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Gone With The Wind

Poster
ca. 1983 (printed), 1981 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This political poster issued in opposition to the Reagan and Thatcher administrations is designed to call to mind the well-known film poster for "Gone with the Wind," starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. Here, the much-copied image of two passionate lovers embracing in a smouldering setting is transformed into an armageddon scene orchestrated by the two powerful leaders. The background of the burning South is translated into a mushroom cloud announcing world destruction caused by nucelar war. The overtly provocative message put forward is that like two reckless lovers, Reagan's and Thatcher's policies show complete disregard for the surrounding world.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleGone With The Wind (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Offset lithography
Brief description
Satirical poster by Bob Light and John Houston. Reagan and Thatcher. Cruise missile protest. Published by Socialist Worker. UK, ca.1983.
Physical description
Parody photomontage depticing 1980s American President Ronald Reagan and 1980s Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in the roles of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara (fictional characters from the American novel by Margaret Mitchell "Gone with the Wind", set during the Civil War-era).
Dimensions
  • Height: 64.1cm
  • Width: 45cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • The Film to End All Films/ Now Showing World-Wide
  • The most EXPLOSIVE/ love story ever/ MILTON FRIEDMAN/ in association with PENTAGON PRODUCTIONS presents/ GONE WITH/ THE WIND
  • Screenplay by/ Kid Joseph/ Directed by/ Hank Kissinger/ Music by/ Eddy Heath
  • Winner of Ten Academy Awards [Oscar award statuette]
  • "She promised to follow him to the end of the earth./ He promised to organise it!"
  • AN IMF [International Monetary Fund] PICTURE/ RIGHT RANK INC.
  • BOB LIGHT/ JOHN HOUSTON for SOCIALIST WORKER Paper of the Socialist Workers Party
  • Neither Washington nor Moscow, but International Socialism
  • Printed by East End Offset Ltd. London E2 (01-739 1413).
Credit line
Gift of the American Friends of the V&A; Gift to the American Friends by Leslie, Judith and Gabri Schreyer and Alice Schreyer Batko
Subjects depicted
Places depicted
Summary
This political poster issued in opposition to the Reagan and Thatcher administrations is designed to call to mind the well-known film poster for "Gone with the Wind," starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh. Here, the much-copied image of two passionate lovers embracing in a smouldering setting is transformed into an armageddon scene orchestrated by the two powerful leaders. The background of the burning South is translated into a mushroom cloud announcing world destruction caused by nucelar war. The overtly provocative message put forward is that like two reckless lovers, Reagan's and Thatcher's policies show complete disregard for the surrounding world.
Other number
LS.1355 - Leslie Schreyer Loan Number
Collection
Accession number
E.662-2004

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Record createdOctober 20, 2004
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