Vivien Leigh believed 'Gone With the Wind' would flop
Fox411: Newly obtained letters reveal Vivien Leigh may have initially believed the "Gone With the Wind" was going to be a major disaster in theaters thanks to her husband, Laurence Olivier.
“Take a good look my dear. It's a historic moment you can tell your grandchildren about,” Rhett Butler told Scarlett O’Hara in the 1939 flick “Gone with the Wind,” as the “old South” fell.
Interested buyers – and fans of the beloved, controversial film – can take the same advice in sizing up a gorgeous Georgia mansion with a special connection to the legendary movie, with auction bids opening on July 4 at $1 million.
(Target Auction House)
Earlier this week, news broke that the 10,000-square-foot antebellum mansion in Covington that inspired Margaret Mitchell, author of the film’s original text, for character Ashley Wilkes’ estate, will soon be up for sale, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
(Target Auction House)
PRINCE’S TURKS AND CAICOS ESTATE SOLD FOR $10.8 MILLION
Mitchell is said to have seen a photo of the regal 12-bedroom,12-bath home in the 1939 Atlanta Journal and told movie producer David Selznick, “I like this for Ashley's home,” as per Southern Living.
(Target Auction House)
Though the movie wasn’t shot at the Monticello Street manor, the film’s “Twelve Oaks” property was inspired by it, according to the Journal-Constitution.
According the Target Auction Company, who is coordinating the sale, the white mansion was built in 1836 and has been named to the National Register of Historic Places.
(Target Auction House)
The manor received a $2 million renovation in 2017, updating its electrical system, HVAC, code requirements, kitchen, baths and more. Enviable features include a grand dining room, parlor, “chef’s dream kitchen,” five chimneys, twelve fireplaces with remote controls, expansive porches, and more.
(Target Auction House)
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(Target Auction House)
The mansion, which rests on 3.15 acres, also includes a pool, gazebo and four-car carriage house.
(Target Auction House)
The auction house reports that online bidding for the home will open on Independence Day, with the live auction commencing on July 25.
Based on Mitchell’s widely popular novel of the same name, “Gone with the Wind” told the story of young Scarlett O’Hara, who struggles and schemes to maintain possession of her family’s property amid Civil War devastation.
Rhett Butler (Clark Gable) embraces Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) in a famous scene from the 1939 epic film "Gone with the Wind." (Getty)
In the film, O’Hara is famously played by British actress Vivien Leigh, while her primary love interest, Rhett Butler, is played by Clark Gable.
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The film has come under fire for what has been described as racially “insensitive” content such as its depictions of blacks as subservient and often cartoonish slaves. Others object to what they argue is an overly favorable depiction of the Confederacy in general.
Fox News’ Dom Calicchio contributed to this report.