Directors who have been fired!

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by christoph404 Jack Cardiff did work with John Huston though as cinematographer on "The African Queen" perhaps that was what you were thinking of.

Probably, I knew it was some Yank

Steve

[Joenoir]

Originally Posted by mel walton Read that Gable didn't get along with Cukor; called him a 'woman's director', cute phrase, never heard of it being used, elsewhere.

The real reason for Cukor leaving the picture was probably down to David O'Selznick (see below)
The story I remember recalling Gables early days in Hollywood was that he allowed William Haines to give him bjs in order that the gay star would put in a good word with his influential friends at the studio. A similar story went the rounds regarding Laurence Harvey and producer James Woolf.

Myrick, Susan (1982). White Columns in Hollywood: Reports from the GWTW Sets. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 126-127. ISBN 0-86554-044-6. From a private letter from journalist Susan Myrick to Margaret Mitchell in February 1939:
George [Cukor] finally told me all about it. He hated [leaving the production] very much he said but he could not do otherwise. In effect he said he is an honest craftsman and he cannot do a job unless he knows it is a good job and he feels the present job is not right. For days, he told me he has looked at the rushes and felt he was failing... the thing did not click as it should. Gradually he became convinced that the script was the trouble... David [Selznick], himself, thinks HE is writing the script... And George has continually taken script from day to day, compared the [Oliver] Garrett-Selznick version with the [Sidney] Howard, groaned and tried to change some parts back to the Howard script. But he seldom could do much with the scene... So George just told David he would not work any longer if the script was not better and he wanted the Howard script back. David told George he was a director — not an author and he (David) was the producer and the judge of what is a good script... George said he was a director and a damn good one and he would not let his name go out over a lousy picture... And bull-headed David said "OK get out!"
Selznick had already been unhappy with Cukor ("a very expensive luxury") for not being more receptive to directing other Selznick assignments, even though Cukor had remained on salary since early 1937. In a confidential memo written in September 1938, Selznick flirted with the idea of replacing him with Victor Fleming. (Memo from David O. Selznick, 179-180.) Louis B. Mayer had been trying to have Cukor replaced with an MGM director since negotiations between the two studios began in May 1938. In December 1938, Selznick wrote to his wife about a phone call he had with Mayer: "During the same conversation, your father made another stab at getting George off of Gone With the Wind." (Scott Eyman, Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer, pp. 258-259.)

[penfold]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook The Thief of Bagdad (1940) had about ninety twelve directors (well, a large number anyway). Ludwig Berger is credited but doesn't seem to have done much, or not much that finished up in the final version. He must have had a good agent though because he is still credited as a director. Alexander Korda, Zoltan Korda & art director William Cameron Menzies all had a hand in directing various parts of it, but none of them got a credit. Steve

Aren't we forgetting someone, Steve???

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by penfold Aren't we forgetting someone, Steve???

Not forgetting. Powell & Whelan did most of the directing, and were credited for it. I was just pointing out the oddities.

Steve

[mel walton]

Joenoir
Hi Joe,
Thanks for the info. Thing about those hollywood events; the reports always, seem to just scratch the surface. Understandably because of the censorship by various press agents and studio bosses. I'd heard that Selznick was, exceptionally, imperious even for a movie big wig. Read somewhere, a while back that Selznick had a go round with Joan Fontaine even after she'd won the oscar. Don't remember the details. regards, mel

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by mel walton Joenoir Hi Joe, Thanks for the info. Thing about those hollywood events; the reports always, seem to just scratch the surface. Understandably because of the censorship by various press agents and studio bosses. I'd heard that Selznick was, exceptionally, imperious even for a movie big wig. Read somewhere, a while back that Selznick had a go round with Joan Fontaine even after she'd won the oscar. Don't remember the details. regards, mel

A lot of Selnick's problems could have been due to the Benzedrine (speed) that he was often taking. Or maybe that was a symptom, not a cause. He married into the business and was constantly trying to prove himself, and often failed

Steve

[mel walton]

thanks, Steve.
Siomething else I didn't know. I have read a lot of works about Hollywood but it's been a while and I remember, only, bits and pieces, regards, mel

[Joenoir]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook A lot of Selnick's problems could have been due to the Benzedrine (speed) that he was often taking. Or maybe that was a symptom, not a cause. He married into the business and was constantly trying to prove himself, and often failed Steve

I think it untrue to say he married into the business, implying that he had no experience in films before his marriage to Irene Mayer. Maybe you are remembering the famous quote, after he joined MGM in the mid-1930s, "The son-in-law also rises!"

[Windthrop]

Bringing things back to British movies I do know that Alexander Mackendrick the great Ealing director was fired fron both 'The Devils Disciple' and 'The Guns of Naverone' replaced by Guy Hamilton and J Lee Thompson respectively - both comparative journeymen by comparison with with Mackendrick. In the case of 'School for Scoundrels' according to Ian Carmichael Hamer shot effectively 9/10 of the movies so it can be called his film

[D Cairns]

You can spot the bits of DEVIL'S DISCIPLE Mackendrick directed -- they are much more dynamically shot, although the editor has tried to destroy them as much as possible. As Mackendrick said, when somebody argues that you don't know what you're doing, it's more likely that they just don't LIKE what you're doing.

Some experienced directors seem to pick up a lot of work replacing fired comrades: Richard Lester not only replaced Donner on SUPERMAN II, but took over JUGGERNAUT from Bryan Fforbes shortly before shooting, though I don't know the circs. He made a terrific film out of it.

Richard Stanley was fired from THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU and replaced by John Frankenheimer, after three days, but Stanley stuck around on location and appeared in the film disguised as a dog-monster!

Antonia Bird took over RAVENOUS after the studio told Antoine Fuqua to fuqua off.

Terry Gilliam was nearly fired from JABBERWOCKY and THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN, both times by the same completion bond company.

When Sam Peckinpah was fired early on in the shooting of THE CINCINATTI KID, the producers claimed he had been trying to shoot hard-core pronography in the studio on weekends. An outrageous claim, but Sam was crazy enough to do it and do it good!

[Steve Crook]

Originally Posted by Joenoir I think it untrue to say he married into the business, implying that he had no experience in films before his marriage to Irene Mayer. Maybe you are remembering the famous quote, after he joined MGM in the mid-1930s, "The son-in-law also rises!"

Yes, Selznick had an existence in the film business in the 1920s and 30s before he married Irene. But he was generally just an associate or executive producer and mainly on fairly minor films. Marrying Irene was a big boost to a career that looked like it was going nowhere.

Mind you, I'm not sure he did much that was of any creative value after marrying Irene

He got his name on Gone With the Wind and as producer he collected the Oscar for Best Picture. But did he actually do much that actually helped towards making it after buying the rights to the book? He was more famous for interfering and the memos he used to flood directors with.

Steve

[Joenoir]

I wouldn't dream of disagreeing with you, Steve, you're obviously a man of superior knowledge and intellect.

[christoph404]

Originally Posted by D Cairns You can spot the bits of DEVIL'S DISCIPLE Mackendrick directed -- they are much more dynamically shot, although the editor has tried to destroy them as much as possible. As Mackendrick said, when somebody argues that you don't know what you're doing, it's more likely that they just don't LIKE what you're doing. Some experienced directors seem to pick up a lot of work replacing fired comrades: Richard Lester not only replaced Donner on SUPERMAN II, but took over JUGGERNAUT from Bryan Fforbes shortly before shooting, though I don't know the circs. He made a terrific film out of it. Richard Stanley was fired from THE ISLAND OF DR MOREAU and replaced by John Frankenheimer, after three days, but Stanley stuck around on location and appeared in the film disguised as a dog-monster! Antonia Bird took over RAVENOUS after the studio told Antoine Fuqua to fuqua off. Terry Gilliam was nearly fired from JABBERWOCKY and THE ADVENTURES OF BARON MUNCHAUSEN, both times by the same completion bond company. When Sam Peckinpah was fired early on in the shooting of THE CINCINATTI KID, the producers claimed he had been trying to shoot hard-core pronography in the studio on weekends. An outrageous claim, but Sam was crazy enough to do it and do it good!

I believe Peckinpah had shot a considerable amount of footage on "The Cincinatti Kid" in black and white? when Jewison took over all of Peckinpahs footage was scrapped and the film started from scartch, in colour, Im wondering if Peckinpahs drinking habits got him into trouble, he carried on drinking to excess throughout his career but I think it became more difficult to fire him as he got more establsihed and succesful, the end of his career was notso good when he became such a crazy loose cannon that even his reputation couldn't help him

[Aaryk Noctivagus]

Originally Posted by Steve Crook He was more famous for interfering and the memos he used to flood directors with.

He mauled one of Hitchcock's movies... and the two were always trying to outmanoeuvre each other.

[batman]

Originally Posted by Aaryk Noctivagus He mauled one of Hitchcock's movies... and the two were always trying to outmanoeuvre each other.

He tried to murder The Third Man too...and Gone To Earth.