Wyler's three Best Picture Oscar-winning films also happen to be three of the most commercially successful films of their respective eras --  MRS. MINIVER (1942), THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) and BEN-HUR (1959).

A poster from one of my absolute favorite movies, the Best Picture of 1942, MRS. MINIVER. This patriotic film about an English family on the homefront during the Battle of Britain in World War II starred Greer Garson (Best Actress), Teresa Wright (Best Supporting Actress), and Walter Pidgeon.

Another excellent movie and yet another of my favorites, THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, winner of eight Academy Awards in 1946 including Best Picture. This masterpiece stars Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Virginia Mayo, Teresa Wright and Hoagy Carmichael.

More Music Clips from Wyler's Films:

• "Thee I Love" (clip) from FRIENDLY PERSUASION (1956) sung by Pat Boone (a .MP3 file courtesy Varese Sarabande).
• "Polka at the Fair" (clip) from FRIENDLY PERSUASION (1956) by Dmitri Tiomkin (a .MP2 file courtesy Varese Sarabande).
• "The Big Muddy" (clip) from THE BIG COUNTRY (1958) by Jerome Moross (a .MP3 file).
• "The Welcoming" (clip) from THE BIG COUNTRY (1958) by Jerome Moross (a .MP3 file).
• "Main Title" (clip) from THE BIG COUNTRY (1958) by Jerome Moross (a .MP3 file).
• "Main Title" from HOW TO STEAL A MILLION (1966) by Johnny Williams (a .MP3 file).

(For help opening any of the multimedia files, visit the plug-ins page.)

BEN-HUR is the most decorated film in cinema history. In 1959 it won eleven of the twelve Academy Awards for which it was nominated. Among those Oscars were Charlton Heston- Best Actor, Best Sound, Best Music-- Miklos Rozsa, Best Cinematography, and of course Best Picture.

Further Reading:

• A Talent for Trouble: The Life of Hollywood's Most Acclaimed Director, William Wyler by Jan Herman (Putnam Publishing Group, 1996).

More William Wyler Links:

• American Masters: William Wyler
• Columbia Oral History: Dana Andrews on William Wyler
• Columbia Oral History: William Wyler on THE LITTLE FOXES
• Stars at War: William Wyler
• Josh Becker: Ode to William Wyler
• TV Now's monthly William Wyler schedule -when his films will be on TV
• Greatest Films: JEZEBEL
• Columbia Oral History: William Wyler on JEZEBEL
• Greatest Films: THE LETTER
• Columbia Oral History: William Wyler on THE LETTER
• Bright Lights Film Journal: THESE THREE
• The Golden Years: WUTHERING HEIGHTS
• Greatest Films: WUTHERING HEIGHTS
• A Tribute to WUTHERING HEIGHTS

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Filmography | Awards | Teresa Wright on Wyler  | Image Credits | THE LITTLE FOXES | MRS. MINIVER | THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES | ROMAN HOLIDAY | BEN-HUR