Happy Birthday, Charles Vidor! Born today in 1900 as Károly Vido, this Hungarian film director began his Hollywood career at the end of the silent movie era and directing features in a variety of genres for three decades from the very start of Hollywood's Golden Age.
Vidor was born into a Jewish family in Budapest. Years later, he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I.
Vidor first came to prominence during the final years of the silent film era, working with Hungarian-born British film producer and director and screenwriter Alex Korda among others.
Contrary to common belief, Vidor is not related to fellow American film director, film producer, and screenwriter King Vidor ('The Big Parade', 'The Crowd', 'Stella Dallas').
Vidor went to Hollywood where he worked as Korda's assistant. He attracted acclaim for a low budget short he made in his spare time with his own money. This led to a contract at Universal Pictures to work in the editorial department.
Vidor also did some uncredited directing on an MGM feature, and afterwards made first credited feature as director. He then followed this up with a feature at Paramount.
He later accepted a contract to work at RKO Pictures, where he directed four films for them. After this, Vidor went back to Paramount where he directed three more films.
Some time later, Vidor signed with Columbia Pictures where he directed three features. These were lower budgeted productions but they were well received. "I enjoyed those little pictures", he said later.
Italian-American film director, producer and writer Frank Capra got Vidor in to do some second unit work on his 1939 American black and white political drama/comedy-drama film 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington', which was running behind schedule.
Vidor directed the scenes in Smith's home town. "I had more money to spend than I was ever given to make a feature picture", he later said.
Vidor began to be assigned to more prestigious films. He was afterwards loaned to Paramount to direct a film and then to RKO for another.
Back at Columbia, Vidor directed the studio's first Technicolor movie. He followed it up with another color film, the latter being of which he is known.
This was the 1944 American Technicolor comedy musical film 'Cover Girl'. Upon release, the film was a huge success. On June 11, Vidor signed a seven-year contract with Columbia.
Two years later, Vidor directed the film of which he is best known. This was the 1946 American black and white noir/romance film 'Gilda', starring Rita Hayworth in her signature role.
“Gilda, are you decent?” The sultry Hayworth tosses her red hair back and slyly responds, “Me?” in one of the great star entrances in film history.
An ever-shifting battle of the sexes set on a Buenos Aires casino’s glittering floor and in its shadowy back rooms, 'Gilda' is among the most sensual of all Hollywood noirs.
Vidor passed in Vienna, Austria from a heart attack on June 4, 1959. He was 58.
On AFI’s 100 Years...100 Songs list, “Put the Blame on Mame" ranked in at #84.
In 2013, 'Gilda' was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".
According to his personal life, Vidor had been married four times. The first was to Frances Varone (m. 1925; div. 1932), the second was to American film actress Karen Morley (m. 1932; div. 1943), the third was to American film actress Evelyn Keyes and the fourth to Doris Warner (m. 1945). Vidor had three children.
The most notable of his wives were Morley and Keyes. The former had co-starred in her most notable film role.
This was the 1932 American pre-Code black and white gangster crime/drama film 'Scarface: The Shame of a Nation'. She played the character of Poppy, the girlfriend of Italian mafioso John "Johnny" Lovo (Osgood Perkins).
The latter had co-starred in her most notable film role, being the epic 1939 American Technicolor historical romance/war film 'Gone with the Wind' as Suellen O'Hara, one of Scarlett O'Hara's sisters.
Among his credits, Vidor is also known for directing 'The Bridge' (1929), 'A Song to Remember' (1945), 'The Loves of Carmen' (1948), 'Love Me or Leave Me' (1955), 'The Swan' (1956), 'The Joker Is Wild' (1957), and 'A Farewell to Arms' (1957).
Vidor has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6676 Hollywood Boulevard for his contribution to motion pictures.
Vidor had been active from 1929–1959.
#borntodirect
@Criterion
@tcm
@librarycongress
@AmericanFilmInstitute
@latimes
@Britannica
@letterboxd
No comments:
Post a Comment