One of the most underrated of all the big-name director-producers of the Studio System era, over the course of a 30-year career, primarily for Paramount in the 1920s, and MGM in the 1930s and '40s, Victor Fleming demonstrated a knack for imbuing movies with heart, be they adventure stories, fantasies, epic romances or wartime dramas.  Whether shepherding tough guy Clark Gable through scenes of heartbreak, or laconic Spencer Tracy delivering inspiring words of wit and wisdom, or innocent Judy Garland spilling tears of homesickness, Fleming elicited memorable performances from screen personalities large and small while at the same time seamlessly integrating their characters into lively, engaging stories that have stood the test of time.  Unlike directors who marked their work with a signature style, genre or technique, Fleming branded his films more subtly, with energy and heart -- difficult to see, but easily felt and frequently under appreciated.

For the first time ever... a biography of Victor Fleming! VICTOR FLEMING: AN AMERICAN MOVIE MASTER by Michael Sragow (Pantheon, 2008). At a bookstore near you Dec. 9, 2008, or Buy it now from Amazon.

This page is still under construction.

Multimedia Clips:

• "Main Title" (clip) from THE GOOD EARTH (1937) by Herbert Stothart (a .MP3 file courtesy Rhino Records).

(For help opening any of the multimedia files, visit the plug-ins page.)

Further Reading:

• Between action and cut: five American directors edited by Frank Thompson (Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1985).

More Victor Fleming Links:

• Greatest Films: CAPTAINS COURAGEOUS
• Columbia Oral History: Jackie Cooper on TREASURE ISLAND
• Greatest Films: THE VIRGINIAN

Awards | Article | Image Credits | THE WIZARD OF OZ | GONE WITH THE WIND