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William Wyler

Highest Rated: 100% The Big Country (1958)

Lowest Rated: 63% The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970)

Birthday: Jul 1, 1902

Birthplace: Mülhausen, Alsace, Germany

Few film directors demonstrated the depth, range, longevity, and sensitivity that William Wyler served up on the American silver screen over his decades-long career. Having made a number of silent pictures in the 1920s, Wyler emerged in the talkie era as a director of respectable adaptations of plays and literary works like "These Three" (1936) and "Come and Get It" (1936). But it was his collaboration with actress Bette Davis - which was punctuated by an on-again, off-again romance - that elevated his career to the next level, starting with "Jezebel" (1938). He went on to earn Academy Award nominations for "Wuthering Heights" (1939), "The Letter" (1941) and "The Little Foxes" (1941), before winning his first Oscar for "Mrs. Miniver" (1942). Following a brief sojourn to Europe to film "The Memphis Belle" (1944) for the war effort, Wyler earned greater acclaim for with "The Best Years of Our Lives" (1946) and "The Heiress" (1949) before embarking on a string of well-received genre films, covering film noir, Westerns and romantic comedy. He had his grandest achievement with "Ben-Hur" (1959), an epic in every sense of the word that earned 11 Academy Awards. Wyler wound down his career in the next decade, helming hits like "How to Steal a Million" (1966) and "Funny Girl" (1968) before calling it a career in 1970. When he did, Wyler had cemented his place as a legendary director whose greatness spanned decades.

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Highest rated movies

100% 91% The Big Country
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100% 82% The Letter
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100% 76% The Westerner
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100% 93% The Heiress
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100% 88% How to Steal a Million
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100% 79% Counsellor-at-Law
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100% 76% These Three
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100% 87% The Little Foxes
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98% 93% The Best Years of Our Lives
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96% 93% Roman Holiday Watchlist

Filmography

Movies

Credit
63% 86% The Liberation of L.B. Jones Director - 1970
95% 85% Funny Girl Director $223.3K 1968
100% 88% How to Steal a Million Director - 1966
81% 84% The Collector Director - 1965
80% 84% The Children's Hour Director,
Producer
- 1961
87% 89% Ben-Hur Director - 1959
100% 91% The Big Country Director,
Producer
- 1958
No Score Yet No Score Yet Voice of the Big Country Director - 1958
80% 81% Friendly Persuasion Director,
Producer
- 1956
88% 79% The Desperate Hours Director,
Producer
- 1955
96% 93% Roman Holiday Director,
Producer
- 1953
75% 58% Carrie Director,
Producer
- 1952
71% 72% Detective Story Director,
Producer
- 1951
100% 93% The Heiress Director,
Producer
- 1949
No Score Yet 42% Thunderbolt Director - 1946
98% 93% The Best Years of Our Lives Director - 1946
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Fighting Lady Director - 1944
No Score Yet 81% The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress Director,
Writer
- 1944
93% 84% Mrs. Miniver Director,
Producer
- 1942
100% 87% The Little Foxes Director - 1941
100% 82% The Letter Director - 1940
100% 76% The Westerner Director - 1940
96% 85% Wuthering Heights Director $593.9K 1939
96% 82% Jezebel Director - 1938
83% 77% Dead End Director - 1937
91% 86% Dodsworth Director - 1936
100% 76% These Three Director - 1936
91% 69% Come and Get It Director - 1936
No Score Yet 17% The Gay Deception Director - 1935
88% 84% The Good Fairy Director - 1935
No Score Yet No Score Yet Glamour Director - 1934
100% 79% Counsellor-at-Law Director - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Her First Mate Director - 1933
No Score Yet No Score Yet Tom Brown of Culver Director - 1932
No Score Yet No Score Yet A House Divided Director - 1931
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Storm Director - 1930
No Score Yet 43% Hell's Heroes Director - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Shakedown Director - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Love Trap Director - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet Thunder Riders Director - 1928

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Producers' Showcase Director 1956