Originally published in the Manchester Guardian on 28 May 1940
"Gone With the Wind" is being shown this week at three West End cinemas and at the Gaiety, Manchester. It will be retained at the Gaiety for at least three months, and is unlikely to be seen elsewhere outside London till mid-autumn.
Its length (three hours and forty minutes with an interval) has become a byword and a prolific source of witticisms. Before the first foot of film was exposed it had a highly articulate "pre-sold" audience of best-seller readers, millions strong, who insisted on the book, the whole book, and nothing but the book. So it had to be long; the wonder is how Sidney Howard and David O. Selznick between them contrived so neatly to condense the thousand-page novel into a manageable scenario.
But abnormal length (as Disney has proved) need not in itself be a handicap. The major drawback...
"Gone With the Wind" is being shown this week at three West End cinemas and at the Gaiety, Manchester. It will be retained at the Gaiety for at least three months, and is unlikely to be seen elsewhere outside London till mid-autumn.
Its length (three hours and forty minutes with an interval) has become a byword and a prolific source of witticisms. Before the first foot of film was exposed it had a highly articulate "pre-sold" audience of best-seller readers, millions strong, who insisted on the book, the whole book, and nothing but the book. So it had to be long; the wonder is how Sidney Howard and David O. Selznick between them contrived so neatly to condense the thousand-page novel into a manageable scenario.
But abnormal length (as Disney has proved) need not in itself be a handicap. The major drawback...
- 5/28/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
Dancer who became a choreographer, actor and director for stage and screen
As a dancer, Wendy Toye, who has died aged 92, was a child prodigy. Born in Hackney, east London, the daughter of a bristle merchant, she had made her first public appearance at the Royal Albert Hall by the age of four. Aged nine, she choreographed a ballet at the London Palladium and also won the women's prize, dancing the Charleston, at a ball organised by the theatrical manager Cb Cochran and judged by Fred Astaire and Florenz Ziegfeld among others. The men's prize was won by Lew Grade.
She was always grateful for the advice she received from her tutors, including Ruby Ginner, Ninette de Valois and Anton Dolin, and regretted that when she reached the next stage of her career – choreography and direction – there were no teachers. She had to learn as she went along.
During the 1930s,...
As a dancer, Wendy Toye, who has died aged 92, was a child prodigy. Born in Hackney, east London, the daughter of a bristle merchant, she had made her first public appearance at the Royal Albert Hall by the age of four. Aged nine, she choreographed a ballet at the London Palladium and also won the women's prize, dancing the Charleston, at a ball organised by the theatrical manager Cb Cochran and judged by Fred Astaire and Florenz Ziegfeld among others. The men's prize was won by Lew Grade.
She was always grateful for the advice she received from her tutors, including Ruby Ginner, Ninette de Valois and Anton Dolin, and regretted that when she reached the next stage of her career – choreography and direction – there were no teachers. She had to learn as she went along.
During the 1930s,...
- 2/28/2010
- The Guardian - Film News
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.