Charles Vidor (born Károly Vidor; July 27, 1900June 4, 1959) was a Hungarian

film director A film director controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfilment of that vision. The director has a key role in choosing the cast members, p ...

. Among his film successes are ''The Bridge'' (1929), ''

The Tuttles of Tahiti ''The Tuttles of Tahiti'' is a 1942 American adventure comedy romance film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Charles Laughton and Jon Hall. It was based on the novel ''No More Gas'' by James Norman Hall and Charles Nordhoff. Plot When mer ...

'' (1942), ''

The Desperadoes ''The Desperadoes'' is a 1943 American Western film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Randolph Scott, Claire Trevor, Glenn Ford, Evelyn Keyes and Edgar Buchanan. Based on a story by Max Brand, the film is about a wanted outlaw who arriv ...

'' (1943), ''

Cover Girl A cover girl is a woman whose photograph features on the front cover of a magazine. She may be a model, celebrity or entertainer. The term would generally not be used to describe a casual, once-off appearance by a person on the cover of a maga ...

'' (1944), '' Together Again'' (1944), '' A Song to Remember'' (1945), ''

Over 21 ''Over 21'' is a 1945 American comedy film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Irene Dunne, Alexander Knox and Charles Coburn. Plot At the New York Bulletin newspaper, its owner, Robert Drexel Gow ( Charles Coburn), receives a teletype s ...

'' (1945), ''

Gilda ''Gilda'' is a 1946 American film noir directed by Charles Vidor and starring Rita Hayworth in her signature role and Glenn Ford. The film is known for cinematographer Rudolph Maté's lush photography, costume designer Jean Louis's wardrobe fo ...

'' (1946), '' The Loves of Carmen'' (1948), ''

Rhapsody Rhapsody may refer to: * A work of epic poetry, or part of one, that is suitable for recitation at one time ** Rhapsode, a classical Greek professional performer of epic poetry Computer software * Rhapsody (online music service), an online m ...

'' (1954), '' Love Me or Leave Me'' (1955), ''

The Swan A swan is a bird of the genus ''Cygnus'' (true swans) or ''Coscoroba'' (coscoroba swans). Swan, swans, or The Swan may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Film and television * ''The Swan'' (1925 film), a 1925 silent film * ''The Swa ...

'' (1956), ''

The Joker Is Wild ''The Joker Is Wild'' is a 1957 American musical drama film directed by Charles Vidor, starring Frank Sinatra, Mitzi Gaynor, Jeanne Crain, and Eddie Albert, and released by Paramount Pictures. The film is about Joe E. Lewis, the popular si ...

'' (1957), and '' A Farewell to Arms'' (1957).

Life and career

Born Károly Vidor in Budapest, Hungary, he served in the

Austro-Hungarian Army The Austro-Hungarian Army (, literally "Ground Forces of the Austro-Hungarians"; , literally "Imperial and Royal Army") was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint arm ...

during World War I. He first came to prominence during the final years of the

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized Sound recording and reproduction, recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) ...

era, working with

Alex Korda Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)

(1894–1982).

Early Hollywood career

In 1922, Vidor emigrated to the United States. He worked as a basso for the English Grand Opera Company. He was a chorus boy in ''Love Song'' and worked on Hudson Bay as a longshoreman. 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, ''The Bridge'' (1929). This led to a contract at

Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...

to work in the editorial department. He did some uncredited directing on MGM's ''

The Mask of Fu Manchu ''The Mask of Fu Manchu'' (1932) is an American pre-Code adventure film directed by Charles Brabin. Written by Irene Kuhn, Edgar Allan Woolf and John Willard, it was based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Sax Rohmer (the sixth in the serie ...

'' (1932). His first credited feature as director was '' Sensation Hunters'' (1933) for Monogram Pictures. Vidor followed it with ''

Double Door Double Door, a concert hall and nightclub, was located in the Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The venue was first opened on June 12, 1994, and was co-owned by Andrew Barrett, Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan. On Ju ...

'' (1934) at Paramount.

RKO

Vidor accepted a contract to work at RKO Pictures. While there he directed '' Strangers All'' (1935), ''

His Family Tree ''His Family Tree'' is a 1935 comedy film directed by Charles Vidor. Plot Patrick Murphy, is a former Boatswain and fondly called Bosun. He is retired now, and owns a pub in Ireland. Down hearted because he hasn't heard from his son in Americ ...

'' (1935), ''

The Arizonian ''The Arizonian'' is a 1935 American Western film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Richard Dix, Margot Grahame, Preston Foster, and Louis Calhern. The screenplay was by Dudley Nichols. The film was released by RKO Radio Pictures on Ju ...

'' (1935), and '' Muss 'Em Up'' (1936).

Paramount

Vidor went back to Paramount where he directed ''

A Doctor's Diary ''A Doctor's Diary'' is a 1937 American drama film directed by Charles Vidor and written by David Boehm and Samuel Ornitz. The film stars George Bancroft, Helen Burgess, John Trent, Ruth Coleman, Ronald Sinclair and Molly Lamont. The film was ...

'' (1937), ''

The Great Gambini ''The Great Gambini'' is a 1937 American mystery film directed by Charles Vidor and written by Frederick J. Jackson, Frank Partos and Howard Irving Young. The film stars Akim Tamiroff, Marian Marsh, John Trent, Genevieve Tobin, Reginald Den ...

'' (1937), and '' She's No Lady'' (1937).

Columbia Pictures

Vidor signed with Columbia Pictures where he directed '' Romance of the Redwoods'' (1939), ''

Blind Alley "Blind Alley" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was first published in the March 1945 issue of ''Astounding Science Fiction'', and later included in the collection ''The Early Asimov'' (1972). Although the sto ...

'' (1939) and ''

Those High Grey Walls ''Those High Grey Walls'' is a 1939 American crime film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Walter Connolly and Onslow Stevens. It is also known as ''The Gates of Alcatraz''. Plot Dr. MacAuley, a kindly beloved country doctor, is sent to Fil ...

'' (1939). These were lower budgeted productions but they were well received. "I enjoyed those little pictures", he said later. Frank Capra got Vidor in to do some second unit work on '' Mr Smith Goes to Washington'' (1939), 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 was loaned out to

Edward Small Edward Small (born Edward Schmalheiser, February 1, 1891, Brooklyn, New York – January 25, 1977, Los Angeles) was a film producer from the late 1920s through 1970, who was enormously prolific over a 50-year career. He is best known for the movi ...

to direct ''

My Son, My Son! ''My Son, My Son!'' is a 1940 American drama film based on a novel by the same name written by Howard Spring and directed by Charles Vidor. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Production Design, Best Art Direction by ...

'' (1940). Back at Columbia, he began to be assigned to more prestigious films like ''

The Lady in Question ''The Lady in Question'' is a 1940 American comedy-drama romance film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Brian Aherne, Rita Hayworth and Glenn Ford. This was the first of five films in which Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth appeared together, m ...

'' (1940). He took over from

James Whale James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fran ...

on ''

They Dare Not Love ''They Dare Not Love'' is a 1941 romantic war drama film directed by James Whale and starring George Brent, Martha Scott and Paul Lukas. Whale left the picture before the end of production; it was the last film released to credit him as directo ...

'' (1941) and did ''

Ladies in Retirement ''Ladies in Retirement'' is a 1941 American film noir directed by Charles Vidor and starring Ida Lupino and Louis Hayward, who were married at the time. It is based on a 1940 Broadway play of the same title by Reginald Denham and Edward Percy t ...

'' (1941). Vidor was loaned to Paramount to direct ''

New York Town ''New York Town'' is a 1941 American romantic comedy film directed by Charles Vidor and starring Fred MacMurray, Mary Martin, Akim Tamiroff, and Robert Preston. The film was written by Lewis Meltzer and an uncredited Preston Sturges based on a ...

'' (1941) and RKO for ''

'' (1942). Back at Columbia, Vidor directed the studio's first Technicolor movie, ''

'' (1943). He followed it with the

Rita Hayworth Rita Hayworth (born Margarita Carmen Cansino; October 17, 1918May 14, 1987) was an American actress, dancer and producer. She achieved fame during the 1940s as one of the era's top stars, appearing in 61 films over 37 years. The press coined th ...

– Gene Kelly musical, ''

'' (1944) which was a huge success. On June 11, 1944 Vidor signed a seven-year contract with Columbia. Vidor did '' Together Again'' (1944) then made a biopic of Chopin, '' A Song to Remember'' (1945), which was another big hit, and made a star of

Cornel Wilde Cornel Wilde (born Kornél Lajos Weisz; October 13, 1912 – October 16, 1989) was a Hungarian-American actor and filmmaker. Wilde's acting career began in 1935, when he made his debut on Broadway. In 1936 he began making small, uncredited app ...

. After ''

'' (1946) with

Irene Dunne Irene Dunne (born Irene Marie Dunn; December 20, 1898 – September 4, 1990) was an American actress who appeared in films during the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is best known for her comedic roles, though she performed in films of other gen ...

, Vidor directed another classic film with ''

'' (1946) starring Hayworth and

Glenn Ford Gwyllyn Samuel Newton "Glenn" Ford (May 1, 1916 – August 30, 2006) was a Canadian-American actor who often portrayed ordinary men in unusual circumstances. Ford was most prominent during Classical Hollywood cinema, Hollywood's Golden Age as ...

Clashes with Harry Cohn

Vidor was Columbia's leading director but he was fighting with head of production Harry Cohn – for instance, Cohn wanted Vidor to direct '' Johnny O'Clock'' but Vidor refused. He started directing '' The Guilt of Janet Ames'' (1947), but fought with Cohn and was replaced during filming by Henry Levin. In 1946 Vidor sued Columbia, seeking to be released from his contract and $78,000 in damages. The case went to trial, where Vidor argued that he had been treated badly by Cohn, who swore at him. (Cohn admitted the swearing but said this was his way of expressing himself.) He also said Cohn would not loan him $25,000 to buy a new house and that Cohn made him cry twice by yelling at him. The judge ruled against Vidor, ordering him back to work. Vidor began directing Ford and William Holden in ''

The Man from Colorado ''The Man from Colorado'' is a 1948 American Western film directed by Henry Levin, produced by Jules Schermer for Columbia Pictures, and starring Glenn Ford as a Union officer who becomes addicted to killing during the American Civil War, Willia ...

'' (1949) but clashed with Cohn once more over the shooting schedule and was fired during filming for being too slow, being replaced by Levin. The matter settled and Vidor was reunited with Hayworth and Ford for the expensive '' The Loves of Carmen'' (1948). Columbia exercised their option under Vidor's contract. In 1948 Vidor announced he had purchased rights to ''Sirocco'', a French Foreign Legion tale based on the novel ''Coup de Grace'' he wanted to make with Rita Hayworth and Humphrey Bogart. He was also preparing to do the film version of '' Born Yesterday'' and did a few days uncredited work on ''

Under Cover Man ''Under Cover Man'' is a 1932 American pre-Code crime film directed by James Flood and starring George Raft and Nancy Carroll.Everett Aaker, ''The Films of George Raft'', McFarland & Company, 2013, page 34. Plot Criminal Nick Darrow goes under ...

''. In August 1949 Vidor was assigned the musical '' The Petty Girl'' (1950). He refused to do it, Columbia put him on suspension, and Vidor told Columbia that he considered his contract with them at an end. (He was replaced on ''The Petty Girl'' by Levin). In September Columbia sued Vidor to stop him walking out on the contract. In October 1949 Vidor bought himself out of his contract for $75,000 at $15,000 a year for five years.

Louis B. Mayer Louis Burt Mayer (; born Lazar Meir; July 12, 1882 or 1884 or 1885 – October 29, 1957) was a Canadian-American film producer and co-founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios (MGM) in 1924. Under Mayer's management, MGM became the film industr ...

had acted as intermediary "for the good of the industry". Vidor's career had two years to run, at $3,000 a week then $3,500 a week.

MGM

In December 1949 Vidor signed a contract with MGM to direct ''The Running of the Tide'' which was never made. Vidor was one of several directors on MGM's '' It's a Big Country'' (1951). Vidor went to Paramount with a project he had developed himself, '' Thunder in the East'' (filmed 1951, released 1952), which starred Alan Ladd.

Sam Goldwyn Samuel Goldwyn (born Szmuel Gelbfisz; yi, שמואל געלבפֿיש; August 27, 1882 (claimed) January 31, 1974), also known as Samuel Goldfish, was a Polish-born American film producer. He was best known for being the founding contributor a ...

used him on '' Hans Christian Andersen'' (1952) which was a huge success. After filming Vidor optioned the novel ''SPQR'' and announced he would film it independently but it was not made. At MGM Vidor did a musical with

Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was a British-American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 1950s. ...

, ''

'' (1954) and a biopic of

Ruth Etting Ruth Etting (November 23, 1896 – September 24, 1978) was an American singer and actress of the 1920s and 1930s, who had over 60 hit recordings and worked in stage, radio, and film. Known as "America's sweetheart of song", her signature tunes ...

, '' Love Me or Leave Me'' (1955), a big success. Vidor directed

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

's last movie, ''

'' (1956). In 1956 he announced he had formed his own company, Aurora, to make ''The Life of Nijinsky''.

Final years

Vidor went into partnership with

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

and

Joe E. Lewis Joe E. Lewis (born Joseph Klewan; January 12, 1902 – June 4, 1971) was an American comedian, actor and singer.Obituary ''Variety'', June 9, 1971, page 54. Early life Lewis was born was born into a family of Russian immigrants on Januar ...

to make a biopic of the latter, ''

'' (1957). Sinatra and Vidor were going to reunite on ''

Kings Go Forth ''Kings Go Forth'' is a 1958 black-and-white World War II film starring Frank Sinatra, Tony Curtis, and Natalie Wood. The screenplay was written by Merle Miller from the 1956 novel of the same name by Joe David Brown, and the film was directed ...

'' but then David O. Selznick hired Vidor to make the troubled '' A Farewell to Arms'' (1957), replacing

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

. Vidor's last film was an attempt to repeat the success of ''A Song to Remember'', another biopic of a composer, in this case

Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

: ''

Song Without End ''Song Without End'', subtitled ''The Story of Franz Liszt'', is a 1960 biographical film romance made by Columbia Pictures. It was directed by Charles Vidor, who died during the shooting of the film and was replaced by George Cukor. It was produ ...

'' (1960) (originally titled ''A Magic Flame''). He died of a heart attack three weeks into filming.

Personal life

He was married four times: * Frances Varone 1927–1931 * the actress

Karen Morley Karen Morley (born Mildred Linton; December 12, 1909 – March 8, 2003) was an American film actress. Life and career Born Mildred Linton in Ottumwa, Iowa, Morley lived there until she was 13 years old. When she moved to Hollywood, she attend ...

1932–1943 (separated 1940) * the actress

Evelyn Keyes Evelyn Louise Keyes (November 20, 1916 – July 4, 2008) was an American film actress. She is best known for her role as Suellen O'Hara in the 1939 film ''Gone with the Wind''. Early life Evelyn Keyes was born in Port Arthur, Texas, to Omar D ...

1943–1945 * Doris Warner, daughter of Warner Bros. President

Harry Warner Harry Morris Warner (born Hirsz Mojżesz Wonsal; December 12, 1881 – July 25, 1958) was an American studio executive, one of the founders of Warner Bros., and a major contributor to the development of the film industry. Along with his three ...

, 1945–1959 (until his death) He had three sons – Quentin, Brian and Michael.

Death

Charles Vidor died at the age of 58 in

Vienna, Austria en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, from a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which may tr ...

, reportedly ''

in flagrante delicto ''In flagrante delicto'' (Latin for "in blazing offence") or sometimes simply ''in flagrante'' ("in blazing") is a legal term used to indicate that a criminal has been caught in the act of committing an offence (compare ). The colloquial "caught ...

'' with a bit player from the film he was directing at the time. He was in the midst of making ''

'', and was replaced as director by

George Cukor George Dewey Cukor (; July 7, 1899 – January 24, 1983) was an American film director and film producer. He mainly concentrated on comedies and literary adaptations. His career flourished at RKO when David O. Selznick, the studio's Head of ...

. He was entombed at Home of Peace Cemetery in the same mausoleum as

Recognition

Vidor has a star on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

at 6676 Hollywood Boulevard for his contribution to motion pictures.

Filmography

* ''The Bridge'' (1929 short) * ''

'' (1932) (uncredited) * '' Sensation Hunters'' (1933) * ''

'' (1934) * '' Strangers All'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * ''

'' (1935) * '' Muss 'em Up'' (1936) * '' Sinister House'' (1936) * ''

'' (1937) * ''

'' (1937) * '' She's No Lady'' (1937) * '' Romance of the Redwoods'' (1939) * ''

'' (1939) * ''

My Son, My Son! ''My Son, My Son!'' is a 1940 American drama film based on a novel by the same name written by Howard Spring and directed by Charles Vidor. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction by John DuCasse Schulze. Cast * Madelein ...

'' (1940) * ''

'' (1941) (uncredited co-director) * ''

'' (1941) * ''

'' (1942) * ''

'' (1943) * ''

'' (1944) * '' Together Again'' (1944) * '' A Song to Remember'' (1945) * ''

'' (1945) * ''

'' (1946) * '' The Loves of Carmen'' (1948) * ''

'' (1949) * '' It's a Big Country'' (1951) * '' Hans Christian Andersen'' (1952) * '' Thunder in the East'' (1952) * ''

'' (1954) * '' Love Me or Leave Me'' (1955) * ''

'' (1956) * ''

'' (1957) * '' A Farewell to Arms'' (1957) * ''

'' (1960)

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vidor, Charles 1900 births 1959 deaths Film people from Budapest Hungarian emigrants to the United States American film directors Austro-Hungarian military personnel of World War I Burials at Home of Peace Cemetery Warner family