. 27 October 2022. This concerned the executives at Paramount; however, the film turned out to be the studio's highest-grossing film. They were even required to expand to RKO sound studios for filming. [46] Life was difficult for DeMille and his wife as traveling actors; however, traveling allowed him to experience part of the United States he had not yet seen. Furthermore, DeMille's film won the Academy Award for Best Picture and the Academy Award for Best Story. Cecil B. DeMille's Glorious & Glamorous Estate - 2000 De Mille Drive [109] Six of DeMille's filmsThe Arab, The Wild Goose Chase, The Dream Girl, The Devil-Stone, We Can't Have Everything, and The Squaw Man (1918)were destroyed due to nitrate decomposition, and are considered lost. [60] In addition to directing, DeMille was the supervisor and consultant for the first year of films made by the Lasky Feature Play Company. DeMille adored the art of Groesbeck, even hanging it above his fireplace, but film staff found it difficult to convert his art into three-dimensional sets. 1. Friday 12 Aug 1881. [317], Two of DeMille's films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the United States Library of Congress: The Cheat (1915) and The Ten Commandments (1956). Although this final reel looked so different from the previous eleven reels that it appeared to be from another movie, according to Simon Louvish, the film is one of DeMille's strangest and most "DeMillean" film. After the film was shown, viewers complained that the shadows and lighting prevented the audience from seeing the actors' full faces, complaining that they would only pay half price. Sarris added that despite the influence of styles of contemporary directors throughout his career, DeMille's style remained unchanged. [228] DeMille was often criticized for making his spectacles too colorful and for being too occupied with entertaining the audience rather than accessing the artistic and auteur possibilities that film could provide. [53] Another DeMille-Lasky production that opened in January 1912 was The Antique Girl. [130] Broadcast on the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) from 1935 to 1954,[131] the Lux Radio show was one of the most popular weekly shows in the history of radio. "[156], Alfred Zukor responding to DeMille's proposal of The Ten Commandments remake, In 1952, DeMille sought approval for a lavish remake of his 1923 silent film The Ten Commandments. Derided then . [293] Two schools have been named after him: Cecil B. DeMille Middle School, in Long Beach, California, which was closed and demolished in 2010 to make way for a new high school;[294] and Cecil B. DeMille Elementary School in Midway City, California. In addition to his use of volatile and abrupt film editing, his lighting and composition were innovative for the time period as filmmakers were primarily concerned with a clear, realistic image. [120] After his contract ended at MGM, he left, but no production studios would hire him. DeMille studied famous paintings that captured the life of Christ and brought them to the screen. To diseased proportions. . However, the films of his silent era were often thematically different from the films of his sound era. Adopted son of Cecil B. DeMille and Constance DeMille. [232] In the early age of cinema, DeMille differentiated the Lasky Company from other production companies due to the use of dramatic, low-key lighting they called "Lasky lighting" and marketed as "Rembrandt lighting" to appeal to the public. [276] Famed director Steven Spielberg stated that DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth was one of the films that influenced him to become a filmmaker. [31] In 1901, DeMille starred in productions of A Repentance, To Have and to Hold, and Are You a Mason? The legendary producer-director Cecil B. DeMille was a master of the American biblical epic who shaped the public's perceptions of Judeo-Christianity in his role as Hollywood's Sunday school teacher. View the latest Cecil B. DeMille photos. He appeared in eleven of the fifteen plays presented that season, although all were minor roles. He graduated in 1900, and for graduation, his performance was the play The Arcady Trail. It opened on December 13, 1985, and features some of DeMille's personal artifacts. He was so eager to produce the film, that he hadn't yet read the novel. Discover the real story, facts, and details of Cecil B. DeMille. Cecil B. DeMille - NNDB [245], Known as the father of the Hollywood motion picture industry, Cecil B. DeMille made 70 films including several box-office hits. Here, he parts the Red Sea. [238] Although he is known for his later "spectacular" films, his early films are held in high regard by critics and film historians. He was disliked by many inside and outside of the film industry for his cold and controlling reputation. [249] Similarly, scholar David Blanke, argued that DeMille had lost the respect of his colleagues and film critics by his late film career. In the silent era, he was renowned for Male and Female (1919), Manslaughter (1922), The Volga Boatman (1926), and The Godless Girl (1928). [215][216][217] He also cast established stars such as Gary Cooper, Robert Preston, Paulette Goddard and Fredric March in multiple pictures. [103] It held the Paramount record for twenty-five years until DeMille broke the record again himself. [139] DeMille was anti-communist and abandoned a project in 1940 to film Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls due to its communist themes despite the fact he had already paid $100,000 for the rights to the novel. The surgery caused him to suffer from sexual dysfunction for the rest of his life, according to some family members. His poor physical condition upon his return home affected the production of his 1922 film Manslaughter. Mini Bio (1) Julia Faye's career is inextricably linked to director Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille: The Master of the American Biblical Epic . Self - Actor, The F.B.I. Cause of death. He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinema and the most commercially successful producer-director in film history. In other "Talk Shop" columns, DeMille explained that "no stone was left unturned to make the picture absolutely true to the life portrayed" and that he had brought in "eighteen big Tiger Tribe Indians . cause of death. Cause of Death: Heart failure. is the 10th plague, in which the Angel of Death is imagined as a thick . DeMille had considered making the film himself. [261][262] He was known for his unique, working wardrobe which included riding boots, riding pants, and soft, open necked shirts. [10] At the military college, even though his grades were average, he reportedly excelled in personal conduct. [61], The Lasky Play Company sought out William DeMille to join the company, but he rejected the offer because he did not believe there was any promise in a film career. Its interracial love story made it commercially successful and it first publicized Hollywood as the home of the U.S. film industry. DeMille traveled abroad to find employment until he was offered a deal at Paramount. In his address, he compares the exodus of the Israelites under Moses's direction to that of the Mormon . [34], They were sexually incompatible; according to DeMille, Adams was too "pure" to "feel such violent and evil passions. DeMille served as executive producer, overseeing producer Henry Wilcoxon. [180] His playwright father introduced him to the theater at a young age. On the day of DeMille's death, President McKay sent a telegram to the DeMille family stating that DeMille "merits the welcome, 'well done that good and faithful servant; enter thou into the rest prepared for the just.' . It was produced with a large budget and contained many special effects including an electronically operated giant squid. Beatrice became a play broker and author's agent, influencing DeMille's early life and career. imported from Wikimedia project. This was the first feature-length film made in Hollywood. [32] From 1904 to 1905, DeMille attempted to make a living as a stock theatre actor with his wife Constance. De Mille daughter dies - UPI Archives [84] While on a European vacation in 1921, DeMille contracted rheumatic fever in Paris. DeMille toured with the circus while helping write the script. According to Richard Birchard, DeMille's weakened state during production may have led to the film being received as uncharacteristically substandard. DeMille's designs, most notably his design of the distinctive cadet parade uniform, won praise from Air Force and Academy leadership, were ultimately adopted, and are still worn by cadets. [84] In 1916, exhausted from three years of nonstop filmmaking, DeMille purchased land in the Angeles National Forest for a ranch which would become his getaway. [109] Considered at the time to be the most successful Christian film of the silent era, DeMille calculated that it had been viewed over 800 million times around the world. (1950) $10,000. At least one DeMille film can represent each film genre. [55][56] However, changes in the theater rendered DeMille's melodramas obsolete before they were produced, and true theatrical success eluded him. U.S. State: Massachusetts. View the most popular Cecil B. DeMille pix. [90], During World War I, the Famous Players-Lasky organized a military company underneath the National Guard called the Home Guard made up of film studio employees with DeMille as captain. Hot! They also learned that other filmmakers were successfully shooting in Los Angeles, even in winter. [212] Paulette Goddard's refusal to risk personal injury in a scene involving fire in Unconquered cost her DeMille's favor and a role in The Greatest Show on Earth. [231], According to Scott Eyman, DeMille's films were at the same time masculine and feminine due to his thematic adventurousness and his eye for the extravagant. [337], Charles Frohman, Constance Adams, and David Belasco, Scandalous dramas, Biblical epics, and departure from Paramount, There are several variants of DeMille's surname. The director Cecil B. died at the age of 77. December 26, 2014 at 3:45 p.m. As the keeper of her grandfather Cecil B. DeMille's legacy, Cecilia de Mille Presley is used to fielding calls from people who want to ask her questions, recruit . . [208] DeMille had an authoritarian persona on set; he required absolute attention from the cast and crew. Epic. [15] The two were married on July 1, 1876, despite Beatrice's parents' objections because of the young couple's differing religions; Beatrice converted to Episcopalianism. Cause of death: Heart failure: Nationality: American: Occupation: Producer, director, editor, screenwriter, actor: Years active: 1913-1959: Spouse(s) Constance Adams (1902-1959) Partner(s) Jeanie MacPherson Julia Faye: Parent(s) Henry Churchill DeMille Beatrice Samuel: Cecil Blount DeMille (August 12, 1881 - January 21, 1959) was an . "[267] Salvador Dal wrote that DeMille, Walt Disney and the Marx Brothers were "the three great American Surrealists". DeMille's reputation had a renaissance in the 2010s and his work has influenced numerous other films and directors. Just two years before his death, and shortly after the release of his last film, The Ten Commandments, he delivered a commencement address at Brigham Young University. Host Scott . Furthermore, DeMille argued with Zukor over his extravagant and over-budget production costs. [129], From June 1, 1936, until January 22, 1945, Cecil B. DeMille hosted and directed Lux Radio Theater, a weekly digest of current feature films. Along with biblical and historical narratives, he also directed films oriented toward "neo-naturalism", which tried to portray the laws of man fighting the forces of nature. [18] The family lived in Washington, North Carolina,[19] until Henry built a three-story Victorian-style house for his family in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey; they named this estate "Pamlico". [36] One of DeMille's affairs was with his screenwriter Jeanie MacPherson. Journal of Religion & Film English Wikipedia. Katherine DeMille - Biography - IMDb Story 2018 . How Artisans Brought Cecil B. DeMille's Famous Train Crash to Life in Henry was a tall, red-headed student. Cecil Blount DeMille was a legendary. [41] The Return of Peter Grimm sparked controversy; however, because Belasco had taken DeMille's unnamed screenplay, changed the characters and named it The Return of Peter Grimm, producing and presenting it as his own work. DeMille told the actor that he was "one hundred percent yellow". He directed and produced four films on his own, working with Producers Distributing Corporation because he found front office supervision too restricting. He stated that The Ten Commandments was the final culmination of DeMille's style. Cecil B. DeMille was born on August 12, 1881 and died in 2000 De Mille Drive, Hollywood, California due to Heart failure due to a series of heart attacks on January 21, 1959. . His silent era films often included the "battle of the sexes" theme due to the era of women's suffrage and the enlarging role of women in society. [113][295] The former film building at Chapman University in Orange, California, is named in honor of DeMille. Paramount Pictures 1956 release of the Academy Award-winning, Cecil B. DeMille-directed epic and international success, "The Ten Commandments," is more than likely the most famous religious-drama of all time. Along the same lines, critics of DeMille often qualify him by his later spectacles and fail to consider several decades of ingenuity and energy that defined him during his generation. Cecil Blount DeMille was 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. This is the earliest of DeMille's films available in a quality, color-tinted video format. [122] His first film back at Paramount, The Sign of the Cross, was also his first success since leaving Paramount besides The King of Kings. He wanted to prevent other companies from shooting on . Constance was born the daughter of Judge Frederic Adams, New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals, and Ella Adams, Frederics first wife. [309][310][note 17] For his contribution to the motion picture and radio industry, DeMille has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Recent images. [59] Lasky and DeMille were said to have sketched out the organization of the company on the back of a restaurant menu. DeMille did not believe a large movie set was the place to discuss minor character or line issues. GitHub export from English Wikipedia. [119] These three films, Dynamite, Madame Satan, and his 1931 remake of The Squaw Man were both critically and financially unsuccessful. [64] The Lasky Company bought the rights to the play The Squaw Man by Edwin Milton Royle and cast Dustin Farnum in the lead role. He had a band of assistants who catered to his needs. New Bio Gives Cecil B. DeMille His Own Close-Up : NPR [37] Despite his reputation for extramarital affairs, DeMille did not like to have affairs with his stars, as he believed it would cause him to lose control as a director. More Facts. Compared to other directors, few film scholars have taken the time to academically analyze his films and style. However, his final films maintained that DeMille was still respected by his audiences. His art was even shown at Paramount meetings when pitching new films. 1956 theater brochure DeMille recalled that this church was the place where he visualized the story of his 1923 version of The Ten Commandments.[25]. people have heard of the Ten Commandments. Recommended For You. Now he wants to make the life of Moses. [84] Throughout his career, DeMille would frequently remake his own films. DeMille directed The King of Kings (1927), a biography of Jesus, which gained approval for its sensitivity and reached more than 800million viewers. His films were distinguished by their epic scale and by his cinematic showmanship. [164] Although DeMille completed the film, his health was diminished by several more heart attacks. [130] While DeMille was host, the show had forty million weekly listeners, gaining DeMille an annual salary of $100,000. Date of death: 21 Jan 1959. [171], Cecil B. DeMille suffered a series of heart attacks from June 1958 to January 1959,[168] and died on January 21, 1959, following an attack. [42] DeMille would later adapt Belasco's The Girl of the Golden West, Rose of the Rancho, and The Warrens of Virginia into films. The Buccaneer - Cecil B. DeMille [321]:2123. Cecil B. DeMille Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family His films were distinguished by their epic . finding aid. [191] Plot and dialogue were not a strong point of DeMille's films. List of the best Cecil B. DeMille movies: The Ten Commandments(1956), The Godless Girl(1929), The Golden Bed(1925), Union Pacific(1939), Unconquered(1947), Male and Female(1919), The Plainsman(1936), The Whispering Chorus(1918), The Ten Commandments(1923), Samson and Delilah(1949), The Story of Dr. Wassell(1944), Reap the Wild Wind(1942 . [160] A unique practice at the time, DeMille offered ten percent of his profit to the crew. [272] DeMille's reputation had a renaissance in the 2010s. "A dreadful showoff. [138] Despite the criticism, it was Paramount's highest-grossing film of the year. He debuted as an actor on February 21, 1900, in the play Hearts Are Trumps at New York's Garden Theater. Pioneering film director. [92] DeMille and Adams adopted Katherine Lester in 1920 whom Adams had found in the orphanage over which she was the director. William had been a successful playwright, but DeMille was suffering from the failure of his plays The Royal Mounted and The Genius. The other three children were surprised by this, as DeMille did not treat the children differently in life. Cecil B. DeMille: Hollywood Directing Legend | Full Documentary 72 pictures of Cecil B. DeMille. Magazine pics. . 'Some Like It Hot' Producer Walter Mirisch Dead at 101 [255], Publicly Episcopalian, DeMille drew on his Christian and Jewish ancestors to convey a message of tolerance. [172] DeMille's funeral was held on January 23 at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church. Name Constance DeMille Cause of death pneumonia: Born April 27, 1874 . Lasky and DeMille maintained the widow Fleming on the payroll; however, according to leading actor House Peters Sr. DeMille refused to stop production for the funeral of Fleming. Terrible. Date of death: 21 Jan 1959. 5 Supplements You Shouldn't Be Taking If You Have Diabetes, According He suffered from a post-surgery infection from which he nearly did not recover, citing streptomycin as his saving grace. He was the first recipient of the Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, which was named in his honor. Despite its quick turnaround, the film was fairly successful. [250] Five of DeMille's film were the highest-grossing films at the year of their release, with only Spielberg topping him with six of his films as the highest-grossing films of the year. [194] DeMille was particularly adept at directing and managing large crowds in his films. Occupations. John Blount DeMille (1914 - 1982) - Genealogy - geni family tree [287][288] The Lasky-DeMille Barn was dedicated as a California historical landmark in a ceremony on December 27, 1956; DeMille was the keynote speaker. About Cecil B. DeMille: Film director from the United States (1881 But he put on pictures that made a fortune. [195] DeMille was adept at directing "thousands of extras",[113] and many of his pictures include spectacular set pieces: the toppling of the pagan temple in Samson and Delilah;[196] train wrecks in The Road to Yesterday,[197] Union Pacific[198] and The Greatest Show on Earth;[199] the destruction of an airship in Madam Satan;[200] and the parting of the Red Sea in both versions of The Ten Commandments. Eddie Murphy to Receive Cecil B. DeMille Award at 2023 Golden Globes However, the idea failed due to lack of funding and commitment. [11] Henry deMille frequently collaborated with David Belasco in playwriting;[12] their best-known collaborations included "The Wife", "Lord Chumley", "The Charity Ball", and "Men and Women". Adams allowed DeMille to have several long term mistresses during their marriage as an outlet, while maintaining an outward appearance of a faithful marriage. [184] While working in theatre, DeMille used real fruit trees in his play California as influenced by Belasco. Cecil B DeMille Family Tree & History, Ancestry & Genealogy - FameChain [170] DeMille's autobiography was mostly completed by the time DeMille died and was published in November 1959. 1902-08-16 Filmmaker Cecil B DeMille (21) weds actress . Mature refused to wrestle Jackie the Lion, even though DeMille had just tussled with the lion, proving that he was tame. [289] The Dunes Center in Guadalupe, California contains an exhibition of artifacts uncovered in the desert near Guadalupe from DeMille's set of his 1923 version of The Ten Commandments, known as the "Lost City of Cecil B. [43] DeMille was credited with creating the premise of Belasco's The Return of Peter Grimm. Eventually, he became manager of the agency and later, a junior partner with his mother. Eventually, the Guard was enlarged to a battalion and recruited soldiers from other film studios. To provide for her family, she opened the Henry C. DeMille School for Girls in her home in February 1893. "[266] Producer David O. Selznick wrote: "There has appeared only one Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille was born in Ashfield, Massachusetts, and grew up in New York City. [213] DeMille did receive help in his films, notably from Alvin Wyckoff who shot forty-three of DeMille's films;[80] brother William deMille who would occasionally serve as his screenwriter;[82] and Jeanie Macpherson, who served as DeMille's exclusive screenwriter for fifteen years;[214] and Eddie Salven, DeMille's favorite assistant director. [300] In 1963, the Cecil B. DeMille Foundation donated the "Paradise" ranch to the Hathaway Foundation, which cares for emotionally disturbed and abused children. The 1956 film was a partial remake of an earlier silent . With this year's Oscar nominations soon to be announced, we take a look back at his cinematic extraganzas. Early Life [259] He cultivated the image of the omnipotent director,[260] complete with megaphone, riding crop, and jodhpurs. Gender.
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