^th anniversary of the Civil War. Sadly, I was too young to see the film, but for some reason I wanted to go with my parents. Little did I know I would get a chance to see "Gone with the Wind" a few years later.

Seeing "Gone with the Wind" in Japan

Living in Japan as a child in the Tokyo area was radically different than it is now. At the time we did not have a military-based channel that showed U.S. TV programs in English. All other military installations in Japan had this channel, except those in Tokyo. That meant we had to watch strictly Japanese television, even the U.S. TV shows were dubbed in Japanese.

The movie theater on the military base became a home away from home. One night my mom informed us "Gone with the Wind" was coming to the movie theater. She had read the novel and seen the movie. I was looking forward to seeing "Gone with the Wind" myself after hearing so much about it. Needless to say, it was everything I had heard and then some.

At this point I was a tween, but I got caught up in the adventures of Scarlett O' Hara. The costumes, story, characters, actors, and sets were completely dazzling to my eyes. It was unlike any movie I had seen before and I had seen some really bad and mediocre ones. "Gone with the Wind" definitely left an indelible impression on me. I wondered if I would ever see it again.

Butterfly McQueen was born and raised in Tampa, Florida

One thing my mother told me over and over was the actress who played Prissy, Butterfly McQueen, was born and raised in Tampa, Florida. She appeared on some program I watched back in the 1980s where she talked briefly about living in Tampa. It was during the '80s when "Gone with the Wind" made its premiere on network television during primetime. At this time I had a VCR, so I taped the film for prosperity. I cannot tell you how thrilled I was to watch the film over and over, even though it is over three and half hours long.

Back in the '70s I had read the novel. I absolutely loved it even though it is a lot more detailed with even more characters. They did a superb job with adapting it to film though. Now I felt such a great connection to the film with one of the actresses from Tampa, getting my hands on any books about the making of "Gone with the Wind" and any other memorabilia. Now I was craving to see the film on the big screen again.

50^th Anniversary Premiere in Chicago

In 1989 there was a very special screening of the 50^th anniversary of "Gone with the Wind" in Chicago where I was living at the time. Naturally I wanted to go very badly. The film had been restored, so it would be like seeing it for the first time back at its premiere in 1939. This was my first time seeing it on the screen since I was a kid. Not only that, I would be watching it with a northern audience. Nevertheless, the entire audience loved the film and we gave it a standing ovation at the end.

"Gone with the Wind" has now helped shape the way I look at movies. No longer do I waste my time and money on poorly made films. I simply don't have the desire. Instead, this film made me appreciate the outstanding productions that are out there. Even though "Gone with the Wind" is my favorite all-time movie I love going to see other films because of its magical spell.

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