TMI (Today’s Movie Info)
February: Director’s Month
VICTOR FLEMING (1889-1949). If you were a film director and your resume included The Wizard of Oz AND Gone with the Wind (both from 1939), you would consider that a remarkable career, not just a terrific year. Interestingly, Fleming was brought in on both films as a replacement for the original directors, each whom had experienced production difficulties. With these two films, he is the only director with two in the Top 10 of AFI’s Top 100 American films of all-time. Fleming began his Hollywood career as a stuntman, but quickly moved behind the camera. His first hit was The Virginian (1929), which was also the film that turned Gary Cooper into a star. In 1932, Fleming directed Clark Gable’s star-making film Red Dust. Fleming ’s other classic films include: Bombshell (1933), Treasure Island(1934), Captain Courageous (1937), Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1941). Fleming once served as President Woodrow Wilson’s personal cameraman at the Versailles Peace Conference. One of his most regrettable quotes was “Don’t be a damn fool David. This picture is going to be one of the biggest white elephants of all-time.” That’s what he told legendary producer David O Selznick after being offered a percentage of the profits, rather than a salary for Gone with the Wind (which won Fleming his only Academy Award).
Movie Reviews from the Dark 