When I heard that “Moonlight and Magnolias,” showing now at Peninsula Community Theatre, was about the making of “Gone With the Wind” I was intrigued. I watched “Gone With the Wind” for the first and only time in 2013, which I realize is a fairly long time ago. The movie is considered cinematographic canon, and I thought that even a loosely historic insight into its making would help me make sense about my feelings for the movie (to be honest, I’ve never read the book so I have no feelings about the original work).
Sharing the same honesty with David O. Selznick, who is actively working to produce the film version of “Gone With the Wind”, is Ben Hecht, famed script doctor and previous Chicago newspaper man (i.e., 1930s code for social justice warrior), as he admits that he too has never read the book. Jeff Stout plays Ben with appropriate haughty superiority, claiming both the intellectual (even though he’s, again, NEVER READ THE BOOK) and moral high ground throughout the show. David, played with confidence and the correct amount of manic energy by Gregg Alexander, is floored that Ben could have never read the book, but is undeterred in his mission to have Ben fix his script. Ben agrees to rewrite the script for $15,000… and to get it done within five days to ensure the already-in-production film isn’t shut down for too long. To ensure that this 5 days is as productive as possible, David locks the newly appointed replacement director of the film Victor Fleming (acted by David Stallings), Ben, and himself inside his office, charging his secretary, Miss Poppenghul (portrayed by Laela Randles), with providing them food only in the form of bananas and peanuts, and stopping any other distractions from reaching them. David Stallings rounds out the main trio well, acting as a foil to Hecht and Selznick’s (both Jewish… and it’s 1939 so, keep that in mind) viewpoints, which are firmly on the ideas-side of production, while the director is a man of action (he immediately and shockingly admits to slapping Judy Garland on the “Wizard of Oz” set and has no remorse as, after all, “it was only one time”). Laela Randles is a consummate professional as the secretary, providing efficient “Yes, Mr. Selznick” affirmations and furnishing any requests immediately.
John B. Gillis both directs the action and designed the set for this closed-door style farce, where all the action takes place in one room over 5 days. Gillis’s direction (with the support of assistant director Kristina Wayne) conveys the claustrophobia of being trapped with two coworkers for the entirety of a working week (not something I’m interested in experiencing myself – no offense to my work-mates). Costume designer Pam Revill helps continue the illusion by ensuring that while each character does not have a change of clothes for the period of their self-imposed captivity, they do become more and more amusingly disheveled during the course of the play.
For those of you that have read the book, seen the movie, or maybe just have learned through cultural osmosis the plot of “Gone With the Wind,” you know that there are several… shall we say… ‘problems’ with this work. It’s set in the Civil War. Our protagonist is staunchly Southern and clearly on the side of the Confederates. The Klan makes an appearance… and is not the bad guys. Our heroine slaps a black child. I knew much of this going into my viewing of “Gone With the Wind” 13 years ago, but I also knew that it was a beloved film and that Scarlett O’Hara hasn’t been disowned by Western canon. It’s easy to say that it was a different time when they were making the film, but at least in the interpretation of the events portrayed in this play, the audience is tasked with seeing the choices made by real people who, even in 1939, could see that by making this product and ensuring that it followed the novel directly, this one great movie would be a tale perpetuating the Lost Cause, be a vehicle for Southern apologists, and continue racist stereotypes. The cast and crew of “Moonlight and Magnolias” successfully force a 2026 audience to contend with the decisions of 3 men over 5 days in 1939, and highlight the dissonance between masterpiece and truth. A comedy, yes, but a comedy with a point to be made, if you are willing to hear it – and well delivered to boot.
(New this season, our wonderful cat Pepper wanted her voice heard as well, if you all will oblige her…)
Pepper’s Purr-fect Picks: I do like the idea of sitting in one room with my favorite people for a whole week – very comforting. But, I have heard terrifying rumors that there were many horses killed in the making of “Gone With the Wind”, and I cannot support that, even in farce form. Two paws down.
(Pepper also canonically sells concessions at the various community theaters. She always comes up with a themed drink special, which is for entertainment purposes only and notably IS NOT in fact available for purchase)
Pepper’s Drink Special: “Movie Maker Magic” – a banana peanut butter smoothie, to really get those creative juices flowing. If you know you know.
