William Wyler

Directing

William Wyler

Born 1902-07-01 · Mülhausen, Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire [now Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France]

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.

Acting credits

The Best Years of Our Lives poster
7.7

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.

The Best Years of Our Lives

1946

Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic poster
7.0

The history of the peplum genre, known as sword-and-sandal cinema, set in Antiquity, from the silent film era to the present day.

Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic

2019

No artwork available
8.0

illustrates how directors pushed boundaries and altered the art of filmmaking during the turbulent, swinging 1960s. Narrated by Woody Harrelson, "Reel Radicals" features clips from such seminal films as Arthur Penn's "Bonnie and Clyde" (1967); Mike Nichols' "The Graduate" (1967); Dennis Hopper's "Easy Rider" (1969); John Frankenheimer's "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962); Stanley Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove" (1964) and "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968); John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy" (1969); Richard Brooks' "Elmer Gantry" (1960) and "In Cold Blood" (1967); and Norman Jewison's "In the Heat of the Night" (1967) and "The Thomas Crown Affair" (1968). Frankenheimer, Jewison, Hopper, Schlesinger, Penn, Buck Henry, Paul Mazursky, Roger Corman and Arthur Hiller are among the filmmakers who discuss the decade.

Reel Radicals: The Sixties Revolution in Film

2002

Laurence Olivier: A Life poster
10.0

A multi-award winning biography covering the life and career of legendary screen and stage actor/director Laurence Olivier.

Laurence Olivier: A Life

1982

Directed by William Wyler poster
NR

A documentary on the film director William Wyler (1902-1981), this feature was conceived by his daughter, Catherine, as a loving tribute. Utilizing a wealth of film clips, many in black and white, the movie features interviews with Bette Davis, Samantha Eggar, Greer Garson, Lillian Hellman, Audrey Hepburn, Charlton Heston, John Huston, Laurence Olivier, Gregory Peck, Ralph Richardson, Terence Stamp, Barbra Streisand, Billy Wilder, and the director himself, interviewed only a few days before he died in 1981.

Directed by William Wyler

1986

Dodsworth poster
7.1

A retired auto manufacturer and his wife take a long-planned European vacation only to find that they want very different things from life.

Dodsworth

1936

Five Came Back poster
7.9

The extraordinary story of how Hollywood changed World War II – and how World War II changed Hollywood, through the interwoven experiences of five legendary filmmakers who went to war to serve their country and bring the truth to the American people: John Ford, William Wyler, John Huston, Frank Capra, and George Stevens. Based on Mark Harris’ best-selling book, “Five Came Back: A Story of Hollywood and the Second World War.”

Five Came Back

2017

Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema poster
6.5

Current filmmakers such as Ridley Scott and George Lucas reflect on the importance and influence of the epic classic "Ben-Hur".

Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema

2005

The Screen Director poster
7.0

A behind-the-scenes look at all the responsibilities (and headaches) a director assumes when making a motion picture.

The Screen Director

1951

The Cold Blue poster
6.7

A meditation on youth, war and stunning bravery, featuring footage, taken from the National Archives, from the documentary filmed in 1943 by legendary Hollywood director William Wyler about the famous Memphis Belle flying fortress and the gripping narration from some of the last surviving B-17 pilots.

The Cold Blue

2018

Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance poster
9.0

Explores the many facets of Vivien Leigh's life and performances through rarely-seen home movies, personal photographs and interviews with her family and friends. An episode of A&E Biography, a series that recounts the life stories of various historical figures and celebrities.

Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance

2000

Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies poster
8.5

The life and work of Samuel Goldwyn, a Polish-born glove salesman who became one of Hollywood's greatest independent producers, is remembered in this classy documentary created for the PBS American Masters series. Based on A. Scott Berg's acclaimed biography, the film includes new interviews with Goldwyn's surviving family members as well as vintage interviews with such luminaries as Bette Davis, John Huston, Laurence Olivier and others.

Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies

2001

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story poster
6.6

Combining unprecedented access to Davis' vast personal archives with original interviews, this documentary reveals a startling portrait of one of Hollywood's most gifted and enigmatic stars.

Stardust: The Bette Davis Story

2006

Hollywood's Second World War poster
8.0

For the USA, World War 2 was an all-out war - to mobilize the masses, the US government launched a huge propaganda campaign and cinema, the medium of the masses, was quite simply their most important weapon. Government authorities monitored the production of feature films and the military itself produced documentaries aimed at rallying the American people to support the troops. This film tells the story of four Hollywood directors of European origin, who returned to the "Old World" during the Second World War to make propaganda documentaries for the US Army at the front: William Wyler from Alsace, Frank Capra from Italy, Anatole Litvak from Ukraine and - in post-war Germany - Billy Wilder from Austria.

Hollywood's Second World War

2019

William Wyler: Forty Takes Willy poster
8.0

Documentary on the life and career of famed director William Wyler. An Academy Award-winning director and 14-time Oscar nominee, Wyler was known for shooting multiple takes of a scene before he was satisfied. This documentary takes a deep dive into his extraordinary career, featuring never-before-seen material provided by Wyler's children.

William Wyler: Forty Takes Willy

2025

Fun in the Big Country poster
NR

Behind-the-scenes look during the filming of William Wyler's 1958 western, "The Big Country."

Fun in the Big Country

1958

Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic poster
7.7

The story of how the classic epic "Ben-Hur" was made.

Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic

1993

Stars of Cabaret poster
NR

A collection of amateur films made by photographer Roderic Vickers and friends.

Stars of Cabaret

1956

Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley' poster
NR

Documentary about how the creative energies of Darryl F. Zanuck and John Ford combined to forge an enduring masterpiece despite the challenges of wartime production.

Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'

2000

Behind the camera

Ben-Hur poster
7.9

In ancient Judea, a Jewish aristocrat opposing Roman occupation of his homeland reunites with his childhood friend, now a Roman commander — setting in motion a saga of betrayal, adventure, tragedy, revenge, and faith.

Ben-Hur

1959

Roman Holiday poster
7.9

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 back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

Roman Holiday

1953

Roman Holiday poster
7.9

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 back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

Roman Holiday

1953

The Children's Hour poster
7.7

An unruly student at a private all-girls boarding school scandalously accuses the two women who run it of having a romantic relationship.

The Children's Hour

1961

The Children's Hour poster
7.7

An unruly student at a private all-girls boarding school scandalously accuses the two women who run it of having a romantic relationship.

The Children's Hour

1961

The Little Foxes poster
7.5

In 1900, a clan attempts to strike a deal with a Chicago industrialist to get him to build cotton mills in their Deep South town.

The Little Foxes

1941

The Big Country poster
7.6

Retired wealthy sea captain Jim McKay arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between his future father-in-law, Major Terrill, and the rough and lawless Hannasseys over a valuable patch of land.

The Big Country

1958

The Big Country poster
7.6

Retired wealthy sea captain Jim McKay arrives in the Old West, where he becomes embroiled in a feud between his future father-in-law, Major Terrill, and the rough and lawless Hannasseys over a valuable patch of land.

The Big Country

1958

Wuthering Heights poster
7.2

Young orphan Heathcliff is adopted by the wealthy Earnshaw family and moves into their estate, Wuthering Heights. Soon, the new resident falls for his compassionate foster sister, Cathy. The two share a remarkable bond that seems unbreakable until Cathy, feeling the pressure of social convention, suppresses her feelings and marries Edgar Linton, a man of means who befits her stature. Heathcliff vows to win her back.

Wuthering Heights

1939

Funny Girl poster
7.2

The life of famed 1930s comedienne Fanny Brice, from her early days in the Jewish slums of New York, to the height of her career with the Ziegfeld Follies, as well as her marriage to the rakish gambler Nick Arnstein.

Funny Girl

1968

How to Steal a Million poster
7.5

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

How to Steal a Million

1966

The Best Years of Our Lives poster
7.7

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.

The Best Years of Our Lives

1946

Jezebel poster
7.0

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

Jezebel

1938

Jezebel poster
7.0

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

Jezebel

1938

Mrs. Miniver poster
7.1

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.

Mrs. Miniver

1942

Mrs. Miniver poster
7.1

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.

Mrs. Miniver

1942

The Desperate Hours poster
7.0

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

The Desperate Hours

1955

The Desperate Hours poster
7.0

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

The Desperate Hours

1955

The Letter poster
7.3

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

The Letter

1940

The Letter poster
7.3

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

The Letter

1940

The Collector poster
7.4

A man kidnaps a woman and holds her hostage just for the pleasure of having her there.

The Collector

1965

Friendly Persuasion poster
6.6

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 they fight, despite their peaceful attitude?

Friendly Persuasion

1956

Friendly Persuasion poster
6.6

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 they fight, despite their peaceful attitude?

Friendly Persuasion

1956

The Heiress poster
7.8

In 1840s New York, the uneventful and boring days of the daughter of a wealthy doctor come to an end when she meets a dashing poorer man — who may or may not be after her inheritance.

The Heiress

1949