Cecil B. DeMille

by Rovi film biography

An actor and general manager with his mother's theatrical troupe since the mid-1900s, Cecil B. DeMille formed a filmmaking partnership in 1913 with vaudeville artist Jesse L. Lasky and businessman Samuel Goldfish (soon to be known as Samuel Goldwyn). Their first venture was The Squaw Man (1914), which DeMille co-directed, co-wrote and co-produced with Oscar Apfel. This successful and elaborate six-reeler launched DeMille on a lifelong career in films. His first solo effort was the Western The Virginian (1914), which he also co-scripted. He edited and wrote (or co-wrote) almost all his successful films, with the notable exception of the popular melodrama The Cheat (1915). Writer Jeanie Macpherson began working for DeMille in 1914 with The Captive (1915), and wrote most of his later silent films: hits that included witty romantic farces (Don't Change Your Husband); epic morality tales that combined modern dramas with visions of history (Joan The Woman [1916]) or the Bible (The Ten Commandments [1923]); and perhaps DeMille's greatest artistic success, the handsome and moving life of Christ, The King of Kings (1927). Macpherson also wrote the director's first three talkies, ending their collaboration in 1930 with the bizarre comedy Madam Satan (1930). DeMille continued to score hits in the '30s with epics (Sign of the Cross [1932], Cleopatra [1934]) and Westerns (The Plainsman [1937], Union Pacific [1939]). His output became more sporadic during the '40s, but he still pleased the public with his rugged action films Northwest Mounted Police (1940) and Reap the Wild Wind (1942). DeMille's last three films -- Samson and Delilah (1950), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), and The Ten Commandments (1956), a remake of his 1923 movie of the same name -- were the most successful releases of their respective years. DeMille's final directorial effort, The Ten Commandments was also the decade's box-office champ. He died in 1959 at the age of 77; his memoir, The Autobiography of Cecil B. DeMille, was published posthumously later that year.

filmography snapshot

1915

1920

1925

1930

1935

1940

1945

1950

Year	Title	Rating
1914	Brewster's Millions Director
1914	Ready Money Screenwriter
1914	Rose of the Rancho Screenwriter, Director, Producer, Editor
1914	The Call of the North Producer, Director, Screenwriter
1914	The Circus Man Screenwriter
1914	The Ghost Breaker Screenwriter, Producer, Director
1914	The Man from Home Director, Editor, Producer
1914	The Man from Home Director, Screenwriter
1914	The Man on the Box Director
1914	The Squaw Man Producer, Director, Screenwriter
1914	The Virginian Director, Screenwriter, Editor, Producer
1914	What's-His-Name? Producer, Screenwriter, Editor, Director
1915	Carmen Director, Producer, Editor
1915	Chimmie Fadden Director, Screenwriter, Producer, Editor
1915	Chimmie Fadden out West Director, Editor, Screenwriter, Producer
1915	Kindling Producer, Screenwriter, Director, Editor
1915	Lost and Won Director, Producer
1915	Snobs Screenwriter
1915	Temptation Director, Editor, Producer
1915	The Arab Producer, Editor, Director
1915	The Captive Screenwriter, Director, Editor, Producer
1915	The Cheat Editor, Director, Producer
1915	The Girl of the Golden West Producer, Screenwriter, Editor, Director
1915	The Golden Chance Editor, Director, Producer
1915	The Unafraid Editor, Director, Producer
1915	The Warrens of Virginia Producer, Director, Editor
1915	The Wild Goose Chase Editor, Director, Producer
1916	Joan the Woman Producer, Editor, Director
1916	Love Mask Screenwriter
1916	Maria Rosa Editor, Director, Producer
1916	Sweet Kitty Bellairs Director
1916	The Dream Girl Director, Producer, Editor
1916	The Heart of Nora Flynn Director, Editor, Producer
1916	The Trail of the Lonesome Pine Producer, Editor, Director
1917	A Romance of the Redwoods Producer, Director, Editor
1917	The Devil Stone Producer, Editor, Director
1917	The Little American Producer, Editor, Director, Screenwriter
1917	The Woman God Forgot Producer, Director, Editor
1918	Old Wives for New Director, Editor, Producer
1918	The Squaw Man Director, Producer
1918	The Whispering Chorus Director, Producer, Editor
1918	Till I Come Back to You Director, Producer
1918	We Can't Have Everything Editor, Director, Producer
1919	Don't Change Your Husband Director
1919	For Better, for Worse Director, Producer
1919	Male and Female Director, Producer
1920	Something to Think About Producer, Director
1920	Why Change Your Wife? Director, Producer
1921	Fool's Paradise Producer, Director
1921	Forbidden Fruit Director, Producer
1921	The Affairs of Anatol Director, Producer
1922	Manslaughter Director, Producer
1922	Saturday Night Producer, Director
1922	Trip To Paramountown Actor
1923	Adam's Rib Director, Producer
1923	Hollywood Actor
1923	The Ten Commandments Producer, Director
1924	Feet of Clay Director, Producer
1924	Triumph Director, Producer
1925	Dressmaker from Paris Producer
1925	Golden Bed Director, Producer
1925	Hell's Highroad Producer
1925	The Coming of Amos Producer
1925	The Road to Yesterday Director, Producer
1925	The Wedding Song Supervisor/Manager
1926	Cruise of the Jasper B Producer
1926	The Volga Boatmen Producer, Director
1926	Three Faces East Presented by
1927	The King of Kings Producer, Director
1927	The Yankee Clipper Producer
1928	Hold'em Yale Producer
1929	The Godless Girl Producer, Director
1930	Dynamite Director, Producer
1930	Madame Satan Producer, Director
1931	The Squaw Man Producer, Director
1932	The Sign of the Cross Producer, Director
1933	This Day and Age Director, Producer
1934	Cleopatra Director, Producer
1934	Four Frightened People Director, Producer
1935	The Crusades Director, Producer
1937	The Last Train from Madrid Actor
1937	The Plainsman Director, Producer
1938	The Buccaneer Producer, Director
1939	Land of Liberty Editor
1939	Union Pacific Director, Producer
1940	Northwest Mounted Police Director, Producer
1942	Reap the Wild Wind Director, Producer
1942	Star Spangled Rhythm Actor
1942	The Forest Rangers Actor
1944	The Story of Dr. Wassell Director, Producer
1947	Unconquered Producer, Director
1947	Variety Girl Actor
1949	Samson and Delilah Director, Producer
1950	Sunset Boulevard Actor
1952	Son of Paleface Actor
1952	The Greatest Show on Earth Director, Producer
1956	The Ten Commandments Producer, Voice, Director
1957	The Buster Keaton Story Actor
1958	The Buccaneer Executive Producer

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Aliases

Cecil B. De Mille

Music Genres

Stage & Screen

Movie Genres

Active

1914 - 1958

Born

08/12/1881 in Ashfield, MA

Died

01/21/1959 in Hollywood, CA

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