Oral Histories

Interview of King Vidor

Film director, screenwriter, and producer.
Subtitle:
Filming of “Duel in the Sun”: Recollections of Ray Rennahan, Lee Garmes, and King Vidor
Series:
Oral History of the Motion Picture in America
Topic:
Film and Television
Biographical Note:
Film director, screenwriter, and producer.
Interviewer:
Ursini, James
Interviewee:
Vidor, King
Supporting Documents:
Records relating to the interview are located in the office of the UCLA Library's Center for Oral History Research.
Length:
4 hrs.
Language:
English
Copyright:
Interviewee Retained Copyright
Series Statement:
These interviews with prominent individuals in the motion picture industry were completed under a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the American Film Institute to the UCLA Department of Theater Arts. The project was directed by Howard Suber, UCLA Department of Theater Arts. The UCLA Oral History Program provided technical advice but was not involved in respondent selection, research participation, research preparation, interviewing, editing, or transcript preparation.
Abstract:
King Vidor: Selznick's casting abilities; insistence on quality in entire production; Peck character in Duel; need for crescendos at end of pictures; Selznick's emphasis on realism; disagreement with Selznick near end of filming Duel; sequences directed by Dieterle; superiority of three-strip Technicolor process; art director James Basevi; Menzies brought on for barbecue scene; Gish; participation of von Sternberg; Hays Office reaction to Duel; Kalmus and Technicolor; Hays Code attitude toward preachers; directing Peck and Jones; limited use of rehearsals.