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Finding Aid for the William Wyler Papers, 1925-1975
53
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Description
Collection consists of materials related to the career of motion picture director,
William Wyler. Includes correspondence, photographs, clippings, various annotated drafts
and versions of film scripts, legal documents, notes, and budget and production
information. Contains material related to films such as "Ben Hur" (1959), "Best Years Of
Our Lives" (1946), "The Children's Hour" (1961), "The Collector" (1965), "Friendly
Persuasion" (1956), "Funny Girl" (1968), "The Heiress" (1927), "The Letter" (1956),
"Little Foxes" (1941), "Mrs. Miniver" (1942), "Roman Holiday" (1953), and "Wuthering
Heights" (1939). Also includes transcript of script conference with Lillian Hellman,
photographs from several unidentified westerns with Wyler and various people including
Ted Wells and Fred Gilman, and unproduced script material with treatments by various
people such as Robert Wyler.
Background
Willy Wyler was born July 1, 1902 in Mulhouse Alsace-Lorraine; he traveled to America at
the invitation of cousin Carl Laemmle, 1920, and became a US citizen, 1928; worked in the
publicity dept. at Universal, NY and transferred to Universal City, Hollywood, 1921,
where he apprenticed many jobs; he was asst. director at Universal, 1924 and directed his
first film, "Crook Buster" (1925), and his first feature, "Lazy Lightning" (1926); during
his first two years as a director he made more than 40 two-reel westerns; began his
association with Samuel Goldwyn in 1936; "The Making Of These Three" (1936) marked his
first collaboration with cameraman Gregg Toland, who worked in many of Wyler's films; he
served as a Major in US Army Air Corps, 1942-45 and later helped found the Committee for
the First Amendment to counteract the Hollywood investigation by House Un-American
Activities Committee, 1947; with numerous directorial credits, he retired from directing
in 1973; awards include Academy Award Best Direction for Mrs. Miniver (1942), "The Best
Years Of Our Lives" (1946), and "Ben Hur" (1959), the Irving G. Thalberg Award (1965),
and the American Film Institute Lifetime Achievement Award (1976); died July 29, 1981.
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to the Performing Arts Special Collections, UCLA. All
requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing
to the Arts Special Collections Librarian. Permission for publication is given on behalf
of the Performing Arts Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not
intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be
obtained.
Availability
Advance notice required for access.