Victor Fleming

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For the Arkansas lawyer and judge Victor A. Fleming, see Vic Fleming.
Victor Fleming
Born February 23, 1889(1889-02-23)
Pasadena, California, U.S.
Died January 6, 1949 (aged 59)
Cottonwood, Arizona, U.S.
Years active 1910-1949
Spouse(s) Lucile Rosson (1933-1949)

Victor Fleming (February 23, 1889 – January 6, 1949) (sometimes "Vic Fleming") was an Academy Award-winning American film director.

Contents

[edit] Overview

He was born in Pasadena, California, possibly of part Native American descent and showed a mechanical aptitude early on; while working as a car mechanic he met the director Allan Dwan, who took him on as a camera assistant. Given his aptitude, he developed an interest in airplanes, and for his movies got to know the men at Rogers Airport, Los Angeles, including Moye Stephens. Fleming soon rose to the rank of cinematographer, working with both Dwan and D. W. Griffith, and directed his first film in 1919.

Many of Fleming's silent films were action movies, often starring Douglas Fairbanks, or Westerns, and with his robust attitude and love of outdoor sports he became known as a "man's director". But he also proved an effective director of women. Under his direction, Vivien Leigh won the Best Actress Oscar, Hattie McDaniel won for Best Supporting Actress, and Ingrid Bergman was nominated. (In fact, nine actors who appeared in films directed by Fleming were Oscar-nominated.)

[edit] MGM

In 1932 Fleming joined MGM and directed some of the studio's most prestigious films. Red Dust (1932), Bombshell (1933), and Reckless (1935) showcased Jean Harlow, while Treasure Island (1934) and Captains Courageous (1937) brought a touch of literary distinction to boy's-own adventure stories. His two most famous films came in 1939, when The Wizard of Oz was closely followed by Gone with the Wind. Their fame has outstripped that of their credited director. Both were essentially producer-led projects, and in each case Fleming replaced the original directors after filming had begun, although he alone received director credit on both (he replaced Richard Thorpe on The Wizard of Oz after George Cukor had briefly come in and altered some of the makeup. Cukor's alterations remained in the film, and, by coincidence, it was Cukor whom Fleming replaced on Gone With the Wind. ) Fleming's version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941), with Spencer Tracy, was generally rated below Rouben Mamoulian's 1931 version with Fredric March. Fleming's 1942 film version of John Steinbeck's Tortilla Flat, starring Spencer Tracy, John Garfield, Hedy Lamarr, and Frank Morgan, was considered quite excellent, though, and to this day remains the only film version of the book.

Fleming's few remaining films were disappointing to some, and he died quite suddenly from a heart attack soon after completing Joan of Arc (1948) with Ingrid Bergman. Fleming's film version of the life of Joan remains the definitive one for many movie lovers, and despite mixed reviews, received seven Academy Award nominations, winning two Oscars. In recent years, it has been restored to its full-length of 145 minutes, causing a more positive re-evaluation of the film based on the complete version.

[edit] Filmography as Director (Partial)

Awards
Preceded by
Frank Capra
for You Can't Take It with You		 Academy Award for Best Director
1939
for Gone with the Wind		 Succeeded by
John Ford
for The Grapes of Wrath

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Victor Fleming
1910s:
1920s:
1930s:
1940s:
Productions:
v • d • e
Academy Award for Best Director

Frank Borzage (1927) · Lewis Milestone (1928) · Frank Lloyd (1929) · Lewis Milestone (1930) · Norman Taurog (1931) · Frank Borzage (1932) · Frank Lloyd (1933) · Frank Capra (1934) · John Ford (1935) · Frank Capra (1936) · Leo McCarey (1937) · Frank Capra (1938) · Victor Fleming (1939) · John Ford (1940)

Complete List · (1927–1940) · (1941–1960) · (1961–1980) · (1981–2000) · (2001-present)
Persondata
NAME Fleming, Victor
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION Film director
DATE OF BIRTH 1889-2-23
PLACE OF BIRTH La Cañada, California, U.S.
DATE OF DEATH 1949-1-6
PLACE OF DEATH Cottonwood, Arizona, U.S.