Product Description

A master craftsman with a powerful sense of moral realism and psychological detail, Wyler's movies--Jezebel, The Little Foxes, Mrs. Miniver, Roman Holiday and The Best Years of Our Lives, to name just a few--won him three Academy Awards for direction. Herman shows that Wyler's own story is every bit as entertaining as his movies. Filmography. Index.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #185459 in Books
• Published on: 1997-08-21
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 544 pages

Amazon.com Review
William Wyler is not as well known as Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, or John Ford, but he deserves a place among the superstar directors of classic Hollywood. His style was magnificently fluid; while his films are masterpieces of cinematic artistry, they are also filled with beautiful elements that make his characters and situations utterly real. Among other classics, he directed "Dead End," "Wuthering Heights," "The Little Foxes," "Mrs. Miniver," "The Best Years of Our Lives," "The Heiress," "Roman Holiday," "Ben-Hur," and "Funny Girl." Jan Herman's biography is a lively account of Wyler's life and career that pays special attention to the director's early experiences in Europe, his relationship to the Hollywood mogul Carl Laemmle, his combative partnership with Samuel Goldwyn, his friendships with John Huston and Lillian Hellman, his marriage to Margaret Tallichet, his harrowing experiences making propaganda films during World War II, and his long, immensely successful professional career.

From Publishers Weekly
Researched and written with the Wyler family's cooperation, Herman's richly satisfying biography takes a close look at the feisty, mischievous William Wyler (1902-1981), who directed Wuthering Heights, Roman Holiday, Friendly Persuasion, Funny Girl and many other memorable films, won three Academy Awards and guided more actors to Oscars (13) than any other director. Herman describes Wyler's painstaking approach to making his 32 films, showing how he worked with writers, actors, producers and technical crew. Equally well-covered are Wyler's early romances, his marriage and family life, his friendship with director John Huston, his thorny but productive relationship with producer Samuel Goldwyn, and his brave defiance of the House Un-American Activities Committee. Finally, Herman reveals how the death of his brother in 1971 led to Wyler's surprising decision to retire from filmmaking and spend the final decade of his life traveling around the world. Written by an award-winning journalist for the Los Angeles Times, this biography is a major addition to the literature of Hollywood's golden age. Photos.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Wyler was the most consistent craftsman during Hollywood's golden age, directing best-picture Oscar winners like Best Years of Our Lives and Ben Hur. Wyler would coax, cajole, or bully performances. Olivier said Wyler taught him to act for the camera and ex-lover Bette Davis counted him a favorite director. This book depicts Wyler's rise through the studio system, his turbulent friendship with longtime producer Sam Goldwyn, a brief marriage to actress Margaret Sullavan (later called a "batty broad" by Wyler), and his World War II frontline service directing combat films, which resulted in severe hearing loss. After the war Wyler defended colleagues against the blacklist but "chickened out" on a lesbian theme in The Children's Hour. He also passed on a lucrative job directing The Sound of Music because he couldn't bear making a film about "all those nice Nazis." Written with help from Wyler's friends and family, this is the most comprehensive book yet published on a gifted but very human director. Highly recommended.?Stephen Rees, Bucks Cty. Free Lib., Levittown, Pa.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Customer Reviews

The ultimate look at Hollywoods most honoured director
A thoroughly engrossing book that delves not only in Wyler the director, but Wyler the man. This books offers a rare glimpse into the inner workings of this phenomenal director, from his early days as a young immigrant to becoming honored by the AFI.

Learn what went on before, during and after some of filmdom's greatest movies (Mrs. Miniver, Best Years Of Their Lives, and Ben-Hur) as well as Wylers' time in the service, shooting award winning documentaries. As well as how the HUAC hearings impacted on his professional life and those he came to rely on, and how he dealt with personal triumphs and tragedies.

Jan Herman has taken what could have been a dry retelling of movie making, and offers up a book that is both informative and entertaining.

A wonderful insight into a fascinating film maker
Until I read this book, I had no idea that so many of my favourite classic films were directed by William Wyler.

The book tracks through Wyler's early childhood in pre-WWI Europe, his move to the United States and how he made his start making 3 movies a week for his uncle.

The book examines the process behind Wyler's great films - Roman Holiday, The Heiress and so on. Having read a biography of Audrey Hepburn and read about how she coped with the filming of Roman Holiday, it was really interesting to read the director's verion of what happened during filming. The quality of the final product was important to Wyler. He was a meticulous film maker who cared about his films. He was also a man of principle as shown by his efforts to make realistic fims during WWII, often puttin ghis wn life at risk as he shot footage of bombing raids over Europe.

The book also shows a little bit of Wyler's personal life. He was married for most of his life to the same wonderful woman and had a family that he clearly loved.

All in all, the book was a fascinating insight into pre-sound Hollywood and into a very interesting man and great director. It was extremely well written and an "easy read". It was tough to put down!