Director
Cecil B. DeMille
Born 12 August 1881 · Ashfield, Massachusetts, USA — died 21 January 1959
Cecil B. DeMille (1881–1959) was an American director and producer, and one of the founders of the Hollywood film industry. He specialised in large-scale spectacles, especially Biblical and historical epics. His showman's style and long career, from silents to The Ten Commandments (1956), made him a lasting symbol of the Hollywood director.
Key films
The Cheat (1915)
Early silent melodrama that showed his skill with dramatic lighting and established his reputation as a major director.
The Ten Commandments (1923)
Lavish silent epic mixing a Biblical story with a modern one, setting the template for his spectacles.
The King of Kings (1927)
Hugely successful silent life of Jesus that cemented his link with religious epics.
Samson and Delilah (1949)
Biblical epic that was a major box-office hit and revived his career after the war years.
The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
Circus drama that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.
The Ten Commandments (1956)On Cinespective
His final and most famous epic, a remake of his 1923 film and a huge box-office success.
Key awards
- 1953: Academy Award for Best Picture, The Greatest Show on Earth
- 1953: Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award (Academy Awards)
- 1952: First Golden Globe Cecil B. DeMille Award, named in his honour
On Cinespective
Full filmography · 126
- 1914The Squaw Man · as Faro DealerActor
- 1914The Squaw ManDirector
- 1914The VirginianDirector
- 1914The Call of the NorthDirector
- 1914The Only SonDirector
- 1914The Rose of the RanchoDirector
- 1914The Man From HomeDirector
- 1914Brewster's MillionsDirector
- 1914The Man on the BoxDirector
- 1914The Ghost BreakerDirector
- 1914The Master MindDirector
- 1914What's His NameDirector
- 1915The CheatDirector
- 1915CarmenDirector
- 1915The Golden ChanceDirector
- 1915The CaptiveDirector
- 1915The Girl of the Golden WestDirector
- 1915KindlingDirector
- 1915The Warrens of VirginiaDirector
- 1915The UnafraidDirector
- 1915The Wild Goose ChaseDirector
- 1915TemptationDirector
- 1915Chimmie Fadden Out WestDirector
- 1915Chimmie FaddenDirector
- 1915The ArabDirector
- 1915After FiveDirector
- 1916Joan the WomanDirector
- 1916The Heart of Nora FlynnDirector
- 1916The Trail of the Lonesome PineDirector
- 1916Maria RosaDirector
- 1916The Dream GirlDirector
- 1917The Little AmericanDirector
- 1917A Romance of the RedwoodsDirector
- 1917The Woman God ForgotDirector
- 1917Nan of Music MountainDirector
- 1917The Devil StoneDirector
- 1918The Whispering ChorusDirector
- 1918Old Wives for NewDirector
- 1918Till I Come Back to YouDirector
- 1918The Squaw ManDirector
- 1918We Can't Have EverythingDirector
- 1919Male and FemaleDirector
- 1919Don't Change Your HusbandDirector
- 1919For Better, for WorseDirector
- 1920Why Change Your Wife?Director
- 1920Something to Think AboutDirector
- 1921Forbidden FruitDirector
- 1921The Affairs of AnatolDirector
- 1921Fool's ParadiseDirector
- 1921The Affairs of Anatol - Promo Reel · as As himselfActor
- 1921The Affairs of Anatol - Promo ReelDirector
- 1922ManslaughterDirector
- 1922Saturday NightDirector
- 1922A Trip to Paramountown · as SelfActor
- 1923The Ten CommandmentsDirector
- 1923Hollywood · as Cecil B. DeMilleActor
- 1923Adam's RibDirector
- 1924Feet of ClayDirector
- 1924TriumphDirector
- 1925The Road to YesterdayDirector
- 1925The Golden BedDirector
- 1926The Volga BoatmanDirector
- 1927The King of KingsDirector
- 1927Life in Hollywood No. 1 · as SelfActor
- 1927Life in Hollywood · as SelfActor
- 1928The Godless GirlDirector
- 1928The Circus: Premiere · as SelfActor
- 1929DynamiteDirector
- 1930Madam Satan · as Radio Newscaster (voice) (uncredited)Actor
- 1930Madam SatanDirector
- 1930Free and Easy · as Director Cecil B. DeMille (uncredited)Actor
- 1930Estrellados · as Self (Guest Appearance)Actor
- 1931The Squaw ManDirector
- 1932The Sign of the CrossDirector
- 1933This Day and AgeDirector
- 1933Hollywood on Parade No. B-5 · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1934CleopatraDirector
- 1934Four Frightened PeopleDirector
- 1934The Hollywood You Never See · as SelfActor
- 1935The CrusadesDirector
- 1935Hollywood Extra Girl · as Cecil B. DeMilleActor
- 1936The PlainsmanDirector
- 1938The BuccaneerDirector
- 1939Union PacificDirector
- 1939The Movies March On · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1940North West Mounted PoliceDirector
- 1940North West Mounted Police · as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)Actor
- 1942Reap the Wild WindDirector
- 1942Reap the Wild Wind · as Prologue Speaker (voice) (uncredited)Actor
- 1942Star Spangled Rhythm · as Cecil B. DeMilleActor
- 1942Screen Snapshots (Series 22, No. 10) · as SelfActor
- 1944The Story of Dr. WassellDirector
- 1944The Story of Dr. Wassell · as Voice of Narrator (uncredited)Actor
- 1945Screen Snapshots (Series 25, No. 1): 25th Anniversary · as SelfActor
- 1947Unconquered · as Self - Narrator (voice) (uncredited)Actor
- 1947UnconqueredDirector
- 1947Variety Girl · as Cecil B. DeMilleActor
- 1947Jens Mons in America · as Self (uncredited)Actor
- 1949Samson and DelilahDirector
- 1949Samson and Delilah · as Narrator (uncredited)Actor
- 1950Sunset Boulevard · as Cecil B. DeMilleActor
- 1952The Greatest Show on Earth · as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)Actor
- 1952The Greatest Show on EarthDirector
- 1952Son of Paleface · as Photographer (uncredited)Actor
- 1952The Fallbrook Story · as Self, IntroductionActor
- 1956The Ten Commandments · as Narrator (uncredited)Actor
- 1956The Ten CommandmentsDirector
- 1957The Buster Keaton Story · as Cecil B. DeMille (uncredited)Actor
- 1958The Buccaneer · as Presenter of PrologueActor
- 1975Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1976Hooray for Hollywood · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1982Showbiz Ballyhoo · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1983Hollywood Out-takes and Rare Footage · as Self (archive footage) (uncredited)Actor
- 1984Going Hollywood: The '30s · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1988All-Time Movie Greats · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 1995The Casting CouchActor
- 2003The Making of The Ten Commandments · as SelfActor
- 2007Why Be Good?: Sexuality & Censorship in Early Cinema · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2012Fascination: Unauthorized Story of Marilyn Monroe · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2016The Lost City of Cecil B. DeMille · as SelfActor
- 2019Hail Satan? · as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)Actor
- 2019Sword-and-Sandal: The Story of the Period Epic · as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)Actor
- 2020Yul Brynner, the Magnificent · as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)Actor
- 2020Patterns of Evidence: The Red Sea Miracle II · as SelfActor
- 2020Patterns of Evidence: The Red Sea Miracle · as Self (archive footage)Actor
- 2021Indiana Jones: The Search for the Lost Golden Age · as Self - Filmmaker (archive footage)Actor
Filmography data from TMDB. The profile text is a draft written for Cinespective.