William Wyler’s Oscar-Nominated Actors: Bette Davis, Barbra Streisand, Walter Huston

Walter Huston, Ruth Chatterton, Dodsworth

William Wyler: Record-Setting Oscar Director for Actors Pt.1

Ah, William Wyler also happens to be the director with the most Academy Award nominations: twelve in all. For the record, those are: Dodsworth, 1936; Wuthering Heights, 1939; The Letter, 1940; The Little Foxes, 1941; Mrs. Miniver, 1942; The Best Years of Our Lives, 1946; The Heiress, 1949; Detective Story, 1951; Roman Holiday, 1953; Friendly Persuasion, 1956; Ben-Hur, 1959; and The Collector, 1965.

He won the Best Director Oscar for three films — none of which is among his best: Mrs. Miniver, The Best Years of Our Lives, and Ben-Hur.

Considering the changes that have taken place in the American film industry following the demise of the studio system, barring a miracle Wyler will remain the Oscars’ top director for actors for as long as there are Oscars. (See full list below.)

William Wyler died of a heart attack in July 1981 in Los Angeles.

William Wyler-directed movies: thirty-six acting nominations; fourteen wins.
(s) supporting category. (* ) Academy Award winner

1936
Walter Huston, Dodsworth
* Walter Brennan (s), Come and Get It (Wyler replaced Howard Hawks, who received co-directing credit)
Bonita Granville (s), These Three
Maria Ouspenskaya (s), Dodsworth

1937
Claire Trevor (s), Dead End

1938
* Bette Davis, Jezebel
* Fay Bainter (s), Jezebel

1939
Laurence Olivier, Wuthering Heights
Geraldine Fitzgerald (s), Wuthering Heights

1940
Bette Davis, The Letter
* Walter Brennan (s), The Westerner
James Stephenson (s), The Letter

1941
Bette Davis, The Little Foxes
Patricia Collinge (s), The Little Foxes
Teresa Wright (s), The Little Foxes

1942
Walter Pidgeon, Mrs. Miniver
* Greer Garson, Mrs. Miniver
Henry Travers (s), Mrs. Miniver
* Teresa Wright (s), Mrs. Miniver
Dame May Whitty (s), Mrs. Miniver

1946
* Fredric March, The Best Years of Our Lives
* Harold Russell (s), The Best Years of Our Lives

1949
* Olivia de Havilland, The Heiress
Ralph Richardson (s), The Heiress

1951
Eleanor Parker, Detective Story
Lee Grant (s), Detective Story

1953
* Audrey Hepburn, Roman Holiday
Eddie Albert (s), Roman Holiday

1956
Anthony Perkins (s), Friendly Persuasion

1958
* Burl Ives (s), The Big Country

1959
* Charlton Heston Ben-Hur
* Hugh Griffith (s), Ben-Hur

1961
Fay Bainter (s), The Children’s Hour

1965
Samantha Eggar, The Collector

1968
* Barbra Streisand, Funny Girl (tied with Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter)
Kay Medford (s), Funny Girl