King Vidor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids King Vidor
Vidor in 1925
Born	(1894-02-08)February 8, 1894 Galveston, Texas, U.S.
Died	November 1, 1982(1982-11-01) (aged 88) Paso Robles, California, U.S.
Other names	King W. Vidor
Occupation	Film director producer screenwriter
Years active	1913–1980
Spouse(s)	Florence Arto ​ ​ (m. 1915; div. 1924)​ Eleanor Boardman ​ ​ (m. 1926; div. 1931)​ Elizabeth Hill ​ ​ (m. 1932⁠–⁠1978)​ her death

King Wallis Vidor (born February 8, 1894 – died November 1, 1982) was an American film director, producer, and writer. He had a very long career in movies, lasting 67 years. He successfully made films during both the silent movie era and when sound was added to films.

King Vidor's Early Life and Career Beginnings

King Vidor was born in Galveston, Texas, into a family that had enough money. His father, Charles Shelton Vidor, owned a lumber business. His grandfather, Károly Charles Vidor, came to Galveston in the 1850s after leaving Hungary. King Vidor's mother, Kate Wallis, was related to Davy Crockett's second wife. His first name, King, was given to him in honor of his mother's favorite brother, King Wallis.

When he was six years old, Vidor saw the terrible damage caused by the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. This experience stayed with him. Later, in 1935, he wrote a story about the disaster called "Southern Storm" for Esquire magazine. Years later, in 1939, he even directed the famous cyclone scene for the movie The Wizard of Oz.

Vidor's mother taught him about Christian Science when he was very young. This faith influenced his movies, giving them a mix of practical self-help ideas and spiritual beliefs. He went to grade school at the Peacock Military Academy.

Vidor featured in the February 21, 1920, issue of Exhibitors Herald

King Vidor's Film Career

As a boy, King Vidor loved taking pictures and developing them himself using a simple Box Brownie camera. When he was sixteen, Vidor left high school and went back to Galveston. There, he worked at a Nickelodeon, which was an early movie theater. He took tickets and operated the film projector.

At 18, Vidor started as an amateur newsreel cameraman, learning how to make documentary films. His very first movie was footage he shot of a local hurricane. He also sold film of a Houston army parade to a news company. His first fictional movie was a short comedy about a car race called In Tow (1913).

King Vidor and Colleen Moore on the set of The Sky Pilot (1921)

In 1918, at age 24, Vidor directed his first Hollywood movie, The Turn in the Road (1919). He made three more films for Brentwood Corporation, all starring the actress Zasu Pitts, whom he had discovered. These films also featured his wife at the time, Florence Arto Vidor, who was a rising star.

Vidor's early films often showed groups of ordinary people working together. Later, his movies focused more on individuals and their personal journeys.

Holiday greetings from the Vidors, December 25, 1920

One of his most famous silent films was The Big Parade (1925). His movies from the 1940s and early 1950s are also considered very important. Some of his best works include Northwest Passage (1940), Comrade X (1940), and Duel in the Sun (1946). In his Western films, nature often felt like a strong force that characters had to fight against to survive.

Vidor was known as an "actors' director" because he was great at guiding actors. Many actors he worked with received Academy Award nominations or even won awards. These included Wallace Beery, Robert Donat, Barbara Stanwyck, and Lillian Gish.

Vidor was nominated five times for the Best Director Academy Award. In 1979, he received an Honorary Academy Award for his amazing work as a filmmaker. He also won many other film awards during his career.

He sometimes gave talks about making films at universities in California. In 1972, he published a book called On Film Making, which shared stories from his movie career.

King Vidor's Personal Life

In 1944, King Vidor, who was a Republican, joined a group called the Motion Picture Alliance for the Preservation of American Ideals. This group supported American values and was against communism.

Vidor wrote a book about his own life called A Tree is a Tree in 1953. The title comes from a story early in his career. Vidor wanted to film a movie in real outdoor locations, but it would cost a lot of money. A producer told him, "A rock is a rock. A tree is a tree. Shoot it in Griffith Park!" This meant he should just film in a nearby park to save money.

King Vidor was a Christian Scientist and sometimes wrote for his church's publications.

King Vidor's Marriages

Vidor was married three times:

• Florence Arto (married 1915–1924)
  • They had a daughter named Suzanne (1918–2003).
• Eleanor Boardman (married 1926–1931)
  • They had two daughters: Antonia (1927–2012) and Belinda (born 1930).
• Elizabeth Hill (married 1932–1978)

King Vidor's Death

King Vidor passed away at his ranch in Paso Robles, California, on November 1, 1982. He was 88 years old and died from a heart problem.

King Vidor's Films

King Vidor's Academy Awards and Nominations

King Vidor was recognized many times for his work in movies.

Awards for Actors in King Vidor's Films

Many actors who worked with King Vidor were nominated for or won Academy Awards.

Academy Awards for King Vidor's Films

Here are the Academy Awards won or nominated by films directed by King Vidor.

Other Awards for King Vidor

In 1964, King Vidor received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. In 1979, he was given an Honorable Prize at the 11th Moscow International Film Festival for his contributions to cinema. In 2020, over 30 of his films were shown at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival to honor his work.

Images for kids

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  King Vidor and Colleen Moore on location for The Sky Pilot near Truckee, California

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  Hendrik Sartov (cinematographer), King Vidor (director), Irving Thalberg (producer) & Lillian Gish (co-star) on the set of La Bohème

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  King Vidor (center) with Renée Adorée and John Gilbert. On the set of The Big Parade

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  Nina Mae McKinney as Chick in Hallelujah

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  Vidor directed the black & white scenes for The Wizard of Oz (1939), including Judy Garland singing Over the Rainbow

See also

In Spanish: King Vidor para niños