 The film had its first preview on 9 September 1939 at the Fox  Theatre in Riverside, California. In attendance were David O.  Selznick, his wife Irene, investor Jock Whitney and editor Hal C.  Kern. The latter called for the manager and explained that his  theater had been chosen for the first public screening of "Gone With  the Wind" though the identity of the film was to remain undisclosed  to the audience until the very moment it began. People were  permitted to leave if they didnt want to hang around for a film  that they didnt know the name of, but after theyd gone, the  theater was to be sealed with no re