[blml] O Times, O Daily Mirror

[David Burn]

>"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn." is a line from the 1939 film Gone
with the Wind starring Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh.

Indeed, but it nearly wasn't. The use of the word "damn" was permitted only
because it was "essential and required for portrayal, in proper historical
context, of any scene or dialogue based upon historical fact or folklore, or
a quotation from a literary work". It was stipulated, however, that the word
should not be emphasised, which is why Gable had to utter the immortal line
with an unnatural stress on "give" rather than "damn".

It may be refreshing to note that ridiculous legal arguments are not solely
the province of bridge players.

David Burn
London, England