William Wyler

William Wyler (July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a German-born film director, producer, and screenwriter. Notable works include Ben-Hur (1959), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Mrs. Miniver (1942), all which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture. He earned his first Oscar nomination for directing Dodsworth in 1936, sparking a 20-year run of almost unbroken greatness. Film historian Ian Freer calls Wyler a "bona fide perfectionist," whose penchant for retakes and an attempt to hone every last nuance "became the stuff of legend." His ability to direct a string of classic literary adaptations into huge box office and critical successes made him one of Hollywood's most bankable moviemakers during the 1930s and 1940s.

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Roman Holiday (1953)

ClassicCharmingUpliftingRomantic

Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Gregory Peck  •  Audrey Hepburn  •  Eddie Albert  •  Hartley Power

Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Gregory Peck  •  Audrey Hepburn  •  Eddie Albert  •  Hartley Power

The Big Country (1958)

Retired wealthy sea captain Jim McKay arrives in the vast expanse of the West to marry fiancée Pat Terrill. McKay is a man whose values and approach to life are a mystery to the ranchers and ranch foreman Steve Leech takes an immediate dislike to him. Pat is ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Gregory Peck  •  Jean Simmons  •  Carroll Baker  •  Charlton Heston

Retired wealthy sea captain Jim McKay arrives in the vast expanse of the West to marry fiancée Pat Terrill. McKay is a man whose values and approach to life are a mystery to the ranchers and ranch foreman Steve Leech takes an immediate dislike to him. Pat is ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Gregory Peck  •  Jean Simmons  •  Carroll Baker  •  Charlton Heston

Ben-Hur (1959)

Epic

In 25 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of trying to kill the Roman governor, he is put into slavery and his mother and sister are taken away as prisoners. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Charlton Heston  •  Jack Hawkins  •  Haya Harareet  •  Stephen Boyd

In 25 AD, Judah Ben-Hur, a Jew in ancient Judea, opposes the occupying Roman empire. Falsely accused by a Roman childhood friend-turned-overlord of trying to kill the Roman governor, he is put into slavery and his mother and sister are taken away as prisoners. ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Charlton Heston  •  Jack Hawkins  •  Haya Harareet  •  Stephen Boyd

Dead End (1937)

Mobster "Baby Face" Martin returns home to visit the New York neighborhood where he grew up, dropping in on his mother, who rejects him because of his gangster lifestyle, and his old girlfriend, Francey, now a syphilitic prostitute. Martin also crosses paths with ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Sylvia Sidney  •  Joel McCrea  •  Humphrey Bogart  •  Wendy Barrie

Mobster "Baby Face" Martin returns home to visit the New York neighborhood where he grew up, dropping in on his mother, who rejects him because of his gangster lifestyle, and his old girlfriend, Francey, now a syphilitic prostitute. Martin also crosses paths with ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Sylvia Sidney  •  Joel McCrea  •  Humphrey Bogart  •  Wendy Barrie

Detective Story (1951)

Tells the story of one day in the lives of the various people who populate a police detective squad. An embittered cop, Det. Jim McLeod, leads a precinct of characters in their grim daily battle with the city's lowlife. The characters who pass through the precinct ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Kirk Douglas  •  Eleanor Parker  •  William Bendix  •  Cathy O'Donnell

Tells the story of one day in the lives of the various people who populate a police detective squad. An embittered cop, Det. Jim McLeod, leads a precinct of characters in their grim daily battle with the city's lowlife. The characters who pass through the precinct ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Kirk Douglas  •  Eleanor Parker  •  William Bendix  •  Cathy O'Donnell

Friendly Persuasion (1956)

The story of a family of Quakers in Indiana in 1862. Their religious sect is strongly opposed to violence and war. It's not easy for them to meet the rules of their religion in everyday life but when Southern troops pass the area they are in real trouble. Should ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Gary Cooper  •  Dorothy McGuire  •  Anthony Perkins  •  Richard Eyer

The story of a family of Quakers in Indiana in 1862. Their religious sect is strongly opposed to violence and war. It's not easy for them to meet the rules of their religion in everyday life but when Southern troops pass the area they are in real trouble. Should ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Gary Cooper  •  Dorothy McGuire  •  Anthony Perkins  •  Richard Eyer

How to Steal a Million (1966)

RomanticCharmingCleverCute

A woman must steal a statue from a Paris museum to help conceal her father's art forgeries.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Audrey Hepburn  •  Peter O'Toole  •  Eli Wallach  •  Hugh Griffith

A woman must steal a statue from a Paris museum to help conceal her father's art forgeries.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Audrey Hepburn  •  Peter O'Toole  •  Eli Wallach  •  Hugh Griffith

Jezebel (1938)

In 1850s Louisiana, the willfulness of a tempestuous Southern belle threatens to destroy all who care for her.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Bette Davis  •  Henry Fonda  •  George Brent  •  Margaret Lindsay

In 1850s Louisiana, the willfulness of a tempestuous Southern belle threatens to destroy all who care for her.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Bette Davis  •  Henry Fonda  •  George Brent  •  Margaret Lindsay

Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Middle-class housewife Kay Miniver deals with petty problems. She and her husband Clem watch her Oxford-educated son Vin court Carol Beldon, the charming granddaughter of the local nobility as represented by Lady Beldon. Then the war comes and Vin joins the RAF.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Greer Garson  •  Walter Pidgeon  •  Teresa Wright  •  May Whitty

Middle-class housewife Kay Miniver deals with petty problems. She and her husband Clem watch her Oxford-educated son Vin court Carol Beldon, the charming granddaughter of the local nobility as represented by Lady Beldon. Then the war comes and Vin joins the RAF.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Greer Garson  •  Walter Pidgeon  •  Teresa Wright  •  May Whitty

The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to become a nightmare.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Fredric March  •  Myrna Loy  •  Dana Andrews  •  Teresa Wright

It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to become a nightmare.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Fredric March  •  Myrna Loy  •  Dana Andrews  •  Teresa Wright

The Desperate Hours (1955)

Escaped convicts terrorize a suburban family they're holding hostage.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Humphrey Bogart  •  Fredric March  •  Arthur Kennedy  •  Martha Scott

Escaped convicts terrorize a suburban family they're holding hostage.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Humphrey Bogart  •  Fredric March  •  Arthur Kennedy  •  Martha Scott

The Heiress (1949)

Dull and plain Catherine lives with her emotionally distant father, Dr. Sloper, in 1840s New York. Her days are empty — filled with little more than needlepoint. Enter handsome Morris Townsend, a dashing social climber with his eye on the spinster's heart and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Olivia de Havilland  •  Montgomery Clift  •  Ralph Richardson  •  Miriam Hopkins

Dull and plain Catherine lives with her emotionally distant father, Dr. Sloper, in 1840s New York. Her days are empty — filled with little more than needlepoint. Enter handsome Morris Townsend, a dashing social climber with his eye on the spinster's heart and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Olivia de Havilland  •  Montgomery Clift  •  Ralph Richardson  •  Miriam Hopkins

The Letter (1940)

After a woman shoots a man to death, a damning letter she wrote raises suspicions.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Bette Davis  •  Herbert Marshall  •  James Stephenson  •  Frieda Inescort

After a woman shoots a man to death, a damning letter she wrote raises suspicions.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Bette Davis  •  Herbert Marshall  •  James Stephenson  •  Frieda Inescort

The Westerner (1940)

Drifter Cole Harden is accused of stealing a horse and faces hanging by self-appointed Judge Roy Bean, but Harden manages to talk his way out of it by claiming to be a friend of stage star Lillie Langtry, with whom the judge is obsessed, even though he has never ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Gary Cooper  •  Walter Brennan  •  Doris Davenport  •  Fred Stone

Drifter Cole Harden is accused of stealing a horse and faces hanging by self-appointed Judge Roy Bean, but Harden manages to talk his way out of it by claiming to be a friend of stage star Lillie Langtry, with whom the judge is obsessed, even though he has never ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Gary Cooper  •  Walter Brennan  •  Doris Davenport  •  Fred Stone

These Three (1936)

Martha and Karen graduate from college and turn an old Massachusetts farm into a school for girls. The friends are aided in their venture by local doctor Joe Cardin, who begins a relationship with Karen, and a prominent woman whose granddaughter, Mary, later ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Miriam Hopkins  •  Merle Oberon  •  Joel McCrea  •  Catherine Doucet

Martha and Karen graduate from college and turn an old Massachusetts farm into a school for girls. The friends are aided in their venture by local doctor Joe Cardin, who begins a relationship with Karen, and a prominent woman whose granddaughter, Mary, later ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Miriam Hopkins  •  Merle Oberon  •  Joel McCrea  •  Catherine Doucet

Wuthering Heights (1939)

The Earnshaws are Yorkshire farmers during the early 19th Century. One day, Mr. Earnshaw returns from a trip to the city, bringing with him a ragged little boy called Heathcliff. Earnshaw's son, Hindley, resents the child, but Heathcliff becomes companion and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Merle Oberon  •  Laurence Olivier  •  David Niven  •  Flora Robson

The Earnshaws are Yorkshire farmers during the early 19th Century. One day, Mr. Earnshaw returns from a trip to the city, bringing with him a ragged little boy called Heathcliff. Earnshaw's son, Hindley, resents the child, but Heathcliff becomes companion and ...  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Merle Oberon  •  Laurence Olivier  •  David Niven  •  Flora Robson

Come and Get It (1936)

An ambitious lumberjack abandons his saloon girl lover so that he can marry into wealth, but years later becomes infatuated with the woman's daughter.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler  •  Howard Hawks  •  Richard Rosson
CAST:  Edward Arnold  •  Joel McCrea  •  Frances Farmer  •  Walter Brennan

An ambitious lumberjack abandons his saloon girl lover so that he can marry into wealth, but years later becomes infatuated with the woman's daughter.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler  •  Howard Hawks  •  Richard Rosson
CAST:  Edward Arnold  •  Joel McCrea  •  Frances Farmer  •  Walter Brennan

The Love Trap (1929)

A chorus girl loses her job and thus the room she owes back rent on, and ends up being rescued from the street by a dashing rich man. But his family isn't over-accepting of chorus girls joining their family.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Laura La Plante  •  Neil Hamilton  •  Robert Ellis  •  Jocelyn Lee

A chorus girl loses her job and thus the room she owes back rent on, and ends up being rescued from the street by a dashing rich man. But his family isn't over-accepting of chorus girls joining their family.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Laura La Plante  •  Neil Hamilton  •  Robert Ellis  •  Jocelyn Lee

Directed by William Wyler (1986)

Documentary about the famed Hollywood director.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Aviva Slesin
CAST:  A. Scott Berg  •  Bette Davis  •  Samantha Eggar  •  Greer Garson

Documentary about the famed Hollywood director.  (more)

DIRECTION:  Aviva Slesin
CAST:  A. Scott Berg  •  Bette Davis  •  Samantha Eggar  •  Greer Garson

Her First Mate (1933)

A camp butcher on an Albany night boat dreams of the South Seas.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Slim Summerville  •  Zasu Pitts  •  Una Merkel  •  Warren Hymer

A camp butcher on an Albany night boat dreams of the South Seas.  (more)

DIRECTION:  William Wyler
CAST:  Slim Summerville  •  Zasu Pitts  •  Una Merkel  •  Warren Hymer
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