Upon arriving in Hollywood to make his first American film, ‘Fury’, renowned German director Fritz Lang brought not only passion but his strict European attitude to filming. Lang continued filming a scene until he perfected it. Unfortunately, his devotion to filmmaking did not go well with Hollywood’s production process.
Hollywood operated according to a strict set of workplace conventions that a foreign filmmaker could not have anticipated beforehand. As a result, the respected movie star Spencer Tracy became one of the director’s bitterest opponents on set.
Hollywood’s Labor Rules Caught Fritz Lang Off Guard
Having built his reputation in the European film industry, Lang brought a deeply ingrained methodology to his American debut film, ‘Fury.’ Once filming began, Lang continued working until he realized the scene exactly as he had envisioned it.
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However, his way of working did not quite fit Hollywood’s labor traditions. American crews were supposed to receive their meals strictly within a certain time frame. Lang did not know about it yet and kept filming the scenes, sending some of the crew for lunch while working with others.
This situation reveals a common difficulty faced by many film directors when trying to adapt to Hollywood’s labor rules upon arriving from Europe. While working on his films in Germany, Lang never had any problems, since his working principles were acceptable there.
Hollywood, however, followed a completely different filmmaking system. “I didn’t know about the laws. So when I came to a scene I wanted to finish, I didn’t even ask if they wanted to stay,” Lang later said about the situation. The director maintained that nobody had properly explained the importance of those regulations when he first arrived in the United States.
Lang And Spencer Tracy Clashed Over Hollywood Protocol
Among the individuals most disappointed by Lang’s disregard for meal breaks was actor Spencer Tracy, who starred in the lead role as Joe Wilson. Tracy believed that Lang needed to show more respect for labor laws and allow actors and crew members to take their meal breaks on time.
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It led to many arguments between Tracy and Lang during the filming of ‘Fury.’ Lang later acknowledged that Tracy had become one of his fiercest opponents on this issue. “One of my greatest enemies in this matter was Mr. Spencer Tracy,” Land said after the filming.
Despite the tension, neither man appears to have harbored any major personal grievances. Instead, Tracy seems to have driven the dispute forward through his professionalism and commitment to established workplace standards.
Clearly, Tracy was a vocal person who always tried to stand up for what he believed was just and right. Therefore, insisting on meal breaks could be seen as a way of demanding respect for hard-working employees.
Meanwhile, Lang stressed that he could have avoided the conflict had Hollywood insiders taken the time to explain the system to him. “If somebody would have said, ‘Fritz, look, in America it’s important, so and so,’ I would have done it. But no one told me anything, and so in this case it was very disagreeable work,” he explained.
The tension that developed between Lang and Tracy during the film’s shooting had little effect on its final outcome. The movie, released on June 6, 1936, was well-received and considered one of the duo’s masterpieces.
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