Margaret Mitchell's Gone With the Wind (14 page)

The question remained though as to when Mitchell would make an appearance in New York City. In January, she had warned Macmillan that she was too worn out to make such a trip, but Latham hoped that given the delay in publication she would be rested enough by release day to travel. He presented this idea at their Atlanta meeting, but Mitchell declined. She claimed she was too busy and that she dreaded the idea of going to New York during the dog days of summer. And, if she did make the trip, she did not want to sign books there, saying she would rather never sell a copy than have to go through such an ordeal.
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Although he was not willing to let her off the hook, Latham did not push the issue that day. Perhaps he did not want to rock the boat given the other important matter on his agenda—the movie rights.

Latham made the case that Mitchell should let Macmillan act as her movie agent, hinting that the company was starting a new department to handle such matters.
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Although Mitchell had no particular desire to sell the rights at that time, she agreed to let Macmillan represent her. She trusted the company's reputation for fair dealing and assumed that such a large and experienced firm would have a staff of lawyers, as well as copyright and contract experts, who could guide her through the process.
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On May 6, 1936, Cole broke the news to Williams and the other agents that they were out of the running because Mitchell wanted Macmillan to handle the movie sale. Proclaiming to be disappointed at the author's decision, Cole wrote that there was nothing she could do to change Mitchell's mind. Knowing Williams expected to receive a copy of the book, the editor claimed there were none available to send. Moreover, given Mitchell's decision, Cole felt the agent did not need to see it.
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If what Cole had been saying about Williams was true, she should have known the Texan would not ride quietly into the sunset. By now, the agent had been promoting Mitchell's book to movie producers for several months and would not tolerate Macmillan swooping in and taking credit—and the commission—for a film deal. Williams wrote Cole on May 11 thanking the editor for her “fine letter” and her help: “I do appreciate all your effort in my behalf and am only sorry that things have gone the way they have.”
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She then went behind Cole's back to make sure Macmillan knew it could not steamroll her. Williams called Everett Hale, whom she had heard through the grapevine was working with Latham on the movie rights. In fact, the day she called, May 18, Hale was shipping copies of Mitchell's book to almost a dozen movie studios. Williams told him that Macmillan could talk to the studios if it wanted, but it could not cut her out of the action. If the firm secured a contract with one of the producers Williams had been courting, she promised to stake a claim to the commission.

Hale reported the threat to Latham but recommended throwing caution to the wind and ignoring the agent.
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Rumor had it that Darryl F. Zanuck, head of Twentieth Century-Fox, had received an advance report on the book through someone who had a bootlegged galley and was anxious to acquire the rights before other studios had a chance to bid.
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Although Hale did not think they should jump at any offers yet, it was time to take action: “The plum is ready to be picked, the melon to be sliced, whenever we decide to let it fall in our (collective) lap.” Regardless of whether Williams raised a fuss, Hale wanted Macmillan to “take the gravy” for itself.
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Not one for making rash decisions, Latham arranged to meet with Williams the next day. She made a persuasive argument that, regardless of her commission, Macmillan would be foolish to cut her loose. Sending out books to studio story editors was the least of the work involved.
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She had years of experience in the motion picture industry and knew how to approach the studios, how to answer their questions, and how and when to apply pressure. She claimed to have already elicited offers of up to twentyfive thousand dollars for Mitchell's movie rights and was sure she could get more, maybe as much as sixty thousand dollars.
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Latham saw no way out. He and Hale knew nothing of playing hardball with Hollywood types, and
Gone With the Wind
was too valuable a commodity for them to cut their teeth on. Williams had to be brought in. But he was not willing to give up Macmillan's stake, nor did he want to admit to Mitchell that he was not quite as qualified as he had led her to believe. With Brett's approval, the editor struck a pact with Williams under which she and Macmillan would represent Mitchell jointly and divide evenly the standard 10 percent commission.
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Mitchell was to be told nothing about their arrangement. All negotiations with the author regarding the movie contract would be conducted by Macmillan as if it were her sole agent.
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Macmillan's confidential arrangement with Williams was not the publisher's only deception in the spring of 1936. At the same time the company worked through the movie issues, it continued to market the British rights to
Gone With the Wind
. As Latham had suspected, Macmillan London had only a lukewarm interest in Mitchell. Rather than buying the rights to produce a distinct British version of her book, the firm had offered on April 2 to purchase sheets of the American edition that it could bind and distribute in England.
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This would allow the London house to negotiate a flat rate price with its American affiliate and avoid paying a royalty to the author. This was another standard courtesy of the trade practice between associated publishers. Here, too, Mitchell had something to lose and not just the additional advance money. Having a book deemed worthy of a completely distinct foreign edition offered greater bragging rights and publicity value than having the American pages bound overseas. Also, authors generally earn more from a distinct foreign edition because publishers tend to be more diligent about selling their own volumes than they are for ones cobbled together from another firm's pages.

Latham understood these limitations and did not embrace London's proposal. On Friday, April 3, he wired the Macmillan brothers that two other British publishers were interested in Mitchell, both of whom were willing to manufacture the book in the United Kingdom. He wanted to delay accepting London's proposal until he knew how attractive the other offers would be.
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The Macmillan brothers did not like the hint of competition and sent another telegram Monday morning, requesting Latham's assurance that he would not sell the book to any other British publisher without giving them a chance to counteroffer. They also asked what royalty payment would be required if they agreed to manufacture their own edition.
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When Brett's assistant, James Putnam, replied the same day that London would have a chance to bid against the other interested parties, Macmillan London changed course. It wired again on Tuesday, claiming it was entitled to buy one thousand copies of the American edition and expected Macmillan to set the price. Macmillan London instructed its New York counterpart to not make arrangements with any other publisher until London had the opportunity to consider the matter further.
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Latham had terrific hopes for Mitchell's book in England and saw no reason to shuffle it off to the Macmillan brothers for a quick sale. He threw courtesy of the trade to the winds and continued to suss out other interested British publishers. On April 6, he sent an unbound copy of
Gone With the
Wind
to the Scottish publisher William Collins and Sons with the bold declaration that Macmillan had unbounded confidence in Mitchell and believed her book had a potential for large-scale sales over many years.
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Latham then demonstrated a willingness to go to bat for Mitchell even if it meant going against Macmillan London. Fudging the truth, he advised William A. Collins that the London house had already made a “substantial offer” and that he was only giving Collins a chance at the book because the author had requested he do so. Latham asked Collins to read it and cable back a decision right away. In a not-so-subtle hint that Latham was bending the rules, the editor told Collins to keep the matter confidential.

When the Book-of-the-Month Club announced its selection of
Gone
With the Wind
a few days later, the news spread to England, and letters of interest arrived from other British publishing concerns.
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A bidding war was in the making, but what should be done about the Macmillan brothers, who seemed to think
Gone With the Wind
would be handed to them on a silver platter? By this time, Latham had left on his scouting trip out West, so George Brett stepped in to resolve matters. He telegraphed London, insisting that, if the Macmillans wanted to sell Mitchell's novel in England, they would have to issue a separate British edition. He asked the brothers to make an offer immediately so he could obtain approval from Mitchell, whom Brett blamed for the present situation.
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In another example of truth stretching, Brett claimed she objected to exportation of the sheets because the book was sure to sell more than one hundred thousand copies due to the Book-of-the-Month Club selection. Sensing it had overplayed its hand, London changed its tune again and expressed a willingness to publish a British edition and pay Mitchell royalties. Although it made no mention of an advance, London expected it would obtain the rights, no further questions asked.
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Macmillan was still not ready to hand Mitchell over so easily. After receiving London's offer, Putnam wired Collins on April 22, instructing him to send an offer without delay if he was interested in bidding.
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Collins replied the next day expressing tremendous enthusiasm for Mitchell's book and offering a 150-pound advance or whatever amount Macmillan thought reasonable.
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In a follow-up letter, he assured Putnam that his firm would get behind Mitchell's book and go all out to make it a big success.
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By offering a blank check, Collins had every reason to be optimistic that he would win the rights.

It was to Collins's disadvantage—and, ultimately, Mitchell's as well—that Brett had stepped in to handle matters in Latham's absence. Like Latham, Brett was not willing to give away
Gone With the Wind
to the London affiliate. However, his loyalties were different. He had a personal relationship with the Macmillan brothers but had never met Mitchell. Although he wanted a fair price for her book, he could not afford to breach his association with the Macmillan family to get it. He cabled Harold Macmillan on April 23, explaining about the Collins bid and suggesting that London raise its offer to a two-hundred-pound advance and bump up its proposed royalties to equal what Macmillan expected from Collins. In a follow-up letter that same day, Brett justified his demand with a fantastic story about how several American publishers had been after Mitchell and how Latham fought to bring her to Macmillan. There had been a question in the author's mind, he said, as to whether she would let Macmillan have the world rights because she was afraid the firm would not make any great effort outside the United States. According to Brett, she gave up the foreign rights only after Latham persuaded her that Macmillan would aggressively promote the book in the world market. Mitchell wanted a distinct British edition and had been promised one, Brett claimed. That said, he professed embarrassment about how matters had been handled on the British edition and assured London that Latham had offered the book to Collins only on the possibility that London would not be interested in a first novel by a young Southern woman.
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Harold Macmillan had no choice but to up the ante. He accepted Brett's terms by wire on April 24, agreeing to pay Mitchell the suggested advance and royalties subject to a minor qualification on the Colonial sales, which covered Australia, India, New Zealand, and South Africa.
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Brett wrote to Latham the same day, explaining where matters stood and admitted he may have gone somewhat “wide of the truth” in his letter to Harold Macmillan.
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The publisher also wrote Mitchell a brief letter in which he mentioned in passing the matter of the British edition. Notably, he failed to say he had reached terms with Macmillan London, that an open offer remained on the table from Collins, or that multiple other publishers were interested. In fact, he made it sound like Macmillan London was on the fence, and he was doing his level best to negotiate favorable terms: “Alas, now it appears that it will be next week before we have any definite word.” He felt sure matters would work out for a British edition and that she might even earn an advance of up to two hundred pounds.
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On April 27, without waiting for a reply from Mitchell, Brett wired London that it had won the rights to publish
Gone With the Wind
in Britain. He followed up the next day with a letter stating that Mitchell had agreed to the proposed contract and that the matter was therefore settled. On April 30, Mitchell wrote, asking for more information about the British rights, such as how much two hundred pounds was worth in American dollars. Brett responded on May 2, estimating the advance would be eight hundred to one thousand dollars, twice what she had received in her American contract. Implying there had been a subsequent communication from London, he informed her that the deal had been finalized.