One of the most rewarding side bars of this years Berlinale is the restored Technicor Section in cooperation with MoMA of New York City, and the Eastman Kodak Archive in Rochester, N.Y.
Among the offerings a totally restored print, fifteen minute musical preamble and all, with 15 minute intermission at the halfway mark of "Gone With The Wind", 1940.
I had seen it so long ago that I needed a refresher on the plot -- Scarlett such a scheming bitch and Gable such a cool cad -- Both negative characters you can't help being Charmes by and rooting for. I had forgotten that Gable actually marries Leigh and they have a child together who gets killed in an horse jumping accident before their horrified eyes. Of course everyone remembers Gable's famous last line: "Frankly Scarlet -- I don't givva Damn! "" - but how many can recall the context? ~ It was in reply to Scarlett pleading with him not to leave her, after giving him nothing but heartache and two-Timings all along - claiming that now at Long Last She realizes that she Really loves Him -- (Not wimpy high-minded Ashley Wilkes) -- and Exclaims painfully: "What will I do with out you!! -- to which GABLE's memorable last line finally puts her in her place.
It is well worth noting that in 1939 "Damn" was regarded as a such a strong expletive that It barely got past the damn Puritannical censors of the time! ~~ Today he could say: I don't give a flying F**k" - and in our oversaturated four letter word World it wouldn't be half as shocking. A marvelous experience to see Gone With The Wind in all its blazing glory here in Berlin ...
But, what Struck me Most about It in retrospect was how similar the central love triangle between Gable, Vivian Leigh (The all time most beautiful and alluring silver screen bitch!)-- and Leslie Howard, was -- nearly a perfect parallel to: Bogart, Bergman, and Paul Henreid, in CASABLANCA!
So similar, in fact, that one can't help thinking that the writers of Casablanca were simply reapplying a Tried and True Box- office formula -- Only there years later -- but, of course, update from the Civil War to World War II in North Africa.
Come to think of It Gable as Bogart, Vivian Leigh As Bergman, and Howard as wimpy high Minded Hero Victor Laszlo, would have been almost as good a cast for the B/w Curtiz pop Masterpiece.
Curiously enough actor Leslie Howard was Shot down by the Nazis in a plane thought to be carrying Winston Churchill in June 1943 -- just as Casablanca was bekommt the box office sensation of the year back in the states.
Coming up next in the restored Technicolor Review:
The Thief of Bagdad, 1940: Sabu, Veidt, the all seeing eye, the flying carpet, and the magnificent Genie in the bottle, plus,
The Garden of Allah -- or Dietrich, Queen of the desert in 1936.
What a feast of Hollywood landmarks. ... to compensate for some of the Duds in Competition...