Trivia

Before entering the movie business, he was a gold miner, a lumberjack, a railroad worker and a mercenary.

His African adventures in making Trader Horn (1931) inspired the creation of Carl Denham, the fictitious director in King Kong (1933).

He suffered from heart problems and was dying of cancer when he directed his final film, Journey for Margaret (1942). A Christian Scientist, he refused all treatment and remained quiet about his condition. He committed suicide to end his suffering, but the method of suicide remains unknown and obituaries of the day did not mention suicide at all. It is likely that it was a suicide planned somewhat in advance.

Louis B. Mayer was deeply shaken by Van Dyke's suicide. Van Dyke was one of his favorite directors (Mayer always admired a director capable of consistently bringing projects in under budget). Those closest to him would remark that Van Dyke's death affected Mayer even more than Irving Thalberg's.

Directed four actors to Oscar nominations: William Powell (Best Actor, The Thin Man (1934)), Spencer Tracy (Best Actor, San Francisco (1936)), Norma Shearer (Best Actress, Marie Antoinette (1938)), and Robert Morley (Best Supporting Actor, Marie Antoinette (1938)).

He saved Jeanette MacDonald's life when she attempted suicide (pills) at the news of Nelson Eddy's marriage in 1939.

His father died the day after he was born.

In her December 1972 "Film Fan" interview, Madge Evans gives the following appreciation of Van Dyke and his working methods: "A lot of people found Woody Van Dyke difficult, but I didn't. I liked him very much, and I liked making films with him because he had been a cutter and his great position at the studio came about because he brought in his pictures so fast. He never took ten shots of anything. He never let a scene run over, because he could cut with the camera. He knew when he was going to go to a closeup, so he cut the long-shot and made the closeup. A lot of of actors and actresses didn't like this, because they felt they couldn't get rolling . . .

He was close friends outside of the studio with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, and at his request they officiated at his funeral and sang.

He has directed three films that have been selected for the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically" significant: The Thin Man (1934), Naughty Marietta (1935) and The Prisoner of Zenda (1937) (uncredited).

He worked more with Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy than any other stars, directing 6-1/2 of the eight MacDonald-Eddy films (the "half" was New Moon (1940), which was completed by Robert Z. Leonard, who received screen credit, when Van Dyke was called away in the middle of shooting for duty with the US Marine Corps). Van Dyke also directed Eddy's solo film, Rosalie (1937), and two other MacDonald films, San Francisco (1936) and Cairo (1942).

He was known as One take Van Dyke because he invariable got what he wanted from his first take, As a result he could get a film shot in 10 days.

His second wife, Ruth Mannix, was the niece of MGM executive E.J. Mannix.

Became a life member of the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of California on January 23, 1934, based on his direct descent from Capt. Jan Janse Van Dyke, 1652-1736 and Gov. William Leete, 1613-83. General Society membership #8634, California Society membership #397.

Served as a California delegate to the 1940 Democratic National Convention.

Biography in: John Wakeman, editor. "World Film Directors, Volume One, 1890-1945". Pages 1112-1121. New York: The H.W. Wilson Company, 1987.