Victor Fleming: An American Movie Master

by Michael Sragow

The full-length, definitive biography of the legendary director of Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz .

Victor Fleming was the most sought-after director in Hollywood’s golden age, renowned for his ability to make films across an astounding range of genres–westerns, earthy sexual dramas, family entertainment, screwball comedies, buddy pictures, romances, and adventures. Fleming is remembered for the two most iconic movies of the period, Gone With the Wind and The Wizard of Oz, but the more than forty films he directed also included classics like Red Dust, Test Pilot, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Captains Courageous. Paradoxically, his talent for knowing how to make the necessary film at the right time, rather than remaking the same movie in different guises, has resulted in Victor Fleming’s relative obscurity in our time.

Michael Sragow restores the director to the pantheon of our greatest filmmakers and fills a gaping hole in Hollywood history with this vibrant portrait of a man at the center of the most exciting era in American filmmaking. The actors Fleming directed wanted to be him (Fleming created enduring screen personas for Clark Gable, Spencer Tracy, and Gary Cooper), and his actresses wanted to be with him (Ingrid Bergman, Clara Bow, and Norma Shearer were among his many lovers).

Victor Fleming not only places the director back in the spotlight, but also gives us the story of a man whose extraordinary personal style was as thrilling, varied, and passionate as the stories he brought to the screen.

Genres: Biography, Media Tie In, Nonfiction, Film

656 pages, Hardcover

First published December 9, 2008

Reviews

[Rob · Rating 2 out of 5]

A flawed biography. Sragow is up against it right at the beginning, since Fleming didn't leave any papers or correspondence of any kind, but the biggest problem is that I don't see a convincing argument to his thesis that Fleming was "an American Movie Master." References to modern films and actors throughout the volume are also unnecessary and annoying, as if he's trying to explain things in the context of modern films. Anyone who's even heard of Victor Fleming doesn't need that.

[Deborah Stoiber · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it started off with promise, by page 100 it quickly became rather boring, with a lot of uninteresting comments about Fleming’s love life. The author uses several other biographies as quotes to write this one, plus interviews with Fleming’s nieces to make up the book. Gave up by the time it got to Fleming working with Gary Cooper. I would be better off reading the other biographies mentioned in this book than to continue slogging my way through this tomb.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had higher hopes for this biography of the man who directed The Wizard of Oz and Gone With the Wind. (Imagine having both of those films on your resume!) The author, Michael Sragow, was hampered by the fact that Fleming didn't leave much of a written record, but the early chapters were a dense muddle, and the book never became consistently compelling. There were some highlights, though. I liked the account of Flemings trip to Europe with President Wilson as an official cameraman. The account of the filming of Red Dust was interesting. The chapters on Oz and GWTW were good too, in a "fun facts" kind of way, but they could have been better.

And although you can't judge a book by its cover, the cover of this book is a good one. A terrific photo of Fleming with Mary Astor, Clark Gable, and Jean Harlow during the filming of Red Dust. If the contents of the book was as good as the cover, this would have been a great book.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

It took me a long time to plow through this book - 15 months. I kept interrupting it by picking up something else, so you could say it bored me. I hate to discount it - Fleming was a major director and this is a worthwhile, informative biography. Just not a page-turner.

[John Raspanti · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author wanted to prove how important and talented Victor Fleming was. He achieved this, but loaded the pages with unnecessary praise. Still a good read...

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first 200 pages of this book are really dense and difficult to get through. It almost feels as if the author was trying to pad the word count for the early part of Fleming's career with lengthy (and boring) plot synopsis, and biographical info on people Fleming encountered but who did not have that much effect on his life.

Once the author gets to the early 1930s, the book really takes off, develops a more fluid narrative, and is a great read. The chapters on the "Wizard of Oz" and "Gone With the Wind" are esp interesting, even though I have read a lot about both these films.

Victor Fleming's contributions to film are frequently overlooked and Sragow's bio is long overdue. If you can make it past the first couple hundred pages, it's an enjoyable and great tribute to this fascinating man.

[Glenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love movies, especially movies from the 30s and 40s - so I recommend this book to anyone who has a predeliction for that era. That said, this book is very dense and reads a bit like a college thesis.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting biography of a somewhat forgotten filmmaker. There is plenty of background on Fleming's life and films in this book.
If you like old films, or wanted to know more about the director of "The Wizard Of OZ" and "Gone With The Wind", you'll enjoy this book very much.

[Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very ambitious tome about a very accomplished man. I recommend to anyone who lives classic films and that era of moviemaking. And it helps to be a patient and focused reader.

[Joanna · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I normally love reading non-fiction, this was a long, long read. I had to keep picking up other books to help me get through it. Lots of interesting anecdotes, but very dry overall.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

$16