William Wyler

William Wyler (1902–1981) was born Willy Wyler in Mulhouse, Alsace, France, where his father owned a successful haberdashery. He was educated in local schools and, for a short time, in Switzerland. After his mother arranged an interview with Carl Laemmle (a distant relative), Wyler was offered a job with Universal and began working at the studio's New York office in 1920. Two years later he relocated to Universal City, California, to learn about production. After working odd jobs on the studio lot, he was hired as a second assistant director on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923). Later promoted to assistant director, he worked on serials and Westerns, eventually getting the opportunity to direct a two-reel Western, The Crook Buster (1925). He made five more short Westerns before he helmed his first feature, Lazy Lightning (1926). Wyler alternated between features and two-reelers, making his last Western for Universal, Thunder Riders, in 1927. After expressing interest in directing films of more significance, Wyler was given the comedy-drama Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1928), which was a success. He soon became a star director at Universal with such films as Hell's Heroes (1930), Counsellor at Law (1933), and The Good Fairy (1935). While filming The Good Fairy he met and married its star, Margaret Sullavan; their marriage ended in 1936. In 1935 Wyler signed a contract with Samuel Goldwyn and soon after received his first Academy Award nomination for directing Dodsworth (1936). During preproduction on Wuthering Heights (1939)—for which he was also nominated—he met actress Margaret Tallichet, and they married in October 1938. After a string of critical and commercial successes, including Jezebel (1938), The Letter (1941), and The Little Foxes (1941), Wyler earned his first Academy Award for directing Mrs. Miniver (1942). He was unable to attend the awards ceremony, however, for he was stationed in England with the U.S. Army.

Wyler's documentary Memphis Belle (1944), filmed for the War Department, is still recognized as one of the best on World War II. He then codirected Thunderbolt, about the Italian bombing campaign; the film was not released until 1947. After the war Wyler joined Frank Capra and Samuel Briskin in forming Liberty Films, but still owed Goldwyn one picture. Unable to agree on a particular property, Wyler and Goldwyn finally decided on MacKinley Kantor's verse novel Glory for Me, the genesis for The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), for which Wyler received his second Academy Award. In 1947, after members of the film industry were targeted by the House Committee on Un-American Activities, Wyler helped found the Committee for the First Amendment in protest. Liberty Films was bought by Paramount that same year, and Wyler now owed Paramount the films he had agreed to make for Liberty. One of these was The Heiress (1949), which earned him another Academy Award nomination. Wyler went on to direct and receive Academy Award nominations for Roman Holiday (1953) and Friendly Persuasion (1956). He also helmed The Big Country (1958) and had his greatest commercial success with Ben-Hur (1959), which earned him his third Academy Award. He later tried his hand at musicals, directing Funny Girl (1968). His final film, The Liberation of L.B. Jones, was released in 1970. From May 1947 to May 1948 Wyler served on the Academy Board of Governors as fourth vice president. Other honors include the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1965 and the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award in 1976.