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William Wyler
William Wyler | |
|---|---|
 Wyler in 1945 | |
| Born | Willi Wyler July 1, 1902 |
| Died | July 27, 1981 (aged 79) |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale, California, U.S. |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1925–1970 |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 5 |
| Relatives | Carl Laemmle Jr. (cousin) |
| Military career | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army National Guard United States Army Air Forces |
| Years of service | 1921–1922 (National Guard) 1942–1945 (Army Air Forces) |
| Rank |  Lieutenant Colonel |
| Unit |  Army Signal Corps New York Army National Guard |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards |  Purple Heart[citation needed] American Campaign Medal[citation needed] European–African–Middle Eastern Campaign Medal World War II Victory Medal[citation needed] |
William Wyler (/ˈwaɪlər/; born Willi Wyler[1] (German: [ˈvɪli ˈvi:lɐ]); July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a German-born American film director and producer. Known for his work in numerous genres over five decades, he received numerous awards and accolades, including three Academy Awards. He holds the record of twelve nominations for the Academy Award for Best Director. For his oeuvre of work, Wyler was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award, the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award, and the American Film Institute Life Achievement Award.
Wyler immigrated to the United States in 1921 where he worked first for Universal Studios in New York before moving to Los Angeles. By 1925, he was the youngest director at Universal, and in 1929 he directed Hell's Heroes, Universal's first sound production filmed entirely on location. Wyler went on to win the Academy Award for Best Director three times, for Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Ben-Hur (1959), all of which also won for Best Picture. He was Oscar-nominated for Dodsworth (1936), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Letter (1940), The Little Foxes (1941), The Heiress (1949), Detective Story (1952), Roman Holiday (1953), Friendly Persuasion (1956), and The Collector (1965).
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."[2]: 57 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" from the 1930s to the 1960s. Through his talent for staging, editing, and camera movement, he turned dynamic theatrical spaces into cinematic ones.[3] Wyler is also known for his work as an actors' director, often propelling them to stardom.
- ^ Birth Certificate No. 1298/1902, Mulhouse Archive. According to Herman, Jan. A Talent for Trouble: The Life of Hollywood's Most Acclaimed Director. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1995. ISBN 0-399-14012-3
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