Cecil B. DeMille
Directing
Cecil Blount DeMille (August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker, known as a founder of the Hollywood motion-picture industry, one of the most commercially successful producer-directors of his time, and one of the most influential filmmakers in history. Between 1914 and 1956, he made seventy feature films; all but seven were profitable. Cecil B. DeMille is synonymous with religious epics: The King of Kings, Samson and Delilah, and The Ten Commandments (1956). He blended spectacle, sex, and spellbinding narrative to convey a message of faith. It was DeMille who created the image of the omnipotent director, megaphone in hand, wearing boots and a visored cap. DeMille gave Hollywood numerous stars: Wallace Reid, Gloria Swanson, William (“Hopalong Cassidy”) Boyd, Claudette Colbert, Robert Preston, Jean Arthur, and Charlton Heston. DeMille created the posts of studio story editor, art director, and concept artist. He was one of the first to use theatrical lighting on a movie set. In the late 1920s, when Hollywood converted to sound films, DeMille defied the sound experts, liberating the camera from a confining booth, and implementing the microphone boom. DeMille’s authority extended beyond the confines of his studio. He was a power in aviation, banking, politics, and real estate. In the 1930s, his fame as a filmmaker was surpassed by his fame as a radio star. He was a founder of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an institution from which he eventually won two awards. In 1953 his film The Greatest Show on Earth won the Award for Best Picture of 1952; and he was presented with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. DeMille’s influence on world culture is incalculable, but there are estimates and milestones. His biography of Jesus Christ, The King of Kings, was a silent film, but because of a unique distribution arrangement, it was eventually seen by 800 million viewers. Samson and Delilah (1949) and The Ten Commandments (1956) are still listed with the top ten all-time box-office champions. They continue to generate revenue and provoke thought.
The Greatest Show on Earth
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Age 70 (now 77)
The Story of Dr. Wassell
as Voice of Narrator (uncredited)
Age 62 (now 77)
Reap the Wild Wind
as Prologue Speaker (voice) (uncredited)
Age 60 (now 77)
North West Mounted Police
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Age 59 (now 77)
Indiana Jones: The Search for the Lost Golden Age
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Age 139 (now 77)
Yul Brynner, the Magnificent
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Age 139 (now 77)
Patterns of Evidence: The Red Sea Miracle II
as Self
Age 138 (now 77)
Patterns of Evidence: The Red Sea Miracle
as Self (archive footage)
Age 138 (now 77)
Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic
as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)
Age 137 (now 77)
The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille
as Self
Age 134 (now 77)
Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe
as Self (archive footage)
Age 130 (now 77)
Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema
as Self (archive footage)
Age 125 (now 77)
The Making of The Ten Commandments
as Self
Age 122 (now 77)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
as Self (archive footage)
Age 102 (now 77)
Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Age 101 (now 77)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage)
Age 93 (now 77) The Greatest Show on Earth
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Age 70 (now 77)
Screen Snapshots (Series 25, No. 1): 25th Anniversary
as Self
Age 64 (now 77) The Story of Dr. Wassell
as Voice of Narrator (uncredited)
Age 62 (now 77) Reap the Wild Wind
as Prologue Speaker (voice) (uncredited)
Age 60 (now 77)
Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10)
as Self
Age 60 (now 77) North West Mounted Police
as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Age 59 (now 77)
Hollywood on Parade No. B-5
as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
Age 52 (now 77)
The U.S. and the Holocaust
as Self (archive footage)
Age 141 (now 77)
Gathering insights...
Also Known As
Cecil Blount de Mille, Cecil Blount DeMille
IMDB
nm0001124