Cecil B DeMille

Cecil B DeMille gifted us with over 80 movies. These films have made audiences the world over laugh, cry and think.

On August 12th 1881 a baby named Cecil B. DeMille was born who would change and refine the entertainment industry forever.

His father Henry Churchill deMille who taught at Columbia University was an aspiring actor.

He eventually found work in New York as a play reader and even wrote plays and worked with David Belasco.

In February 1883 Henry deMille passed away.

His son Cecil following in his fathers footsteps was schooled in dramatic arts and had his stage debut in the play “Hearts Are Trumps.”

When 1913 came around his theatrical work was dwindling. Turning towards motion pictures he formed Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company with his good friend Jesse L. Lasky and brother in law Samuel Goldfish.

They made feature films out of plays. In 1914 Squaw Man was released and had great success. DeMille oversaw all production as well as writing and making his own pictures.

Films such as “Second Chance” earned him praise and was considered one of the top directors of the time.

His production company was very successful and eventually merged with two other motion picture companies.

Adolph Zukor's Famous Players Films Company and Frank Garbutt's Bosworth, Inc. joined together and eventually acquired Paramount Pictures for themselves.

DeMille wanting to dedicate all his time to his own films relinquished his power of supervising all production.

Released in 1916 Cecil B DeMille's first large epic “Joan The Woman” was only elevated to moderate success and forced DeMille to scale down his productions for the time being.

Around the second decade of the 20th century, DeMille really connected with audiences. With films like 1920’s “Why Change Your Wife?” Cecil expanded on the domestic comedy formula putting a twist on the cliché stories of love and relationships.

Cecil B. DeMille Pictures Inc.

In the mid-twenties DeMille started his own production company. For the three years it operated. Although churning out less expensive films it couldn’t sustain itself from the monies earned.

It was at this time DeMille made “King Of Kings.” Even though it was a great success it couldn’t earn enough to support his company.

Dawn Of The Talkies

With his own company gone DeMille began a relationship with MGM. Signing a contract for a three picture deal Cecil made “Dynamite“, “Madam Satan” and a remake of “The Squaw Man”.

Since this was the time of the Great Depression, movies were a luxury people couldn’t afford.

These films while wonderfully made, went almost unnoticed due to the economy.

At the end of his contract, MGM ended its association with Cecil B DeMille.

Returning to Paramount And "Are You Now Or Have you Ever Been…?"

“The Sign Of The Cross” was financed with a fifty-fifty split. DeMilles own money and Paramount’s. It was an enormous success. Paramount became DeMilles film making home for the remainder of his career.

Joseph McCarthy in an effort to weed out supposed communists, began blacklisting citizens and ruining lives. Ignoring the blacklisted label stamped on so many people, DeMille hired them to work on his pictures.

“Thou Shalt Not…”

The Ten Commandments was a massive spectacle. He remade the picture in 1956 improving on his silent film version. It was filmed on location in Egypt and is considered DeMilles finest work.

While filming, DeMille suffered a massive heart attack and despite medical advice to rest, he continued directing the picture.

Toward the end of his life he turned his attention to the stars and was planning on doing an outer space film.

Sadly in 1959 Cecil B. DeMille passed away.

He left behind a great legacy. His films will endure forever and continue touch people.

One man with a passion for art brought rich cinema and great stories to movie audiences everywhere.

“Ready when you are C.B.”

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