Volume 9 , Issue 31

Gone With the Wind Info

"Thomas Mitchell made a personal appearance at an assembly at Oklahoma City University while I was a student there. At the time, he was appearing in a TV series called "The O'Henry Playhouse" devoted to a group of short stories by the author known as O'Henry, and he was in seven of the seventeen episodes that aired in 1957-'58. For his OCU appearance, Mr. Mitchell was dressed in a brown suit which I thought was the wrong color for an actor of his "quality". I'd expected him to be in blue, gray, or perhaps a tuxedo. He was very impressive as he talked about the upcoming series that (as I recall) would be shown on CBS." -- Roy

Remember this quote from the book and movie, Gone With the Wind, spoken by the character Gerald O'Hara (played by actor Thomas Mitchell), "Land's the only thing in the world that matters. The only thing worth working for, fighting for, dying for. Because it's the only thing in the world that lasts."

Thomas Mitchell possessed the presence to dominate a movie scene and thus was ideal for the land-revering squire of Tara, and had the added advantage of being Irish. Mitchell was once described as a man "with the face of a leprechaun and the soul of a devilish poet." Mitchell was born in Elizabeth, N. J., and began his career as a reporter on the Newark News and Newark Star. he drifted to the stge and became famous not only as an actor, but playwright and play-doctor.

Mitchell went to Hollywood in 1936. After Gone With the Wind, he continued his string of memorable performances. Mitchell died in 1962 at the age of 70. His survivors included his wife and daughter, and a nephew, James Mitchell, who had been Secretary of Labor in the cabinet of president Dwight D. Eisenhower."
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