Victor Fleming - one of the masters of Hollywood, who lived and worked in the early XX century. Fleming gave the world such cult paintings as Gone With the Wind, Explosive Beauty and The Wizard of Oz. How did the famous director begin his career in cinema? And what 5 films of its production must be seen?
Victor Fleming: biography
V. Fleming was born in 1889 in the state of California. Little is known about the director’s early life. In his interviews, Victor Fleming only mentioned that he began his career as an auto mechanic.
Over time, Fleming mastered the
profession of photographer. And a little later I got a job as a cameraman at the Triangle film studio. Fleming took his first steps in cinema, participating in the filming of paintings by Allan Dvon.
In 1914, the First World War began, and Victor became a photojournalist working for American intelligence. After the hostilities ended, the former intelligence officer again changed his profession. So in Hollywood a new director appeared - his name was Victor Fleming.
Fleming's films were not always universally accepted, but the public and film critics admitted that Victor was a master of his craft. Over the 29 years of operation, Fleming has released about 50 feature films. Among them there are especially successful films that are worth watching and are considered classics of American cinema.
Bombshell, 1933
In 1933, director Victor Fleming released the melodramatic comedy Explosive Beauty with Gene Harlow.
Gene was the first actress who managed to turn platinum hair into a trend. It was then that Marilyn Monroe and other bright representatives of Hollywood picked up fashion. However, Harlow naive fools rarely played, mostly her images were filled with drama.
And this time, the “explosive beauty” appeared before the public in the image of a Hollywood diva, who was tired of her fame. Lola Burns seems happy, rich and famous. But in fact, it turns out that Lola is incredibly tired of the hype around her person, disappointed in her acting career and only longs for peace. Burns makes a desperate attempt to say goodbye to the film industry, but it doesn’t succeed: completing a profitable “project” is not profitable for studios, producers, personal agent Burns, or her family. As a result, Lola returns under the camera lenses and continues to play its difficult role.
Treasure Island, 1934
In 1934, Victor Fleming released his version of the film adaptation of R. Stevenson’s famous novel Treasure Island. For a long time, his creation was very popular in the States.
The plot of Fleming's painting is practically no different from the original plot of the book. The main character is a young man
Jim Hawkins, who maintains the Admiral Benbow Hotel. Once in a hotel room, a certain
Billy Bones dies from a heart attack
. In his belongings, Jim finds a map showing the path to the treasure island.
Without thinking twice, Hawkins gathers a team, enlisted the support of a family friend, David Livesey, and set sail. However, the young captain still does not suspect that a "traitor" and a notorious villain lurked in his team.
The main roles in the film were played by Wallace Beery (The Chinese Seas, 1935), Jackie Cooper (Skippy, 1931) and Lionel Barrymore (Rasputin and the Empress, 1932).
The Wizard of Oz, 1939
Victor Fleming released his two best films in 1939. One of them is a children's musical fairy tale “The Wizard of Oz”.
The interpretation of the novel “The Amazing Wizard of Oz”, shot by Fleming, is still considered the most successful adaptation of this work. With a budget of $ 2.7 million, the tale managed to raise $ 17.7 million at the box office. The film “The Wizard of Oz” in 1939 is included in the list of 100 best films made in Hollywood, and occupies the sixth position in this rating.
In Fleming's film, we are talking about a little girl, Dorothy, who, along with her dog, was moved by a hurricane from Kansas to the country of Oz. To return home, Dorothy will have to go through many trials, make new friends and help the people of Oz get rid of evil magical creatures.
Gone With The Wind, 1939
Gone With the Wind is truly a cult picture. This historical drama became the hallmark of Victor Fleming.
Gone With the Wind collected a fabulous box office at the box office - $ 200 million. If we adjust for inflation, then not a single Titanic can compare with the sensation that Gone With The Wind produced.
Screen adaptation of the novel Margaret Mitchell won 8 Academy Award. For 20 years not a single film could break this record. The main roles in the film were played by Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.
In Gone With the Wind, many storylines are intertwined: the Civil War of 1861 and the problem of the love triangle, social and moral issues are raised.
The central characters of all this action are Scarlett O'Hara and Rhett Butler. She is young, a little windy and impulsive. He is much older, cold, prudent and ironic, but fell in love with Scarlett with all her flaws and virtues at first sight. These two will go through many things: misunderstanding, denial, civil war and devastation. Scarlett and Rhett will be married, will gain a daughter and lose her. And only when Rhett forever turns away from Scarlett and leaves her, does the woman realize that she actually lost. And a new goal will appear in her life: to return her husband at all costs.
Joan of Arc, 1948
“Joan of Arc” is the last film shot by V. Fleming shortly before his death. She tells about the difficult fate of the French girl, who led the struggle of the French against the British in the centennial war.
“Joan of Arc”, unfortunately, did not pay back her budget. But she received 2 Oscars for the work of the cameraman and artist. In terms of costumes and production, the picture has undeniable artistic value.