Wyler, William

(born July 1, 1902, Mulhouse, France—died July 27, 1981, Beverly Hills, Calif., U.S.) French-born U.S. film director. After studies in France and Switzerland, he immigrated to New York in 1920. Working for Universal Pictures, he became a director of low-budget westerns, but he established a serious reputation with Counsellor-at-Law (1933) and went on to direct successes such as Dodsworth (1936), Wuthering Heights (1939), and The Little Foxes (1941). His films are noted for their clear narrative style and sensitive handling of human relationships. He won Academy Awards for Mrs. Miniver (1942) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and he later directed popular movies such as Roman Holiday (1953), Ben-Hur (1959, Academy Award), and Funny Girl (1968).

Wyler, William (1902–81) director; born in Mulhouse, Germany (now France). Of Swiss parentage, he studied business in Switzerland, then the violin in Paris; there he met Carl Laemmle, head of Universal Pictures, who invited him to New York in 1922 to write publicity. Moving to Hollywood in 1923, he made his directorial debut in 1925 and went on to a long and distinguished career, climaxing with such Academy Award-winning films as Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Ben Hur (1959). During World War II he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and made two documentaries, Memphis Belle (1944) and Thunderball (1945). Noted for his total control—he was called "90-Take Wyler" because of his insistence on reshooting until he got each scene perfect—he was honored for the craftsmanship and high style of his pictures.