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William Wyler: Director William Wyler
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William Wyler often came to the fore as a producer of his movies. For "The Heiress" (49) he was nominated for two Oscar, for the best director as well as for the best picture. For "Detective Story" (51) he nominated for the best director and for the movies "Roman Holiday" (53) and "Friendly Persuasion" (56) he was both nominated for the best director and the best picture.
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During the Golden Age of Hollywood, William Wyler was one of the most commerically successful film directors. Here the filmmaker examines clips from his most famous films and interviews with his most famous stars. Included is an interview that Wyler gave in 1981, three days before he died.
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Now established as Goldwyn's director of choice, Wyler made several films for him, including Dead End (1937) and Wuthering Heights (1939). Essentially an employee of the producer, Wyler clashed with Goldwyn over aesthetic choices and longed for his freedom. Goldwyn had demanded that the ghetto set of "Dead End" be spruced up and that "clean garbage" be used in the water tank representing the East River, over Wyler's objections. Goldwyn prevailed, as he did later with the ending of "Wuthering Heights." After Wyler had finished principal photography on the film, Goldwyn demanded a new ending featuring the ghosts of Heathcliff and Cathy reunited and walking away towards what the audience would assume is heaven and an eternity of conjoined bliss. Wyler opposed the new ending and refused to shoot it. Goldwyn had his ending shot without Wyler and had it tacked onto the final cut.
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Wyler won the Irving Thalberg Award for career achievement in 1965. His legendary career was winding down, though, and he began to make fewer films. The Collector, a 1965 movie, earned Wyler yet another Best Director nomination. Following that, he worked with Hepburn again in How to Steal a Million, a 1966 crime comedy. His great work with women continued with 1968’s Funny Girl, a Barbra Streisand vehicle that won her the Oscar for Best Actress. Wyler’s last film was 1970’s little known crime drama The Liberation of L.B.
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Wyler was born in Mulhouse, Alsace, Germany, on July 1, 1902, to Jewish parents and studied in Germany, Switzerland, and France. His early interest in American culture was gratified when he met a distant relative, Carl Laemmle, in Paris. The president of Universal Pictures in the United States, Laemmle invited Wyler to work as a publicist for the company's New York office in 1920. In 1921 Wyler moved to Hollywood, eventually landing work as an assistant director. In 1924 he directed the two-reel Western Crook Buster, before directing his first feature-length film, Lazy Lightning in 1925.
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After the war, Wyler began his most prolific run as an influential director. He helped Olivia de Havilland to her second Oscar with the 1949 film The Heiress. He then introduced American audiences to Audrey Hepburn in 1953’s Roman Holiday, a truly classic film which gave Hepburn her first Oscar for Best Actress. 1956’s Friendly Persuasion picked up the Golden Palm from Cannes, adding to Wyler’s impressive collection of awards and accolades. Throughout the '50s and '60s, he was among the most prolific and honoured directors working in Hollywood.
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Director William Wyler