From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. William Wyler (July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a leading American motion picture director, producer, and screenwriter. Notable works include Ben-Hur (1959), The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), and Mrs. Miniver (1942), all which won Wyler Academy Awards for Best Director, and also won Best Picture. He earned his first Oscar nomination for directing Dodsworth in 1936, sparking a 20-year run of almost unbroken greatness. Film historian Ian Freer calls Wyler a "bona fide perfectionist," whose penchant for retakes and an attempt to hone every last nuance "became the stuff of legend." His ability to direct a string of classic literary adaptations into huge box office and critical successes made him one of Hollywood's most bankable moviemakers during the 1930s and 1940s. Other popular films include Hell's Heroes (1930), A House Divided (1931), Jezebel (1938), Wuthering Heights (1939), The Letter (1940), The Westerner (1940), The Heiress (1949), Roman Holiday (1953), The Big Country (1958), How to Steal a Million (1966), and Funny Girl (1968). Description above from the Wikipedia article William Wyler, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.