William Wyler Movies
The son of a prosperous Swiss dry goods merchant, William Wyler was studying the violin in Paris when he met Universal Pictures executive Carl Laemmle, a distant cousin of his mother, in 1922. Another version of this fateful meeting claims that Wyler made the acquaintance of one of Laemmle's many European relatives; whatever the case, the 20-year-old Wyler was invited to America to work in Universal's publicity department, writing publicity for the studio's foreign releases. He worked his way up to assistant director at Universal, finally graduating to director for the two-reel Western Crook Buster (1925). This was followed by several feature-length sagebrushers, then by his first non-Western effort, Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1927). Universal's slapdash production methods and abbreviated schedules convinced Wyler that if he ever graduated to A-pictures, he would take his own sweet time making them. As a result, Wyler would earn a reputation as one of the slowest and most meticulous directors in the business, shooting extensive retakes on even the simplest scenes. Wyler's painstaking methods and his autocratic on-set behavior exasperated and infuriated many, but he was the favorite director of the equally demanding producer Sam Goldwyn. The long Goldwyn/Wyler association began with the 1936 film These Three, a heavily rewritten adaptation of Lillian Hellman's controversial play The Children's Hour. Another of Wyler's yea-sayers was Bette Davis, who, despite her frequent high decibel arguments with the director, turned out some of her finest performances in such Wyler projects as Jezebel (1938), The Letter (1940), and The Little Foxes (1941) (the fact that Davis and Wyler were occasional offscreen lovers might also have had something to do with their successful professional collaborations). Commissioned as a major in the U.S. Army Air Corps during WWII, Wyler helmed two classic documentary films, The Memphis Belle (1943) and Thunderbolt (1944); his courage while filming under the most life-threatening of situations earned Wyler an Air Medal and a promotion to Lieutenant Colonel. After the war, Wyler helped found the Committee for the First Amendment, a group of Hollywood liberals united to battle the witch-hunting excesses of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Wyler produced as well as directed most of his postwar projects, which included The Heiress (1949), Detective Story (1951), Roman Holiday (1953), The Desperate Hours (1955), and Friendly Persuasion (1956). He also directed The Children's Hour (1961), a remake of his own These Three (1936), which retained the lesbianism angle that the earlier film was forced to do without. Wyler won three Best Director Academy Awards, all for films which were honored with Best Picture Oscars: Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Ben-Hur (1959) (he'd been one of many production assistants on the 1926 silent version of the last named film). Married twice, Wyler's first wife was film star Margaret Sullavan; his second was actress Margaret Tallichet, who gave up her screen career upon becoming Mrs. Wyler. William Wyler's final film was 1970's The Liberation of L.B. Jones; despite failing health, Wyler was primed to start work on 40 Carats (1973), but was advised by his physician not to do so -- possibly the only instance that someone other than Willy Wyler had the last word on a movie decision! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1925
The advertising tag "four years in the making" is usually so much press-agent puffery. In the case of the 1926 silent version of Ben Hur, it was the unvarnished truth--and the filmmakers had the scars to prove it. The story behind the film is now part of Hollywood folklore: the cast and production crew changes (star George Walsh summarily dumped in favor of Roman Novarro, director Charles J. Brabin replaced by Fred Niblo, writer-supervisor June Mathis-who'd spearheaded the project in the first place-abruptly fired); the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on the troublesome location shooting in Italy--money that was lost when most of the footage proved unusable; the extra expenditure of refilming in Hollywood; and the huge chunk of the film's profits eaten up by the 50% royalty deal set up with theatrical producers Klaw and Erlanger, who controlled the rights to General Lew Wallace's novel. The end result reflected the turbulent production conditions: Ben Hur is an extraordinarily uneven experience, with moments of cinematic brilliance and pulse-pounding thrills alternating with long stretches of stagey boredom. The film follows the original Wallace story to the letter: Judah Ben-Hur (Novarro), a wealthy Jew living under the reign of the Caesars, is betrayed by his best friend, ambitious Roman centurion Messala (Francis X. Bushman). Ben-Hur's family is sent to prison, while he himself is condemned to the galleys. During a violent sea battle, Ben-Hur saves the life of galleon commander Quintus Arrius (Frank Currier). The grateful commander adopts Ben-Hur as his son and bankrolls his desire to become a champion charioteer. Thirsting for revenge, Ben-Hur agrees to race against his old nemesis Messala. The latter is fatally injured during the race; with his dying breath, Messala reveals that Ben-Hur's family, previously reported dead, are actually alive--but living as lepers. The story is subtitled A Tale of the Christ because, at various junctures in his life, Ben-Hur has been touched by the hand of Jesus. Ben-Hur must totally embrace Christ's edict of love and forgiveness before he can be reunited with his family. As Jesus is crucified in Jerusalem, Ben-Hur's mother (Claire McDowell) and sister (Kathleen Key), having also embraced the Christian philosophy, are miraculously cured of their leprosy. Most of these plot elements, together with the romance between Ben-Hur and the lovely Esther (May McAvoy), reappeared in the 1959 remake of Ben-Hur--which, fortunately, did not include the ridiculous subplot involving the alluring Iras (Carmel Myers), who attempts to seduce Ben-Hur just before the big race. The film's highlights--the sea battle, the now-legendary chariot race--were produced on a far grander scale than in the 1959 version; unfortunately, both highlights took place in the first half of the picture, leaving the viewers with a rather dreary, drawn out denouement (the remake wisely placed the sea battle in part one, and the race in part two). The Technicolor Nativity sequences were condemned in 1926 as being in poor taste, but when seen today are beautifully handled and restful on the eye (oddly, no one complained about the nude female revellers during a later Technicolor pageant scene!) Ben Hur cost $4 million and grossed $9 million on its first release. The aforementioned royalty arrangement left MGM with only a $1 million take. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ramon Novarro, Francis X. Bushman, (more)
- 1926
Returning home from the Great War, "Breezy" Hart (Fred Humes) and his shell-shocked buddy Frank Wilcox (Ralph McCullough) discover the Wilcox property in the hands of evil Sam Hardy (William Norton Bailey). Frank, who is the rightful heir to the ranch, goes into hiding, while "Breezy" takes a job in the ranch kitchen. Learning of Frank's whereabouts, Hardy plots to have the young heir killed. Luckily, Breezy overhears the villain plotting with his henchmen and is able to rescue his friend. Hardy and his men are arrested, and Frank, now cured of his illness, is reunited with his girl, June Marston (Nita Cavalier). Breezy, meanwhile, is busy romancing his kitchen staff colleague, Mary Jane (Louise Lorraine). Director William Wyler, a distant relative of Universal's founder, Carl Laemmle), began his distinguished career helming Fred Humes and Ted Wells program Westerns. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1926
William Wyler directed this fairly good Art Acord vehicle that also featured a very young Fay Wray in the female lead. Cowboy Lance Lighton (Acord) is known as "Lazy Lightning" because he's capable of riding like the wind but chooses not to. Lance is snapped out of his lethargy when little Dickie Rodgers (Bobby Gordon) -- the kid brother of the lovely Lila Rogers (Wray) -- is stricken with a fatal illness. Mounting his horse and riding hell for leather, Lance races through a spectacular rainstorm to rush a vial of life-saving serum to Dickie's bedside. Once this is accomplished, our hero sets about to foil the villain (Arthur Morrison) and win the heroine, Lila. Of the many "lost" films of Art Acord, Lazy Lightning would be worth seeing again if only as an early example of the directorial expertise of William Wyler. Vin Moore, otherwise a busy director of Universal western 2-reelers, played the sheriff. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bobby Gordon, Fay Wray, (more)
- 1927
Hard-drinking silent screen hero Art Acord starred opposite his then-wife Louise Lorraine in this Universal oater directed by a young William Wyler. The story is something about a fake army colonel (Albert J. Smith) who blackmails Acord into doing his bidding, including smearing a rancher and his pretty daughter (Louise Lorraine. Unfortunately listed among the countless missing silent films, this Acord vehicle remains the most obscure film in director William Wyler's portfolio. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Art Acord, Louise Lorraine, (more)
- 1927
Straight Shootin' is a rubber stamp Universal western vehicle for second-string cowboy hero Ted Wells. The villains kidnap a grizzled old prospector, threatening to starve him to death unless he reveals the whereabouts of his gold mine. The old man's far-from-loyal partner locates the mine on behalf of the crooks, hoping to get a piece of the action himself. Crosses and double-crosses abound until Wells shows up to settle matters. Were it not for the fact that future Oscar-winner William Wyler was the director, Straight Shootin' would be completely forgotten today. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Wells
- 1927
A very young William Wyler directed this two-reel "Northwestern" starring tight-lipped Edmund Cobb as Field, a Northwest Mounted police officer assigned to catch a gang of murderous thugs. Unbeknownst to Field, the gang is lead by one Jackson Rasker (Norbert Myles), who has befriended Dumont (Howard Davies), the father of Field's girlfriend Helene (Elsa Benham). Rasker lures Dumont into an ambush but pretends to be a victim himself. Grateful for Rasker's "help," Dumont, with his dying breath, begs Helene to marry the scoundrel. Happily, Fields is on to the gang and the villain is unmasked. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1927
German-born William Wyler began his long, eventful directorial career helming Fred Gilman Western 2-reelers at Universal. Graduating to feature Westerns, Wyler directed both Fred Humes and Ted Wells. Desert Dust was the second of three Wells Westerns for Wyler, a breezy oater about a reform-school kid who must prove his real worth in order to win the heart a state senator's lovely daughter (Lotus Thompson). Wyler considered it a move upwards when he left the Wells unit in favor of Fred Humes. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Wells, Lotus Thompson, (more)
- 1927
William Wyler, a distant relative of Universal's founder Carl Laemmle, directed this routine western about a cowboy, "Smilin'" Sam (Fred Humes), who mistakes lovely Milly (Ena Gregory) and her brother (Churchill Ross) for a couple of outlaws. Everything is quickly sorted out, however, and Humes can search for the real villain. Director Wyler later recalled that moving from the Ted Wells unit to that of Fred Humes was considered quite a step up in prestige at Universal. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Humes, Ena Gregory, (more)
- 1927
Young up-and-coming director William Wyler permitted himself to strut his stuff onscreen as well in this comedy two-reeler produced by Universal. A lively look at Western filmmaking, Daze of the West featured two-reel Western star Fred Gilman as a two-reel Western star, with Vin Moore as the typically harrassed director. Wyler (who, ironically, had replaced Moore as director of the Gilman unit) was the patient assistant director, and studio starlet Elaine Forrest played the heroine. This Western short was the final film to be released in Universal's lower-budgeted "Mustang" series. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- 1927
In this typical silent Universal "Blue Streak Western," a couple of crooked real estate speculators (Boris Bullock and Captain C.E. Anderson) conspire to acquire the potentially valuable Lawton ranch by less than savory means. Visiting the ranch, the smooth Bullock falls for the rancher's pretty daughter, Madge (Joyce Compton) and soon the Lawtons are ready to literally give away the farm. Happily, foreman Larry Day (Fred Humes) sees right through Bullock's slick facade and saves the day. As they did in several other Universal Westerns, Dick L'Estrange, Pee Wee Holmes, Ben Corbett and Scotty Mattraw added comic relief as the Lawton ranch hands. Border Cavalier was directed by a very young William Wyler, a distant relative of studio owner "Uncle" Carl Laemmle who, as humorist Ogden Nash once pointed out, "had a very big Faemmle!" ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fred Humes, Joyce Compton, (more)
- 1928
Directed by a very young William Wyler, this fanciful Ted Wells Western from the assembly-lines at Universal reads like a Hoot Gibson reject. Wells plays Jack Duncan, a ranch hand planning to give his new, female employer Betty Barton (Charlotte Stevens), a welcoming reception she won't soon forget. Arriving from the East with her aunt (Julia Griffith), the girl is delighted to be greeted with a mock Indian attack arranged by Jack and ranch foreman Lon Seeright (William J. Dyer). Jack plans to give Betty yet another chance to experience the wild and woolly West by staging a "kidnapping" during a masked ball. Unfortunately, crooked gambler Lem Dawson (William A. Steele) gets in the way by abducting the pretty girl for real. Wyler, a distant relative of Universal's benign founder Carl Laemmle, began his long, celebrated directorial career helming B-Westerns starring contract cowboys such as Wells and Fred Humes. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ted Wells, Gilbert "Pee Wee" Holmes, (more)
- 1929
Directed by William Wyler, The Love Trap centers around a chorus girl whose sudden job termination (on the day of her eviction, no less) leads her to a hasty decision -- she would attend a party and make money by whatever means necessary, however dubious those means may be. It isn't long before the young woman ends up on the receiving end of an attack, and not only finds herself thrown out of the party, but homeless, penniless, and at the mercy of a good-hearted taxi-cab driver. The cab driver lets her take up temporary residence inside one of his cars, and winds up falling in love with the singer, as she would with him. Certain that they were meant to be together, the couple rushes off to the altar; sparking no small amount of ire from the cab driver's snooty, upper crust family. Indeed, the relatives raise a mighty fuss -- his uncle goes so far as to expose the new bride of having been the host's mistress at the ill-fated party she had attended at the height of her desperation, which leads to a heated showdown between husband, mother, and uncle. The Love Trap features Laura LaPlante, Nell Hamilton, Norman Trevor, and Jocyln Lee ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neil Hamilton, Norman Trevor, (more)
- 1929
Director William Wyler made the move up to talking pictures with this blend of action and comedy. Dave Roberts (James Murray is a professional boxer who is better at losing conveniently than in knocking out is opponents. Dave's less-than-happy life on the margins begins to change when he meets and takes in an orphan, and as he learns to care for his new pal, he decides to turn the tables on the low-lifes who have been taking advantage of him. Once believed lost, The Shakedown was discovered and restored by the staff of the George Eastman House in 1998. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Barbara Kent, George Kotsonaros, (more)
- 1929
Thunderbolt was Josef von Sternberg's first American talking picture. George Bancroft, a von Sternberg regular (despite frequents clashes between the two men), plays a death row inmate who may be on the eve of eternity, but who has still one more murder on his mind. He plans to kill the young lover (Richard Arlen) of his former girl friend (Fay Wray); fortuitously the lover is incarcerated in the same prison where Bancroft awaits the chair. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- George Bancroft, Fay Wray, (more)
