Gone with the Wind

Gone with the Wind (1939)

62 mistakes - chronological order

(10 votes)

Continuity mistake: After Frank Kennedy's death Scarlett is drinking in her bedroom. She takes his picture, which is standing on the dressing table, and turns it on its face. In one close-up shot this picture is placed on a piece of lace, in all others not. When she finally leaves the room the picture is gone completely, and also all other things on the dresswing table are rearranged. (00:55:20)

NancyFelix

Revealing mistake: After Frank Kennedy's death Scarlett is sitting in her room, "mourning" and drinking. When she hears Rhett's carriage she goes to the window. In this moment you see shadows, either from crew members or equipment, cast through the room, especially visible on the bottle on the table. There is also some funny shift of the backdrop outside the window. (00:55:35)

NancyFelix

Continuity mistake: The shadow scene in which Scarlett and Melanie care for the wounded in the Atlanta hospital was filmed with two doubles. Since Leigh and de Havilland were standing at the wrong angle to cast the shadows, two stand-ins were positioned in front of the high-intensity light. The shadows of the doubles were reflected on the wall behind the stars, and the result was a stunning visual effect. Yet upon a closer look, the gestures of the stand-ins are not totally synchronised with the movements of the stars. (00:56:30)

Continuity mistake: When Rhett visits Scarlett after Frank Kennedy's death she keeps weeping into her handkerchief. But all of a sudden there is no handkerchief and she is wiping her nose with her hands. (00:57:55)

NancyFelix

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Scarlett puts her handkerchief down to gargle with cologne. Then she goes downstairs with the hanky near her mouth to hide her boozy smell. She has opportunity to put it down again when she is seated telling Rhett she is afraid she'll go to hell. She is so upset she wipes her nose with her wrist as she does several times in the film, as Rhett observes at the end when she has no "handkerchief."

Continuity mistake: Scarlett, Melanie, and Mrs. Meade leave the hospital when Belle Watling approaches them to donate some money. Throughout the scene the three women are standing close to each other, but when Belle drives off Scarlett is standing by herself even though the camera does a scan around her. (00:59:00)

NancyFelix

Continuity mistake: When Scarlett sees Frank Kennedy while she's working in the hospital, there is something on the left side of Frank's face in the close up shot of him. In the next shot that shows Scarlett and Frank, it is no longer there. (01:03:55)

Audio problem: After Scarlett leaves the hospital in disgust she runs into Rhett. When she climbs into his buggy she asks him if he can take her to her Aunt's, but her lips aren't moving. (01:04:15)

NancyFelix

Factual error: Scarlett is seen walking on the main street on the way to the hospital. You can clearly see a light bulb in one of the street lights. (01:05:25)

Continuity mistake: When Rhett pours Mammy a drink on the day of Bonnie's birth he has a cigar in his mouth. When the camera angle changes he is holding the cigar in the hand that holds the glass. (01:06:35)

NancyFelix

Continuity mistake: When Aunt Pittipat leaves Atlanta Scarlett and Dr. Meade are standing in the walkway to the house and talking. The moment the aunt drives off Scarlett is standing all by herself (and loudly cursing Melanie and her baby). (01:07:30)

NancyFelix

Upvote valid corrections to help move entries into the corrections section.

Suggested correction: Just before Aunt Pittipat rides off, we see Dr. Meade move away from Scarlett. By the time it cuts back to Scarlett, he has had more than enough time to get off-screen.

Gone with the Wind mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When Rhett picks up Melanie from her bed to take her out of Atlanta he is not wearing a hat, but in the next shot it is on his head. (01:19:35)

NancyFelix

Continuity mistake: When Rhett and Scarlett go up to Melanie's room to get her out of the house and take her to Tara the hallway and staircase are fully lit. When they come down again all lights are off, although there was no one downstairs to put them out. (01:19:40)

NancyFelix

Continuity mistake: When the protagonists drive through the burning, abandoned Atlanta, a few looters are after the horse. Rhett knocks down one of them while the buggy is still moving, and in the next shot they are back at the spot where they were before being attacked. (01:20:00)

NancyFelix

Continuity mistake: While our protagonists flee from the burning Atlanta the carriage stops. A bearded soldier walks by carrying another man. A few moments later the camera focuses on a young man who collapses and is being picked up by exactly the same guy who was carrying him already. The mistake wouldn't be as pronounced if it weren't been one of the few instances where action by extras is highlighted. (01:23:25)

NancyFelix

Continuity mistake: In the scene when Rhett is saying goodbye to Scarlett before he leaves her on the road to Tara alone, he throws his hat behind him onto the road and takes Scarlett into his arms. However, a few moments later, he picks the hat up from the fence at his side along with his coat. (01:26:55)

Continuity mistake: When Rhett stops the carriage on the bridge at the turn for Tara, he pulls the brake to keep the carriage from moving. When Scarlett drives off in the carriage, she does not release the brake. (01:27:50)

Revealing mistake: When Bonnie has her fatal horse accident and breaks through the hurdle you see that the bars are pre-cut.It's a bit unrealistic anyway that they would break at such a soft impact - they should fall but not break. (01:39:45)

NancyFelix

Character mistake: When Melanie and Scarlett are talking with an (off-screen) wounded Confederate soldier, the soldier says he hasn't heard from his brother since Bull Run. Only Northerners refer to that battle as Bull Run; Southerners have always referred to it as Manassas.

mdwalker

Continuity mistake: When Dr. Meade announces General Lee's victory (and later Rhett Butler as a special guest) at the "Monster Bazaar", he speaks to a backdrop showing the audience with a soldier with a drum standing left to him. Behind him, a couple in black is dancing. When he moves, Rhett and Scarlett are revealed, going to the rear of the dance floor. Clearly they haven't met at that point, as they are introduced by Melanie moments later.

Continuity mistake: In the scene where Scarlett is talking to Ashley about owing the carpet bagger 300 dollars right before Ashley kisses her you can see a definite change. Ashley has different dirt on his face and Scarlett's dress looks lighter. Her hair is also loose in different places.

Rhett Butler: No, I don't think I will kiss you, although you need kissing, badly. That's what's wrong with you. You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.

More quotes from Gone with the Wind

Trivia: After Margaret Mitchell's (author of "Gone with the Wind") husband saw the scene with the wounded soldiers in Atlanta he is reported to have said "if we had had that many soldiers, we wouldn't have lost the war in the first place."

Tallicame

More trivia for Gone with the Wind

Question: At the very beginning when the twins are talking to Scarlett it sounds to me like George Reeves says something about the "other 48 states" wanting war. Am I hearing that incorrectly? There were only 34 states when the war began.

William Lanigan

Answer: To answer your question, I looked for on-line versions of the "Gone with the Wind" screenplay. What you are hearing as "other 48 states" is actually "those fool Yankees." The full line is, "Y'know, those fool Yankees actually want a war?" Also, the line is actually said by Stuart Tarleton, played Fred Crane, not by George Reeves as his twin brother, Drew. In writing, it doesn't seem they would sound alike. When I watched the opening scene of "gwtw" on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymbmvQJcLDc&t=6s), I can see how the error was made. I might have misheard it, as well, if I didn't already know what the line was from my research. Mr. Crane's enunciation is rather muddled.

Michael Albert

George Reeve plays Brent Tarleton, not "Drew."

raywest

Answer: I watched this scene several times on HBOmax, both with and without the closed captions. The line, spoken by Brent Tarleton (George Reeves) is: "You know, those poor Yankees actually want a war." It does sound like he says another word just before saying "Yankees," but it's so muffled that it's unintelligible and the closed captions do not record it. It could be "poor fool Yankees," but that's a guess.

raywest

Answer: In the version I am watching it is definitely Reeves' character who say the line, right after he tells Scarlett "War. Isn't it exciting Scarlett?" Then comes what sounds like what I posted. Is it possible there are different versions?

William Lanigan

More questions & answers from Gone with the Wind

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