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Lot 1029
A Margaret Mitchell signed contract selling the film rights of Gone With the Wind to David O. Selznick
Amended
10 December 2019, 14:00 PST
Los AngelesUS$30,000 - US$50,000
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A Margaret Mitchell signed contract selling the film rights of Gone With the Wind to David O. Selznick
Mimeographed Document Signed ("Margaret Mitchell Marsh," "John Wharton" [Selznick International's company treasurer from 1935 to 1940]), 17 pp, dated July 30, 1936, between Mitchell and Selznick International Pictures, representing the sale of the novel's film rights to Selznick for $50,000, with changes in three places initialed by both parties and "original" annotated in pencil to the first page. The last page is the signed notary form for the State of New York attesting to the fact that both parties signed. This is the only known signed copy in private hands and is believed to be the Selznick International Pictures copy.
By June 1936, positive reviews for Mitchell's epic novel were appearing across the country, causing studios to furiously lobby for the rights. RKO in particular wanted Katharine Hepburn for the role of Scarlett and offered $55,000; however, Mitchell had already given her word to Selznick and she honored it (even though she was dubious that it could be made into a motion picture). In so doing, Mitchell was the recipient of the largest fee ever paid up to that time for a first work of fiction.
Margaret Mitchell spent a good part of the next several years overwhelmed by the success of her novel as well as the mania created by the film, and she tried in vain to avoid as much of her new-found celebrity as possible; in fact, she decided not to sign any more books after about December 1936. She would also spend many years policing international copyright issues and creative rights regarding the book, even appearing before Congress several times.
Provenance: the collection of Tom Heyes.
8.5 x 11 in.
By June 1936, positive reviews for Mitchell's epic novel were appearing across the country, causing studios to furiously lobby for the rights. RKO in particular wanted Katharine Hepburn for the role of Scarlett and offered $55,000; however, Mitchell had already given her word to Selznick and she honored it (even though she was dubious that it could be made into a motion picture). In so doing, Mitchell was the recipient of the largest fee ever paid up to that time for a first work of fiction.
Margaret Mitchell spent a good part of the next several years overwhelmed by the success of her novel as well as the mania created by the film, and she tried in vain to avoid as much of her new-found celebrity as possible; in fact, she decided not to sign any more books after about December 1936. She would also spend many years policing international copyright issues and creative rights regarding the book, even appearing before Congress several times.
Provenance: the collection of Tom Heyes.
8.5 x 11 in.
Saleroom notices
Please note that the estimates on this lot have changed to $30,000-50,000.