Fred Crane (actor) Fred Crane (actor) Fred Crane, Herman Frederick Crane, (March 22, 1918 – August 21, 2008) was an American film and television actor and radio announcer. He is probably best known for his role as Brent Tarleton in the 1939 film, "Gone with the Wind", speaking the opening lines in the movie during the opening scene with Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Stuart Tarleton (George Reeves). Crane was born in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1918. Along with his brothers John and Harry, he grew up on General Pershing St. and went to the MacDonough #13 and Alsace Fortier schools. His father
The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind is a 1988 documentary outlining the successes and challenges of the casting, filming, and legacy of the 1939 film "Gone with the Wind", from concept to finished product. The documentary focuses on David O. Selznick from the time of the book's publication to the Academy Awards ceremony of 1940. Included are interviews with many of the crew and office personnel involved in making the film. Producer David O. Selznick struggled to control his project, working with three directors along the way--George Cukor,