Today marks 80 years since the world premiere of the movie epic, 'Gone with the Wind'.⁠ Set in the American South, the Civil War-era romance opened at Loew's Grand Theatre in Atlanta to spectacular fanfare, with the Governor of Georgia declaring December 15 a state holiday. An estimated 300,000 people lined the streets to welcome a procession of limousine-sped celebrities, in an event US President Jimmy Carter remembered as "the biggest event to happen in the South in my lifetime".⁠ Georgia's Jim Crow laws - which enforced racial segregation ⁠ - prevented the film's black actors, including star Hattie McDaniel, from attending the premiere. Appalled, leading man Clark Gable refused to take part, only relenting at McDaniel’s insistence. ⁠ McDaniel went on to win an Oscar for her portrayal of Mammy, although the role and the film itself has been criticised for perpetuating racial stereotypes.⁠ 'Gone with the Wind' remains one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.⁠ For more coverage ...