Carol Burnett Show and the 'Went With the Wind' Skit

If you watched NBC's Gone with the Wind broadcast on November 7, 1976, you weren't alone — 65% of the nation tuned in. CBS struck just one week later with Carol Burnett's "Went with the Wind" parody, capitalizing on that shared cultural moment. The sketch ran nearly 20 minutes, featured Bob Mackie's legendary curtain rod dress, and generated the longest audience laugh in the show's 11-year run. There's a lot more to this story than you'd expect.

Key Takeaways

• NBC's Gone with the Wind broadcast on November 7, 1976, drew 65% of national TV viewers, perfectly setting up CBS's parody one week later.
• Writers Rick Hawkins and Liz Sage condensed the epic film into a roughly 20-minute sketch, requiring trimming due to prolonged audience laughter.
• Bob Mackie's iconic curtain rod dress, constructed on a mannequin for precise fit, is now preserved in the Smithsonian Institution's collection.
• The audience's laughter during Carol Burnett's staircase descent was the longest in the show's entire 11-year run.
• TV Guide ranked the curtain rod dress scene #2 on its 1999 list of The 50 Funniest TV Moments of All Time.

Why "Went With the Wind" Aired at Exactly the Right Moment

When NBC aired Gone with the Wind on November 7, 1976, it pulled in 65 percent of the national TV audience—a broadcast milestone. That record-breaking cultural impact left millions fresh off a five-hour emotional marathon, primed for exactly what came next.

Just one week later, on November 13, CBS aired "Went with the Wind" on The Carol Burnett Show. Carol Burnett even opened by acknowledging the nation had just sat through the entire film. The timing wasn't accidental—it was surgical. Viewers shared an immediate, collective reference point, making every joke land harder. That strategic placement amplified the sketch's legacy impact, transforming it from a clever parody into a television landmark audiences still celebrate today. The audience's laughter when Burnett descended the staircase in her iconic curtain dress became the longest audience reaction in the show's entire eleven-year run.

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The Carol Burnett Show That Set Up the Parody

Writers Rick Hawkins and Liz Sage crafted "Went with the Wind," a roughly 20-minute parody that required careful sketch preparation to pull off successfully. Carol Burnett led the cast alongside Harvey Korman, Dinah Shore, Vicki Lawrence, and Tim Conway, each playing exaggerated versions of the film's iconic characters.

The production team knew the material was strong, but even they couldn't fully anticipate the audience reaction. The laughter became so prolonged during key moments that editors had to trim footage just to keep the broadcast moving at a reasonable pace. In fact, the audience reaction when Burnett descended the staircase in her curtain dress was the longest in the series' entire eleven-year run.

The sketch originally aired on November 13, 1976, as part of episode 10.8 of The Carol Burnett Show on CBS.

Carol Burnett, Harvey Korman, and the Roles That Made the Sketch

The curtain dress alone could've carried the sketch — but it was Carol Burnett's full-body commitment to Starlet O'Hara that made the moment legendary. Carol Burnett's showmanship transformed every scene, from the staircase descent to Scarlett's closing monologue, into precision comedy.

Harvey Korman's supporting performance as Rat Butler gave Burnett a worthy comedic counterpart, anchoring the parody's ensemble dynamic.

Here's what defined their roles:

1. Burnett balanced reverence for Gone with the Wind with sharp absurdist humor
2. Korman's character name directly parodied Rhett Butler
3. Both performers sustained comedic momentum across a nearly 20-minute production
4. Their chemistry elevated the sketch beyond a standalone bit into a fully realized parody

Together, they made "Went with the Wind" television history.

The Curtain Rod Dress That Stopped the Show

No performance lands without the right costume — and in "Went with the Wind," the curtain rod dress didn't just complement the sketch; it became the sketch. Bob Mackie drove the costume design process by rejecting the original script concept and requesting an actual curtain rod and green fabric instead. He constructed the dress on a mannequin, and when Burnett saw it during the fitting, she called it the most brilliant sight gag she'd ever seen.

Once Starlett descended that staircase with the rod still attached, the audience reaction comparisons weren't even close — the laughter ran longer than any moment in the show's eleven-year run and had to be edited down. TV Guide later ranked the scene #2 on its 1999 list of 50 Funniest TV Moments. The dress is now preserved as part of the Smithsonian Institution's collection, cementing its place as one of the most iconic costume pieces in television history.

How Bob Mackie Built the "Went With the Wind" Costume

Behind every great sight gag is a designer who knows when a script isn't working. Bob Mackie's designer's creative process rejected the original concept immediately — drapes hanging off Carol Burnett simply wasn't funny enough.

He requested a real curtain rod from the art director on Thursday. He used green velvet to match authentic curtain material. He applied mannequin construction techniques, building the dress directly on the form for precise fit. He kept the curtain rod visible, making it the comedic centerpiece.

Mackie completed everything before dress rehearsal, and Burnett didn't try it on until taping day. The result? Unprecedented audience laughter that neither of them ever forgot. The dress is now part of the Smithsonian Institution's collection, preserving it as a landmark moment in television comedy history.

How Rick Hawkins Wrote the "Went With the Wind" Script

The parody's scholarly foundations came directly from Hawkins' completed thesis on Gone with the Wind, which gave him expert-level familiarity with the film's narrative structure, iconic scenes, and memorable dialogue. Working alongside co-writer Liz Sage, Hawkins channeled that academic knowledge into Hawkins' creative vision for the sketch, which aired just one week after the television premiere.

The result was an ambitious nearly 20-minute parody that condensed the four-hour epic into a tightly structured sketch honoring its most recognizable moments while delivering sharp, well-informed comedic twists. The sketch featured Carol Burnett as Starlett OHara, a parody of the iconic Scarlett OHara character from the original film.

The Sketch's Funniest Moments, Scene by Scene

"Went With the Wind" packs several unforgettable moments into its nearly 20-minute runtime, each scene building on the last to deliver sharp, well-timed comedy. Starlett's hilarious reactions and Brashly's clueless responses drive much of the humor throughout.

1. Starlett throws a vase upon meeting Brashly's new wife, Melody, only for Ratt Butler to catch it mid-air.
2. Sissy hands a Yankee soldier a match, accidentally sparking an outside fire during wartime chaos.
3. Starlett fashions a dress from drapes, complete with a real curtain rod, earning the sketch's longest audience laugh in 11 years.
4. Sissy delivers the finale, slapping Starlett and declaring, "Frankly, Miss Starlett, I don't give a damn."

The curtain dress scene was so iconic that it was later ranked #2 on TV Guide's list of The 50 Funniest TV Moments of All Time.

The Second-Funniest Moment in TV History

Few comedy moments have earned the kind of lasting recognition that Carol Burnett's curtain rod dress gag has. In 1999, TV Guide ranked it the second-funniest moment in television history, placing it just behind the top spot on a list shaped by both viewers and critics.

That recognition came over two decades after the sketch's 1976 airdate, proving its comedic legacy wasn't fading anytime soon. You can see why the ranking stuck — the moment captures everything that made the show iconic, from Bob Mackie's outrageous costume design to Burnett's impeccable delivery.

The cultural significance of that ranking can't be overstated. It officially cemented the curtain rod gag among television's most celebrated comedy scenes, giving the sketch a permanent place in broadcast history. The Carol Burnett Show's enduring impact was further recognized when it was named one of Time's 100 Best TV Shows of All Time.