Editing William Wyler

{{Short description|German-born American filmmaker (1902–1981)}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2021}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = William Wyler
| image         = William Wyler portrait.jpg
| caption       = Wyler in 1945
| birth_name    = Willi Wyler
| birth_date    = {{Birth date|1902|7|1|mf=yes}}
| birth_place   = [[Mülhausen]], [[Alsace-Lorraine]], [[German Empire]] (now [[France]])
| death_date    = {{Death date and age|1981|7|27|1902|7|1|mf=yes}}
| death_place   = [[Beverly Hills]], [[California]], U.S.
| resting_place = [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale]], California, U.S.
| occupation    = {{hlist|Film director|producer}}
| years_active  = 1925–1970
| spouse        = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|[[Margaret Sullavan]]|1934|1936|end=divorced}}
* {{marriage|[[Margaret Tallichet]]<br />|1938|1981|end=died}}
}}
| children      = 5
| relatives     = [[Carl Laemmle Jr.]] (cousin)
| module             =  {{Infobox military person|embed=yes
   | allegiance    = {{USA}}
   | branch        = [[File:Seal of the United States Army National Guard.svg|25px]] [[United States Army National Guard]]<br />[[File:US Army Air Corps Hap Arnold Wings.svg|23px]] [[United States Army Air Forces]]
   | serviceyears  = 1921&ndash;1922 <small>(National Guard)</small><br />1942&ndash;1945 <small>(Army Air Forces)</small>
   | rank          = [[File:US-O5 insignia.svg|23px]] [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]]
   | unit          = [[File:US Army Signal Corps Coat of Arms.svg|20px]] [[Signal Corps (United States Army)|Army Signal Corps]]<br />[[File:NY-Army National Guard seal.png|20px]] [[New York Army National Guard]]
   | battles       = [[World War II]]
*[[European Theater of Operations, United States Army|European Theater]]
   | awards        = [[File:Purple Heart ribbon.svg|25px]] [[Purple Heart]]{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}<br />[[File:American Campaign Medal ribbon.svg|25px]] [[American Campaign Medal]]{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}<br />[[File:European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign ribbon.svg|25px]] [[European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal]]<br />[[File:World War II Victory Medal ribbon.svg|25px]] [[World War II Victory Medal (United States)|World War II Victory Medal]]{{citation needed|date=May 2021}}
}}
}}

'''William Wyler''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|w|aɪ|l|ər}}; born '''Willi Wyler'''<ref>Birth Certificate No. 1298/1902, Mulhouse Archive. According to Herman, Jan. ''A Talent for Trouble: The Life of Hollywood's Most Acclaimed Director''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1995. {{ISBN|0-399-14012-3}}</ref> ({{IPA|de|ˈvɪli ˈvi:lɐ|lang}}); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a German-born American film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three [[Academy Awards]]. He holds the record of twelve nominations for the [[Academy Award for Best Director]]. For his oeuvre of work, Wyler was awarded the [[Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award]], the [[Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award – Feature Film|Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award]], and the [[American Film Institute]] [[AFI Life Achievement Award|Life Achievement Award]].

Wyler immigrated to the United States in 1921 where he worked first for [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] in New York before moving to Los Angeles. By 1925, he was the youngest director at Universal, and in 1929 he directed ''[[Hell's Heroes (film)|Hell's Heroes]]'', Universal's first sound production filmed entirely on location. Wyler went on to win the [[Academy Award for Best Director]] three times, for ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]'' (1942), ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' (1946), and ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]'' (1959), all of which also won for [[Academy Award for Best Picture|Best Picture]]. He was Oscar-nominated for ''[[Dodsworth (film)|Dodsworth]]'' (1936), ''[[Wuthering Heights (1939 film)|Wuthering Heights]]'' (1939), ''[[The Letter (1940 film)|The Letter]]'' (1940), ''[[The Little Foxes (film)|The Little Foxes]]'' (1941), ''[[The Heiress]]'' (1949), ''[[Detective Story (1951 film)|Detective Story]]'' (1952), ''[[Roman Holiday]]'' (1953), ''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]'' (1956), and ''[[The Collector (1965 film)|The Collector]]'' (1965).

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."<ref name=Freer/>{{rp|57}} His ability to direct a string of classic literary adaptations into huge box-office and critical successes made him one of "[[Hollywood (film industry)|Hollywood]]'s most bankable moviemakers" from the 1930s to the 1960s. Through his talent for staging, editing, and camera movement, he turned dynamic theatrical spaces into cinematic ones.<ref name=anb/> Wyler is also known for his work as an actors' director, often propelling them to stardom.

==Early life==

Wyler was born to a [[Ashkenazi Jews|Jewish]] family<ref name=Wakeman>Wakeman, John, ed. ''World Film Directors: Vol. I, 1890–1945''. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1987. {{ISBN|978-0-8242-0757-1}}.</ref>{{rp|1220}} in [[Mulhouse]], [[Alsace-Lorraine]] (then part of the [[German Empire]]) (now [[France]]).<ref name=Madsen>Madsen, Axel. ''William Wyler: the Authorized Biography''. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1973. {{ISBN|0-491-01302-7}}</ref>{{rp|3}} His [[Swiss nationality law|Swiss]]-born father, Leopold, started as a [[Door-to-door|traveling salesman]] but later became a thriving [[haberdasher]] in Mulhouse.<ref name=Herman>Herman, Jan. ''A Talent for Trouble: The Life of Hollywood's Most Acclaimed Director''. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1995. {{ISBN|0-399-14012-3}}</ref>{{rp|37}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ina.fr/video/I00001907|title=William Wyler à propos de ses origines et de ses films|publisher=Institut National de l'Audiovisuel|date=1957-05-15|language=fr-FR|access-date=2017-05-09}}</ref> His mother, Melanie (née Auerbach;<ref name=anb>{{cite web|url=http://www.anb.org/articles/18/18-02119.html|title=Wyler, William (1902-1981), American film director and producer - American National Biography|website=anb.org|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> died February 13, 1955, [[Los Angeles]], aged 77), was [[German nationality law|German]]-born, and a cousin of [[Carl Laemmle]], founder of [[Universal Pictures]]. During Wyler's childhood, he attended a number of schools and developed a reputation as "something of a hellraiser", being expelled more than once for misbehavior.<ref name=Wakeman/>{{rp|1222}} His mother often took him and his older brother [[Robert Wyler|Robert]] to [[concert]]s, [[opera]], and the [[Theater (building)|theatre]], as well as the [[Silent film|early cinema]]. Sometimes at home his family and their friends would stage amateur theatricals for personal enjoyment.<ref name=Wakeman/>{{rp|1223}}

Wyler was supposed to inherit the family haberdashery business in Mulhouse, France. After [[World War I]], he spent a dismal year working in [[Paris]] at ''100.000 [[Chemise]]s'' selling shirts and ties. He was so poor that he often spent his time wandering around the [[Place Pigalle|Pigalle]] district. After realizing that Willy was not interested in the haberdashery business, his mother, Melanie, contacted her distant cousin, [[Carl Laemmle]], who owned [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]], about opportunities for him.

Laemmle was in the habit of coming to [[Europe]] each year, searching for promising young men who would work in [[United States|America]]. In 1921, Wyler, while traveling as a [[Swiss nationality law|Swiss citizen]] (his father's status automatically conferred Swiss citizenship on his sons), met Laemmle who hired him to work at [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] in [[New York City|New York]]. As Wyler said: "America seemed as far away as the moon." Booked onto a ship to New York with Laemmle for his return voyage, Wyler met a young [[Czechs|Czech]] man, [[Paul Kohner]] (later the famous independent agent), aboard the same ship. Their enjoyment of the first class trip was short-lived, however, as they found they had to repay the cost of the passage out of their $25 weekly income as messengers to Universal Pictures. After working in New York for several years, and even serving in the [[New York Army National Guard]] for a year, Wyler moved to [[Hollywood, Los Angeles|Hollywood]] to become a director.<ref name=Herman/>{{rp|37}}

==Career==

===1923–1929: Early work and silent films ===

Around 1923, Wyler arrived in [[Los Angeles]] and began work on the Universal Studios lot in the [[swing gang]], cleaning the stages and moving the sets. His break came when he was hired as a second assistant editor. But his work ethic was uneven, and he would often sneak off and play billiards in a pool hall across the street from the studio, or organize card games during working hours. After some ups and downs (including getting fired), Wyler put all his efforts into becoming a director. He started as a third assistant director and by 1925 he became the youngest director on the Universal lot directing the [[Western (genre)|westerns]] that Universal was famed for turning out. Wyler was so engrossed in his work that he would dream about "different ways (for an actor) to get on a horse". In several of the one-reelers, he would join the posse in the inevitable chase of the 'bad man'.

He directed his first non-Western, the lost ''[[Anybody Here Seen Kelly?]]'', in 1928. This was followed by his first part-talkie films, ''[[The Shakedown (1929 film)|The Shakedown]]'' and ''[[The Love Trap (1929 film)|The Love Trap]]''. He proved himself an able craftsman. In 1928 he became a [[Naturalization|naturalized]] [[Citizenship of the United States|United States citizen]].<ref name=Madsen/>{{rp|73}} His first all-talking film, and Universal's first sound production to be filmed entirely on location, was ''[[Hell's Heroes (film)|Hell's Heroes]]'', filmed in the [[Mojave Desert]] in 1929.

===1930–1949: Career acclaim and stardom ===

In the early 1930s Wyler directed a wide variety of films at Universal, ranging from high-profile dramas such as ''[[The Storm (1930 film)|The Storm]]'' with [[Bebe Daniels]], ''[[A House Divided (1931 film)|A House Divided]]'' with [[Walter Huston]], and ''[[Counsellor at Law]]'' with [[John Barrymore]], to comedies like ''[[Her First Mate]]'' with [[Zasu Pitts]] and ''[[The Good Fairy (1935 film)|The Good Fairy]]'' with [[Margaret Sullavan]]. He became well known for his insistence on multiple retakes, resulting in often award-winning and critically acclaimed performances from his actors. After leaving Universal he began a long collaboration with [[Samuel Goldwyn]] for whom he directed such classics as ''[[Dodsworth (film)|Dodsworth]]'' (1936) where he earned his first nomination for the [[Academy Award for Best Director]]. The film starred [[Walter Huston]], [[Ruth Chatterton]] and [[Mary Astor]], "sparking a 20-year run of almost unbroken greatness."<ref name=Freer>Freer, Ian. ''Movie Makers: 50 Iconic Directors''. London: Quercus Publishers (2009) {{ISBN|978-1-84724-512-0}}</ref>{{rp|24}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLvep-GHYwk;t=28s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/FLvep-GHYwk| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=TCM 1936 Best Picture 1of3 Dodsworth (Intro)|last=SonOfASpaceApe|date=February 21, 2014|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> He also directed ''[[These Three]]'' (1936) with [[Miriam Hopkins]] and [[Merle Oberon]], ''[[Dead End (1937 film)|Dead End]]'' (1937) with [[Humphrey Bogart]], ''[[Wuthering Heights (1939 film)|Wuthering Heights]]'' (1939) with [[Laurence Olivier]] and Merle Oberon,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmuMd4FnnYo| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/XmuMd4FnnYo| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Wuthering Heights Official Trailer No. 1 - David Niven Movie (1939) HD|last=Movieclips Trailer Vault|date=October 5, 2012|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''[[The Westerner (1940 film)|The Westerner]]'' (1940) with [[Gary Cooper]] and [[Walter Brennan]], ''[[The Little Foxes (film)|The Little Foxes]]'' (1941) with [[Bette Davis]], and ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' (1946) with [[Myrna Loy]] and [[Fredric March]].

Wyler's visual style pioneered long, uncut takes in what has come to be called [[Deep focus|deep-focus cinematography]] - the use of lenses which can take in the entire depth of a room, keeping everything in focus, i.e. depth of field, and thus can contain dramatic changes in lighting and characters' movements in the same shot. In this, he collaborated with the pathbreaking young cinematographer of 1940's ''[[Citizen Kane]]'', [[Gregg Toland]]. Gregg Toland shot three of the director's most celebrated films: ''Wuthering Heights'' (1939), where Toland's use of low angles, dark shadows and diffusion won him the Oscar for best cinematography; next in [[Lillian Hellman]]'s adaptation of her searing stage play, ''[[The Little Foxes]]'', into Wyler's 1941 film, which had Wyler and Toland working closely together to bring the hard-edged deep focus from Citizen Kane to bear on another tale of soul-destroying family wealth - including inventing a totally white make-up scheme for its star, Bette Davis, conveying her soullessness. Third, and most famously, is Toland's work in one of the cinematographer's last films, Wyler's heart-wrenching masterpiece, ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' (1946). This story of three American servicemen struggling to adjust to civilian life after fighting in World War 2 hit a chord with postwar audiences. Memorable examples of deep focus here include the complex scene in which the three men wind up at the same bar, unable to stay at home, and, in its powerful closing shot, a crowded family wedding disperses, leaving only two young lovers staring at one another across the expanse of an empty living room, as stunned in place, seemingly, as the camera.  All three films were decorated with multiple Oscars (see the following section).<ref>{{cite web |title=Gregg Toland, ASC — an Enduring Legacy - the American Society of Cinematographers (En-US) |url=https://theasc.com/articles/gregg-toland-asc-an-enduring-legacy#:~:text=Goldwyn%27s%20Wuthering%20Heights%20(1939)%20is,heather%2C%20swirling%20snow%20and%20mist |website=theasc.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Photo of William Wyler |url=https://vickielester.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/william-wyler-gregg-toland.jpg |website=vickielester.files.wordpress.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Photo of Wyler directing Wuthering Heights |url=https://onset.shotonwhat.com/p/pix/m/m1027/2014111700001073.jpg |website=onset.shotonwhat.com}}</ref>

{{quote box||align=left|width=25em|bgcolor = MistyRose|quote=It was all Wyler. I had known all the horrors of no direction and bad direction. I now knew what a great director was and what he could mean to an actress. I will always be grateful to him for his toughness and his genius.|source= —Bette Davis, discussing ''Jezebel''<ref name=Madsen/>{{rp|162}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/85/a1/b5/85a1b5e40a9f29432c2aeb15fc7643f4.jpg|title=Photo of William Wyler going over a scene with Bette Davis|website=pinimg.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref>}}

[[Bette Davis]] received three Oscar nominations for her screen work under Wyler, and won her second Oscar for her performance in Wyler's 1938 film ''[[Jezebel (1938 film)|Jezebel]]''.<ref name="LoC"/><ref>{{Citation |title=Jezebel - Trailer | date=September 25, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQJJyYGQqek |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=- YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-w8Bq5OS01M |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> She told [[Merv Griffin]] in 1972 that Wyler trained her with that film to be a "far, far better actress" than she had been.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZMUXYPPMbw;t=1m10s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/gZMUXYPPMbw| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Bette Davis interview- Jezebel (Merv Griffin Show 1972)|last=Merv GriffinShow|date=July 16, 2012|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> She recalled a scene that was only a bare paragraph in the script, but "without a word of dialog, Willy created a scene of power and tension. This was moviemaking on the highest plane," she said. "A scene of such suspense that I never have not marveled at the direction of it."<ref name=Madsen/>{{rp|162}} During her acceptance speech when she received the [[AFI Life Achievement Award]] in 1977, she thanked him.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHiaRq3fpEc;t=3m48s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/UHiaRq3fpEc| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Bette Davis Accepts the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1977|last=American Film Institute|date=April 5, 2011|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

[[File:Laurence Olivier Merle Oberon Wuthering Heights.jpg|thumb|Olivier and Oberon in ''Wuthering Heights'']]

[[Laurence Olivier]], whom Wyler directed in ''[[Wuthering Heights (1939 film)|Wuthering Heights]]'' (1939) for his first Oscar nomination, credited Wyler with teaching him how to act for the screen, despite clashing with Wyler on multiple occasions. Olivier would go on to hold the record for the most nominations in the [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Best Actor category]] at nine, tied with [[Spencer Tracy]]. Critic [[Frank S. Nugent]] wrote in the ''New York Times'', "William Wyler has directed it magnificently. It is, unquestionably, one of the most distinguished pictures of the year."<ref name=Vermilye/>{{rp|88}} ''Variety'' described Olivier's performance as "fantastic... he not only brings conviction to his portrayal but translates intelligently its mystical quality."<ref name=Vermilye/>{{rp|93}}

Five years later, in 1944, while visiting London, Wyler met with Olivier and his actress wife, [[Vivien Leigh]]. She invited him to see her performance in ''The Doctor's Dilemma'', and Olivier asked him to direct him in his planned film, [[Henry V (1944 film)|''Henry V'']]. But Wyler said he was "not a Shakespearian" and turned down the offer.<ref name=Miller/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://celebritywc.com/images/suzanne-farrington-9.jpg|title=Candid photo of William Wyler with Laurence Olivier, Vivien Leigh, and their daughter Suzanne Farrington|website=celebritywc.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref>

{{quote box||align=left|width=25em|bgcolor =lightCyan |quote=If any film actor is having trouble with his career, can't master the medium and, anyway, wonders whether it's worth it, let him pray to meet a man like William Wyler.|source= —Laurence Olivier<ref name=Vermilye>Vermilye, Jerry. ''The Complete Films of Laurence Olivier'', Citadel Press (1992)</ref>{{rp|86}}}}

In 1950, Wyler and Olivier made a second film together, ''[[Carrie (1952 film)|Carrie]]'', which was not a commercial success. However, some critics state that it nonetheless contains Olivier's finest film performance, but because of its old-fashioned story, the film was very under-appreciated:<ref name=Vermilye/>{{rp|128}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Exdd2zmYJKI| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/Exdd2zmYJKI| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=[Carrie 1952] George/Carrie - Por una Cabeza|last=MovieMadd111|date=November 22, 2010|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> In critic [[Michael Billington (critic)|Michael Billington]]'s opinion:

{{blockquote|If there were any justice in the world, Laurence Olivier would have got an Oscar for his unforgettable performance in ''Carrie''.<ref name=Sinyard/>{{rp|137}}}}

Director and screenwriter [[John Huston]] had been a close friend of Wyler during his career. When he was twenty-eight and penniless, sleeping in parks in London, Huston returned to Hollywood to see if he could find work. Wyler, four years his senior, had met Huston when he was directing his father, [[Walter Huston]], in ''[[A House Divided (1931 film)|A House Divided]]'' in 1931, and they got along well. Wyler read dialogue suggestions that Huston had given to his father Walter and hired John to work on the dialogue for the script. He later inspired Huston to become a director and became his "early mentor."<ref name=Huston>Huston, John. ''John Huston: Interviews'', Univ. Press of Mississippi (2001)</ref>{{rp|xiii}} When America entered [[World War II]] in 1941, Wyler, Huston, [[Anatole Litvak]] and [[Frank Capra]], by then all directors, enlisted at the same time.<ref>Mintz, Steven; Roberts, Randy W. ''Hollywood's America: Twentieth-Century America Through Film'', John Wiley & Sons (2010) p. 148</ref> Later in his career, Huston recalled his friendship with Wyler during an interview:

{{blockquote|Willy was certainly my best friend in the industry.... We seemed instantly to have many things in common.... Willy liked the things that I liked. We'd go down to Mexico. We'd go up in the mountains. And we'd gamble. He was a wonderful companion....He was equally capable of playing Beethoven on his violin, speeding around town on his motorcycle, or schussing down steep virgin snow trails.<ref name=Meyers>Meyers, Jeffrey. ''John Huston: Courage and Art'', Random House (2011) p. 37</ref>}}

====Wyler and the Second World War====

In 1941, Wyler directed ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]'', based on the 1940 novel; it was the story of a middle-class English family adjusting to the war in Europe and the bombing [[The Blitz|blitz]] in London.<ref name=Hay>Hay, Peter. ''MGM: When the Lion Roars'', Turner Publications (1991) {{ISBN|978-1-878685-04-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://nighthawknews.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/greer-garson-william-wyler-mrs-miniver.jpg|title=Image |website=nighthawknews.files.wordpress.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> It starred [[Greer Garson]] and [[Walter Pidgeon]]. Pidgeon originally had doubts about taking on the role, until fellow actor [[Paul Lukas]] told him, "You will find working with Wyler to be the most delightful experience you ever had, and that's the way it turned out." Pidgeon recalled: "One thing that would have been a terrific regret in my life is if I had succeeded in getting out of doing ''Mrs. Miniver''"<ref name=Troyan/>{{rp|335}} He received his first Oscar nomination for his role, while his co-star, [[Greer Garson]], won her first and only Academy Award for her performance.

The film idea was controversial because it was intended to cause the United States to be less isolationist. It was thought that by seeing the suffering of British citizens depicted in fiction story, Americans might be made more willing to aid Britain during their war effort.<ref name=Hay/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXXHxxSZZ8A| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/QXXHxxSZZ8A| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Mrs. Miniver Official Trailer No. 1 - Reginald Owen Movie (1942) HD|last=Movieclips Trailer Vault|date=October 5, 2012|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> The film succeeded in its propagandistic aims, eliciting sympathy for the British people by showing Britain during its darkest days of the war.<ref name=Troyan>Troyan, Michael. ''A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson'', Univ. Press of Kentucky (1999)</ref>{{rp|145}} Years later, having been in the war himself, Wyler said that the film "only scratched the surface of war... It was incomplete."<ref name=Troyan/>{{rp|228}}

[[U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom]] [[Joseph Kennedy]] told the studios to stop making pro-British and anti-German films, because he believed that British defeat was imminent.<ref name=Wapshott>Wapshott, Nicholas. ''The Sphinx: Franklin Roosevelt, the Isolationists, and the Road to World War II'', W.W. Norton & Co. (2015) p. 234, {{ISBN|978-0393088885}}.</ref> But MGM producer [[Eddie Mannix]] disagreed, saying that "someone should salute England. And even if we lose $100,000, that'll be okay."<ref name=Eyman>Eyman, Scott. ''Lion of Hollywood: The Life and Legend of Louis B. Mayer'', Simon & Schuster (2005)</ref>{{rp|344}} ''Mrs. Miniver'' went on to win six Academy Awards, becoming the top box office hit of 1942. It was Wyler's first Academy Award for Best Director.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://c8.alamy.com/comp/F6HNJF/1942-film-title-mrs-miniver-director-william-wyler-studio-mgm-pictured-F6HNJF.jpg|title=Candid photo of Wyler, Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon taking a break|website=alamy.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref>

{{quote box||align=left|width=25em|bgcolor =lightCyan |quote=Dear Mad Willy. I saw ''Mrs. Miniver'' last night. It is absolutely wonderful. You repeatedly amaze me with the demonstrations of your talent and I ask you to believe that it is with genuine pleasure that I salute this latest and greatest example of your work.|source= —producer [[David Selznick]]<ref name=Herman/>{{rp|235}}}}

[[Franklin Delano Roosevelt|President Roosevelt]] and British Prime Minister [[Winston Churchill]] both loved the film, said historian Emily Yellin, and Roosevelt wanted prints rushed to theaters nationwide. The [[Voice of America]] radio network broadcast the minister's speech from the film, magazines reprinted it, and it was copied onto leaflets and dropped over [[German-occupied Europe|German-occupied countries]]. Churchill sent MGM chief [[Louis B. Mayer]] a telegram claiming that "''Mrs. Miniver'' is propaganda worth 100 battleships."<ref>Yellin, Emily. ''Our Mother's War: American Women at Home and at the Front During World War II'', Simon & Schuster (2004), p. 100.</ref> [[Bosley Crowther]] wrote in his ''New York Times'' review that ''Mrs. Miniver'' was the finest film yet made about the war, "and a most exalting tribute to the British."<ref>Troyan, Michael. ''A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson'', Univ. of Kentucky Press (1999), e-book. ASIN: B00A6IOY1W.</ref>

Between 1942 and 1945, Wyler volunteered to serve as a [[Major (rank)|major]] in the [[United States Army Air Forces]] and directed a pair of documentaries: ''[[The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress]]'' (1944), about a [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|Boeing B-17]] and its U.S. Army Air Force crew;<ref>{{Cite web |title=- YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn8tqacRXK4 |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> and ''[[Thunderbolt!]]'' (1947), highlighting a [[Republic P-47 Thunderbolt|P-47 fighter]]-[[Bomber|bomber squadron]] in the [[Mediterranean Sea|Mediterranean]]. Wyler filmed ''The Memphis Belle'' at great personal risk, flying over enemy territory on actual bombing missions in 1943; on one flight, Wyler lost consciousness from lack of oxygen. Wyler's associate, cinematographer Harold J. Tannenbaum, a [[First lieutenant (United States)|First Lieutenant]], was shot down and perished during the filming.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.plane-crazy.net/movies/18.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150529065226/http://www.plane-crazy.net/movies/18.htm|url-status=usurped|archive-date=May 29, 2015|title=The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress|website=www.plane-crazy.net|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> Director [[Steven Spielberg]] describes Wyler's filming of ''Memphis Belle'' in the 2017 Netflix series, [[Five Came Back (TV series)|''Five Came Back'']].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kenigsberg |first=Ben |date=2017-03-30 |title=Review: 'Five Came Back,' and Inspired the Likes of Spielberg |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/30/movies/five-came-back-review.html |access-date=2024-02-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Before being assigned to the Air Force, Wyler was  hired to direct the documentary ''[[The Negro Soldier]]'' on [[African-Americans in the United States military before desegregation|African-Americans in the United States Armed Forces]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Negro Soldier|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/27691-THE-NEGRO-SOLDIER?cxt=filmography|access-date=2021-11-21|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref>

Working on ''Thunderbolt!'' Wyler was exposed to such loud noise that he passed out. When he awoke, he found he was deaf in one ear.<ref name=Madsen/> Partial hearing with the aid of a hearing aid eventually came back years later.<ref>David William Wyler</ref> Wyler returned from the War a [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]]<ref>{{Cite news |date=2016-03-10 |title=WYLER IS DEAD AT 79 - DIRECTOR HAD WON 3 ACADEMY AWARDS - NYTimes.com |work=The New York Times |url=http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/29/obituaries/wyler-is-dead-at-79-director-had-won-3-academy-awards.html |access-date=2024-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160310112442/http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/29/obituaries/wyler-is-dead-at-79-director-had-won-3-academy-awards.html |archive-date=March 10, 2016 |last1=Maslin |first1=Janet }}</ref> and a disabled veteran.<ref name=Harris>Harris, Mark. ''Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War''. New York: Penguin Press, 2014. {{ISBN|978-1594204302}}</ref>

Returning from the War and unsure whether he could work again, Wyler turned to a subject that he knew well<ref name=Harris/> and directed a film which captured the mood of the nation as it turned to peace after the war, ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' (1946).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzSrpRS4ros| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/NzSrpRS4ros| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=The Best Years of Our Lives Trailer 1946|last=Video Detective|date=June 9, 2014|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> This story of the homecoming of three veterans from [[World War II]] dramatized the problems of returning veterans in their adjustment back to civilian life. Arguably his most personal film, ''Best Years'' drew on Wyler's own experience returning home to his family after three years at the front. ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' won the [[Academy Award for Best Director]] (Wyler's second) and [[Academy Award for Best Picture]], as well as six other Academy Awards including one Academy Honorary Award.

In 1949, Wyler directed ''[[The Heiress]]'', which earned [[Olivia de Havilland]] her second Oscar and garnered additional Oscars for [[Academy Award for Best Production Design|Best Art Direction]], [[Academy Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]], and [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Music]]. The film is considered by some to be a highlight in her career, "that could strike envy even in the most versatile and successful actress," according to one critic.<ref>[http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/olivia-de-havilland/ "Olivia de Havilland"], ''Los Angeles Times''</ref><ref>[http://l7.alamy.com/zooms/0bfcc94a64a54fce86fb532cf410f2a6/william-wyler-olivia-de-havilland-the-heiress-1949-bpa26h.jpg Photo of William Wyler directing Olivia de Havilland in a scene from ''The Heiress'']</ref><ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20161018205752/http://celebrityimages.org/images/0000014/0000014_12.jpeg Photo of William Wyler]}} directing [[Montgomery Clift]] and [[Olivia de Havilland]] in ''The Heiress''</ref>

De Havilland had seen the play in New York and felt she could play the lead perfectly. She then called Wyler to convince him to have Paramount buy the film rights. He flew to New York to see the play and moved by the story,persuaded the studio to buy it. Along with de Havilland, he managed to get [[Montgomery Clift]] and [[Ralph Richardson]] to co-star.<ref name=Miller/>{{rp|265}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltjOydHAO0M| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/ltjOydHAO0M| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=The Heiress - Trailer|last=Hirji444|date=October 16, 2008|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Olivia de Havilland Wins Best Actress: 1950 Oscars | date=September 27, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXO6JVLv-V4 |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref>

===1950–1959: Established director ===

[[File:Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Audrey Hepburn in ''Roman Holiday'' (1953)]]

In 1951, Wyler produced and directed [[Kirk Douglas]] and [[Eleanor Parker]] in [[Detective Story (1951 film)|''Detective Story'']], portraying a day in the lives of the various people in a detective squad. [[Lee Grant]] and [[Joseph Wiseman]] made their screen debuts in the film, which was nominated for four [[Academy Awards]], including one for Grant.<ref>{{Citation |title=Lee Grant Inside the Actors Studio 1998 (Clip 3) | date=July 12, 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL3iv9gUAPA |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref> Critic [[Bosley Crowther]] lauded the film, describing it as "a brisk, absorbing film by producer-director William Wyler, with the help of a fine, responsive cast."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Crowther |first=Bosley |date=1951-11-07 |title=THE SCREEN: FOUR NEWCOMERS ON LOCAL SCENE; 'Detective Story,' Film Based on Sidney Kingsley Drama, Arrives at Mayfair Clark Gable in Western at Loew's State Comedy About Marriage Comes to Roxy At the Roxy At Loew's State At the Midtown |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/11/07/archives/the-screen-four-newcomers-on-local-scene-detective-story-film-based.html |access-date=2024-02-03 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

''Carrie'' was released in 1952 starring Jennifer Jones in the title role and Laurence Olivier as Hurstwood. Eddie Albert played Charles Drouet. Carrie received two Academy Award nominations: Costume Design (Edith Head), and Best Art Direction (Hal Pereira, Roland Anderson, Emile Kuri). Wyler was reluctant to cast Jennifer Jones, and the filming was subsequently plagued by a variety of troubles. Jones had not revealed that she was pregnant; Wyler was mourning the death of his year-old son; Olivier had a painful leg ailment, and he developed a dislike for Jones. Hollywood was reeling under the effects of McCarthyism, and the studio was afraid to distribute a film that could be attacked as immoral. Ultimately, the ending was changed and the film was cut to make it more positive in tone.

During the immediate postwar period, Wyler directed a handful of critically acclaimed and influential films. ''[[Roman Holiday (1953 film)|Roman Holiday]]'' (1953) introduced [[Audrey Hepburn]] to U.S. audiences in her first starring role, winning her an Academy Award for Best Actress.<ref>{{Citation |title=Roman Holiday - Trailer | date=June 26, 2012 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQ43RROS8TM |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-vR7D21wqI&t=1s| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/p-vR7D21wqI| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Audrey Hepburn Wins Best Actress: 1954 Oscars|last=Oscars|date=April 24, 2008|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Wyler said of Hepburn years later, when describing truly great actresses, "In that league there's only ever been Garbo, and the other Hepburn, and maybe Bergman. It's a rare quality, but boy, do you know when you've found it."<ref name=Nourmand>Nourmand, Tony. ''Audrey Hepburn: The Paramount Years'', Chronicle Books (2007) p. 16</ref> The film was an instant hit, also winning for Best Costume Design ([[Edith Head]]), and Best Writing ([[Dalton Trumbo]]). Hepburn would eventually do three movies with Wyler, who her son said was one of the most important directors in her career.<ref>Ferrer, Sean Hepburn. ''Audrey Hepburn, An Elegant Spirit: A Son Remembers'', Simon & Schuster (2003) ebook</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://themotionpictures.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/wwah.jpg?w=700&h=536|title=Photo of William Wyler with Audrey Hepburn|website=wordpress.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref>

''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]'' (1956) was awarded the [[Palme d'Or]] (Golden Palm) at the [[Cannes Film Festival]]. And in 1959, Wyler directed ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]'', which won 11 Oscars, a feat unequaled until ''[[Titanic (1997 film)|Titanic]]'' in 1997 and ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' in 2003. He had also assisted in the production of the [[Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925 film)|1925 version]].

[[File:Charlton Heston in Ben Hur trailer.jpg|thumb|left|[[Charlton Heston]] as Ben-Hur]]

Wyler and its star, [[Charlton Heston]], both knew what the film meant for [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer|MGM]], which had massive investments in its outcome, with the film's budget having gone from $7&nbsp;million to $15&nbsp;million, and the fact that MGM was already in dire financial straits.<ref>Schneider, Stephen Jay. ''1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, 6th edition'', Barron's Educational Series (2015) p. 354</ref> They were aware that if it failed at the box office, MGM might go bankrupt.<ref name=Bodaken/>

The film, like many epics, was difficult to make. When Heston was asked which scene he enjoyed doing most, he said "I didn't enjoy any of it. It was hard work."<ref>Kinn, Gail; Piazza, Jim.  ''Academy Awards®: The Complete Unofficial History'', Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (2014) p. 135</ref> Part of the reason for that was the financial stress placed on making the film a success. With a cast of fifteen thousand extras, a leading star, and shot on 70mm film with stereophonic tracks, it was the most expensive film ever made at that time.<ref name=Bodaken>Bodaken, Bruce. ''The Managerial Moment of Truth: The Essential Step in Helping People Improve'', Simon & Schuster (2006) p. 159</ref> The nine-minute chariot race, for example, took six months to film.<ref>McManus, George. ''A Conservative Christian Reviews the Greatest Movies Ever Made'', Xulon Press (2003) p. 42</ref>

''Ben-Hur'' became a great box office success. Wyler won his third Academy Award for Best Director and [[Charlton Heston]] his first and only Academy Award as its star.<ref>{{Citation |title=Ben-Hur and William Wyler Win Best Picture and Directing: 1960 Oscars | date=August 12, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m65l5gxxMi0 |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=Charlton Heston Wins Best Actor: 1960 Oscars | date=January 8, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJrYn8R-2J4 |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NR1ZHKw09n8| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/NR1ZHKw09n8| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Ben-Hur (1959) Official Blu-Ray Trailer - Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd Movie HD|last=Movieclips Trailer Vault|date=February 7, 2014|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Heston recalled in his autobiography that at first he had doubts about playing the role. But his agent advised him otherwise: "Don't you know that actors take parts with Wyler without even reading the damn script? I'm telling you, you ''have'' to do this picture!"<ref name=Miller/>

[[Kirk Douglas]] had lobbied Wyler, who directed him in ''[[Detective Story (1951 film)|Detective Story]]'' in 1951, for the title role, but only after Wyler had already decided on Heston. He offered him instead the role of Messala, which Douglas rejected. Douglas then went on to star in [[Spartacus (film)|''Spartacus'']] (1960).<ref>Richards, Jeffrey. ''Hollywood's Ancient Worlds'', Continuum Books (2008) p. 84</ref><ref name="thisisnotporn.net">{{Cite web |date=2023-04-18 |title=เว็บสล็อตเว็บตรง PG SLOT ฝากถอนออโต้ ไม่มีขั้นต่ำ 1 บาท |url=https://thisisnotporn.net/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100424065926/http://www.thisisnotporn.net/ |url-status=usurped |archive-date=April 24, 2010 |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=th}}</ref>

''Ben-Hur'' cost $15&nbsp;million to produce but earned $47&nbsp;million by the end of 1961 and $90&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://theredlist.com/media/database/films/cinema/directors-/william-wyler-/011-william-wyler-theredlist.jpg |title=Photo of members of the cast discussing ''Ben-Hur'' |access-date=October 15, 2016 |archive-date=January 3, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103194654/http://theredlist.com/media/database/films/cinema/directors-/william-wyler-/011-william-wyler-theredlist.jpg |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flashpictures.fr/images/ben-hur-25.jpg|title=Photo of Wyler with cast, Haya Harareet seated, and producer Sam Zimbalist (right)|website=flashpictures.fr|access-date=March 27, 2018|archive-date=March 30, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330122623/https://www.flashpictures.fr/images/ben-hur-25.jpg|url-status=dead}}</ref> Audiences mobbed movie theaters in the months after it opened. Critic [[Pauline Kael]] praised Wyler's achievement:
{{blockquote|I admire the artist who can make something good for the art house audience; but I also applaud the commercial heroism of a director who can steer a huge production and keep his sanity and perspective and decent human feelings beautifully intact.<ref name=Phillips/>{{rp|96}}}}

===1960–1970: Later work and final films ===

[[File:Hepburn Garner & MacLaine The Children's Hour Promo Still.jpg|left|thumb|[[Audrey Hepburn]], [[James Garner]] and [[Shirley MacLaine]] in ''[[The Children's Hour (film)|The Children's Hour]]'' (1961)]]

In 1961, he became a director for [[20th Century Fox]]<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Daily Variety]]|page=1|title=Zanuck Wins; Takes 20th Helm|date=July 26, 1962}}</ref> and also cast [[James Garner]] in ''[[The Children's Hour (film)|The Children's Hour]]'' with [[Audrey Hepburn]] and [[Shirley MacLaine]]. Garner had beaten [[Warner Bros.]] in a lawsuit, enabling him to leave the television series ''[[Maverick (TV series)|Maverick]]'', and had been briefly [[blacklisted|graylisted]] as a result but Wyler broke the graylist by casting him; the following year, Garner played a  leading role in four major motion pictures.

In 1968, he directed [[Barbra Streisand]] in her debut film, ''[[Funny Girl (film)|Funny Girl]]'', costarring [[Omar Sharif]], which became a huge financial success.<ref name=Miller>Miller, Gabriel: ''William Wyler: The Life and Films of Hollywood's Most Celebrated Director.'' Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2013. {{ISBN|978-0-8131-4209-8}}</ref>{{rp|385}} It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and like [[Audrey Hepburn]] in her first starring role, Streisand won as Best Actress, becoming the thirteenth actor to win an Oscar under his direction.<ref name=Miller/>{{rp|385}}<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5H3Z-lTtCs| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/w5H3Z-lTtCs| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Funny Girl 1968 Movie Trailer|last=cherish864407|date=August 27, 2010|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PoNdQxkI-0w| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/PoNdQxkI-0w| archive-date=2021-11-17 | url-status=live|title=Katharine Hepburn and Barbra Streisand Tie for Best Actress: 1969 Oscars|last=Oscars|date=October 26, 2010|access-date=March 27, 2018|via=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

Streisand had already starred in the Broadway musical of ''Funny Girl'', with seven hundred performances. And although she knew the part well, Wyler still had to mold her stage role for the screen.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/director-william-wyler-rehearses-scene-with-barbra-streisand-and-omar-picture-id159821024|title=Photo of Wyler directing Streisand and Omar Sharif|website=gettyimages.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> She naturally wanted to be involved in the film's production, often asking Wyler questions, but they got along well.<ref>Waldman, Allison J. ''The Barbra Streisand Scrapbook'', Citadel Press (2001) p. 48</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_rWm5XgFojg/T-2eWOjZfbI/AAAAAAAAC64/hGcfeX0P_0k/s1600/Funny+Girl+William+Wyler.jpg|title=Photo of Wyler and Streisand walking on the studio backlot|website=bp.blogspot.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/sites/default/files/custom/Barbra_Streisand_1_embed.jpg|title=Photo of Wyler and Streisand sharing some laughs on the studio backlot|website=hollywoodreporter.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> "Things were ironed out when she discovered some of us knew what we were doing," kidded Wyler.

What originally attracted him to direct Streisand was similar to what attracted him to Audrey Hepburn, who had also been new to film audiences. He met with Streisand during her musical run and became excited at the prospect of guiding another new star into an award-winning performance. He sensed and admired that Streisand had the same kind of dedication to being an actress as did Bette Davis, early in her career. "It just needed to be controlled and toned down for the movie camera."<ref name=Sinyard>Sinyard, Neil. ''A Wonderful Heart: The Films of William Wyler'', McFarland (2013) p. 216</ref> Wyler said afterwards, "I'm terribly fond of her. She was very professional, very good, a hard worker, too hard at times. She would work day and night if you would let her. She is absolutely tireless".<ref name=Nickens>Nickens, Christopher; Swenson, Karen. ''The Films of Barbra Streisand'', Citadel Press (2000) p. 48</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/G/01/books/oxford/4.2Enlarge._V354058111_.jpg|title=Photo of Wyler and Streisand discussing her role|website=ssl-images-amazon.com|access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref>

Wyler was hired to direct ''[[Patton (film)|Patton]]'' (1970), but quit before the beginning of production in 1969.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Patton|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/23463-PATTON?sid=7ae42bf6-e189-4652-9d26-5650a00824fa&sr=19.566965&cp=1&pos=0|access-date=2021-11-21|website=catalog.afi.com}}</ref> The last film Wyler directed was ''[[The Liberation of L.B. Jones]]'', released in 1970.

==Style and technique ==

=== Visual style ===

Wyler had worked with cinematographer [[Gregg Toland]] for six of his films, mostly in the 1930s. Toland used [[deep focus]] photographic technique for most of them, whereby he could keep all objects on the screen, whether foreground or background, in sharp focus at the same time. The technique gives the illusion of depth and therefore makes the scene more true to life.<ref name=Phillips>Phillips, Gene D. ''Exiles in Hollywood: Major European Film Directors in America'',  Lehigh University Press (1998)</ref>{{rp|77}}

A [[Perfectionism (psychology)|perfectionist]], Wyler earned the nickname "40-take Wyler". On the set of ''Jezebel'', Wyler forced [[Henry Fonda]] through 40 takes of one particular scene, his only guidance being "Again!" after each take. When Fonda asked for more direction, Wyler responded, "It stinks." Similarly, when [[Charlton Heston]] quizzed the director about the supposed shortcomings of his performance in ''Ben-Hur'', Wyler simply told Heston "Be better!"<ref>[http://www.palzoo.net/William-Wyler Wyler profile at palzoo.net] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313075122/http://palzoo.net/william-wyler |date=March 13, 2016 }} Retrieved November 12, 2011.</ref> However, Heston notes that by the time a scene is done, regardless of how hard it was to do, it always came off well:

{{blockquote|The only answer I have is that his taste is impeccable and every actor knows it. Your faith in his taste and what it will do for your performance is what makes casting a Wyler picture a cinch...doing a film for Wyler is like getting the works in a Turkish bath. You darn near drown, but you come out smelling like a rose.<ref name=Madsen/>{{rp|351}}}}

=== Actors' director ===

He helped propel a number of actors to stardom, including finding and directing [[Audrey Hepburn]] in her debut starring role, ''[[Roman Holiday]]'' (1953), and directing [[Barbra Streisand]] in her debut film, ''[[Funny Girl (film)|Funny Girl]]'' (1968), with both actresses winning Academy Awards. [[Olivia de Havilland]] and [[Bette Davis]] both won their second Oscars in Wyler films, de Havilland for ''[[The Heiress]]'' (1949) and Davis for ''[[Jezebel (1938 film)|Jezebel]]'' (1938).<ref name="LoC">{{cite web |last1=O’Dell |first1=Cary |title=Happy Birthday Bette Davis–You "Jezebel"! |url=https://blogs.loc.gov/now-see-hear/2023/04/happy-birthday-bette-davis-you-jezebel/ |website=Now See Hear! National Audio-Visual Conservation Center |access-date=17 August 2023 |date=19 April 2023}}</ref> Davis said Wyler made her a "far, far better actress" than she had ever been,<ref name="LoC"/> while [[Laurence Olivier]], who received his first Oscar nomination for Wyler's ''[[Wuthering Heights (1939 film)|Wuthering Heights]]'' (1939), credited Wyler with teaching him how to act for the screen. Wyler's three Best Picture-winning films each featured a Best Actress or [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Actor]] Oscar winner – [[Greer Garson]] in ''[[Mrs Miniver]]'', [[Fredric March]] in ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'', and [[Charlton Heston]] in ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]''. Other popular Wyler films include: ''[[The Westerner (1940 film)|The Westerner]]'' (1940) with [[Gary Cooper]], ''[[The Letter (1940 film)|The Letter]]'' (1940) again with Davis, ''[[Detective Story (1951 film)|Detective Story]]'' (1951) with [[Kirk Douglas]], ''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]'' (1956) with Cooper and [[Dorothy McGuire]], ''[[The Big Country]]'' (1958) with [[Gregory Peck]] and Heston, ''[[The Children's Hour (film)|The Children's Hour]]'' (1961) with Hepburn, [[Shirley MacLaine]] and [[James Garner]], and ''[[How to Steal a Million]]'' (1966) with Hepburn and [[Peter O'Toole]].

==Legacy==

[[File:Jezebel-1938-Bette-Davis-cropped.jpg|thumb|[[Bette Davis]] in ''Jezebel'' (1938)]]

Fourteen actors won Oscars under Wyler's direction, including [[Bette Davis]] in [[Jezebel (1938 film)|''Jezebel'']] (1938) and her nomination for ''[[The Letter (1940 film)|The Letter]]'' (1940).<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsLf-AXyeT8 ''The Letter'' (1940) - Trailer], Warner Movies</ref> Davis summed up their work together: "It was ''he'' who helped me to realize my full potential as an actress. I met my match in this exceptionally creative and talented director."<ref name=Phillips/>{{rp|79}}<ref>[http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2qemYHBmzcs/VbWbgTIZjAI/AAAAAAABJX0/t9kQaZr-Y3c/s1600/tumblr_ll6cu6F1wm1qazanuo1_500.jpg Photo of William Wyler directing Bette Davis in ''The Little Foxes'' (1941)]</ref>

Other Oscar winners were [[Olivia de Havilland]] in ''[[The Heiress]]'' (1949), [[Audrey Hepburn]] in her debut film, ''[[Roman Holiday]]'' (1953),<ref>[http://www.greatamericanthings.net/tv-movies/director/william-wyler-director/ William Wyler, Director], Great American Things, Dec. 9, 2011</ref> [[Charlton Heston]] in ''[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|Ben-Hur]]'' (1959), and [[Barbra Streisand]] in her debut film, ''[[Funny Girl (film)|Funny Girl]]'' (1968).

Wyler's films garnered more awards for participating artists and actors than any other director in the history of Hollywood.<ref>[http://www.ultimatemovierankings.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/wyler-1111.jpg William Wyler movies], ''Ultimate Movie Rankings''</ref> He received 12 Oscar nominations for Best Director, while dozens of his collaborators and actors won Oscars or were nominated. In 1965, Wyler won the [[Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award]] for career achievement. Eleven years later, he received the [[American Film Institute]] [[AFI Life Achievement Award|Life Achievement Award]]. In addition to his Best Picture and Best Director Oscar wins, 13 of Wyler's films earned Best Picture nominations. Other late Wyler films include ''[[The Children's Hour (film)|The Children's Hour]]'' (1961), which was nominated for five Academy Awards.<ref name="thisisnotporn.net"/> Later films included ''[[The Collector]]'' (1963), ''[[Funny Girl (film)|Funny Girl]]'' (1968), and his final film, ''[[The Liberation of L.B. Jones]]'' (1970).

Many of Wyler's home movies are held by the [[Academy Film Archive]]; the archive preserved a number of them in 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Preserved Projects|url=https://www.oscars.org/academy-film-archive/preserved-projects?title=wyler+home+movies&filmmaker=&category=All&collection=All|website=Academy Film Archive}}</ref>

== Personal life and death ==

Wyler was briefly married to actress [[Margaret Sullavan]] (from November 25, 1934 – March 13, 1936)<ref>{{Cite web |title=William Wyler picture |url=https://i.pinimg.com/564x/d8/c3/35/d8c3355bf56753e02e7ec760bb2c93a7.jpg |access-date=February 3, 2024 |website=i.pinimg.com}}</ref> and married actress [[Margaret Tallichet|Margaret "Talli" Tallichet]] on October 23, 1938.<ref>{{Cite web |title=William Wyler With His Second Wife Actress Picture |url=http://media.gettyimages.com/photos/american-film-director-william-wyler-with-his-second-wife-actress-picture-id114951340?s=594x594 |website=media.gettyimages.com}}</ref> The couple remained together until his death. They had five children: Catherine, Judith, William Jr., Melanie and David. Catherine said during an interview that her mother played an important part in his career, often being his "gatekeeper" and his reader of scripts presented to him.<ref>{{Citation |title=Catherine Wyler Talks the Oscars and Growing Up with Hollywood Royalty | date=February 20, 2013 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXgMbHyGAGg |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref>

On July 24, 1981, Wyler gave an interview with his daughter, Catherine, for ''Directed by William Wyler'', a [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] documentary about his life and career.<ref>{{Cite web |title=- YouTube |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilAP7TcItJ8 |access-date=2024-02-03 |website=www.youtube.com}}</ref> Three days later, he died of a [[myocardial infarction|heart attack]]. He is interred at [[Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)|Forest Lawn Memorial-Park]] in [[Glendale, California]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Miller |first=Gabriel |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HHY17v9qCQ0C&pg=PA395 |title=William Wyler: The Life and Films of Hollywood's Most Celebrated Director |date=2013-06-05 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |isbn=978-0-8131-4211-1 |language=en}}</ref>

Wyler was a [[Freemasonry|Freemason]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Today in Masonic History - William Wyler Passes Away |url=https://www.masonrytoday.com/index.php?new_month=07&new_day=27&new_year=2020 |access-date=2023-03-17 |website=www.masonrytoday.com}}</ref><ref>Royal Arch Mason Magazine, Spring, 1981, p. 271</ref>

He fluently spoke [[German language|German]], [[Alsatian dialect|Alsatian]], [[French language|French]] and [[English language|English]].

==Filmography==

{{main|William Wyler filmography}}

==Honors and awards==

{{main|List of awards and nominations received by William Wyler}}

Wyler is the most nominated director in [[Academy Awards]] history with twelve nominations. He won the [[Academy Award for Best Director]] on three occasions, for ''Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), ''The Best Years of Our Lives'' (1946), and ''Ben-Hur'' (1959). He is tied with [[Frank Capra]] and behind [[John Ford]], who won four Oscars in this category. He is also the only director in Academy history to direct three Best Picture-winning films (the three for which he won Best Director), and shares with [[Steven Spielberg]] the record for directing the greatest number of Best Picture nominees (thirteen).

He has the distinction of having directed more actors to Oscar-nominated performances than any other director in history: thirty-six. Out of these nominees, fourteen went on to win Oscars, also a record.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altfg.com/blog/actors/william-wyler-top-oscar-directors-for-actors-i/|title=William Wyler: Oscar Top Actors Director|website=altfg.com|date=February 26, 2012 |access-date=March 27, 2018}}</ref> He received the fourth [[AFI Life Achievement Award]] in 1976.<ref>{{Citation |title=William Wyler Accepts the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1976 | date=June 6, 2011 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0xwf_ZNl3PY |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref> Among those who thanked him for directing her in her debut film, was [[Barbra Streisand]].<ref>{{Citation |title=The AFI Presents a Salute to William Wyler (1976) | date=February 24, 2009 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WzgRTD6uZKw |access-date=2024-02-03 |language=en}}</ref> For his contributions to the motion picture industry, on February 8, 1960, Wyler has a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] at 1731 [[Vine Street]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.walkoffame.com/william-wyler|title=William Wyler {{!}} Hollywood Walk of Fame|website=www.walkoffame.com|access-date=2016-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://projects.latimes.com/hollywood/star-walk/william-wyler/|title=William Wyler|website=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=2016-05-01}}</ref> In 1961, Wyler was chosen as one of 50 outstanding Americans of meritorious performance in the fields of endeavor, to be honored as a Guest of Honor to the first annual Banquet of the Golden Plate in Monterey, California. The honor was awarded by vote of the National Panel of Distinguished Americans of the [[Academy of Achievement]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url= https://achievement.org/our-history/golden-plate-awards/}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+Awards and nominations received by Wyler's features
! rowspan="2"| Year
! rowspan="2"| Title
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#aaaade;"| [[Academy Awards]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#aa0;"| [[BAFTA Awards]]
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#fe1;"| [[Golden Globe Awards]]
|-
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
! Nominations
! Wins
|-
|1936
|[[Come and Get It (1936 film)|''Come and Get It'']]
|align=center|2
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|-
|1937
|[[Dead End (1937 film)|''Dead End'']]
|align=center|4
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1938
|[[Jezebel (1938 film)|''Jezebel'']]
|align=center|5
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|
|-
|1939
|[[Wuthering Heights (1939 film)|''Wuthering Heights'']]
|align=center|8
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|1940
|[[The Westerner (1940 film)|''The Westerner'']]
|align=center|3
|align=center|1
|
|
|
|
|-
|[[The Letter (1940 film)|''The Letter'']]
|align=center|7
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1941
|[[The Little Foxes (film)|''The Little Foxes'']]
|align=center|9
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|1942
|''[[Mrs. Miniver]]''
|align=center|12
|align=center|6
|
|
|
|
|-
|1946
|''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]''
|align=center|8
|align=center|7
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|2
|align=center|2
|-
|1949
|''[[The Heiress]]''
|align=center|8
|align=center|4
|
|
|align=center|3
|align=center|1
|-
|1951
|[[Detective Story (1951 film)|''Detective Story'']]
|align=center|4
|
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
|1952
|[[Carrie (1952 film)|''Carrie'']]
|align=center|2
|
|align=center|2
|
|
|
|-
|1953
|''[[Roman Holiday]]''
|align=center|10
|align=center|3
|align=center|4
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|-
|1956
|''[[Friendly Persuasion (1956 film)|Friendly Persuasion]]''
|align=center|6
|
|
|
|align=center|4
|align=center|1
|-
|1958
|''[[The Big Country]]''
|align=center|2
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|-
|1959
|[[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|''Ben-Hur'']]
|align=center|12
|align=center|11
|align=center|1
|align=center|1
|align=center|4
|align=center|3
|-
|1961
|[[The Children's Hour (film)|''The Children's Hour'']]
|align=center|5
|
|
|align=center|3
|
|-
|1965
|[[The Collector (1965 film)|''The Collector'']]
|align=center|3
|
|
|
|align=center|4
|align=center|1
|-
|1968
|[[Funny Girl (film)|''Funny Girl'']]
|align=center|8
|align=center|1
|align=center|3
|
|align=center|4
|align=center|1
|-
|1970
|''[[The Liberation of L.B. Jones]]''
|
|
|
|
|align=center|1
|
|-
| colspan="2" style="background-color:#b3b5d7; text-align:center;"|'''Total'''
!118
!38
!12
!9
!24
!11
|-
|}

== References ==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons category}}
* {{IMDb name|0943758}}
* [http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC/wylerbib.html William Wyler bibliography] via UC Berkeley Media Resources Center
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20210228154135/http://inlovingmemoryof.me/rip/william-wyler In Loving Memory Of William Wyler]}}
* [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2005/great-directors/wyler/ Senses of Cinema: Great Directors Critical Database]
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070228052529/http://www.hellmanwyler.com/ "The Little Foxes" and Wyler's screen collaborations with playwright Lillian Hellman]}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070228052529/http://www.hellmanwyler.com/ Margaret Tallichet and William Wyler remembered at Alabama festival]}}
* [https://archive.org/details/FightingLady The Fighting Lady]
* [http://catalog.oscars.org/vwebv/holdingsInfo?bibId=66431 William Wyler papers], Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
* [https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Wyler+ William Wyler] on [[Encyclopædia Britannica]]

{{William Wyler}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for William Wyler
|list =
{{Academy Award Best Director}}
{{AFI Life Achievement Award}}
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardFeatureFilm 1948-1959}}
{{DirectorsGuildofAmericaAwardLifetimeFilm}}
{{Golden Globe Award for Best Director}}
{{Thalberg Award}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Director}}
{{New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Director}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wyler, William}}
[[Category:1902 births]]
[[Category:1981 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century American businesspeople]]
[[Category:20th-century American Jews]]
[[Category:20th-century American male actors]]
[[Category:20th-century American male writers]]
[[Category:20th-century American screenwriters]]
[[Category:AFI Life Achievement Award recipients]]
[[Category:Alsatian Jews]]
[[Category:American deaf people]]
[[Category:Film directors from Los Angeles]]
[[Category:American film producers]]
[[Category:American Freemasons]]
[[Category:American male film actors]]
[[Category:American male screenwriters]]
[[Category:American people of Swiss-Jewish descent]]
[[Category:Best Directing Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Best Director Golden Globe winners]]
[[Category:Burials at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Glendale)]]
[[Category:Deaf film directors]]
[[Category:Directors Guild of America Award winners]]
[[Category:Directors of Best Picture Academy Award winners]]
[[Category:Directors of Palme d'Or winners]]
[[Category:English-language film directors]]
[[Category:Filmmakers who won the Best Film BAFTA Award]]
[[Category:First Motion Picture Unit personnel]]
[[Category:Jewish American military personnel]]
[[Category:Jewish American screenwriters]]
[[Category:Mass media people from Mulhouse]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New York City]]
[[Category:Military personnel from New York (state)]]
[[Category:New York National Guard personnel]]
[[Category:Swiss Freemasons]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces officers]]
[[Category:United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:United States Army Signal Corps personnel]]
[[Category:Western (genre) film directors]]