King Vidor (1894-1982)
King
Vidor was one of the most imaginative and dependable directors in
Hollywood history. His reputation as a maverick who worked well within
the studio system is mainly based on his silent and early sound films
though he continued making worthwhile movies throughout his forty year
career.
Vidor first arrived in Hollywood with his then wife silent film actress Florence in 1915. At first she was much more successful while King worked his way up from scenario writer to producer-director. He was employed by Goldwyn when it merged with Metro and Mayer to become MGM. It was there that he made his greatest silent films which are among the best of the Twenties : the anti-war epic The Big Parade (1925) with John Gilbert, Lillian Gish's La Boheme (1926) and the realistic drama The Crowd (1928).
The Big Parade (1925) was a huge box office success and encouraged Irving Thalberg to finance Vidor's more personal, down beat work like The Crowd (1928) which was definitely influenced by the German expressionists particularly F.W. Murnau.
Vidor's last silent films were two inconsequential though fun comedies starring Marion Davies : Show People (1928) and The Patsy (1928). His first talkie was the all-black film Hallelujah (1929) an unusual early sound film in that it was filmed on location. His biggest commerical success of the Thirties was The Champ (1931) starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper though more interesting were his returns to the social concerns of The Crowd with Street Scene (1931) and Our Daily Bread (1932).
At the end of the Thirties Vidor directed the monochrome scenes in The Wizard of Oz (1939) and the entertaining Spencer Tracy western Northwest Passage (1940). He returned to the western for Duel In The Sun (1946) one of producer David O' Selznick's attempts to outdo Gone with the Wind (1939). His last notable film was a credible attempt to adapt Tolstoy's War and Peace (1956).
Vidor's silent movies in particular mean he will continue to be remembered.
Vidor first arrived in Hollywood with his then wife silent film actress Florence in 1915. At first she was much more successful while King worked his way up from scenario writer to producer-director. He was employed by Goldwyn when it merged with Metro and Mayer to become MGM. It was there that he made his greatest silent films which are among the best of the Twenties : the anti-war epic The Big Parade (1925) with John Gilbert, Lillian Gish's La Boheme (1926) and the realistic drama The Crowd (1928).
The Big Parade (1925) was a huge box office success and encouraged Irving Thalberg to finance Vidor's more personal, down beat work like The Crowd (1928) which was definitely influenced by the German expressionists particularly F.W. Murnau.
Vidor's last silent films were two inconsequential though fun comedies starring Marion Davies : Show People (1928) and The Patsy (1928). His first talkie was the all-black film Hallelujah (1929) an unusual early sound film in that it was filmed on location. His biggest commerical success of the Thirties was The Champ (1931) starring Wallace Beery and Jackie Cooper though more interesting were his returns to the social concerns of The Crowd with Street Scene (1931) and Our Daily Bread (1932).
At the end of the Thirties Vidor directed the monochrome scenes in The Wizard of Oz (1939) and the entertaining Spencer Tracy western Northwest Passage (1940). He returned to the western for Duel In The Sun (1946) one of producer David O' Selznick's attempts to outdo Gone with the Wind (1939). His last notable film was a credible attempt to adapt Tolstoy's War and Peace (1956).
Vidor's silent movies in particular mean he will continue to be remembered.
Filmography
1916 THE INTRIGUE performer
1919 BETTER TIMES director, screenwriter
1919 THE OTHER HALF director, screenwriter
1919 POOR RELATIONS director, screenwriter
1919 THE TURN IN THE ROAD director, screenwriter
1920 THE FAMILY HONOR director
1920 THE JACK-KNIFE MAN director
1921 LOVE NEVER DIES director, screenwriter
1921 THE SKY PILOT director
1922 CONQUERING THE WOMAN director
1922 DUSK TO DAWN director
1922 PEG O' MY HEART director
1922 THE REAL ADVENTURE director
1923 SOULS FOR SALE performer
1923 THREE WISE FOOLS adaptation, director
1923 THE WOMAN OF BRONZE director
1924 HAPPINESS director
1924 HIS HOUR director
1924 WIFE OF THE CENTAUR director
1924 WILD ORANGES director, screenwriter
1924 WINE OF YOUTH director, producer
1925 THE BIG PARADE director, producer
1925 PROUD FLESH director
1926 BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT director
1926 LA BOHEME director
1927 THE PATSY director
1928 THE CROWD director, screenwriter, story
1928 SHOW PEOPLE director, producer
1929 HALLELUJAH director, story
1930 BILLY THE KID/ HIGHWAYMAN RIDES director, producer
1930 NOT SO DUMB director
1931 THE CHAMP director, producer
1931 STREET SCENE director
1932 BIRD OF PARADISE director, producer
1932 CYNARA director
1933 THE STRANGER'S RETURN director, producer
1934 OUR DAILY BREAD director, story
1935 SO RED THE ROSE director
1935 THE WEDDING NIGHT director
1936 THE TEXAS RANGERS director, story
1937 STELLA DALLAS director
1938 THE CITADEL director
1939 THE WIZARD OF OZ co-director
1940 COMRADE X director
1940 NORTHWEST PASSAGE (BOOK I-ROGERS' RANGERS) director
1941 H.M. PULHAM, ESQ. director, screenwriter
1944 AN AMERICAN ROMANCE director, producer, story
1946 DUEL IN THE SUN director
1948 ON OUR MERRY WAY/ A MIRACLE CAN HAPPEN co-director
1949 BEYOND THE FOREST director
1949 THE FOUNTAINHEAD director
1951 LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE director
1952 JAPANESE WAR BRIDE director
1952 RUBY GENTRY director, producer
1955 MAN WITHOUT A STAR director
1956 WAR AND PEACE director, screenwriter, adaptation
1959 SOLOMON AND SHEBA director
1916 THE INTRIGUE performer
1919 BETTER TIMES director, screenwriter
1919 THE OTHER HALF director, screenwriter
1919 POOR RELATIONS director, screenwriter
1919 THE TURN IN THE ROAD director, screenwriter
1920 THE FAMILY HONOR director
1920 THE JACK-KNIFE MAN director
1921 LOVE NEVER DIES director, screenwriter
1921 THE SKY PILOT director
1922 CONQUERING THE WOMAN director
1922 DUSK TO DAWN director
1922 PEG O' MY HEART director
1922 THE REAL ADVENTURE director
1923 SOULS FOR SALE performer
1923 THREE WISE FOOLS adaptation, director
1923 THE WOMAN OF BRONZE director
1924 HAPPINESS director
1924 HIS HOUR director
1924 WIFE OF THE CENTAUR director
1924 WILD ORANGES director, screenwriter
1924 WINE OF YOUTH director, producer
1925 THE BIG PARADE director, producer
1925 PROUD FLESH director
1926 BARDELYS THE MAGNIFICENT director
1926 LA BOHEME director
1927 THE PATSY director
1928 THE CROWD director, screenwriter, story
1928 SHOW PEOPLE director, producer
1929 HALLELUJAH director, story
1930 BILLY THE KID/ HIGHWAYMAN RIDES director, producer
1930 NOT SO DUMB director
1931 THE CHAMP director, producer
1931 STREET SCENE director
1932 BIRD OF PARADISE director, producer
1932 CYNARA director
1933 THE STRANGER'S RETURN director, producer
1934 OUR DAILY BREAD director, story
1935 SO RED THE ROSE director
1935 THE WEDDING NIGHT director
1936 THE TEXAS RANGERS director, story
1937 STELLA DALLAS director
1938 THE CITADEL director
1939 THE WIZARD OF OZ co-director
1940 COMRADE X director
1940 NORTHWEST PASSAGE (BOOK I-ROGERS' RANGERS) director
1941 H.M. PULHAM, ESQ. director, screenwriter
1944 AN AMERICAN ROMANCE director, producer, story
1946 DUEL IN THE SUN director
1948 ON OUR MERRY WAY/ A MIRACLE CAN HAPPEN co-director
1949 BEYOND THE FOREST director
1949 THE FOUNTAINHEAD director
1951 LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE director
1952 JAPANESE WAR BRIDE director
1952 RUBY GENTRY director, producer
1955 MAN WITHOUT A STAR director
1956 WAR AND PEACE director, screenwriter, adaptation
1959 SOLOMON AND SHEBA director
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Written content of the Golden Age of Hollywood Website (except where indicated) copyright Derek McLellan, 2007.