William Wyler
Biography
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.
Filmography
William Wyler: Forty Takes Willy
2025
as Himself (Archival)
Hollywood's Second World War
2019
as Self (archive footage)
Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
2019
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
The Cold Blue
2018
as Himself (archive footage)
Five Came Back
2017
as Self (archive footage)
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006
as Self (archive footage)
Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema
2005
as Self (archive footage)
- No poster
Reel Radicals: The Sixties Revolution in Film
2002
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies
2001
as Self
Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic
1993
as Self - Director (archive footage)
Directed by William Wyler
1986
as Self
Laurence Olivier: A Life
1982
as Self
Fun in the Big Country
1958
as Self
Stars of Cabaret
1956
as Self (archive footage)
The Screen Director
1951
as Self (staged 'archive' footage) (uncredited)
The Best Years of Our Lives
1946
as Drug Store customer (uncredited)
Dodsworth
1936
as Violin Player in Dance Orchestra (uncredited)