History Creator / CecilBDeMille

His best-known production, the 1956 version of ''Film/{{The Ten Commandments|1956}}'' (a SelfRemake of [[Film/TheTenCommandments1923 his own 1923 silent film]]) that made a star out of Creator/CharltonHeston, illustrates the film qualities [=DeMille=] is famous for. Massive sets, extras by the thousands and scenes guaranteed to leave audiences' jaws on the floor. To this day, Moses' parting of the Red Sea remains an incredible piece of cinematography. Charlton Heston later wrote of [=DeMille=] in his autobiography ''In The Arena'': "I should have thanked him for my career."

Considered the poster boy for [[PrimadonnaDirector tyrannical directors]] (a reputation that was rather blown out of proportion when in truth [=DeMille=] was nowhere near as bad as someone like Creator/DavidLean), [=DeMille=], who saw himself as a responsible father or teacher presiding over a household when it came to the cast and crew of his films and saw everyone as his "children" or students who had certain "chores" they had to do, did not tolerate fools gladly and despised actors who weren't willing to take risks for their art, as was the case with leading man Creator/VictorMature on 1949's ''Film/{{Samson and Delilah|1949}}''. Despite his large, burly physique Mature was revealed to be a man of many fears and phobias - not only did he refuse to wrestle a perfectly tame, toothless lion, he also ran away when a giant wind fan malfunctioned during the scene where Samson killed the Philistine army with "the jawbone of an ass" (donkey) and hid in his dressing room, cowering in fear. This angered [=DeMille=] so much that he got on his speaker phone and declared to the entire cast and crew that Mature was "100% yellow."

Not considered a great director of actors, [=DeMille=] excelled at directing and coordinating large crowds of extras during epic scenes while he relied on an unofficial stock company of actors, such as long time collaborator Henry Wilcoxon, who knew how to give him what he wanted without needing much guidance.

The cartoon image of a movie director (guy in a beret, sunglasses and riding boots, carrying a cigar or riding crop in one hand and a megaphone in the other, e.g. the director in the 2007 ''Ballet Shoes'') was originally a reference to [=DeMille's=] odd taste in work clothes. The monocle also sometimes depicted was an affectation of both Creator/FritzLang (who also smoked with a cigarette-holder) and Creator/ErichVonStroheim, but not [=DeMille=].

Considered the poster boy for [[PrimadonnaDirector tyrannical directors]] (a reputation that was rather blown out of proportion when in truth [=DeMille=] was nowhere near as bad as someone like Creator/DavidLean), [=DeMille=], who saw himself as a responsible father or teacher presiding over a household when it came to the cast and crew of his films and saw everyone as his "children" or students who had certain "chores" they had to do, did not tolerate fools gladly and despised actors who weren't willing to take risks for their art, as was the case with leading man Creator/VictorMature on 1949's ''Samson and Delilah''. Despite his large, burly physique Mature was revealed to be a man of many fears and phobias - not only did he refuse to wrestle a perfectly tame, toothless lion, he also ran away when a giant wind fan malfunctioned during the scene where Samson killed the Philistine army with "the jawbone of an ass" (donkey) and hid in his dressing room, cowering in fear. This angered [=DeMille=] so much that he got on his speaker phone and declared to the entire cast and crew that Mature was "100% yellow."

* ''Film/SamsonAndDelilah'' (1949)

His best-known production, the 1956 version of ''Film/{{The Ten Commandments|1956}}'' (a remake of [[Film/TheTenCommandments1923 his own 1923 silent film]]) that made a star out of Creator/CharltonHeston, illustrates the film qualities [=DeMille=] is famous for. Massive sets, extras by the thousands and scenes guaranteed to leave audiences' jaws on the floor. To this day, Moses' parting of the Red Sea remains an incredible piece of cinematography. Charlton Heston later wrote of [=DeMille=] in his autobiography ''In The Arena'': "I should have thanked him for my career."

* ''Forbidden Fruit'' (1921)

His best-known production, the 1956 version of ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' (a remake of [[Film/TheTenCommandments1923 his own 1923 silent film]]) that made a star out of Creator/CharltonHeston, illustrates the film qualities [=DeMille=] is famous for. Massive sets, extras by the thousands and scenes guaranteed to leave audiences' jaws on the floor. To this day, Moses' parting of the Red Sea remains an incredible piece of cinematography. Charlton Heston later wrote of [=DeMille=] in his autobiography ''In The Arena'': "I should have thanked him for my career."

* ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' (1956)

[[quoteright:280:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7b6a4a8d_ebdb_4d12_95b6_fe2329c16833.jpeg]]
[[caption-width-right:280:"[[Film/SunsetBoulevard All right, Mr. [=DeMille=], I'm ready for my close-up.]]"]]

* ''[[Film/{{Cleopatra 1934}} Cleopatra]]'' (1934)

* ''Film/TheTenCommandments1923''

Considered the poster boy for [[PrimadonnaDirector tyrannical directors]] (a reputation that was rather blown out of proportion when in truth [=DeMille=] was nowhere near as bad as someone like Creator/DavidLean), [=DeMille=], who saw himself as a responsible father or teacher presiding over a household when it came to the cast and crew of his films and saw everyone as his "children" or students who had certain "chores" they had to do, did not tolerate fools gladly and despised actors who weren't willing to take risks for their art, as was the case with leading man Victor Mature on 1949's ''Samson and Delilah''. Despite his large, burly physique Mature was revealed to be a man of many fears and phobias - not only did he refuse to wrestle a perfectly tame, toothless lion, he also ran away when a giant wind fan malfunctioned during the scene where Samson killed the Philistine army with "the jawbone of an ass" (donkey) and hid in his dressing room, cowering in fear. This angered [=DeMille=] so much that he got on his speaker phone and declared to the entire cast and crew that Mature was "100% yellow."

->''"All right, Mr. [=DeMille=], I'm ready for my close-up."''
-->-- '''[[WhiteDwarfStarlet Norma Desmond]]''', ''Film/SunsetBoulevard''

Cecil Blount [=DeMille=] (August 12, 1881 — January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker during TheGoldenAgeOfHollywood, whose name has become synonymous with extravagant {{Epic Movie}}s.

His best-known production, the 1956 version of ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' (a remake of his own 1923 silent film) that made a star out of Creator/CharltonHeston, illustrates the film qualities [=DeMille=] is famous for. Massive sets, extras by the thousands and scenes guaranteed to leave audiences' jaws on the floor. To this day, Moses' parting of the Red Sea remains an incredible piece of cinematography. Charlton Heston later wrote of [=DeMille=] in his autobiography ''In The Arena'': "I should have thanked him for my career."

* ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' (1923 and 1956)

* ''The Squaw Man'' (1914, 1918 and 1931)

[[quoteright:242:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cecil-b-demille_paramount-pictures-crop_9369.JPG]]

->"All right, Mr. [=DeMille=], I'm ready for my close-up."

->"Well, it got so that every piss-ant prairie punk who thought he could shoot a gun would ride into town to try out the Waco Kid. I must have killed more men than Cecil B. [=DeMille=]."

Cecil Blount [=DeMille=] (August 12, 1881 - January 21, 1959) was an American film maker whose name has become synonymous with extravagant Hollywood {{Epic Movie}}s.

His best known production, the 1956 version of ''Film/TheTenCommandments'' (a remake of his own 1923 silent film) that made a star out of Creator/CharltonHeston, illustrates the film qualities [=DeMille=] is famous for. Massive sets, extras by the thousands and scenes guaranteed to leave audiences' jaws on the floor. To this day, Moses' parting of the Red Sea remains an incredible piece of cinematography. Charlton Heston later wrote of [=DeMille=] in his autobiography ''In The Arena'': "I should have thanked him for my career."