William Wyler

Directing·Jul 1, 1902·Mülhausen, Alsace-Lorraine, German Empire [now Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France]

Rate

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.

Film	Credit
William Wyler: Forty Takes Willy2025 · Himself (Archival)	Himself (Archival)
Hollywood's Second World War2019 · Self (archive footage)	Self (archive footage)
Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic2019 · Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)	Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
The Cold Blue2018 · Himself (archive footage)	Himself (archive footage)
Five Came Back2017 · Self (archive footage)	Self (archive footage)
Roman Holiday2016 · Writer	Writer
History Rediscovered: The Memphis Belle2011 · Director	Director
Stardust: The Bette Davis Story2006 · Self (archive footage)	Self (archive footage)
Ben-Hur: The Epic That Changed Cinema2005 · Self (archive footage)	Self (archive footage)
RReel Radicals: The Sixties Revolution in Film2002 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)	Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Goldwyn: The Man and His Movies2001 · Self	Self
Backstory: 'How Green Was My Valley'2000 · Self (archive footage)	Self (archive footage)
Vivien Leigh: A Delicate Balance2000 · Self (archive footage)	Self (archive footage)
Ben-Hur: The Making of an Epic1993 · Self - Director (archive footage)	Self - Director (archive footage)
Directed by William Wyler1986 · Self	Self
Laurence Olivier: A Life1982 · Self	Self
The Liberation of L.B. Jones1970 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Funny Girl1968 · Director	Director
How to Steal a Million1966 · Director	Director
The Collector1965 · Director	Director
The Children's Hour1961 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Ben-Hur1959 · Director	Director
The Big Country1958 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Fun in the Big Country1958 · Self	Self
Friendly Persuasion1956 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
TThe Letter1956 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Stars of Cabaret1956 · Self (archive footage)	Self (archive footage)
The Desperate Hours1955 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Roman Holiday1953 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Carrie1952 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Detective Story1951 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
TThe Screen Director1951 · Self (staged 'archive' footage) (uncredited)	Self (staged 'archive' footage) (uncredited)
The Heiress1949 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Thunderbolt1947 · Director	Director
The Best Years of Our Lives1946 · Drug Store customer (uncredited), Director	Drug Store customer (uncredited), Director
The Fighting Lady1944 · Director	Director
The Memphis Belle1944 · Director, Writer, Director of Photography	Director, Writer, Director of Photography
Mrs. Miniver1942 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
The Little Foxes1941 · Director	Director
The Letter1940 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
The Westerner1940 · Director	Director
Wuthering Heights1939 · Director	Director
Jezebel1938 · Director, Producer	Director, Producer
Dead End1937 · Director	Director
Come and Get It1936 · Director	Director
Dodsworth1936 · Violin Player in Dance Orchestra (uncredited), Director	Violin Player in Dance Orchestra (uncredited), Director
These Three1936 · Director	Director
The Gay Deception1935 · Director	Director