William Wyler, Among the Legends of Classic Hollywood

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William Wyler was one of Hollywood's best directors.

Many of his movies received critical appreciation and tons of important prizes.

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 Thirties and Forties, and into the Sixties. (source: Wikipedia)

Notable works include Mrs. Miniver (1942), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Ben-Hur (1959), all of which won him the Academy Award for Best Director (while also winning Best Picture). (source: Wikipedia)

Old movies are just like old wines. The "soil" where they were "planted" was unpolluted, hence their intense flavor, appreciated by those with good taste.

This is probably why we all feel nostalgic, from time to time, and need to "taste" a good classic.

The future generations must learn to appreciate these movies and get lost in them, from time to time.

The Swiss-German-born William Wyler is a good reference for anyone who wants to dive into the Classic Hollywood era.

He helped some of the most famous actors of the time to reach stardom.

He found and directed Audrey Hepburn in her Hollywood debut film, Roman Holiday (1953), and Barbra Streisand in her debut film, Funny Girl (1968). Both of these performances won Academy Awards. (source: Wikipedia)

He later directed Audrey Hepburn and Peter O'Toole again, in the famous How to Steal a Million(1966).

Wyler directed Olivia de Havilland to her second Oscar in The Heiress (1949), and Laurence Olivier in Wuthering Heights (1939), for his first Oscar nomination. (source: Wikipedia)

Bette Davis, who received three Oscar nominations under his direction and won her second Oscar in
Jezebel (1938), said Wyler made her a "far, far better actress" than she had ever been. (source: Wikipedia)

Below a presentation of William Wyler's best films, that won several Academy Awards and made history at Hollywood.

Wuthering Heights is a 1939 American romantic drama film directed by William Wyler, produced by Samuel Goldwyn, and starring Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon as the romantic leads.

It is based on the 1847 novel Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, and a must-see, just like the book a must-read.

Wuthering_Heights_Olivier_and_Oberon_1939. Source: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

This is one of the most remarkable movies of the classic period of Hollywood, the film that made Laurence Olivier great.

As he stated, William Wyler had taught him how to act for the big screen.

In 1950, Wyler and Olivier made another forgotten film together, called Carrie. As critics said, this was Olivier's finest film performance, worthy of another Oscar. (source: Wikipedia)

Wuthering Heights was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (source: Wikipedia)

The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946, is an American epic drama film directed by William Wyler, just after he had returned from the Second World War.

Obviously, the film captured the mood of the nation as it turned to peace after the war.

The plot is about three United States servicemen readjusting to civilian life after experiencing the Second World War. It was a critical and commercial success, winning seven Academy Awards.

It was the highest-grossing film in both the United States and the UK since the release of Gone with the Wind and is the sixth most-attended film of all time in the UK. (source: Wikipedia)

In 1989, The Best Years of Our Lives was one of the first 25 films selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant". (source: Wikipedia)

William Wyler's career also includes the collaboration with Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday and the other two movies.

Wyler said of Hepburn years later, when describing truly great actresses: "In that league, there's only ever been Garbo, and the other Hepburn, and maybe Bergman. It's a rare quality, but boy, do you know when you've found it." (source: Wikipedia)

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Another big hit was in 1959 when Wyler directed Ben-Hur, which won 11 Oscars, a performance equaled only by Titanic and The Lord of the Rings. (source: Wikipedia)

Ben-Hur became a great box office success.

Wyler won his third Academy Award for Best Director and Charlton Heston, the leading actor, his first and only Academy Award as its star. (source: Wikipedia)

Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

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