Went with the Wind!
"Went with the Wind!" is a sketch in the eighth episode of the tenth season of the American variety series The Carol Burnett Show. It originally aired in the United States on November 13, 1976. It is a parody of the 1939 American historical drama film Gone With the Wind. The sketch was written by two young writers, Rick Hawkins[1] and Liz Sage.[2]
Contents
Cast
- Carol Burnett as Starlet O’Hara, a parody of Scarlett O'Hara
- Harvey Korman as Captain Ratt Butler, a parody of Rhett Butler
- Dinah Shore as Melody, a parody of Melanie Hamilton
- Vicki Lawrence as Sissy, a parody of Prissy
- Tim Conway as Brashly, a parody of Ashley Wilkes
Premise
Before it begins, Carol Burnett introduces the sketch saying: “Recently, nearly the entire nation spent a total of 5 hours watching Gone with the Wind make its TV debut. So for those of you who ran out of Kleenex and were unable to watch it, we put together our own mini-version to let you know what you’ve missed. Uh-huh.”
The title card of the first half of the sketch reads WENT WITH THE WIND!, and ATLANTA, TERRA PLANTATION SOMEWHERE IN GEORGIA. In the opening scene, Starlet O’Hara is hosting a party and greets her guests. Servant Sissy comes in screaming “Miss Starlet! Miss Starlet!” and after Starlet slaps her, Sissy tells her Mr. Brashly is here. Starlet opens the door to find Brashly introducing her to his cousin Melody. Brashly informs Starlet that he and Melody are married and she tells him to leave. Starlet is so angry she throws a vase only to have Ratt Butler catch it. The two have a moment but then they are informed that a war just broke out. All the guests leave except for Melody whereupon she announces that she is going to have a baby, and now. A soldier comes to the door asking if he could borrow a match and a fire breaks out. During this time Melody is giving birth and Starlet is giving her speech about how she will “never go hungry again.”
The title card of the second half of the sketch reads TERRA PLANTATION ONE WAR LATER. Sissy comes in screaming “Miss Starlet! Miss Starlet!” and tells Starlet that the war is over but a Yankee soldier is coming to Terra to collect $300 in back taxes. Starlet hits the soldier with a chair. Then Brashly arrives and says that his money went with the wind, to which Starlet asks “What wind?” and the theme music starts. Starlet then says, “That’s real pretty but that don’t answer my question.” He says that Ratt became a millionaire. Starlet trying to figure out how to look good enough to ask Ratt for the money quickly takes the drapes from the window and saying “I’ve got me a dress to make”. Sissy stalls Captain Butler who says that his dreams “went with the wind,” to which Sissy asks “What wind?” and the theme music starts. Sissy then says, “That’s real pretty but that don’t answer my question.” Then Starlet descends the staircase in her handmade dress, complete with curtain rod, and Ratt professes his love saying “That gown is gorgeous” to which Starlet replies “Thank you, I saw it in the window and I just couldn’t resist it.” The Yankee soldier comes to, marries Ratt and Starlet, and she gives him the money for the back taxes. After an altercation and finding out that Starlet is in love with Brashly, Melody dies, but only after she pushes Starlet down the stairs. Brashly leaves. Then Ratt leaves and Starlet slams the door in his face as he is about to deliver the famous line of the original film. Then Starlet complains to Sissy, “What am I gonna do?”, whereupon Sissy slaps her and says “Frankly, Miss Starlet, I don’t give a damn.”
Cultural references
The sketch made various cultural references including Bobbie Gentry’s "Ode To Billie Joe", Tony Orlando and Dawn’s "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree", "Dixie", "Camptown Races", Chicken of the Sea and tuna casserole.
Curtain dress
The curtain dress was conceptualized and designed by Carol Burnett Show costumer Bob Mackie. The script originally called for the dress to be hanging off of Burnett, but Mackie did not find it funny. He asked the art director for a real curtain rod and green fabric and made the dress on a mannequin.[3] Burnett said that she came into costume fittings and when she saw the curtain rod she said it was the most brilliant sight gag ever.[4]
Legacy
The curtain dress scene was named number 2 in TV Guide’s January 23–29, 1999 list of The 50 Funniest Moments in Television. The laugh when Burnett came down the staircase was too long and it had to be edited.[5]
The entire outfit, with curtain rod, is on display at the Smithsonian Institution.[6] In addition to this, Mattel released a character doll of Burnett as Starlet under the Barbie Celebrity Doll line in 2009.
References
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