Books/Videos

Anderegg, Michael A.

William Wyler / Michael A. Anderegg Boston : Twayne Publishers, 1979 (Series: Twayne's theatrical arts series)

--Moffitt PN1998.A3.W913

--Main Stack PN1998.A3.W92 A6

Bazin, Andre

"William Wyler, or the Jansenist of Directing." In: Bazin at work : major essays & reviews from the forties & fifties / Andre Bazin ; translated from the French by Alain Piette and Bert Cardullo ; edited by Bert Cardullo. New York : Routledge, 1997.

--Main Stack PN1995.B324 1997

Bowman, Barbara.

Master space : film images of Capra, Lubitsch, Sternberg, and Wyler / Barbara Bowman. New York : Greenwood Press, 1992. Contributions to the study of popular culture ; no. 31

--Main Stack PN1995.9.P7.B64 1992

--Moffitt PN1995.9.P7.B64 1992

Herman, Jan

A talent for trouble : the life of Hollywood's most acclaimed director, William Wyler / Jan Herman. New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, c1995.

--Main Stack PN1998.3.W95.H47 1995

--Moffitt PN1998.3.W95.H47 1995

Kern, Sharon.

William Wyler, a guide to references and resources / Sharon Kern. Boston, Mass. : G.K. Hall, c1984. Reference publication in film.

--Main Stack PN1998.A3.W916 1984

--Moffitt PN1998.A3.W916 1984

Madsen, Axel.

William Wyler: the authorized biography New York, Crowell [1973]

--Main Stack PN1998.A3.W92

--Moffitt PN1998.A3.W92

Phillips, Gene D.

"William Wyler." In: Exiles in Hollywood : major European film directors in America / Gene D. Phillips. Bethlehem : Lehigh University Press ; London : Associated University Presses, c1998.

--Main Stack PN1998.2.P54 1998

--Moffitt PN1998.2.P54 1998

Sarris, Andrew.

"William Wyler." In: "You ain't heard nothin' yet" : the American talking film, history & memory, 1927-1949 / Andrew Sarris. New York : Oxford University Press, 1998.

--Main Stack PN1995.7.S27 1998

--Moffitt PN1995.7.S27 1998

Journal Articles

Bazin, Andre.

"William Wyler, or the Jansenist of Directing." New Orleans Review. 12 (4): 47-59. 1985 Winter

"Director." Time v. 39 (June 29 1942) p. 72-3

Herman, J.

"William Wyler. Early days at Universal." Griffithiana nr 51-52 (Oct 1994); p 212-249

Profiles the work of director William Wyler at Universal Studio, in particular his westerns such as the early sound period "Hell's heroes". (With Italian translation.)

Isaacs, H.R.

"William Wyler, director with a passion and a craft." Theatre Arts v. 31 (February 1947) p. 20-4

Orr, Christopher

"Authorship in the Hawks/Wyler film Come and get it." Wide Angle Vol VI nr 1 (1984); p 20-26

Using an analysis of "Come and get it", a film co-directed by Howard Hawks and William Wyler, two 'auteurs', discusses the contradictions of the auteur theory.

Scott, A.O.

"A director whose class is his burden." (William Wyler) The New York Times Sept 29, 2002 pAR15(N) pAR15(L) col 4 (15 col in)

"Talk with the director." Newsweek v. 59 (March 12 1962) p. 101-2

Obituaries

Maslin, Janet

"Wyler is dead at 79; director had won 3 Academy Awards." (William Wyler) (obituary) The New York Times July 29, 1981 v130 p1(N) pA1(LC) col 1 (29 col in)

"William Wyler is dead at 79." (obituary) Variety July 29, 1981 v303 p4(2)

Books & Articles on Individual Films

Ben Hur

Apostolos-Cappadona, Diane.

"The Art of 'Seeing': Classical Painting and Ben-Hur." In: Image & likeness : religious visions in American film classics / edited by John R. May. New York : Paulist Press, c1992. Isaac Hecker studies in religion and American culture.

--Main Stack PN1995.5.I46 1992

Devore, Gary.

"'I'M QUEER!' 'No! I'M QUEER!': Hollywood Homosexuality and Roman Epic Films." Popular Culture Review. 10 (1): 127-38. 1999 Feb.

Richards, Peter

"Whose Hur?" Film Comment Vol XXXV nr 2 (Mar-Apr 1999); p 38-42

Analysis of Wyler's "Ben Hur" which describes the themes, the actors and the screenplay.

"In its day, Ben Hur, like Titanic, was the most expensive movie ever made. It won 11 Oscars and made a fortune, but also like Titanic, it failed to win any writing awards. Both tell across-class-barriers love stories, and both frame the romance against the background of an awful, real-life event. Ben Hur was adapted from General Lew Wallace's 1880 novel, a heavy-going 19th-century religious melodrama. The adaptation of the story to the screenplay by five writers, including Gore Vidal, is examined." [Art Index]

The Best Years of Our Lives

Beidler, Philip D.

"Remembering The Best Years of Our Lives." Virginia Quarterly Review: A National Journal of Literature and Discussion. 72 (4): 589-604. 1996 Autumn.

Bohn, Anna

"Die besten Jahre unseres Lebens : German Reviews (1948)." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Volume 26, Number 2, June 2006, pp. 241-246(6)

UC users only

Chell, Samuel L.

"Music and Emotion in the Classic Hollywood Film: The Case of The Best Years of Our Lives." Film Criticism. 8 (2): 27-38. 1984 Winter., Book Publication Date: 1984.

Clooney, Nick.

"Best Years of Our Lives." In: The movies that changed us : reflections on the screen. New York : Atria Books, c2002.

--Moffitt PN1993.5.U6.C57 2002

Culbert, David

"The Best Years of Our Lives: Social Engineering and Friedhofer's ‘Populist’ Film Score." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television Volume 26, Number 2 / June 2006, Pages: 227 - 233

UC users only

Deutsch, James I.

"The Best Years of Our Lives and the Cincinnati Story." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Volume 26, Number 2, June 2006, pp. 215-225(11)

UC users only

Gerber, David A.

"Anger and Affability: The Rise and Representation of a Repertory of Self-Presentation Skills in a World War II Disabled Veteran." Journal of Social History, Vol. 27, 1993

Gerber, David A.

"Heroes And Misfits: The Troubled Social Reintegration Of Disabled Veterans In the Best Years of Our Lives." American Quarterly 1994 46(4): 545-574

Hoppenstand, Gary; Barrows, Floyd; Lunde, Erik

"Bringing the war home: William Wyler and World War II."Film & History Vol XXVII nr 1-4 (1997); p 108-118

Discusses four films made by William Wyler which addressed the Second World War: "Mrs. Miniver", "Memphis Belle", "Thunderbolt" and "The best years of our lives".

Tegel, Susan

"The Best Years of Our Lives: British Reviews (1947)." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television Volume 26, Number 2 / June 2006 Pages: 235 - 239

Toles, George E.

"This may hurt a little: the art of humiliation in film." Film Quarterly v. 48 (Summer 1995) p. 2-14

UCB users only

"Narrative films abound in humiliation scenes. Their structure commonly traces a movement from a scalding exposure to a partial replenishment of dignity. The hole that has burned open in a character's self-image is usually closed up by a surge of spectator sympathy/identification that has been orchestrated by the director. The camera takes the audience to the edge of what it can bear to witness of another's writhing in shame, then answers its need for a reprieve, providing some sort of image protection or veiling which the audience is tempted to regard as its own doing. The writer offers detailed examples of the mechanism of humiliation in the following films: The Best Years of Our Lives (William Wyler, 1946); The Tenant (Roman Polanski, 1976); Humoresque (Jean Negulesco, 1946); and The Blue Angel (Josef von Sternberg, 1930)." [Art Index]

The Big Country

Heston, Charlton

"And the West is history." (tribute to motion picture director William Wyler and his film 'The Big Country') . National Review Dec 28, 1992 v44 n25 p38(3) (2860 words)

"Wyler's classic film epitomized an 'indigenous' American art form: the big-budget, western motion picture extravaganza. He applied his script editing talents, however, to maintain simplicity and boldness in his direction which proved that less is more." [Expanded Academic Index]

The Children's Hour

Friendly Persuasion

Cull, Nicholas J.

"Richard Nixon and the political appropriation of 'Friendly Persuasion' (1956)." (ex-president; motion picture by director William Wyler) Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television June 1999 v19 i2 p239(8)

"Former president Richard M. Nixon was not averse to alluding to his humble origins in California but found it difficult to promote his family and heritage in the manner that the public expected. However, he enjoyed an advantage denied to other US presidents, and this was the 1956 major motion picture 'Friendly Persuasion' by director William Wyler that was based on a novel written by Nixon's cousin, Jessamyn West. Nixon was to use this film toward his political ends in 1970." [Expanded Academic Index]

Dmohowski, Joseph

"The Friendly persuasion (1956) screenplay controversy: Michael Wilson, Jessamyn West, and the Hollywood blacklist." Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television Vol XXII nr 4 (Oct 2002); p 491-514

"Friendly persuasion" was released without a screenwriting credit. This article looks at the controversy which led to the screenwriting team being deprived of the recognition they deserved due to the Hollywood blacklisting.

Funny Girl

The Heiress

Jezebel

Dyer, Richard

"White."Screen Vol XXIX nr 4 (Autumn 1988); p 44-64

Discussion of the representation of 'whiteness' in mainstream film, illustrated by "Simba", "Jezebel" and "Night of the living dead".

Jeter, Ida.

"Jezebel and the Emergence of the Hollywood Tradition of a Decadent South." The Southern Quarterly: A Journal of the Arts in the South. 19 (3-4): 31-46. 1981 Spring-Summer.

Schatz, Thomas.

"'A Triumph of Bitchery': Warner Bros., Bette Davis and Jezebel." Wide Angle: A Film Quarterly of Theory, Criticism, and Practice. 10 (1): 16-29. 1988.,

On Bette Davis's trajectory from contract player to Warner Brothers' studio star during the 1930's with special reference to "Jezebel".

The Letter

Heil, Douglas.

"The Construction of Racism through Narrative and Cinematography in The Letter." Literature/Film Quarterly. 24 (1): 17-25. 1996.,

"Considers Hollywood's dismissive treatment of racial minorities through the years; focuses on the example of Orientals in "The letter", comparing this with their depiction in Somerset Maugham's original short story." [FIAF]

Mrs. Miniver

Christensen, Jerome.

"Studio Identity and Studio Art: MGM, Mrs. Miniver, and Planning the Postwar Era." ELH. 67 (1): 257-92. 2000 Spring.,

UC users only

Hoppenstand, Gary; Barrows, Floyd; Lunde, Erik

"Bringing the war home: William Wyler and World War II."Film & History Vol XXVII nr 1-4 (1997); p 108-118

Discusses four films made by William Wyler which addressed the Second World War: "Mrs. Miniver", "Memphis Belle", "Thunderbolt" and "The best years of our lives".

Wuthering Heights