Editing King Vidor (section)

====''On Our Merry Way'' (''A Miracle Can Happen''), Universal Studios 1948====

In the aftermath of his critical failures in ''An American Romance'' (1944) and ''Duel in the Sun'' (1946), Vidor disengaged from Hollywood film production to purchase his Willow Creek Ranch in [[Paso Robles, California]].<ref>Durgnat and Simmons, 1988: p. 236: Both films "production disasters."</ref>

''A Miracle Can Happen'' (1948) is a film sketch that Vidor participated in with co-director [[Leslie Fenton]] during this period of relative inactivity. A "low-budget" [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] release of the early [[baby boom]] era, this "omnibus"  presents vignettes filmed or performed by an array of actors and directors (some of them returning from service in the armed forces) among them [[Burgess Meredith]], [[Paulette Goddard]], [[Dorothy Lamour]], [[James Stewart]], [[John Huston]] and [[George Stevens]]. (An episode with British actor [[Charles Laughton]] was cut from the final release, a disappointment to Vidor.) The picture's title was changed shortly after opening to ''[[On Our Merry Way]]'' to promote its comedic virtues. Vidor dismissed the film from his oeuvre in later years.<ref>Baxter, 1976 p. 70: Vidor "omitted the picture from his filmography" and "Little of the film bears serious consideration." See also for actors involved..<br />Durgnat and Simmons, 1988: p. 355-356: see analysis and details in short Filmography overview</ref>

In 1948 Vidor was diverted from making a series of 16mm Westerns for [[History of television|television]] and produced on his ranch when [[Warner Brothers]] studios approached him to direct an adaption of author [[Ayn Rand]]'s controversial novel ''[[The Fountainhead]]''. Vidor immediately accepted the offer.<ref>Durgnat and Simmons, 1988: p. 236: "A 26-episode serial of Westerns for television." And Warner's' offer to direct ''The Fountainhead''. "Vidor was immediately keen on it."<br />Baxter, 1976 p. 71: "controversial novel…"</ref>