“Moonlight & Magnolias” Review
Saturday I saw the play “Moonlight & Magnolias,” the hilarious but true story of how David O. Selznick had the screenplay for “Gone with the Wind” rewritten in five pressure-filled days. Since I have been struggling for the last three years with the writing of a screenplay adaptation of “Marching Through Culpeper” for a miniseries, I felt this play had been written just for me. And by Divine Appointment, I saw it and laughed and laughed just as I was finally completing my script…hour seven….the end!
Adapting an epic story is never easy. Selznick had gone through 28 screenplay writers and started filming the movie, but knew the script still wasn’t right for his vision of the movie. He made some rash decisions. He brought in a new writer, Ben Hecht, who had not even read the book, and pulled director Victor Fleming off of “The Wizard of Oz” to direct GWTW. Let me suffice by saying Hecht and Fleming had big egos and no love for each other.
Selznick stopped filming, which was costing him $50,000 a day (a huge sum during the depression), and locked Hecht and Flemming in a room with him for five days until they finished the rewrite. They worked 20 hours a day and he only let them eat bananas and peanuts. Are you laughing yet? Selznick and Fleming acted out the scenes as Hecht wrote. Their impersonations of Scarlett and Prissy were side-splitting.
I recommend this play if you want some great laughs and can tolerate the ususal Hollywood expletives. But the point is this: Selznick took a huge risk, Hecht and Fleming were certain the movie would be a flop. But Selznick refused to give up his dream– his vision of this movie. And thus the screenplay for one of the most popular movies ever made was birthed.
Birthing pains can be severe, but this play inspired me to persevere. The next day I wrote the last two pages of MTC. It is finished and in God’s hands!!!!
Dear Virginia,
CONGRATULATIONS ON WORK WELL DONE!
I know that you feel great with all you’ve been through getting your screenplay done. What a joy! Also the weekend workshop with your movie maker family. You continue to soar and I feel so blest to be a part of your tribe. Though our conversations of late have been few, my thoughts and prayers for and with you have been far more consistent.
Tomorrow evening we will be on our next call with our Bob, Randy and Jerry tribe. This has been wonderful for me even a bit taxing to get all of the work done in preparation and growth. Embedded in this note is a snapshot of Nakemo. In large part this work is occurring because of your belief in me to accomplish that which I would not ordinarily undertake.
Nakemo
Our Mountain Guide to Riches
Pisgah National Forest in Western North Carolina, that’s where Ian and I searched for treasures earlier this month; our search of riches. Gold and rubies were waiting for us we knew full well. Or, was that so?
Just outside of the Forest, we worked together, I mean really worked for 6 hours and 39 minutes sifting and sorting through a ton of dirt in search of gold. We struck pay dirt. That was our find. GOLD!! Swished, swashed and shaken down, we had it at last! GOLD!! Not enough to buy a mountain retreat, not enough to buy a pickup truck or even a toy truck I suspect; but it was purity gold in “them thar hills”. I think that’s where I first heard it, from my Uncle Carlyle who lived in “them thar hills” many years ago. Or was it my Dad who build roads and cleared power line right-of-ways in the ‘30s with the CCC camp of the Roosevelt era.
The gold, all sorted and sifted was finally really visible as we sifted using the gold miners pan. The seasoned prospector, Chrystal Jim told us so. Crystal Jim told us that where we find gold, we’ll find black sand. Where we find black sand, we will not necessarily find gold. The small vial that we placed the gold specs in was ½ inch in diameter and about 1 inch tall. Filled with water, the gold settled immediately to the bottom. All told, it was about 1/32 of an inch from all of that dirt and sand that we sifted. But at least we had gold and the mine was no able to sell washed and sifted sand that we paid for, washed and sifted. A good day’s work and a real team effort with our grandson Ian. But that’s not where the story of in search of riches ends. In fact that’s just the beginning.
Nakemo, ah Nakemo… our Indian guide. It was later that next evening while swimming in the hotel pool and listening to the stories rising with the steam of the hot tub nearby that I heard him.. I heard this fellow that seemed to know the territory talking with new found friends there. Moments passed as I drifted into the pool of water feeling the heat following the cool swim with our grandson. The other guests of the warm water had left for the refreshing cooler waters of the larger pool. Nakemo and I smiled as I asked him, “Do you know the territory here? “ As Nakemo began to speak it was clear that he not only knew the lay of the land but was building a home in the mountains as we spoke.
Our discussion wandered to gold, rubies and other treasures. At that point Nakemo encouraged Ian and me to take a ride just west of town to Curtis Creek. His voice was clear; the real treasures are in the creek bed. Petrified trees. That was the real treasure as well as enjoying the cool water’s flow that runs like a living spring. At that moment I knew we had a hit. Flowing water, rocks and boulders, and trees that were so old that they had turned to rock; solid rock. This creek runs for miles winding through the Forest bridled by an old dirt and gravel road off of old highway 70; yes, just due west connecting the Parkway that runs North and South along the Appalachian mountain range. You know…the Appalachian Trail.
Curtis Creek is where we really found our treasures. Nakemo told us we could take the petrified wood from the creek bed and that would be fine. And, that we did. One rock was so big, Ian and I roped it and snaked it from the creek bed with a hundred foot strand tied to the truck. That was a real treat. Getting it out of the creek and up the rise was just the beginning. Getting it into the truck bed was another feat. We’ll tell you more of that later on. Just ask.
Blessings and thank you so much for your encouragement.
Brother Ben
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