Orpheum Theatre pulls summer movie over racial concerns

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - An American cinematic classic will not be shown at Orpheum Theatre due to racial concerns.

Gone with the Wind, a film that set an Academy Awards record by winning eight categories in 1939, will not be shown as part of Orpheum Theatre Group's Summer Movie Series 2018.

The Orpheum released the following statement about pulling the film from the lineup:

"The Orpheum Theatre Group has decided not to include Gone With the Wind in its 2018 Summer Movie Series.

While title selections for the series are typically made in the spring of each year, the Orpheum has made this determination early in response to specific inquiries from patrons.

The Orpheum appreciates feedback on its programming from all members of the Mid-South community. The recent screening of Gone With the Wind at the Orpheum on Friday, August 11, 2017 generated numerous comments. The Orpheum carefully reviewed all of them.

As an organization whose stated mission is to 'entertain, educate and enlighten the communities it serves', the Orpheum cannot show a film that is insensitive to a large segment of its local population.

The Orpheum looks forward to announcing an exciting movie series in the spring of 2018 that will, as always, contain both classic films and more recent blockbusters."

Gone with the Wind is a film adapted from Margaret Mitchell's 1936 novel of the same name. The story is set in the South during the Civil War and Reconstruction Era. The film stars Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, and Leslie Howard.

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