113-491: William Wyler ( / ˈ w aɪ l ər / ; born Willi Wyler ( 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
226-524: A 35 mm or 70 mm film print, or in 24 frame/s or 48 frame/s progressive scan digital cinema format, with a minimum projector resolution of 2,048 by 1,080 pixels. Since the 90th Academy Awards , presented in 2018, multi-part and limited series have been ineligible for the Best Documentary Feature award. This followed the win of O.J.: Made in America , an eight-hour presentation that
339-447: 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" from the 1930s to the 1960s. Through his talent for staging, editing, and camera movement, he turned dynamic theatrical spaces into cinematic ones. Wyler
452-710: A "far, far better actress" than she had been. She recalled a scene that was only a bare paragraph in the script, but "without a word of dialog, Willy created a scene of power and tension. This was moviemaking on the highest plane," she said. "A scene of such suspense that I never have not marveled at the direction of it." During her acceptance speech when she received the AFI Life Achievement Award in 1977, she thanked him. Laurence Olivier , whom Wyler directed in Wuthering Heights (1939) for his first Oscar nomination, credited Wyler with teaching him how to act for
565-540: A 1974 biography written by Whitney Stine with commentary from Davis, Davis wrote "I relinquish once and for all any claim that I was the one — so, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the honor is all yours". Columnist Sidney Skolsky wrote in his 1970 memoir that he came up with the term in 1934 under pressure for a deadline, mocking Vaudeville comedians who asked "Will you have a cigar, Oscar?" The Academy credits Skolsky with "the first confirmed newspaper reference" to Oscar in his column on March 16, 1934, which
678-530: A 2004 court decision contending that Welles did not sign any agreement to return the statue to the Academy. On December 20, 2011, it sold in an online auction for US$ 861,542 ($ 1,166,900 today). Some buyers have subsequently returned the statuettes to the Academy, which keeps them in its treasury. In addition to the Academy Award of Merit (Oscar award), there are nine honorary (non-competitive) awards presented by
791-617: A 230-acre (0.9-km ) converted farm in the San Fernando Valley , just over the Cahuenga Pass from Hollywood. Universal maintained two East Coast offices: The first was located at 1600 Broadway, New York City. This building, initially known as the Studebaker Building , was razed around 2004 or 2005. The second location to house Universal's executive offices was at 730 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Many years later, 445 Park Avenue
904-403: A Reminder List of Eligible Releases. Awards in short film categories (Best Documentary Short Subject, Best Animated Short Film, and Best Live Action Short Film) have noticeably different eligibility rules from most other competitive awards. First, the qualifying period for release does not coincide with a calendar year, instead covering one year starting on October 1, and ending on September 30 of
1017-466: A cousin of Carl Laemmle , founder of Universal Pictures . During Wyler's childhood, he attended a number of schools and developed a reputation as "something of a hellraiser", being expelled more than once for misbehavior. His mother often took him and his older brother Robert to concerts , opera , and the theatre , as well as the early cinema . Sometimes at home his family and their friends would stage amateur theatricals for personal enjoyment. Wyler
1130-468: A critic from The New York Times , Time Out New York , the Los Angeles Times , or LA Weekly . Producers must submit an Official Screen Credits online form before the deadline. In case it is not submitted by the defined deadline, the film will be ineligible for Academy Awards in any year. The form includes the production credits for all related categories. Then, each form is checked and put in
1243-812: A crowded family wedding disperses, leaving only two young lovers staring at one another across the expanse of an empty living room, as stunned in place, seemingly, as the camera. All three films were decorated with multiple Oscars (see the following section). It was all Wyler. I had known all the horrors of no direction and bad direction. I now knew what a great director was and what he could mean to an actress. I will always be grateful to him for his toughness and his genius. —Bette Davis, discussing Jezebel Bette Davis received three Oscar nominations for her screen work under Wyler, and won her second Oscar for her performance in Wyler's 1938 film Jezebel . She told Merv Griffin in 1972 that Wyler trained her with that film to be
SECTION 10
#17328525052631356-427: A day in the lives of the various people in a detective squad. Lee Grant and Joseph Wiseman made their screen debuts in the film, which was nominated for four Academy Awards , including one for Grant. Critic Bosley Crowther lauded the film, describing it as "a brisk, absorbing film by producer-director William Wyler, with the help of a fine, responsive cast." Carrie was released in 1952 starring Jennifer Jones in
1469-580: A director for 20th Century Fox and also cast James Garner in The Children's Hour with Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine . Garner had beaten Warner Bros. in a lawsuit, enabling him to leave the television series Maverick , and had been briefly graylisted as a result but Wyler broke the graylist by casting him; the following year, Garner played a leading role in four major motion pictures. In 1968 he directed Barbra Streisand in her debut film, Funny Girl , costarring Omar Sharif , which became
1582-605: A director. Around 1923, Wyler arrived in Los Angeles and began work on the Universal Studios lot in the swing gang , cleaning the stages and moving the sets. His break came when he was hired as a second assistant editor. But his work ethic was uneven, and he would often sneak off and play billiards in a pool hall across the street from the studio, or organize card games during working hours. After some ups and downs (including getting fired), Wyler put all his efforts into becoming
1695-482: A director. He started as a third assistant director and by 1925 he became the youngest director on the Universal lot directing the westerns that Universal was famed for turning out. Wyler was so engrossed in his work that he would dream about "different ways (for an actor) to get on a horse". In several of the one-reelers, he would join the posse in the inevitable chase of the 'bad man'. He directed his first non-Western,
1808-646: A film distribution service, the Laemmle Film Service, then into production as Independent Moving Pictures Company (IMP) , later renamed Universal Film Manufacturing Company , and later still renamed Universal Pictures Company. Karl Lämmle was born in 1867 to Julius Baruch Lämmle and Rebekka Lämmle, a Jewish couple in the Radstrasse, a street in the Jewish quarter of Laupheim , in the Kingdom of Württemberg . His father
1921-457: A huge financial success. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and like Audrey Hepburn in her first starring role, Streisand won as Best Actress, becoming the thirteenth actor to win an Oscar under his direction. Streisand had already starred in the Broadway musical of Funny Girl , with seven hundred performances. And although she knew the part well, Wyler still had to mold her stage role for
2034-432: A leading star, and shot on 70mm film with stereophonic tracks, it was the most expensive film ever made at that time. The nine-minute chariot race, for example, took six months to film. Ben-Hur became a great box office success. Wyler won his third Academy Award for Best Director and Charlton Heston his first and only Academy Award as its star. Heston recalled in his autobiography that at first he had doubts about playing
2147-807: A long collaboration with Samuel Goldwyn for whom he directed such classics as Dodsworth (1936) where he earned his first nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director . The film starred Walter Huston , Ruth Chatterton and Mary Astor , "sparking a 20-year run of almost unbroken greatness." He also directed These Three (1936) with Miriam Hopkins and Merle Oberon , Dead End (1937) with Humphrey Bogart , Wuthering Heights (1939) with Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon, The Westerner (1940) with Gary Cooper and Walter Brennan , The Little Foxes (1941) with Bette Davis , and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) with Myrna Loy and Fredric March . Wyler's visual style pioneered long, uncut takes in what has come to be called deep-focus cinematography -
2260-766: A naturalized American citizen. Laemmle worked a variety of jobs, but by 1894 he was the bookkeeper of the Continental Clothing Company in Oshkosh, Wisconsin , where he introduced a bolder advertising style. In 1906, at the age of 39, Laemmle quit his job. He initially wanted to open a network of cheap retail stores, but changed his mind after entering a nickelodeon . He started one of the first motion picture theaters in Chicago, The White Front on Milwaukee Avenue, and quickly branched out into film exchange services. He challenged Thomas Edison's monopoly on moving pictures,
2373-481: A previously planned theatrical release were eligible. The theatrical requirement was reinstated starting with the 95th Academy Awards . The Oscar statuette, officially the Academy Award of Merit, is given to winners of each year's awards. Made of gold-plated bronze on a black metal base, it is 13.5 in (34.3 cm) tall, weighs 8.5 lb (3.856 kg), and depicts a knight rendered in Art Deco style holding
SECTION 20
#17328525052632486-422: A private collector on August 6, 1992, for $ 60,500 ($ 131,400 today). Russell defended his action, saying, "I don't know why anybody would be critical. My wife's health is much more important than sentimental reasons. The movie will be here, even if Oscar isn't". In December 2011, Orson Welles ' 1941 Oscar for Citizen Kane ( Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay ) was put up for auction, after his heirs won
2599-436: A producer (1909–1934), is remembered for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), The Phantom of The Opera (1925), both with Lon Chaney Sr. in the title role, and The Man Who Laughs (1928) and most of the early sound horror films, such as Dracula (1931) and Frankenstein (1931), with his son, Carl Jr. Laemmle remained connected to his home town of Laupheim throughout his life, providing financial support to it. In
2712-576: A sword standing on a reel of film with five spokes. The five spokes represent the original branches of the Academy: Actors, Writers, Directors, Producers, and Technicians. Sculptor George Stanley , who also did the Muse Fountain at the Hollywood Bowl , sculpted Cedric Gibbons ' design. The statuettes presented at the initial ceremonies were gold-plated solid bronze. Within a few years, the bronze
2825-640: A terrific regret in my life is if I had succeeded in getting out of doing Mrs. Miniver " He received his first Oscar nomination for his role, while his co-star, Greer Garson , won her first and only Academy Award for her performance. The film idea was controversial because it was intended to cause the United States to be less isolationist. It was thought that by seeing the suffering of British citizens depicted in fiction story, Americans might be made more willing to aid Britain during their war effort. The film succeeded in its propagandistic aims, eliciting sympathy for
2938-554: A young Czech man, Paul Kohner (later the famous independent agent), aboard the same ship. Their enjoyment of the first class trip was short-lived, however, as they found they had to repay the cost of the passage out of their $ 25 weekly income as messengers to Universal Pictures. After working in New York for several years, and even serving in the New York Army National Guard for a year, Wyler moved to Hollywood to become
3051-502: Is Toland's work in one of the cinematographer's last films, Wyler's heart-wrenching masterpiece, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). This story of three American servicemen struggling to adjust to civilian life after fighting in World War 2 hit a chord with postwar audiences. Memorable examples of deep focus here include the complex scene in which the three men wind up at the same bar, unable to stay at home, and, in its powerful closing shot,
3164-606: Is a minor streamlining of the base. The original Oscar mold was cast in 1928 at the C.W. Shumway & Sons Foundry in Batavia , Illinois, which also contributed to casting the molds for the Vince Lombardi Trophy and Emmy Award statuettes. From 1983 to 2015, approximately 50 Oscars in a tin alloy with gold plating were made each year in Chicago by Illinois manufacturer R.S. Owens & Company . It would take between three and four weeks to manufacture 50 statuettes. In 2016,
3277-410: Is absolutely tireless". Wyler was hired to direct Patton (1970), but quit before the beginning of production in 1969. The last film Wyler directed was The Liberation of L.B. Jones , released in 1970. Wyler had worked with cinematographer Gregg Toland for six of his films, mostly in the 1930s. Toland used deep focus photographic technique for most of them, whereby he could keep all objects on
3390-568: Is also known for his work as an actors' director, often propelling them to stardom. Wyler was born to a Jewish family in Mulhouse , Alsace (then part of the German Empire ). His Swiss -born father, Leopold, started as a traveling salesman but later became a thriving haberdasher in Mulhouse. His mother, Melanie (née Auerbach; died February 13, 1955, Los Angeles , aged 77), was German -born, and
3503-675: Is considered by some to be a highlight in her career, "that could strike envy even in the most versatile and successful actress," according to one critic. De Havilland had seen the play in New York and felt she could play the lead perfectly. She then called Wyler to convince him to have Paramount buy the film rights. He flew to New York to see the play and moved by the story,persuaded the studio to buy it. Along with de Havilland, he managed to get Montgomery Clift and Ralph Richardson to co-star. In 1951, Wyler produced and directed Kirk Douglas and Eleanor Parker in Detective Story , portraying
William Wyler - Misplaced Pages Continue
3616-433: Is roughly three months. R.S. Owens is expected to continue producing other awards for the Academy, and service existing Oscars that need replating. The origin of the nickname of the trophy has been disputed, as multiple people have taken credit for naming the trophy "Oscar". Margaret Herrick , librarian and president of the Academy, may have said she named it after her supposed uncle Oscar in 1921. The only corroboration
3729-408: Is selected as a gold, silver, or bronze medal winner in an appropriate category of the immediately previous Student Academy Awards is also eligible (Documentary category for that award, and Animation, Narrative, Alternative, or International for the other awards). The requirements for the qualifying theatrical run are also different from those for other awards. Only one screening per day is required. For
3842-563: The 2008 awards , as it did not play its Oscar-qualifying run in Los Angeles until mid-2009, thus qualifying for the 2009 awards . Foreign films must include English subtitles. Each country can submit only one film for consideration in the International Feature Film category per year. Rule 2 states that a film must be feature -length, defined as a minimum of 40 minutes, except for short-subject awards. It must exist either on
3955-497: 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
4068-475: The Academy Award for Best Picture . Traditionally, the previous year's winners for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor present the awards for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress, respectively, while the previous year's winners for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress present the awards for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor. In recent years, this has been replaced by each acting award being introduced by five previous winners, each of whom introduces one of
4181-635: The Cannes Film Festival . And in 1959, Wyler directed Ben-Hur , which won 11 Oscars, a feat unequaled until Titanic in 1997 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King in 2003. He had also assisted in the production of the 1925 version . Wyler and its star, Charlton Heston , both knew what the film meant for MGM , which had massive investments in its outcome, with the film's budget having gone from $ 7 million to $ 15 million, and
4294-459: The Mediterranean . Wyler filmed The Memphis Belle at great personal risk, flying over enemy territory on actual bombing missions in 1943; on one flight, Wyler lost consciousness from lack of oxygen. Wyler's associate, cinematographer Harold J. Tannenbaum, a First Lieutenant , was shot down and perished during the filming. Director Steven Spielberg describes Wyler's filming of Memphis Belle in
4407-597: The Motion Picture Patents Company , under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act of 1890 . As part of his offensive against Edison's company, Laemmle began advertising individual "stars," such as Mary Pickford and Florence Lawrence , thus increasing their individual earning power, and thus their willingness to side with the "Independents." After moving to New York, Carl Laemmle became involved in producing movies, forming Independent Moving Pictures (IMP);
4520-565: The United States in recognition of excellence in cinematic achievements as assessed by the Academy's voting membership. The Oscars are widely considered to be the most prestigious awards in the film industry. The major award categories are presented during a live-televised Hollywood ceremony in February or March. It is the oldest worldwide entertainment awards ceremony. The 1st Academy Awards were held in 1929. The second ceremony , in 1930,
4633-584: The five boroughs of New York City during the previous calendar year, or a qualifying award at a competitive film festival from the Documentary Feature Qualifying Festival list, regardless of any public exhibition or distribution, or submission in the International Feature Film category as its country's official selection. The qualifying theatrical runs must meet the same requirements as those for non-documentary films regarding numbers and times of screenings. A film must have been reviewed by
William Wyler - Misplaced Pages Continue
4746-561: The "Universal Film Manufacturing Company", with Laemmle assuming the role of president. They founded the Company with studios in Fort Lee, New Jersey , where at the beginning of the 20th century many early film studios in America's first motion picture industry were based. On March 15, 1915, Laemmle opened the world's largest motion picture production facility, Universal Studios Hollywood , on
4859-414: The 1927–28 period. The ceremony ran for 15 minutes. For this first ceremony, winners were announced to the media three months earlier. For the second ceremony in 1930, and the rest of the first decade, the results were given to newspapers for publication at 11:00 pm on the night of the awards. In 1940, the Los Angeles Times announced the winners before the ceremony began. As a result, in 1941
4972-517: The 1930s he sponsored hundreds of Jews from Laupheim and Württemberg to emigrate from Nazi Germany to the United States, paying both emigration and immigration fees, thus saving them from the Holocaust . To ensure and facilitate their immigration, Laemmle contacted American authorities, members of the House of Representatives and Secretary of State Cordell Hull . He also intervened to try to secure entry for
5085-545: The 1940 novel; it was the story of a middle-class English family adjusting to the war in Europe and the bombing blitz in London. It starred Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon . Pidgeon originally had doubts about taking on the role, until fellow actor Paul Lukas told him, "You will find working with Wyler to be the most delightful experience you ever had, and that's the way it turned out." Pidgeon recalled: "One thing that would have been
5198-561: The 2017 Netflix series, Five Came Back . Before being assigned to the Air Force, Wyler was hired to direct the documentary The Negro Soldier on African-Americans in the United States Armed Forces . Working on Thunderbolt! Wyler was exposed to such loud noise that he passed out. When he awoke, he found he was deaf in one ear. Partial hearing with the aid of a hearing aid eventually came back years later. Wyler returned from
5311-661: The Academy from time to time (except for the Academy Honorary Award, the Technical Achievement Award, and the Student Academy Awards, which are presented annually): The Academy also awards Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting . From 2004 to 2020, the Academy Award nomination results were announced to the public in mid-January. Prior to that, the results were announced in early February. In 2021,
5424-478: The Academy launched an initiative to expand its membership and increase diversity. In 2022, voting membership stood at 9,487. According to Rules 2 and 3 of the official Academy Awards Rules, a film must open in the previous calendar year, from midnight at the start of January 1 to midnight at the end of December 31, in Los Angeles County, California , and play for seven consecutive days, to qualify, except for
5537-546: The Academy returned to bronze as the core metal of the statuettes, handing manufacturing duties to Walden , New York–based Polich Tallix Fine Art Foundry, now owned and operated by UAP Urban Art Projects . While based on a digital scan of an original 1929 Oscar, the statuettes retain their modern-era dimensions and black pedestal. Cast in liquid bronze from 3D-printed ceramic molds and polished, they are then electroplated in 24-karat gold by Brooklyn , New York–based Epner Technology. The time required to produce 50 such statuettes
5650-578: The Academy started using a sealed envelope to reveal the names of the winners. The term "Oscar" is a registered trademark of the AMPAS. In the Italian language, it is used generically to refer to any award or award ceremony, regardless of which field. The first Best Actor awarded was Emil Jannings , for his performances in The Last Command and The Way of All Flesh . As he had to return to Europe before
5763-479: The Best International Feature Film, Best Documentary Feature, and awards in short film categories. The film must be shown at least three times on each day of its qualifying run, with at least one of the daily showings starting between 6 pm and 10 pm local time. For example, the 2009 Best Picture winner, The Hurt Locker , was originally first released in 2008, but did not qualify for
SECTION 50
#17328525052635876-470: The Board of Governors, on behalf of Academy Branch Executive Committees. Membership eligibility may be achieved by a competitive nomination, or an existing member may submit a name, based on other significant contributions to the field of motion pictures. New membership proposals are considered annually. The Academy does not publicly disclose its membership, although as recently as 2007 press releases have announced
5989-695: The British people by showing Britain during its darkest days of the war. Years later, having been in the war himself, Wyler said that the film "only scratched the surface of war... It was incomplete." U.S. ambassador to the United Kingdom Joseph Kennedy told the studios to stop making pro-British and anti-German films, because he believed that British defeat was imminent. But MGM producer Eddie Mannix disagreed, saying that "someone should salute England. And even if we lose $ 100,000, that'll be okay." Mrs. Miniver went on to win six Academy Awards, becoming
6102-536: The Documentary award, the screening must start between noon and 10 pm local time. For other awards, no specific start time is required, but the film must appear in regular theater listings with dates and screening times. In late December, ballots, and copies of the Reminder List of Eligible Releases are mailed to around 6,000 active members. For most categories, members from each of the branches vote to determine
6215-545: The Oscar for best cinematography; next in Lillian Hellman 's adaptation of her searing stage play, The Little Foxes , into Wyler's 1941 film, which had Wyler and Toland working closely together to bring the hard-edged deep focus from Citizen Kane to bear on another tale of soul-destroying family wealth - including inventing a totally white make-up scheme for its star, Bette Davis, conveying her soullessness. Third, and most famously,
6328-518: The US for a better life, also following his thirteen-year-older brother Joseph. For his 17th birthday, his father had given him the tickets for an Atlantic crossing on the steamboat SS Neckar plus fifty dollars. He left Bremerhaven on January 28, 1884, and arrived in New York on February 14, 1884. He settled in Chicago . Here he lived for about twenty years as a bookkeeper and office manager. In 1889, he became
6441-627: The War a lieutenant colonel and a disabled veteran. Returning from the War and unsure whether he could work again, Wyler turned to a subject that he knew well and directed a film which captured the mood of the nation as it turned to peace after the war, The Best Years of Our Lives (1946). This story of the homecoming of three veterans from World War II dramatized the problems of returning veterans in their adjustment back to civilian life. Arguably his most personal film, Best Years drew on Wyler's own experience returning home to his family after three years at
6554-462: The World in 80 Days to a movie prop collector. The Academy earned enforcement of its statuette contract by gaining a permanent injunction against the sale. In 1992, Harold Russell consigned his 1946 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for The Best Years of Our Lives to auction to raise money for his wife's medical expenses. Though his decision caused controversy, the first Oscar ever to be sold passed to
6667-407: The awards. Davis credits Lilleberg because he found in an autobiography of Einar Lilleberg, Eleanore's brother, that Einar had referenced a Norwegian army veteran named Oscar that the two knew in Chicago, whom Einar described as having always "stood straight and tall". He asserts credit "should almost certainly belong to" Lilleberg. In 2021, Brazilian researcher Dr. Waldemar Dalenogare Neto found
6780-411: The calendar year before the ceremony. Second, there are multiple methods of qualification. The main method is a week-long theatrical release in either New York City or Los Angeles County during the eligibility period. Films also can qualify by winning specified awards at one of several competitive film festivals designated by the Academy, also without regard to prior public distribution. A film that
6893-505: The ceremony, the Academy agreed to give him the prize early, making him the first Academy Award recipient. For the first Awards , winners were recognized for multiple films during the qualifying period; Jannings received the award for two movies in which he starred , and Janet Gaynor won the first Best Actress award for performances in three films. Beginning with the second ceremony, performers received separate nominations for individual films; no performer has received multiple nominations in
SECTION 60
#17328525052637006-491: The city was the site of many new movie-related businesses. On April 30, 1912, in New York, Laemmle brought together Pat Powers of Powers Motion Picture Company, Mark Dintenfass of Champion Film Company , William Swanson of Rex Motion Picture Company , David Horsley of Nestor Film Company , as well as Charles Baumann and Adam Kessel of the New York Motion Picture Company , to merge their companies with IMP as
7119-712: The death of his year-old son; Olivier had a painful leg ailment, and he developed a dislike for Jones. Hollywood was reeling under the effects of McCarthyism, and the studio was afraid to distribute a film that could be attacked as immoral. Ultimately, the ending was changed and the film was cut to make it more positive in tone. During the immediate postwar period, Wyler directed a handful of critically acclaimed and influential films. Roman Holiday (1953) introduced Audrey Hepburn to U.S. audiences in her first starring role, winning her an Academy Award for Best Actress. Wyler said of Hepburn years later, when describing truly great actresses, "In that league there's only ever been Garbo, and
7232-520: The early 1930s Wyler directed a wide variety of films at Universal, ranging from high-profile dramas such as The Storm with Bebe Daniels , A House Divided with Walter Huston , and Counsellor at Law with John Barrymore , to comedies like Her First Mate with Zasu Pitts and The Good Fairy with Margaret Sullavan . He became well known for his insistence on multiple retakes, resulting in often award-winning and critically acclaimed performances from his actors. After leaving Universal he began
7345-434: The eligibility period to 28 February 2021). Best Foreign Language Film, now known as Best International Feature Film , was introduced at the 20th Academy Awards as a special award, and became a competitive category at the 29th Academy Awards . The 74th Academy Awards, held in 2002, presented the first Academy Award for Best Animated Feature . Since 1973, all Academy Awards ceremonies, except for 2021, have ended with
7458-428: The end of 1961 and $ 90 million worldwide. Audiences mobbed movie theaters in the months after it opened. Critic Pauline Kael praised Wyler's achievement: I admire the artist who can make something good for the art house audience; but I also applaud the commercial heroism of a director who can steer a huge production and keep his sanity and perspective and decent human feelings beautifully intact. In 1961 he became
7571-425: The fact that MGM was already in dire financial straits. They were aware that if it failed at the box office, MGM might go bankrupt. The film, like many epics, was difficult to make. When Heston was asked which scene he enjoyed doing most, he said "I didn't enjoy any of it. It was hard work." Part of the reason for that was the financial stress placed on making the film a success. With a cast of fifteen thousand extras,
7684-559: The film industry included his cousins Max Laemmle , Kurt Laemmle , and William Wyler ; his nephews Ernst Laemmle and Edward Laemmle ; his niece Carla Laemmle ; and his brothers-in-law Isadore Bernstein , Joseph Stern , and Abe Stern . His great-nephew Michael Laemmle is a noterd resident of Darwin, California , and was featured in the 2011 documentary Darwin: No Services Ahead . His great-grandniece, Antonia Carlotta, talks about him at length in Universally Me , her web series about
7797-530: The film was very under-appreciated: In critic Michael Billington 's opinion: If there were any justice in the world, Laurence Olivier would have got an Oscar for his unforgettable performance in Carrie . Director and screenwriter John Huston had been a close friend of Wyler during his career. When he was twenty-eight and penniless, sleeping in parks in London, Huston returned to Hollywood to see if he could find work. Wyler, four years his senior, had met Huston when he
7910-478: The film, said historian Emily Yellin, and Roosevelt wanted prints rushed to theaters nationwide. The Voice of America radio network broadcast the minister's speech from the film, magazines reprinted it, and it was copied onto leaflets and dropped over German-occupied countries . Churchill sent MGM chief Louis B. Mayer a telegram claiming that " Mrs. Miniver is propaganda worth 100 battleships." Bosley Crowther wrote in his New York Times review that Mrs. Miniver
8023-499: The final construction was a one-story restaurant, the original plans thwarted by the Great Depression . In 1936, Laemmle and his son were removed from the company he founded by a hostile takeover. He briefly resumed distribution with a partner, Michael Mindlin, specializing in foreign films as CL Imports, in the mid-1930s, but for the most part remained in secluded retirement until his death. In 1898, Laemmle married Recha Stern,
8136-543: The former home of film pioneer Thomas Ince on Benedict Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills, which was razed in the early 1940s; he also maintained a large apartment for himself and his two children at 465 West End Avenue in New York City. Asked how to pronounce his surname, Laemmle told The Literary Digest in 1936, "The name means 'little lamb' and is pronounced as if it were spelled 'lem-lee'." Laemmle's relatives in
8249-412: The front. The Best Years of Our Lives won the Academy Award for Best Director (Wyler's second) and Academy Award for Best Picture , as well as six other Academy Awards including one Academy Honorary Award. In 1949 Wyler directed The Heiress , which earned Olivia de Havilland her second Oscar and garnered additional Oscars for Best Art Direction , Best Costume Design , and Best Music . The film
8362-599: The history of Universal Studios. Poet Ogden Nash observed the following about Laemmle's habit of giving his son and nephews top executive positions in his studios: Uncle Carl Laemmle Has a very large faemmle. Laemmle died from cardiovascular disease on September 24, 1939, in Beverly Hills, California , at the age of 72. Laemmle was entombed in the Chapel Mausoleum at Home of Peace Cemetery . Laemmle, although having made hundreds of films in his active years as
8475-446: The largest bloc, numbering 1,359 (14.1% of the voting body). Votes have been certified by the auditing firm PricewaterhouseCoopers , and its predecessor Price Waterhouse , since the 7th Academy Awards in 1935. In May 2011, the Academy sent a letter advising its 6,000 or so voting members that an online system for Oscar voting would be implemented in 2013, replacing mailed paper ballots. All AMPAS members must be invited to join by
8588-458: The lost Anybody Here Seen Kelly? , in 1928. This was followed by his first part-talkie films, The Shakedown and The Love Trap . He proved himself an able craftsman. In 1928 he became a naturalized United States citizen . His first all-talking film, and Universal's first sound production to be filmed entirely on location, was Hell's Heroes , filmed in the Mojave Desert in 1929. In
8701-423: The names of those who have been invited to join. In 2012, the results of a study conducted by the Los Angeles Times were published describing the demographic breakdown of approximately 88% of AMPAS' voting membership. Of the 5,100+ active voters confirmed, 94% were Caucasian , 77% were male, and 54% were found to be over the age of 60. 33% of voting members are former nominees (14%) and winners (19%). In 2016,
8814-452: The niece of Sam Stern, his employer at the Continental Clothing Company. Together, they had a daughter named Rosabelle (born 1903) and a son named Julius (born 1908). Rosabelle later married Stanley Bergerman , while Julius became known as Carl Laemmle Jr. On January 13, 1919, at the age of 43, Recha died from pneumonia caused by the Spanish flu . After moving to California, Laemmle purchased
8927-510: The nominated performances. On February 9, 2020, Parasite became the first foreign-language film to win Best Picture at the 92nd Academy Awards . The 93rd Academy Awards ceremony, honoring the best films of 2020 and early 2021 , was held on April 25, 2021, after it was postponed from its original February 28, 2021, schedule due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on cinema . As with
9040-622: The nominees only in their respective categories, i.e. only directors vote for directors, writers for writers, actors for actors, etc. In the special case of Best Picture, all voting members are eligible to select the nominees. In all major categories, a variant of the single transferable vote is used, with each member casting a ballot with up to five nominees (ten for Best Picture) ranked preferentially. In certain categories, including International Feature Film, Documentary and Animated Feature, nominees are selected by special screening committees made up of members from all branches. In most categories,
9153-476: The nominees were announced in March. In 2022, the nominees were announced in early February for the first time since 2003. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), a professional honorary organization, maintains a voting membership of 9,487 as of 2022 . Academy membership is divided into different branches, with each representing a different discipline in film production. As of 2022 , actors constitute
9266-466: The option of having engraved nameplates applied to their statuettes at an inscription-processing station at the Governor's Ball, a party held immediately after the Oscar ceremony. The R.S. Owens company has engraved nameplates made before the ceremony, bearing the name of every potential winner. The nameplates for the non-winning nominees are later recycled. Prior to 1950, Oscar statuettes were, and remain,
9379-471: The other Hepburn, and maybe Bergman. It's a rare quality, but boy, do you know when you've found it." The film was an instant hit, also winning for Best Costume Design ( Edith Head ), and Best Writing ( Dalton Trumbo ). Hepburn would eventually do three movies with Wyler, who her son said was one of the most important directors in her career. Friendly Persuasion (1956) was awarded the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at
9492-503: The probable first public mention of the name "Oscar", in journalist Relman Morin 's "Cinematters" column in the Los Angeles Evening Post-Record on December 5, 1933. Since the awards didn't take place that year, he said: "What's happened to the annual Academy banquet? As a rule, the banquet and the awarding of "Oscar", the bronze statuette given for best performances, is all over long before this". This information changes
9605-499: The property of the recipient. Since then the statuettes have been legally encumbered by the requirement that the statuette be first offered for sale back to the Academy for US$ 1. If a winner refuses to agree to this stipulation, then the Academy keeps the statuette. Academy Awards predating this agreement have been sold in public auctions and private deals for six-figure sums. In 1989, Michael Todd's grandson tried to sell Todd's Best Picture Oscar for his 1956 production of Around
9718-453: The prospect of guiding another new star into an award-winning performance. He sensed and admired that Streisand had the same kind of dedication to being an actress as did Bette Davis, early in her career. "It just needed to be controlled and toned down for the movie camera." Wyler said afterwards, "I'm terribly fond of her. She was very professional, very good, a hard worker, too hard at times. She would work day and night if you would let her. She
9831-588: The role. But his agent advised him otherwise: "Don't you know that actors take parts with Wyler without even reading the damn script? I'm telling you, you have to do this picture!" Kirk Douglas had lobbied Wyler, who directed him in Detective Story in 1951, for the title role, but only after Wyler had already decided on Heston. He offered him instead the role of Messala, which Douglas rejected. Douglas then went on to star in Spartacus (1960). Ben-Hur cost $ 15 million to produce but earned $ 47 million by
9944-461: The same category since the 3rd Academy Awards . For the first six ceremonies, the eligibility period ran from 1 August to 31 July. The 6th Academy Awards' eligibility ran from 1 August 1932 to 31 December 1933, and as of the 7th Academy Awards , subsequent eligibility periods have matched the calendar year (with the exception of the 93rd Academy Awards , which, due to the COVID-19 pandemic , extended
10057-543: The same time. Later in his career, Huston recalled his friendship with Wyler during an interview: Willy was certainly my best friend in the industry.... We seemed instantly to have many things in common.... Willy liked the things that I liked. We'd go down to Mexico. We'd go up in the mountains. And we'd gamble. He was a wonderful companion....He was equally capable of playing Beethoven on his violin, speeding around town on his motorcycle, or schussing down steep virgin snow trails. In 1941, Wyler directed Mrs. Miniver , based on
10170-954: The screen, despite clashing with Wyler on multiple occasions. Olivier would go on to hold the record for the most nominations in the Best Actor category at nine, tied with Spencer Tracy . Critic Frank S. Nugent wrote in the New York Times , "William Wyler has directed it magnificently. It is, unquestionably, one of the most distinguished pictures of the year." Variety described Olivier's performance as "fantastic... he not only brings conviction to his portrayal but translates intelligently its mystical quality." Five years later, in 1944, while visiting London, Wyler met with Olivier and his actress wife, Vivien Leigh . She invited him to see her performance in The Doctor's Dilemma , and Olivier asked him to direct him in his planned film, Henry V . But Wyler said he
10283-512: The screen, whether foreground or background, in sharp focus at the same time. The technique gives the illusion of depth and therefore makes the scene more true to life. Academy Awards The Academy Awards , commonly known as the Oscars , are awards for artistic and technical merit for the film industry . They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in
10396-436: The screen. She naturally wanted to be involved in the film's production, often asking Wyler questions, but they got along well. "Things were ironed out when she discovered some of us knew what we were doing," kidded Wyler. What originally attracted him to direct Streisand was similar to what attracted him to Audrey Hepburn, who had also been new to film audiences. He met with Streisand during her musical run and became excited at
10509-404: The title role and Laurence Olivier as Hurstwood. Eddie Albert played Charles Drouet. Carrie received two Academy Award nominations: Costume Design (Edith Head), and Best Art Direction (Hal Pereira, Roland Anderson, Emile Kuri). Wyler was reluctant to cast Jennifer Jones, and the filming was subsequently plagued by a variety of troubles. Jones had not revealed that she was pregnant; Wyler was mourning
10622-461: The top box office hit of 1942. It was Wyler's first Academy Award for Best Director. Dear Mad Willy. I saw Mrs. Miniver last night. It is absolutely wonderful. You repeatedly amaze me with the demonstrations of your talent and I ask you to believe that it is with genuine pleasure that I salute this latest and greatest example of your work. —producer David Selznick President Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill both loved
10735-553: The two previous ceremonies, there was no host. The ceremony was broadcast on ABC . It took place at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California for the 19th consecutive year, along with satellite location taking place at the Union Station also in Los Angeles. Because of the virus impact on films and TV industries, Academy president David Rubin and CEO Dawn Hudson announced that for the 2021 Oscar Ceremony , streaming movies with
10848-478: The use of lenses which can take in the entire depth of a room, keeping everything in focus, i.e. depth of field, and thus can contain dramatic changes in lighting and characters' movements in the same shot. In this, he collaborated with the pathbreaking young cinematographer of 1940's Citizen Kane , Gregg Toland . Gregg Toland shot three of the director's most celebrated films: Wuthering Heights (1939), where Toland's use of low angles, dark shadows and diffusion won him
10961-408: The version of Sidney Skolsky as the first to publicly mention the name. To prevent information identifying the Oscar winners from leaking ahead of the ceremony, Oscar statuettes presented at the ceremony have blank baseplates. Until 2010, winners returned their statuettes to the Academy and had to wait several weeks to have their names inscribed on their respective Oscars. Since 2010, winners have had
11074-509: The winner is selected from among the nominees by plurality voting of all members. Since 2009, the Best Picture winner has been chosen by instant runoff voting . Since 2013, re-weighted range voting has been used to select the nominees for the Best Visual Effects . Carl Laemmle Carl Laemmle ( / ˈ l ɛ m l i / ; born Karl Lämmle German: [ˈlɛmlə] ; January 17, 1867 – September 24, 1939)
11187-484: Was "not a Shakespearian" and turned down the offer. If any film actor is having trouble with his career, can't master the medium and, anyway, wonders whether it's worth it, let him pray to meet a man like William Wyler. —Laurence Olivier In 1950, Wyler and Olivier made a second film together, Carrie , which was not a commercial success. However, some critics state that it nonetheless contains Olivier's finest film performance, but because of its old-fashioned story,
11300-460: Was a 1938 clipping from the Los Angeles Examiner , in which Herrick told a story of her and her husband joking with each other using the phrase, "How's your uncle Oscar". Bette Davis , in her 1962 autobiography, claimed she named it in 1936 after her first husband, Harmon Oscar Nelson, of whom the statue's rear end reminded her. But the term had been in use at least two years before. In
11413-401: Was a German-American film producer and the co-founder and, until 1934, owner of Universal Pictures . He produced or worked on over 400 films. Regarded as one of the most important of the early film pioneers, Laemmle was born in what is now Germany . He immigrated to the United States in 1884 and worked in Chicago for 20 years before he began buying nickelodeons , eventually expanding into
11526-554: Was a cattle merchant, also involved in land transactions. The family struggled financially and lived in poverty: Of his eleven siblings only 3 reached adulthood. He was one of the youngest children, and close to his mother, who enrolled him in a Jewish school. When he was 13, she arranged a three-year apprenticeship for him in Ichenhausen , a nearby village, where he learned accounting and sales, and worked to support his family. After his mother died in 1883, Laemmle decided to emigrate to
11639-401: Was abandoned in favor of Britannia metal , a pewter-like alloy which is then plated in copper, nickel silver, and finally, 24-karat gold. Due to a metal shortage during World War II, Oscars were made of painted plaster for three years. Following the war, the Academy invited recipients to redeem the plaster figures for gold-plated metal ones. The only addition to the Oscar since it was created
11752-682: 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
11865-437: Was directing his father, Walter Huston , in A House Divided in 1931, and they got along well. Wyler read dialogue suggestions that Huston had given to his father Walter and hired John to work on the dialogue for the script. He later inspired Huston to become a director and became his "early mentor." When America entered World War II in 1941, Wyler, Huston, Anatole Litvak and Frank Capra , by then all directors, enlisted at
11978-472: Was held on May 16, 1929, at a private dinner function at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel , with an audience of about 270 people. The post-awards party was held at the Mayfair Hotel. The cost of guest tickets for that night's ceremony was $ 5 - $ 89 at 2023 prices. Fifteen statuettes were awarded, honoring artists, directors, and other participants in the film-making industry of the time, for their works during
12091-498: Was in the habit of coming to Europe each year, searching for promising young men who would work in America . In 1921, Wyler, while traveling as a Swiss citizen (his father's status automatically conferred Swiss citizenship on his sons), met Laemmle who hired him to work at Universal Studios in New York . As Wyler said: "America seemed as far away as the moon." Booked onto a ship to New York with Laemmle for his return voyage, Wyler met
12204-465: Was screened in a limited release before being broadcast in five parts on ABC and ESPN , in that category in 2017 . The Academy's announcement of the new rule made no direct mention of that film. The Best International Feature Film award does not require a U.S. release. It requires the film to be submitted as its country's official selection. The Best Documentary Feature award requires either week-long releases in both Los Angeles County and any of
12317-583: Was supposed to inherit the family haberdashery business in Mulhouse, France. After World War I , he spent a dismal year working in Paris at 100.000 Chemises selling shirts and ties. He was so poor that he often spent his time wandering around the Pigalle district. After realizing that Willy was not interested in the haberdashery business, his mother, Melanie, contacted her distant cousin, Carl Laemmle , who owned Universal Studios , about opportunities for him. Laemmle
12430-498: Was the finest film yet made about the war, "and a most exalting tribute to the British." Between 1942 and 1945, Wyler volunteered to serve as a major in the United States Army Air Forces and directed a pair of documentaries: The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944), about a Boeing B-17 and its U.S. Army Air Force crew; and Thunderbolt! (1947), highlighting a P-47 fighter - bomber squadron in
12543-715: Was the first one broadcast by radio. The 1953 ceremony was the first one televised. It is the oldest of the four major annual American entertainment awards . Its equivalents – the Emmy Awards for television, the Tony Awards for theater, and the Grammy Awards for music – are modeled after the Academy Awards. The Oscar statuette depicts a knight, rendered in the Art Deco style. Everything Everywhere All at Once Oppenheimer The first Academy Awards presentation
12656-548: Was the location of Universal's executive offices. In 1916, Laemmle sponsored the $ 3,000 three-foot-tall solid silver Universal Trophy for the winner of the annual Universal race at the Uniontown Speedway board track in southwestern Pennsylvania. Universal filmed each race from 1916 to 1922. In 1932, Laemmle opened the Laemmle Building on Hollywood and Vine . Originally planned as a 900-seat theater and office tower,
12769-420: Was written about that year's 6th Academy Awards . But in the newspaper clipping that Skolsky referred to, he wrote that "these statues are called 'Oscars ' ", meaning that the name was already in use. Bruce Davis, a former executive director of the Academy, credited Eleanore Lilleberg, a secretary at the Academy when the award was first introduced, for the nickname. She had overseen the pre-ceremony handling of
#262737