1. MGM distributed the film in 1941 and donated profits to World War II relief charities. Adopted son of Cecil B. DeMille and Constance DeMille. Broadway Actor. [306] DeMille received a Golden Globe Award for Best Director[314] and was additionally nominated for the Best Director category at the 1953 Academy Awards for the same film. Terrible. [321]:2123. 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 . Cecil Blount DeMille was born in Ashfield, Massachusetts, while his parents were vacationing there, and grew up in Washington, North Carolina. [190], DeMille's filmmaking process always began with extensive research. The school closed, and Beatrice filed for bankruptcy. [61] Moreover, when he was busy directing other films, he would co-author other Lasky Company scripts as well as create screen adaptations that others directed. [234], DeMille was interested in art and his favorite artist was Gustave Dor; DeMille based some of his most well-known scenes on the work of Dor. [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. The other three children were surprised by this, as DeMille did not treat the children differently in life. Oscars 1950 - Honorary Award. Cecil B. DeMille's final film, another version of The Ten Commandments , is his most widely seen work, thanks to Easter-time television programming, but it is not one of his most respected. He was a Freemason who remained a member of Prince of Orange Lodge #16 in New York . He bought the rights to the novel in 1925, but abandoned the project in pre-production. [23][note 2] DeMille's parents operated a private school in town and attended Christ Episcopal Church. With his editor, Anne Bauchens, DeMille used editing techniques to allow the visual images to bring the plot to climax rather than dialogue. Birthday: August 12, 1881. [319] The Ten Commandments is broadcast every Saturday at Passover in the United States on the ABC Television Network. [108] The King of Kings established DeMille as "master of the grandiose and of biblical sagas". In the audience was Charles Frohman who would cast DeMille in his play Hearts are Trumps, DeMille's Broadway debut. [193], DeMille rarely gave direction to actors; he preferred to "office-direct" where he would work with actors in his office, going over characters and reading through scripts. The director Cecil B. died at the age of 77. He graduated in 1900, and for graduation, his performance was the play The Arcady Trail. . [43] DeMille was credited with creating the premise of Belasco's The Return of Peter Grimm. DeMille claimed that MacPherson was not a good writer, but she received credit in his films because she gave him many ideas for the screenplays. DeMille recalled that this church was the place where he visualized the story of his 1923 version of The Ten Commandments.[25]. We have estimated Cecil B. DeMille's net worth , money, salary, income, and assets. [84] Throughout his career, DeMille would frequently remake his own films. [244] Another minor characteristic of DeMille's films include train crashes which can be found in several of his films. After Henry DeMille's death at age 40, Cecil's mother, Beatrice, ran a well-known boarding school for girls in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. [261][262] He was known for his unique, working wardrobe which included riding boots, riding pants, and soft, open necked shirts. Once there, he chose not to shoot in Edendale, where many studios were, but in Hollywood. [39] In the summer of 1905 DeMille joined the stock cast at the Elitch Theatre in Denver, Colorado. DeMille directed The King of Kings (1927), a biography of Jesus, which gained approval for its sensitivity and reached more than 800million viewers. Barbara Stanwyck. [137] Following his surgery and the success of Union Pacific, in 1940, DeMille first used three-strip Technicolor in North West Mounted Police. DeMille's trademark scenes included bathtubs, lion attacks, and Roman orgies. He worked with visual technicians, editors, art directors, costume designers, cinematographers, and set carpenters in order to perfect the visual aspects of his films. [65] Already $15,000 in debt to Royle for the screenplay of The Squaw Man, Lasky's relatives bought the $5,000 stock to save the Lasky Company from bankruptcy. [126] DeMille was a conservative Republican activist, becoming more conservative as he aged. Golden Globes 1953 - Best Director and Best . [36][note 6], Film started becoming more sophisticated and the subsequent films of the Lasky company were criticized for primitive and unrealistic set design. But they have inspired cutting edge directors including Stephen Spielberg and Martin Scorcese. [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. His overriding spirit . [28] This was the first of few film collaborations with his brother William. [201], DeMille experimented in his early films with photographic light and shade which created dramatic shadows instead of glare. Famous Players-Lasky donated the films. Hijo del dramaturgo Henry Churchill DeMille, en cuyas obras particip durante su infancia y primera adolescencia, curs . His family's, DeMille's niece and William deMille's daughter. 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. [61] Sometimes, he directed scenes for other directors at the Feature Play Company in order to release films on time. [30] DeMille attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts (tuition-free due to his father's service to the Academy). Its interracial love story made it commercially successful and it first publicized Hollywood as the home of the U.S. film industry. [208] DeMille had an authoritarian persona on set; he required absolute attention from the cast and crew. [134] William Keighley was his replacement. [125], Cecil B. DeMille was outspoken about his strong Episcopalian integrity but his private life included mistresses and adultery. Mature refused to wrestle Jackie the Lion, even though DeMille had just tussled with the lion, proving that he was tame. [162] Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, it grossed over $80million, which surpassed the gross of The Greatest Show on Earth and every other film in history, except for Gone with the Wind. Cecil B. DeMille's trademark films were Biblical and historical dramas, usually told in sweeping, big-budget scale, emblematic of overwrought Hollywood hugeness. [83], DeMille's most successful film was The Cheat; DeMille's direction in the film was acclaimed. people have heard of the Ten Commandments. Despite his loss, DeMille continued to lobby for the TaftHartley Act, which passed. An annual award, the Golden Globe's Cecil B. DeMille Award recognizes lifetime achievement in the film industry. He then appealed to the California Supreme Court and lost again. DeMille was accused of antisemitism after the release of The King of Kings,[282] and director John Ford despised DeMille for what he saw as "hollow" biblical epics meant to promote DeMille's reputation during the politically turbulent 1950s. "He was a thoroughly bad director," Huston said. [114] He was additionally vice president of the Commercial National Trust and Savings Bank in Los Angeles where he approved loans for other filmmakers. [44], DeMille performed on stage with actors whom he would later direct in films: Charlotte Walker, Mary Pickford, and Pedro de Cordoba. [14], DeMille's parents met as members of a music and literary society in New York. Story 2018 . Produced in eight weeks without exceeding budget, the film was financially successful. After more than thirty years in film production, DeMille reached a pinnacle in his career with Samson and Delilah (1949), a biblical epic which became the highest-grossing film of 1950. [127] However, according to DeMille himself, he was not anti-union and belonged to a few unions himself. Charlie Chaplin lived next door for a time, and after he moved, DeMille purchased the other house and combined the estates. Adams was 29 years old at the time of their marriage, eight years older than DeMille. [84] His specific use of lighting, influenced by his mentor David Belasco, was for the purpose of creating "striking images" and heightening "dramatic situations". Cecil B. Demille papers (English) type of reference. [316] DeMille's Union Pacific received a Palme d'Or in retrospect at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. [202] Another important aspect of DeMille's editing technique was to put the film away for a week or two after an initial edit in order to re-edit the picture with a fresh mind. DeMille asked David Niven to star in the film, but it was never made. He had completely adapted to the production of sound film despite the film's poor dialogue. Right here at FameChain. Find out about Cecil B DeMille's family tree, family history, ancestry, ancestors, genealogy, relationships and affairs! Cause of death. [81] The most successful films during the beginning of the Lasky Company were Brewster's Millions (co-directed by DeMille), Rose of the Rancho, and The Ghost Breaker. [91] Although DeMille considered enlisting in World War I, he stayed in the United States and made films. [166] [note 11], Due to his frequent heart attacks, DeMille asked his son-in-law, actor Anthony Quinn, to direct a remake of his 1938 film The Buccaneer. Age at Death: 77. The film began production in 1949, Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey were paid $250,000 for use of the title and facilities. Date of death: 21 Jan 1959. Cause of Death: Heart Attack. [165] This film would be his last. Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films. [161] Post-production lasted a year and the film premiered in Salt Lake City. He stands as one among the famous individuals for he was a creative filmmaker. DeMille's mother sent him to Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener University) in Chester, Pennsylvania, at age 15. [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". Red carpet photos. [62] They offered Farnum a choice to have a quarter stock in the company (similar to William deMille) or $250 per week as salary. [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. Cecil B. DeMille Born: 1881-08-12, Ashfield, Massachusetts, USA Education: NY Academy of Dramatic Arts Ethnicity: Caucasian Death Date:-0001-11-30 . The Warrens of Virginia (1915) $500 /week. [274] DeMille has influenced the careers of many modern directors. Name in native language: Cecil Blount DeMille: Date of birth: 12 August 1881 Ashfield: Date of death: 21 January 1959 Hollywood: Cause of death: heart failure; Place of burial: Hollywood Forever Cemetery; Pseudonym: C.B. [73] Furthermore, DeMille influenced about half of Spielberg's films, including War of the Worlds. Actor, The F.B.I. [20] John Philip Sousa was a friend of the family, and DeMille recalled throwing mud balls in the air so neighbor Annie Oakley could practice her shooting. His tentative plan was to shoot a film in Arizona, but he felt that Arizona did not typify the Western look they were searching for. [7] His brother, William C. DeMille, was born on July 25, 1878. Finally, he would leave the script with artists and allow them to create artistic depictions and renderings of each scene. [130] From 1936 to 1945, he produced, hosted, and directed all shows with the occasional exception of a guest director. [138] Audiences liked its highly saturated color, so DeMille made no further black-and-white features. [22] Agnes would die on February 11, 1894, at the age of three from spinal meningitis. [116], When "talking pictures" were invented in 1928, Cecil B. DeMille made a successful transition, offering his own innovations to the painful process; he devised a microphone boom and a soundproof camera blimp. He related a story that he maintained his self-control when Gloria Swanson sat on his lap, refusing to touch her. Sunset Blvd. [86] A large collection of DeMille's materials including scripts, storyboards, and films resides at Brigham Young University in L. Tom Perry Special Collections. [80] The first few years of the Lasky Company were spent in making films nonstop, literally writing the language of film. He adapted several of Belasco's screenplays into film. He was entombed at the Hollywood Memorial Cemetery (now known as Hollywood Forever). [144], In 1942, DeMille released Paramount's most successful film, Reap the Wild Wind. Film Director. In his address, he compares the exodus of the Israelites under Moses's direction to that of the Mormon . Billy Jim Hawkins . [115] In 1916, DeMille purchased a mansion in Hollywood. Eventually, the Guard was enlarged to a battalion and recruited soldiers from other film studios. retrieved. Farnum chose $250 per week. vigilantes and fulminating fanatics suffering flock shock and who wanted to shut down 1920s Hollywood because of the cause clbre scandals . Cecil Blount DeMille (August 12, 1881 - January 21, 1959) was an American film director and Academy Award-winning film producer in both silent and sound films. [297] The title of the 2000 John Waters film Cecil B. Demented alludes to DeMille. [175][176] His personal will drew a line between Cecilia and his three adopted children, with Cecilia receiving a majority of DeMille's inheritance and estate. [17] As a child, DeMille created an alter-ego, Champion Driver, a Robin Hood-like character, evidence of his creativity and imagination. Ashfield, Massachusetts, USA. [5] DeMille was named after his grandmothers Cecelia Wolff and Margarete Blount. They were even required to expand to RKO sound studios for filming. [42] DeMille would later adapt Belasco's The Girl of the Golden West, Rose of the Rancho, and The Warrens of Virginia into films. He donated. By 1930, DeMille had perfected his film style of mass-interest spectacle films with Western, Roman, or Biblical themes. [143] [note 9] In 1938, DeMille supervised the compilation of film Land of Liberty to represent the contribution of the American film industry to the 1939 New York World's Fair. [160] Production of The Ten Commandments began in October 1954. . In his first instance, in 1917, he remade The Squaw Man (1918), only waiting four years from the 1914 original. However much I may dislike some of his pictures, it would be very silly of me, as a producer of commercial motion pictures, to demean for an instant his unparalleled skill as a maker of mass entertainment. [84] Goldwyn was later fired from Famous Players-Lasky due to frequent clashes with Lasky, DeMille, and finally Zukor. [130] He resigned from the Lux Radio Show because he refused to pay a dollar to the American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) because he did not believe that any organization had the right to "levy a compulsory assessment upon any member. Date of birth. Cecil B. DeMille was a master of spectacle. . LOS ANGELES -- Cecilia de Mille Harper, daughter of pioneer film-director Cecil B. de Mille and one of the first child movie actresses, has died after a long battle with . DeMille discovered the possibilities of the "bathroom" or "boudoir" in film without being "vulgar" or "cheap". He is from USA. Cause of death. DeMille did not believe a large movie set was the place to discuss minor character or line issues. Sons-and daughters-in-law were required to call him "Mr. DeMille", and Richard deMille never recalled hugging his father, claiming he received handshakes instead. The legendary comedian, 61, has been confirmed to receive one of the night's highest honors, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, given as a way to honor "outstanding contributions to the world of entertainment," per the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. At least one DeMille film can represent each film genre. [187] It is difficult to typify DeMille's films into one specific genre. [163], On November 7, 1954, while in Egypt filming the Exodus sequence for The Ten Commandments, DeMille (who was seventy-three) climbed a 107-foot (33m) ladder to the top of the massive Per Rameses set and suffered a serious heart attack. DeMille served as executive producer but could not improve Quinn's style of direction. Cecil Blount DeMille (/ s s l d m l /; August 12, 1881 - January 21, 1959) was an American film director, producer and actor.Between 1914 and 1958, he made 70 features, both silent and sound films.He is acknowledged as a founding father of the American cinema and the most commercially successful producer-director in film history. Large gallery of Cecil B. DeMille pics. [172], DeMille received two Academy Awards: an Honorary Award for "37 years of brilliant showmanship" in 1950[313] and a Best Picture award in 1953 for The Greatest Show on Earth. His films were distinguished by their epic . DeMille left a physical legacy in 1923 when, on completing The Ten Commandments, he buried the Egyptian sets in the sand dunes of Guadalupe. Unlike the other children the DeMille's adopted, John was never told about his birth parents. The actor had 10 Globes nominations and five wins, including a special award for his vocal work on . [8] Henry de Mille, whose ancestors were of English and Dutch-Belgian descent, was a North Carolina-born dramatist, actor, and lay reader in the Episcopal Church. [207], DeMille made stars of unknown actors: Gloria Swanson, Bebe Daniels, Rod La Rocque, William Boyd, Claudette Colbert, and Charlton Heston. His most notable works include The Ten Commandments -1923, The Sign of the Cross-1932 and Cleopatra-1934.Cleopatra earned him credits as it was the first film that was listed among the nominees for an Academy Award.. Cecil Blount DeMille was a legendary. He was granted an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II in 1974. [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. [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. [138] Despite the criticism, it was Paramount's highest-grossing film of the year. [36] One of DeMille's affairs was with his screenwriter Jeanie MacPherson. [243] In relation to his own interests and sexual preferences, sadomasochism was a minor theme present in some of his films. This prohibited denying anyone the right to work if they refuse to pay a political assessment, however, the law did not apply retroactively. If you have diabetes and take insulin or other oral medications aimed to reduce blood sugar, taking chromium may increase the risk of . [60] As director-general, DeMille's job was to make the films. Beatrice DeMille's family was not in attendance, and Simon Louvish suggests that this was to conceal DeMille's partial Jewish heritage. [133] He began presenting speeches across the United States for the next few years. The 1956 film was a partial remake of an earlier silent . English Wikipedia. Friday 12 Aug 1881. She had a Southern drawl which she never lost. Cecil B. DeMille American film director (1881-1959) . [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. that DeMille found his greatest inspiration. DeMille also produced and directed plays. [303] In 1957, DeMille gave the commencement address for the graduation ceremony of Brigham Young University wherein he received an honorary Doctorate of Letter degree. [192] DeMille had large and frequent office conferences to discuss and examine all aspects of the working film including story-boards, props, and special effects. [73] There were problems; however, with the perforation of the film stock and it was discovered the DeMille had brought a cheap British film perforator which had punched in sixty-five holes per foot instead of the industry-standard of sixty-four. [92] DeMille and Adams adopted Katherine Lester in 1920 whom Adams had found in the orphanage over which she was the director. The continued success of his productions led to the founding of Paramount Pictures with Lasky and Adolph Zukor. More Facts. DeMille told the actor that he was "one hundred percent yellow". Beatrice was intelligent, educated, forthright, and strong-willed. This was the first feature-length film made in Hollywood. "[265] Said fellow director William Wellman: "Directorially, I think his pictures were the most horrible things I've ever seen in my life. Consequently, his mother hired him for her agency The DeMille Play Company and taught him how to be an agent and a playwright. Spanish Wikipedia. (Cecil Blount De Mille o DeMille; Ashfield, 1881 - Hollywood, 1959) Productor y director de cine estadounidense recordado especialmente por sus superproducciones de epopeyas histricas y religiosas. He attempted to create a guild of a half a dozen directors with the same creative desires called the Director's Guild. [39] DeMille wrote a few of his own plays in-between stage performances, but his playwriting was not as successful. Covers. Director John Huston intensely disliked both DeMille and his films. DeMille served as executive producer, overseeing producer Henry Wilcoxon. 72 pictures of Cecil B. DeMille. Adams allowed DeMille to have several long term mistresses during their marriage as an outlet, while maintaining an outward appearance of a faithful marriage. In that respect, he was better than any of us. 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. (1950) $10,000. Now he wants to make the life of Moses. [252], Despite his box-office success, awards, and artistic achievements, DeMille has been dismissed and ignored by critics both during his life and posthumously. He went before the Paramount board of directors, which was mostly Jewish-American. To provide for her family, she opened the Henry C. DeMille School for Girls in her home in February 1893. [109] Western and frontier American were also themes that DeMille returned to throughout his career. Biographer Scott Eyman suggested that this may have been a result of Adams's recent miscarriage. From the archive, 22 January 1959: Pioneering film maker Cecil B. deMille dies Even the severest critics of his films had to concede that he was a great showman Cecil B. deMille (1881-1959). Cecil B DeMille announced that his next production would be his biggest and most ambitious to date. Carl Laemmle anniversary 1931.JPG 1,473 1,161; 359 KB. Alternative names DeMille, Cecil Blount Short description Film director: Date of birth August 12, 1881 Place of birth The gathering drew 93,000, with short speeches by, While the film was a huge success, DeMille regretted that he could not share the success with his wife who had developed, The estate cycled through several different homeowners for the next 30 years until it was bought by American actress. [93] [note 5] In 1922, the couple adopted Richard deMille. September 17, 1914. [9] DeMille's father was also an English teacher at Columbia College (now Columbia University). [278] As one of the establishing members of Paramount Pictures and co-founder of Hollywood, DeMille had a role in the development of the film industry. However, throughout his career, he filmed comedies, periodic and contemporary romances, dramas, fantasies, propaganda, Biblical spectacles, musical comedies, suspense, and war films. . d. 21 st January 1959, Hollywood, California, USA. . [47] DeMille sometimes worked with the director E.H. Sothern, who influenced DeMille's later perfectionism in his work. [109] Eight of his films were "epics" with five of those classified as "Biblical". Cecil B. DeMille. Constance was born the daughter of Judge Frederic Adams, New Jersey Court of Errors and Appeals, and Ella Adams, Frederics first wife. [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. [71] Apfel filmed most of The Squaw Man due to DeMille's inexperience; however, DeMille learned quickly and was particularly adept at impromptu screenwriting as necessary. "[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. [202] DeMille was unique in using this technique. [27] Before Henry deMille's death, Beatrice had "enthusiastically supported" her husband's theatrical aspirations. In this way, the characters' thoughts and desires are the visual focus rather than the circumstances regarding the physical scene. Stills. "[267] Salvador Dal wrote that DeMille, Walt Disney and the Marx Brothers were "the three great American Surrealists". Additionally, he often starred in prologues and special trailers that he created for his films, having an opportunity to personally address the audience. [32] At the age of twenty-one, Cecil B. DeMille married Constance Adams on August 16, 1902, at Adams's father's home in East Orange, New Jersey. [230] Actor Charlton Heston admitted DeMille was, "terribly unfashionable" and Sidney Lumet called Demille, "the cheap version of D.W. Griffith," adding that DeMille, "[didn't have]an original thought in his head," though Heston added that DeMille was much more than that. Peters claimed that he encouraged the cast to attend the funeral with him anyway since DeMille would not be able to shoot the film without him. [255], Publicly Episcopalian, DeMille drew on his Christian and Jewish ancestors to convey a message of tolerance. [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. [259] He cultivated the image of the omnipotent director,[260] complete with megaphone, riding crop, and jodhpurs. [159] The Ten Commandments, released in 1956, was DeMille's final film. The Ten Commandments (Documentary: Making Miracles) (Six-Disc Limited Edition Blu-ray/DVD Combo) Cecil B. DeMille / Paramount. The first, for radio contributions, is located at 6240 Hollywood Blvd. [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's highest-grossing films include: The Sign of the Cross (1932), Unconquered (1947), Samson and Delilah (1949), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), and The Ten Commandments (1956). [271] DeMille was immortalized in Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard when Gloria Swanson spoke the line: "All right, Mr. DeMille.