Prompt Cast
The Tragic Death of Margaret Mitchell and the Lack of Consequences for Drunk Driving
TLDR Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind, was tragically killed by a drunk driver in 1949, but her death did not lead to a change in public attitudes towards drunk driving. The movie "A Star is Born" challenged the notion of drunk driving as an "accident" by showing the consequences, but the original ending was changed to remove these consequences and have the drunk driver face no real repercussions.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
In this episode of Revisionist History, Malcolm Gladwell explores the muted public reaction to the death of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone with the Wind, who was killed by a drunk driver in 1949.
03:59
Margaret Mitchell dies in a car accident after being hit by a speeding car, and Malcolm Gladwell presents an alternate version of events where the accident would not be considered an accident.
08:13
Margaret Mitchell's book "Gone With The Wind" becomes a sensation and is turned into the biggest grossing movie of all time, but her fame is tragically cut short when she is hit by a drunk driver, yet her death does not lead to a change in public attitudes towards drunk driving.
13:00
"A Star is Born" is a movie about a rising star and a falling star, with the plot revolving around the issue of alcoholism, and it was produced by David O. Selznick who had a successful career in Hollywood.
17:32
In the movie "A Star is Born," the character Norman Maine's drinking problem leads to a car accident, which was a shocking scene for American audiences in 1937 due to the lack of awareness and consequences surrounding drunk driving at the time.
21:49
Drunk driving was seen as an "accident" in the 1930s and was not considered the driver's fault, but "A Star is Born" challenged this notion by showing the consequences of drunk driving.
25:56
The original ending of "A Star is Born" was changed to remove the consequences of drunk driving and instead have the drunk driver face no real consequences for his behavior.
30:38
The driver who killed Margaret Mitchell in a car accident faced no real consequences for his actions, and there was sympathy for him despite his reckless behavior and previous traffic citations.
34:45
In the movie "A Star is Born," Vicki Lester reconciles her rise to fame with her husband's fall by standing by him and treating his sacrifice as heroic.
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History
