Directing · Mülhausen, Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire [now Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France] · Born July 1, 1902
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.
MovieWilliam Wyler: Forty Takes Willy
2025
as Himself (Archival)
MovieHollywood's Second World War
2019
as Self (archive footage)
MovieSword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
2019
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
MovieThe Cold Blue
2018
as Himself (archive footage)
MovieFive Came Back
2017
as Self (archive footage)
TVFive Came Back
2017
as Self (archive footage)
MovieStardust: The Bette Davis Story
2006
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBen-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema
2005
as Self (archive footage)
Reel Radicals: The Sixties Revolution in Film
2002
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
MovieGoldwyn: The Man and His Movies
2001
as Self
MovieBackstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'
2000
as Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance
2000
as Self (archive footage)
MovieBen-Hur: The Making of an Epic
1993
as Self - Director (archive footage)
MovieDirected by William Wyler
1986
as Self
MovieLaurence Olivier: a life
1982
as Self
TVThe American Film Institute Salute to ...
1973
as Self
TVGreat Performances
1971
as Self
MovieFun in the Big Country
1958
as Self
TVCinépanorama
1956
as Self
MovieStars of Cabaret
1956
as Self (archive footage)
TVThe Oscars
1953
as Self
The Screen Director
1951
as Self (staged 'archive' footage) (uncredited)
TVThe Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
MovieThe Best Years of Our Lives
1946
as Drug Store customer (uncredited)
MovieDodsworth
1936
as Violin Player in Dance Orchestra (uncredited)
