Victor Fleming | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Fleming in 1927 | |
| Born | Victor Lonzo Fleming (1889-02-23)February 23, 1889 |
| Died | January 6, 1949(1949-01-06) (aged 59) Cottonwood, Arizona, U.S. |
| Resting place | Hollywood Forever Cemetery |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1910–1949 |
| Known for | |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Victor Lonzo Fleming (February 23, 1889 – January 6, 1949) was an American film director,cinematographer, and producer. His most popular films were the historical dramaGone with the Wind, for which he won anAcademy Award for Best Director, and the fantasy filmThe Wizard of Oz (both 1939). Fleming has those same two films listed in the top 10 of theAmerican Film Institute's 2007AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies list.
Fleming was born at the Banbury Ranch near what is nowLa Cañada Flintridge, California, the son of Eva (née Hartman) and William Richard Lonzo Fleming.[1]
He served in the photographic section for theUnited States Army duringWorld War I, and acted as chief photographer for PresidentWoodrow Wilson inVersailles, France.[2] Beginning in 1918, Fleming taught at and headedColumbia University's School of Military Cinematography, training over 700 soldiers to cut, edit, shoot, develop, store and ship film; filmmakers that participated in the program includedJosef von Sternberg,Ernest B. Schoedsack, andLewis Milestone.[3] He showed a mechanical aptitude early in life; while working as a car mechanic, he met the directorAllan Dwan, who took him on as a camera assistant. He soon rose to the rank of cinematographer, working with both Dwan andD. W. Griffith, and directed his first film in 1919.[4]
Many of hissilent films were action movies, often starringDouglas Fairbanks, or Westerns. Because of his robust attitude and love of outdoor sports, he became known as a "man's director"; however, he also proved an effective director of women. Under his direction,Vivien Leigh won theBest Actress Oscar,Hattie McDaniel won forBest Supporting Actress, andOlivia de Havilland was nominated.
In the opinion of veteran cinematographerArchie Stout, of all the directors he worked with, Fleming was the most knowledgeable when it came to camera angles and appropriate lenses.[5] He was remembered byVan Johnson as being a masterful director but a "tough man" to work for.[6] He was close friends with another veteran cinematographer,Charles Schoenbaum.[7]
“Fleming wasn’t a joking man, he was a very serious, demanding man, and very positive in what he wanted to get, and most of his leading men were patterned after his own behavior; he was a real tough man. I think there was more Fleming inClark Gable at the end than there was Gable in Gable. I think that Gable mimicked Fleming and became that kind of man on the screen.”—FilmmakerHenry Hathaway, from interview inFocus on Film No. 7, 1971[8]
In 1932, Fleming joinedMGM and directed some of the studio's most prestigious films.Red Dust (1932),Bombshell (1933), andReckless (1935) showcasingJean Harlow, whileTreasure Island (1934) starringWallace Beery andCaptains Courageous (1937) withSpencer Tracy brought a touch of literary distinction toboy's-own adventure stories. His two most famous films came in 1939, whenThe Wizard of Oz was closely followed byGone with the Wind.
Fleming's version ofDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941), withSpencer Tracy, was generally rated belowRouben Mamoulian's 1931pre-Code version, which had starredFredric March. Fleming's 1942 film version ofJohn Steinbeck'sTortilla Flat starred Tracy,John Garfield,Hedy Lamarr, andFrank Morgan. Other films that Fleming made with Tracy includeCaptains Courageous (for which Tracy won his first Oscar),A Guy Named Joe, andTest Pilot. He directedClark Gable in a total of five films –Red Dust,The White Sister,Test Pilot,Gone with the Wind, andAdventure.
He owned theMoraga Estate inBel Air, Los Angeles, California, then a horse ranch.[9][10][11] Frequent guests to his estate includedClark Gable andCarole Lombard,Vivien Leigh andLaurence Olivier,John Barrymore,Ingrid Bergman,Judy Garland andSpencer Tracy.[10]
He died en route to a hospital inCottonwood, Arizona,[12] after suffering aheart attack on January 6, 1949. His death occurred shortly after completingJoan of Arc (1948) with Ingrid Bergman, one of the few films that he did not make for MGM. Despite mixed reviews, Fleming's film version of the life ofJoan received sevenOscar nominations, winning two.
It was reported inJames Curtis's bookSpencer Tracy: A Biography[13] thatAnne Revere once said Fleming was "violently pro-Nazi" and strongly opposed to the United States enteringWorld War II. According to the Fleming biographyVictor Fleming: An American Movie Master,[14] by authorMichael Sragow, Fleming had once mocked the UK at the outset of World War II by taking a bet as to how long the country could withstand an attack by Germany.
The accuracy of Revere's characterization of Fleming has been disputed, however. According toVictor Fleming: An American Movie Master, Revere had made her comment because she felt she had been cast in the first attempt to filmThe Yearling in 1941 overFlora Robson[a] because Robson was British. However, at the time of the casting, Fleming was working on the filmDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which featured a British producer and a cast largely composed of British or British Commonwealth actors. Furthermore, Revere did not know Fleming beyond their professional relationship.[14]
Directed Academy Award performances
Under Fleming's direction, these actors have receivedAcademy Award nominations and wins for their performances in their respective roles.
| Year | Performer | Film | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actor | |||
| 1927 | Emil Jannings | The Way of All Flesh | Won |
| 1937 | Spencer Tracy | Captains Courageous | Won |
| 1939 | Clark Gable | Gone with the Wind | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Actress | |||
| 1939 | Vivien Leigh | Gone with the Wind | Won |
| 1948 | Ingrid Bergman | Joan of Arc | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |||
| 1942 | Frank Morgan | Tortilla Flat | Nominated |
| 1948 | José Ferrer | Joan of Arc | Nominated |
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||
| 1939 | Olivia de Havilland | Gone with the Wind | Nominated |
| Hattie McDaniel | Won | ||
In addition,Judy Garland received anAcademy Juvenile Award for, along withBabes in Arms, her performance in Fleming'sThe Wizard of Oz (both 1939).
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