Question: It is implied strongly in this movie that water makes witches melt, and this is spoofed in other media. I've only ever seen this referenced to wicked witches. Does water make good witches, such as Glinda, melt too?
Answer: In the original book, water caused the wicked witches to melt away because they were so old and shriveled that all the fluid in their bodies had long since dried away. Meanwhile, the film Oz: The Great and Powerful instead implies that the Wicked Witch of the West is weak against water due to being a fire-elemental witch, which could also be the case for this incarnation, meaning it wouldn't apply to other witches like Glinda (whose element in both films appears to be ice) or even the Wicked Witch of the East (whose powers are never shown in this film, but were electricity-based in Oz the Great and Powerful).
Question: At the very beginning when the twins are talking to Scarlett it sounds to me like George Reeves says something about the "other 48 states" wanting war. Am I hearing that incorrectly? There were only 34 states when the war began.
Answer: To answer your question, I looked for on-line versions of the "Gone with the Wind" screenplay. What you are hearing as "other 48 states" is actually "those fool Yankees." The full line is, "Y'know, those fool Yankees actually want a war?" Also, the line is actually said by Stuart Tarleton, played Fred Crane, not by George Reeves as his twin brother, Drew. In writing, it doesn't seem they would sound alike. When I watched the opening scene of "gwtw" on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymbmvQJcLDc&t=6s), I can see how the error was made. I might have misheard it, as well, if I didn't already know what the line was from my research. Mr. Crane's enunciation is rather muddled.
Answer: I watched this scene several times on HBOmax, both with and without the closed captions. The line, spoken by Brent Tarleton (George Reeves) is: "You know, those poor Yankees actually want a war." It does sound like he says another word just before saying "Yankees," but it's so muffled that it's unintelligible and the closed captions do not record it. It could be "poor fool Yankees," but that's a guess.
Answer: In the version I am watching it is definitely Reeves' character who say the line, right after he tells Scarlett "War. Isn't it exciting Scarlett?" Then comes what sounds like what I posted. Is it possible there are different versions?
Answer: In all likelihood, probably not. Water is often depicted and represents purity, and cleansing. It flows smoothly, is beautiful, clear, and responsible for life on Earth. Everything the Wicked Witch is not. Where as the good Witch is pure and of a true heart. So it makes sense that something so evil and impure as the evil witch would be effected by the purest substance there is, yet not harm the good witch because she is good.
Quantom X ★