Victor Fleming facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Victor Fleming
Fleming in 1927
Born	Victor Lonzo Fleming (1889-02-23)February 23, 1889 La Cañada Flintridge, California, U.S.
Died	January 6, 1949(1949-01-06) (aged 59) Cottonwood, Arizona, U.S.
Resting place	Hollywood Forever Cemetery
Occupation	director cinematographer producer
Years active	1910–1949
Known for	Treasure Island Captains Courageous The Wizard of Oz Gone with the Wind Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Joan of Arc
Spouse(s)	Lucile Rosson (1933–1949)

Victor Lonzo Fleming (born February 23, 1889 – died January 6, 1949) was an American film director, camera expert, and producer. He is best known for directing two very famous movies from 1939: Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz.

For Gone with the Wind, he won an Academy Award for Best Director. Both of these films are listed among the top 10 movies of all time by the American Film Institute.

Victor Fleming's Life and Career

Early Life and First Jobs

Victor Fleming was born on February 23, 1889. His family lived on the Banbury Ranch in La Cañada Flintridge, California. His parents were Eva and William Richard Lonzo Fleming.

Victor was good with machines from a young age. He first worked as a car mechanic. There, he met a film director named Allan Dwan. Dwan saw Victor's talent and hired him as a camera assistant.

Becoming a Film Expert

Victor quickly learned about cameras and filming. He became a cinematographer, which means he was in charge of the cameras and lighting for movies. He worked with famous directors like Allan Dwan and D. W. Griffith. In 1919, he directed his very first film.

During World War I, Victor Fleming worked for the United States Army. He was part of the photography team. He even became the main photographer for President Woodrow Wilson in France. After the war, he taught at Columbia University. He led a school where he trained over 700 soldiers to make films.

Directing Style and Famous Actors

Many of Victor Fleming's early films were action movies. He often worked with actor Douglas Fairbanks. He also directed many Westerns. Because he loved outdoor sports, people called him a "man's director." But he was also very good at directing women.

Under his direction, actresses won important awards:

• Vivien Leigh won the Academy Award for Best Actress for Gone with the Wind.
• Hattie McDaniel won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Gone with the Wind.
• Olivia de Havilland was also nominated for an Oscar for her role in Gone with the Wind.

Another camera expert, Archie Stout, said that Fleming knew the most about camera angles and lenses. Actor Van Johnson remembered Fleming as a great director, but also a "tough man" to work with.

Working at MGM Studios

In 1932, Victor Fleming joined MGM. This was one of the biggest film studios. He directed many important movies for them.

Some of his films at MGM include:

• Red Dust (1932)
• Bombshell (1933)
• Reckless (1935)

These films often starred the famous actress Jean Harlow.

He also directed adventure stories based on books:

• Treasure Island (1934) with Wallace Beery.
• Captains Courageous (1937) with Spencer Tracy. Spencer Tracy won his first Oscar for this movie.

His two most famous movies came out in 1939: The Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind.

Fleming directed Spencer Tracy in other films too, like A Guy Named Joe and Test Pilot. He also worked with Clark Gable in five movies, including Red Dust and Gone with the Wind.

Personal Life and Final Film

Victor Fleming owned a large horse ranch in Bel Air, Los Angeles, California. Many famous actors like Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Ingrid Bergman, and Spencer Tracy often visited his home.

Victor Fleming died on January 6, 1949. He had a heart attack while on his way to a hospital in Cottonwood, Arizona. He had just finished directing his last film, Joan of Arc (1948). This movie starred Ingrid Bergman. It was one of the few films he made that was not for MGM. Joan of Arc received seven Oscar nominations and won two.

Political Views Discussion

Some people have discussed Victor Fleming's political views during World War II. A writer named James Curtis wrote in a book that actress Anne Revere once said Fleming was strongly against the United States joining World War II. Another book, Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master by Michael Sragow, mentions that Fleming once made a bet about how long the UK could last against Germany.

However, the accuracy of Revere's statement has been questioned. The book by Michael Sragow explains that Revere might have made the comment because she felt she got a role over a British actress. But at that time, Fleming was working on a film with many British actors and a British producer. Also, Revere did not know Fleming very well outside of work.

Victor Fleming's Filmography

On the set of Gone with the Wind (1939). From left to right: Director Victor Fleming, Olivia de Havilland, and Louis Jean Heydt.

Images for kids

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  Fleming in 1927

See also

In Spanish: Victor Fleming para niños