A Song to Remember
''A Song to Remember'' is a 1945 American biographical film which tells a fictionalised life story of Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin. Directed by Charles Vidor and starring Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, and Cornel Wilde.
Plot
Freder ...
'' (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 ...
A Farewell to Arms
''A Farewell to Arms'' is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, set during the Italian campaign of World War I. First published in 1929, it is a first-person account of an American, Frederic Henry, serving as a lieutenant () in the a ...
'' (1957).
Life and career
Born Károly Vidor in Budapest, Hungary, he served in the Austro-Hungarian Army 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 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) or key lines of dialogue may, w ...
era, working with
Alex Korda
Sir Alexander Korda (; born Sándor László Kellner; hu, Korda Sándor; 16 September 1893 – 23 January 1956)King Vidor (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 Americ ...
to work in the editorial department.
He did some uncredited directing on MGM's '' The Mask of Fu Manchu'' (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 J ...
'' (1934) at Paramount.
RKO
Vidor accepted a contract to work at RKO Pictures. While there he directed ''
Strangers All
''Strangers All'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Charles Vidor from a screenplay by Milton Krims. The film stars May Robson and Preston Foster
Preston Stratton Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970), was an American actor ...
'' (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 America ...
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 re ...
'' (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 ...
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 F ...
'' (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!'' (1940). Back at Columbia, he began to be assigned to more prestigious films like '' The Lady in Question'' (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 Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: '' Frankenstein'' (1931), '' The ...
A Song to Remember
''A Song to Remember'' is a 1945 American biographical film which tells a fictionalised life story of Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin. Directed by Charles Vidor and starring Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, and Cornel Wilde.
Plot
Freder ...
'' (1945), which was another big hit, and made a star of Cornel Wilde.
After ''
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 ...
'' (1946) with Irene Dunne, Vidor directed another classic film with '' Gilda'' (1946) starring Hayworth and Glenn Ford.
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
''The Guilt of Janet Ames'' is a 1947 American sentimental film noir directed by Henry Levin, based on a story by Lenore Coffee, and starring Rosalind Russell and Melvyn Douglas.
Plot
War widow Janet Ames (Rosalind Russell) is stricken unconsc ...
'' (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'' (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''.
In August 1949 Vidor was assigned the musical ''
The Petty Girl
''The Petty Girl'' (1950), known in the UK as ''Girl of the Year'', is a musical romantic comedy Technicolor film starring Robert Cummings and Joan Caulfield. Cummings portrays painter George Petty who falls for Victoria Braymore (Caulfield), th ...
'' (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 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
''It's a Big Country An American Anthology'' is a 1951 American anthology film consisting of eight segments by seven directors: Richard Thorpe, John Sturges, Charles Vidor, Don Weis, Clarence Brown, William A. Wellman and Don Hartman.
Plot
In ...
'' (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 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, '' Rhapsody'' (1954) and a biopic of Ruth Etting, '' Love Me or Leave Me'' (1955), a big success. Vidor directed Grace Kelly's last movie, '' The Swan'' (1956).
In 1956 he announced he had formed his own company, Aurora, to make ''The Life of Nijinsky''.
David O. Selznick
David O. Selznick (May 10, 1902June 22, 1965) was an American film producer, screenwriter and film studio executive who produced '' Gone with the Wind'' (1939) and ''Rebecca'' (1940), both of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Picture.
...
hired Vidor to make the troubled ''
A Farewell to Arms
''A Farewell to Arms'' is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, set during the Italian campaign of World War I. First published in 1929, it is a first-person account of an American, Frederic Henry, serving as a lieutenant () in the a ...
'' (1957), replacing John Huston.
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: '' Song Without End'' (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 1932–1943 (separated 1940)
* the actress Evelyn Keyes 1943–1945
* Doris Warner, daughter of Warner Bros. President Harry Warner, 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, 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 ma ...
, reportedly '' in flagrante delicto'' with a bit player from the film he was directing at the time. He was in the midst of making '' Song Without End'', 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 ...
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 J ...
'' (1934)
* ''
Strangers All
''Strangers All'' is a 1935 American drama film directed by Charles Vidor from a screenplay by Milton Krims. The film stars May Robson and Preston Foster
Preston Stratton Foster (August 24, 1900 – July 14, 1970), was an American actor ...
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 America ...
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 re ...
'' (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 ...
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 F ...
A Song to Remember
''A Song to Remember'' is a 1945 American biographical film which tells a fictionalised life story of Polish pianist and composer Frédéric Chopin. Directed by Charles Vidor and starring Paul Muni, Merle Oberon, and Cornel Wilde.
Plot
Freder ...
'' (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 ...
It's a Big Country
''It's a Big Country An American Anthology'' is a 1951 American anthology film consisting of eight segments by seven directors: Richard Thorpe, John Sturges, Charles Vidor, Don Weis, Clarence Brown, William A. Wellman and Don Hartman.
Plot
In ...
A Farewell to Arms
''A Farewell to Arms'' is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, set during the Italian campaign of World War I. First published in 1929, it is a first-person account of an American, Frederic Henry, serving as a lieutenant () in the a ...