-
Victor Flemings was born near Pasadena, at the Banbury Ranch in La Canada, Flintridge, California, USA. He was the son of William Richard Lonzo Fleming and Eva, Nee Hartman, his mother. He had two younger sisters. -
Victor attended Polytechnic High School in Los Angeles and graduated in 1905. He was fascinated by automobiles as the roads were becoming a new thing at this time. His family desperately wanted him to pursue a career in engineering or teaching, but the young Victor showed no interest in doing so at the time as a teenager. The school had been established in 1897 and relocated to its new location at Washington and Flower in downtown LA in 1905, after he graduated. -
Victor and Clara Winifred Strouse got married in Los Angeles; she was sixteen, and Victor was twenty. Their marriage lasted only five years before they got a divorce. -
Victor first started in the film industry as a stunt car driver at Flying A studio in Santa Barbara, after having previously worked as a race-car driver and mechanic. -
While working as an auto mechanic and chauffeur around 1912-1913, he met a movie director named Allen Dwan, who hired him as a camera assistant. He later got promoted to Cinematographer. This filmBetty of Greystone, is directed by Allen Dwan and features Victor working as a cinematographer. Later, he came to know another famous and influential director, D.W. Griffith, with whom he and Allen Dwan worked, directing his first silent film in 1919. -
Victor Flemings served in the army as a photographer in the Signal Corps during World War I. He was assigned by the 28th President of the United States, Woodrow Wilson, as the chief photographer at the Peace Conference in Versailles, France. He was also an instructor at the American School of Military Cinematography at Columbia University in 1918. This photo is aboard the USS George Washington on the way to France. -
Victor Fleming's first film, a silent film he directed after previously serving as a cameraman for Douglas Fairbanks, was made to promote the stardom of Douglas Fairbanks, who was both an actor and a producer. The film is about a suspicious man being manipulated by an evil scientist -
Victor spent most of his life in Los Angeles. He was from there. He lived at the Morga Estate, which had thirteen acres, a 7,500-square-foot main house, and a guest house in Bel Air, California. He also established a horse ranch on the property, where he resided from 1930 to 1940. He hosted many big-name actors and friends there from time to time; it was his own private retreat. The property has since been converted into a winery, complete with its own wine cave. -
The film was made as a documentary about traveling around the world and exploring the diverse cultures of the world. The film was produced by United Artists and featured many continents and their cultures, including the Taj Mahal, Japan, and women putting on their head dresses, the Philippines, Forbidden City of Peking, aboard an ocean liner to Belgenland, China, Indochina, Hong Kong, the tomb of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, and featured Mickey Mouse dancing. The film was the third biggest of the season. -
In 1932, Victor joined MGM Studios, which was the most prestigious film studio at the time, and he produced some of his best films here, including Red Dust 1932, Bombshell 1933, Reckless 1935, Treasure Island 1934, Captain Courageous 1937, The Wizard of Oz 1939, and Gone with the Wind, which is my favorite. The picture is of MGM Studios in 1930. -
The Wet Parade is a film about the detrimental effects of alcohol consumption and prohibition on the two families in the story. In my opinion, this plot bears a strong resemblance to the Hatfields and McCoys. If you're unfamiliar with the story behind it, it's worth exploring. The History Channel has a film on the topic. In my opinion, it's a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, and similar to a biblical parable —a story used to serve a purpose, viewed in many ways to fit all, as a means of help. -
The film is about a prostitute who arrives at a rubber plantation, has an affair with the foreman, loses passion, and is sent away. Then a new worker comes with his wife, who is a high-class lady and hard to deal with. Her husband goes on a trip, and then the wife falls for the foreman, and the prostitute comes back, the foreman has to decide who he wants. The woman is clearly married, duh! The film is based on a play by Wilson Collison from 1928. It was the highest-grossing movie of the year. -
This film is about an Italian aristocrat who joins a nunnery, thinking her boyfriend, who is a pilot, has been killed. The film was a remake of a silent film released years prior in 1923; however, this version performed better. It's said that the success of this film was due to the skillful direction of director Victor Fleming. Also stated, in fact, the comparison between the new cast (Helen Hayes and Clark Gable) and the different performances of the old cast was interesting to observe. -
Victor and Lucile Rosson(Louise Irana Niedermeyer)
Married, and they stayed married until Fleming's passing in 1949.
Lucile, his wife, was born on March 22, 1895, in New York City. They had two children together, a son and a daughter, Victoria Sue Fleming, born in 1935. There is not much mention of the son, though. -
The film was a romantic comedy that contributed to the success of Jean Harlow's career, as she was renowned for her distinctive roles and exceptional acting abilities. The film portrayed her in some scandalous roles, sleeping with two brothers, and made her into a sex symbol, shortly after Marlyn Monroe came along. In my opinion, the movie bears a resemblance to another one of my favorites, "It Happened One Night", starring Clark Gable. -
Treasure Island is based on a novel by Robert Luis Stevenson, published in 1883. The film is about a treasure map and a treasure, hence the name. The film had mixed reviews at the box office and was called disappointing. The production took place at several locations in California, including Alameda, Point Lobos Natural Reserve, and Catalina Island, as well as Hawaii. MGM considered the film a major success and hailed it as a classic adventure film. -
The film is about a Broadway star who is married to a drunken socialite embroiled in a scandal, and her agent helps her through it. The film stars Jean Harlow, William Powell, Franchot Tone, May Robson, and David O Selznick. The film did not perform well, as it closely resembled Jean Harlow's actual life in 1931, and was met with criticism. The film was reportedly regarded as a notable failure in Victor's career. Apparently not, as the two of his greatest films were yet to be released. -
This film is about a Farmer in 1850 who takes a job on a canal boat to save money while the railroads are being built, and while on the boat, he works with another man and his girlfriend, who falls for the farmer and tries to convince him to stand up to her boyfriend and fight for her. She eventually cancels the engagement with her boyfriend and wants the farmer to fight to win her back. The film is a box office success but does not win any awards. The film is also Henry Fonda's first film. -
The film is about a spoiled rich kid who is suspended from boarding school and then goes on a business trip with his father aboard a steamship, only to fall overboard. He's then rescued by a fisherman who puts him to work on his boat in a low-ranking position, the same as his own son. The film is based on Rudyard Kipling's novel. The film is recognized by the American Film Institute as one of the top 100 films of the 20th century. The film performed well at the box office and was a success. -
The film is about a daredevil test pilot, his wife, and his friend named Tracy. The film is based on a real-life account of a naval aviator pilot named Wead. This film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Stars Lionel Barrymore, Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, and Myrna Loy. Filming at bases, including the US Army Air Corps base. Clark Gable and Spencer Tracy did not get along, and it's said that Clark was holding Spencer by his head and dropped him with a thud and told him to die. -
The Wizard of Oz was released at a time nearing the end of the Great Depression, and with the possible onset of World War II, it was a dark time; however, the film brought hope. The film was made in Technicolor, allowing people to dare to dream of a brighter tomorrow. The film was Victor's second-best of all time, ranking in the top ten of all time. The film cost 2.8 million to produce by MGM, the richest motion picture company at the time. Winning two Academy Awards for best original song. -
Gone with the Wind, based on a novel by Margaret Mitchellwas, is known for being one of the most iconic films of all time and remains the highest-grossing film in history. The film won eight Academy Awards, one of which was for Best Supporting Actress, Hattie McDaniel, making her the first African American to win an Academy Award. During the grueling hours of production, Fleming suffered a nervous breakdown and had to be temporarily replaced. -
This film is also based on a novel published on January 5, 1886, by author Robert Louis Stevenson. The film is a psychological thriller. The film stars Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, and Lana Turner. The film did well at the box office, grossing 5.1 million. It's said that Victor Flemmimgs was not satisfied with Lana and her acting, so he had put pressure on her to get her to cry for her scenes. -
The film is based on a John Steinbeck novel. The film is about a man who inherits two houses by the ocean and decides to share one with his two friends. However, one of the houses burns down, and the man feels guilty. He then decides to help the main character win the affection of a woman he likes. The film was another box office success, although it did not earn any awards. However, Frank Morgan, one of the actors, received an award for his role in the film. -
The film is about a World War II pilot who is killed and meets a General who is also a dead pilot, and he then sends him back to earth as an angel to watch over another pilot who is dating his former girlfriend. The film finished as one of the top-grossing films of the year, despite having mixed reviews; however, it still won an Academy Award for best original screenplay. -
Victor Fleming's contract expired on December 31, 1944, at MGM Studios, and he chose not to renew it. Although he did stay on to complete the last of his film adventure and see it through to completion. The last film he made, Joan of Arc, was with a different studio. He had a good run at MGM studios, known for being a prominent Director during the Golden Age, producing some of Hollywood's biggest hits.
-
This film is about a sailor who falls in love with a librarian, starring Clark Gable, known as the King of Hollywood, and Greer Garson, a British-American actress and singer. The film was a box office success, grossing over $6 million worldwide. Although it received mixed reviews from critics. This was Clark Gable's first film since coming back from World War II. This was Victor's last film with MGM. -
During the filming of Joan of Arc in 1948, Ingrid Bergman, 31, and Victor Fleming, 58, began an affair, despite both being married at the time. Petter Lindström, Ingrid's husband, showed up at the hotel unannounced in New York. Later, after finding her room empty at 2 am, he called Fleming's room from the lobby and asked to speak to his wife. They were caught by their spouses, and both reconciled. Ingred had another affair in 1949 with Italian director Roberto Rossellini and left her husband -
Joan of Arc's premiere was held in New York and was Victor's last film as a director; he passed away two months after its release. The film was produced between 1947 and 1948 by an independent film company named Sierra Pictures, and was shot at Hal Ranch Studios in Los Angeles. The film received mixed reviews and was a box office disappointment. The film still won Academy Award nominations for Ingrid Bergman and Jose ferrer for their performances in the film. -
Victor Flemings passed away on the way to the hospital in Cottonwood, Arizona, after suffering a heart attack.