Editing Cecil B. DeMille (section)

====Final works and unrealized projects====
{{Quote box|bgcolor=#E0E6F8 |quote = We have just lived through a war where our people were systematically executed. Here we have a man who made a film praising the Jewish people, that tells of Samson, one of the legends of our Scripture. Now he wants to make the life of Moses. We should get down on our knees to Cecil and say "Thank you!"{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=371}} |source = – Alfred Zukor responding to DeMille's proposal of ''The Ten Commandments'' remake |width=25% |align=right}}

In 1952, DeMille sought approval for a lavish remake of his 1923 silent film ''The Ten Commandments''. He went before the Paramount board of directors, which was mostly Jewish-American. The board rejected his proposal, even though his last two films, ''Samson and Delilah'' and ''The Greatest Show on Earth'', had been record-breaking hits.<ref>{{harvnb|Eyman|2010|p=438}}; {{harvnb|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=371}}</ref> Adolph Zukor convinced the board to change its mind on the grounds of morality.{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=371}} DeMille did not have an exact budget proposal for the project,{{sfn|Eyman|2010|p=438}} and it promised to be the most costly in U.S. film history. Still, the board unanimously approved it.{{sfn|Edmonds|Mimura|1980|p=115}} ''The Ten Commandments'', released in 1956, was DeMille's final film. It was the longest (3 hours, 39 minutes) and most expensive ($13&nbsp;million) film in Paramount history.{{sfn|Eames|1985|p=218, 340}} Production began in October 1954.{{sfn|Eames|1985|p=218, 340}} The Exodus scene was filmed on-site in Egypt with four Technicolor-VistaVision cameras filming 12,000 people. Filming continued in 1955 in Paris and Hollywood on 30 different sound stages. They even expanded to RKO sound studios for filming.{{sfn|Eames|1985|p=218}} Post-production lasted a year, and the film premiered in [[Salt Lake City]].{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=384}} Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, it grossed over $80&nbsp;million, which surpassed the gross of ''The Greatest Show on Earth'' and every other film in history except ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]''.{{sfn|Eames|1985|p=218, 340}} DeMille offered ten percent of his profit to the crew, a unique practice at the time.{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|pp=381, 387}}

On November 7, 1954, while in Egypt filming the [[The Exodus|Exodus]] sequence for ''The Ten Commandments'', DeMille (who was 73) climbed a {{convert|107|ft|adj=on}} ladder to the top of the set and had a serious heart attack. Despite the urging of his associate producer, DeMille wanted to return to the set right away. He developed a plan with his doctor to allow him to continue directing while reducing his physical stress.<ref>{{harvnb|Birchard|2004|pp=357–358}}; {{harvnb|Eyman|2010|pp=452–453}}</ref> DeMille completed the film, but his health was diminished by several more heart attacks. His daughter Cecilia took over as director as DeMille sat behind the camera with [[Loyal Griggs]] as the cinematographer.{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=396}} This film was his last.<ref>{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Casey |title=Sixty years later, The Ten Commandments remains one of the most popular biblical films ever made |url=https://www.timesfreepress.com/news/life/entertainment/story/2016/mar/26/sixty-years-later-ten-commandments-remains-on/356996/ |access-date=May 30, 2019 |work=Times Free Press |date=March 26, 2016}}</ref>{{Refn|group=note|While the film was a huge success, DeMille regretted that he could not share the success with his wife who had developed [[Alzheimer's disease]].{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=387}}}}

Due to his frequent heart attacks, DeMille asked his son-in-law, actor [[Anthony Quinn]], to direct a remake of his 1938 film ''[[The Buccaneer (1958 film)|The Buccaneer]]''. DeMille served as executive producer, overseeing producer [[Henry Wilcoxon]].{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=402}} Despite a cast led by [[Charlton Heston]] and [[Yul Brynner]], the 1958 film ''[[The Buccaneer (1958 film)|The Buccaneer]]'' was a disappointment.{{sfn|Dick|2001|p=76}} DeMille attended its Santa Barbara premiere in December 1958.{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=402}} He was unable to attend its Los Angeles premiere.{{sfn|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=402}} In the months before his death, DeMille was researching a film biography of [[Robert Baden-Powell, 1st Baron Baden-Powell|Robert Baden-Powell]], the founder of the [[Scouting|Scout Movement]]. DeMille asked [[David Niven]] to star in the film, but it was never made. DeMille also was planning a film about the space race and a biblical epic based on the [[Book of Revelation]].<ref>{{harvnb|Eyman|2010|pp=494–496, 500}}; {{harvnb|Presley|Vieira|2014|p=402}}</ref> His autobiography was mostly complete when he died, and was published in November 1959.{{sfn|Eyman|2010|p=507}}