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List of William Wyler Movies: Ranked Best To Worst

1. The Heiress (1949)
21
2
The Heiress
21
2

Catherine is a young woman who is the heir to the large fortune belonging to her father. Her life takes a turn when she meets a man named Morris, who gives her the love and appreciation that she doesn’t get from her father, and she falls in love with him. Things get complicated when her father learns about their relationship and suspects that Morris is only after her money. Therefore, he tells his daughter that she will be disinherited if she gets married to Morris.

Starring:
Olivia de Havilland, Ralph Richardson, Miriam Hopkins, Montgomery Clift, Vanessa Brown
Directed By:
William Wyler
2. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
19
3
The Best Years of Our Lives
19
3

The Best Years of Our Lives is an Oscar-winning American drama film which tells the story of three World War II veterans, who return home to a small town in America, only to find that they and their families have been changed irreparably. 

Starring:
Fredric March, Teresa Wright, Blake Edwards, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews
Directed By:
William Wyler
Awards:
BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source 1947, Academy Award for Best Director
3. Ben-Hur (1959)
18
3
Ben-Hur
TV-PG
18
3

A Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by his Roman friend. However, he eventually manages to regain his freedom, and decides to come back to take his revenge.

Starring:
Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Hugh Griffith, Haya Harareet
Directed By:
William Wyler
Awards:
Golden Globe Award for Best Director, Academy Award for Best Director, BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source
4. The Little Foxes (1941)
18
5
The Little Foxes
18
5

Regina Hubbard is a beautiful and brilliant woman who aspires for wealth in a world where fathers only considered sons as legal heirs. She is financially dependent on her husband Horace, who is at a sanitarium for many years, due to his heart condition. However, when she needs him for her plans, she tries to manipulate her daughter into bringing him back.

Starring:
Bette Davis, Teresa Wright, Herbert Marshall, Richard Carlson, Dan Duryea
Directed By:
William Wyler
5. Dodsworth (1936)
18
3
Dodsworth
TV-PG
18
3

A retired automobile manufacturer and his wife take a vacation to Europe, which is to be their ‘second honeymoon’. While the wife falls in with a crowd of frivolous socialites, the husband meets a woman who is quite opposite to his wife- self-assured, confident and able to take care of herself.

Starring:
David Niven, Walter Huston, Paul Lukas, Mary Astor, Ruth Chatterton
Directed By:
William Wyler
6. Roman Holiday (1953)
17
3
Roman Holiday
17
3

A royal princess Ann, irritated by her regulated lifestyle and duties, escapes from her embassy while in Rome and ends up sleeping at a public bench. She is found by Joe Bradley, an American newspaper reporter who takes her to his apartment for safety. The next morning, when he finds out her real identity, he promises his editor an exclusive and takes Ann on a sightseeing tour.

Starring:
Audrey Hepburn, Gregory Peck, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power, Harcourt Williams
Directed By:
William Wyler
7. The Big Country (1958)
16
5
The Big Country
16
5

The Big Country is a Western drama film which revolves around James McKay, who visits the American West to be with Patricia, his fiancée. However, he finds himself caught up in the middle of two warring families.  

Directed By:
William Wyler
8. The Children's Hour (1961)
16
3
The Children's Hour
16
3

Mary is a rebellious student studying at a girl’s school who is known to be a spoiled child, who bullies her classmates. When she loses interest in going back to school, she accuses two of her teachers of being lesbians.  

Starring:
Directed By:
William Wyler
9. Wuthering Heights (1939)
18
4
Wuthering Heights
18
4

Based on a novel of the same name, this romantic drama film is about Heathcliff, an orphaned boy who is found on the streets by Mr Earnshaw.  He brings him home to live with his own children Cathy and Hindley. Over the years, Cathy and Heathcliff develop feelings for one another, although Hindley despises Heathcliff. However, their neighbor Edgar also falls for Cathy, and proposes to her. Heathcliff decides to disappear from her life forever.

Starring:
Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon, David Niven, Donald Crisp, Flora Robson
Directed By:
William Wyler
10. The Letter (1940)
15
3
The Letter
15
3

The Letter is a mystery crime drama film which revolves around the wife of a rubber plantation administrator who kills a man and claims it to be self-defense. However, things take a turn when she receives a letter from a blackmailer having incriminating evidence.

Starring:
Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall, James Stephenson, Frieda Inescort, Gale Sondergaard
Directed By:
William Wyler
11. Mrs. Miniver (1942)
17
4
Mrs. Miniver
TV-G
17
4

Mrs. Miniver is a war drama film which revolves around a middle-class British family, as they try to survive during the beginning of the Second World War.  

Starring:
Greer Garson, Teresa Wright, May Whitty, Walter Pidgeon, Reginald Owen
Directed By:
William Wyler
Awards:
Academy Award for Best Director
12. Detective Story (1951)
15
2
Detective Story
TV-PG
15
2

Detective Story is a crime drama film which tells the story of Detective Jim McLeod, who is on a mission to bring an abortionist named Karl Schneider to justice, as he is responsible for the death of many women. Meanwhile, Schneider’s lawyer informs the police that Jim has a personal reason for wanting to hunt down Karl.

Starring:
Eleanor Parker, Kirk Douglas, Lee Grant, William Bendix, Cathy O'Donnell, George Macready
Directed By:
William Wyler
13. Funny Girl (1968)
15
3
Funny Girl
G
15
3

Considered as one of the best musical films ever made, Funny Girl revolves around the life of comedienne Fannie Brice. It depicts how she struggled in her early days,  and managed to reach the height of her career.

Starring:
Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis
Directed By:
William Wyler
14. Jezebel (1938)
15
3
Jezebel
15
3

Jezebel is a romantic drama film which tells the story of a beautiful and free spirited girl, who is also stubborn and vain. When her fiance leaves her due to this, she vows that she will get him back.

Starring:
Henry Fonda, Bette Davis, George Brent, Margaret Lindsay, Donald Crisp
Directed By:
William Wyler
15. The Collector (1965)
15
4
The Collector
15
4
Starring:
Kenneth More, Mona Washbourne, Terence Stamp, Samantha Eggar, Maurice Dallimore
Directed By:
William Wyler
16. The Desperate Hours (1955)
13
2
The Desperate Hours
13
2

The Desperate Hours is a crime drama thriller film which revolves around three escaped convicts, who target a house in a suburban neighborhood, where they plan to hide until midnight, after being delivered money by an accomplice. They take a family hostage, but things get ugly, when the delivery does not take place, and their stay extends.

Starring:
Humphrey Bogart, Fredric March, Martha Scott, Dewey Martin, Arthur Kennedy
Directed By:
William Wyler
17. Friendly Persuasion (1956)
15
2
Friendly Persuasion
15
2

Friendly Persuasion is a Western war drama film which revolves around the Quaker family in 1862. Since their religious sect is strongly opposed to violence and war, they have always held a pacifist attitude. However, with the arrival of the Southern troops during the American Civil War, they find themselves in real trouble, and their pacifism is tested. 

Starring:
Gary Cooper, Anthony Perkins, Dorothy McGuire, Robert Middleton, Richard Eyer
Directed By:
William Wyler
18. The Good Fairy (1935)
12
5
The Good Fairy
12
5

The Good Fairy is a romantic comedy film which tells the story of Luisa Ginglebuscher, who grows up in the Municipal Orphanage. From an early age, she used to entertain the other girls with her fairy tales. She later begins working in a movie palace in Budapest, and she tries to be friendly towards others and help them in every way. She soon befriends a millionaire named Konrad. She is not interested in his rich gifts, but she schemes to be a ‘good fairy’ and try to divert some of his wealth to the poor Dr Sporum instead.  

Starring:
Margaret Sullavan, Frank Morgan, Reginald Owen, Herbert Marshall, Eric Blore
Directed By:
William Wyler
19. These Three (1936)
12
3
These Three
12
3

These Three is a romantic drama film which revolves around Karen Wright and Martha Dobie, two schoolteachers, both of whom are in love with the same man Dr. Joe Cardin. Their lives are turned upside down when one of their students cooks up a malicious lie.

Starring:
Walter Brennan, Merle Oberon, Joel McCrea, Miriam Hopkins, Catherine Doucet
Directed By:
William Wyler
20. The Westerner (1940)
11
2
The Westerner
11
2

The Westerner is a western drama film which takes us to a town named Vinegaroon, in Texas 1882, where Judge Roy Bean has appointed himself as the hanging judge. He conducts trials from his saloon, and makes a corrupt living by seizing property unlawfully, as well as by collecting fines. Those who oppose him are sentenced for hanging. However, things change with the arrival of a drifter named Cole Harden.

Starring:
Gary Cooper, Walter Brennan, Forrest Tucker, Doris Davenport, Fred Stone
Directed By:
William Wyler
21. Counsellor-at-Law (1933)
11
4
Counsellor-at-Law
11
4

Devastated by learning about his wife’s extramarital affair, George, a successful barrister, is about to leap from the window of his office in the Empire State Building. However, Regina, his secretary, who is in love with him, comes to rescue him.

Starring:
John Barrymore, Bebe Daniels, Doris Kenyon, Melvyn Douglas, Isabel Jewell
Directed By:
William Wyler
22. How to Steal a Million (1966)
11
4
How to Steal a Million
11
4

Charles Bonnet is a successful art forger, but he finds himself in trouble when one of his works end up in a famous museum in Paris. He is worried because if experts are able to determine that it is inauthentic, his reputation will be tarnished. However, his daughter teams up with a burglar to steal the sculpture before it is too late.  

Starring:
Peter O'Toole, Eli Wallach, Charles Boyer, Audrey Hepburn, Hugh Griffith
Directed By:
William Wyler
23. Carrie (1952)
13
2
Carrie
13
2
Starring:
Laurence Olivier, Eddie Albert, Miriam Hopkins, Basil Ruysdael, Jennifer Jones
Directed By:
William Wyler
24. Dead End (1937)
12
2
Dead End
12
2

Martin, a mobster returns home to the New York neighborhood, where he had grown up. However, his mother rejects him because of his gangster lifestyle. He soon finds out that his old girlfriend Francey is now working as a prostitute. He also meets his childhood friend who is struggling to become an architect.

Starring:
Humphrey Bogart, Claire Trevor, Joel McCrea, Sylvia Sidney, Wendy Barrie
Directed By:
William Wyler
25. The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress (1944)
11
2
The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress
11
2

The Memphis Belle: A Story of a Flying Fortress is a documentary war film which revolves around the 25th bombing mission of the Memphis Belle, a B-17 heavy bomber in the US 8th Air Force.

Starring:
Stanley Wray, Robert Morgan, James A. Verinis, Robert J. Hanson, Charles B. Leighton
Directed By:
William Wyler
26. The Fighting Lady (1944)
11
2
The Fighting Lady
11
2

The Fighting Lady is a war documentary film which revolves around the life of several seamen who are on board an aircraft carrier, which was disguised by the name ‘The Fighting Lady’.  

Starring:
Charles Boyer, Robert Taylor, Joseph J. Clark, Dixie Kiefer, G.E. Lowe
Directed By:
William Wyler, Edward Steichen
27. Tom Brown of Culver (1932)
10
2
Tom Brown of Culver
10
2

A young boy who is attending military school learns that his father, whom many considered to be a war hero, was actually a deserter, although he had received a Medal of Honor.

Starring:
Alan Ladd, H.B. Warner, Slim Summerville, Ben Alexander, Richard Cromwell
Directed By:
William Wyler
28. Hell's Heroes (1929)
11
2
Hell's Heroes
11
2

Hell’s Heroes is a Western drama film which tells the story of three bank robbers on the run who come across a woman who is about to give birth in a wagon. Before dying due to childbirth complications, she names the three bandits as the godfathers for her newborn.

Starring:
John Huston, Raymond Hatton, Fritzi Ridgeway, Fred Kohler, Charles Bickford
Directed By:
William Wyler
29. A House Divided (1931)
10
2
A House Divided
10
2

A House Divided is a drama film which revolves around a widowed fisherman who falls for a woman, who is young enough to be his daughter. They soon get married. However, things get quite complicated when she falls in love with his son.  

Starring:
Walter Brennan, Walter Huston, Lloyd Ingraham, Mary Foy, Helen Chandler, Douglass Montgomery
Directed By:
William Wyler
30. The Liberation of L.B. Jones (1970)
10
2
The Liberation of L.B. Jones
R
10
2

LB Jones is a rich African-American funeral director who learns that his wife is having an affair with Joe Worth, a police officer who is also the father of Emma’s unborn child. However, his lawyer decides to take matters into his own hands as he doesn’t want this affair dragged into a court of law.

Starring:
Lee Majors, Lola Falana, Lee J. Cobb, Roscoe Lee Browne, Anthony Zerbe
Directed By:
William Wyler
31. Come and Get It (1936)
10
2
Come and Get It
10
2

Lumberman Barney Glasgow leaves his girlfriend Lotta Morgan, and instead gets married to Emma Louise, his wealthy boss’s daughter. Over the years, he manages to become quite rich, and after twenty three years, he meets Lotta Bostrom, the daughter of his former girlfriend who has now passed away. She looks exactly like her mother, and Barney can’t stop himself from being attracted to her.

Starring:
Frances Farmer, Walter Brennan, Mady Christians, Joel McCrea, Edward Arnold
Directed By:
Howard Hawks, Richard Rosson, William Wyler
32. Thunderbolt (1947)
10
2
Thunderbolt
10
2

Thunderbolt is a war historical documentary film  which depicts the struggles of the American Air Force during the Second World War in a certain Operation Strangle.

Starring:
Lloyd Bridges, James Stewart, Robert Lowery, Eugene Kern
Directed By:
William Wyler, John Sturges
33. The Gay Deception (1935)
10
2
The Gay Deception
10
2
Starring:
Francis Lederer, Alan Mowbray, Benita Hume, Frances Dee, Lennox Pawle
Directed By:
William Wyler
34. Barbary Coast (1935)
10
2
Barbary Coast
10
2

After finding her fiance dead, Mary Rutledge goes to work at a rowdy gambling house in 1950s San Francisco. She soon falls for another man named Carmichael.

Starring:
Edward G. Robinson, David Niven, Walter Brennan, Miriam Hopkins, Brian Donlevy
Directed By:
William Wyler, Howard Hawks
35. The Cowboy and the Lady (1938)
10
2
The Cowboy and the Lady
10
2

Mary Smith, the bored daughter of presidential hopeful Horace Smith, is living a scandal-free life. She falls in love with cowboy Stretch Willoughby who hates high society. Mary pretends to be a maid hiding her true identity and the two get married. Life gets complicated as both of her lives catch up with one another. 

Starring:
Gary Cooper, Merle Oberon, Walter Brennan, Patsy Kelly, Fuzzy Knight
Directed By:
Stuart Heisler, William Wyler, H.C. Potter
36. The Love Trap (1929)
10
2
The Love Trap
10
2

The Love Trap is a comedy film which revolves around a cab driver, who finds himself falling for a woman who lost her job and apartment, despite the fact that his uncle doesn’t approve of her.

Starring:
Norman Trevor, Robert Ellis, Neil Hamilton, Laura La Plante, Jocelyn Lee
Directed By:
William Wyler
37. Anybody Here Seen Kelly? (1928)
9
2
Anybody Here Seen Kelly?
9
2
Starring:
Kate Price, Tom Moore, Bruce Gordon, Bessie Love, Addie McPhail
Directed By:
William Wyler
38. Raffles (1939)
10
2
Raffles
10
2

Celebrated cricketer A. J. Raffles is also a master burglar and safecracker. Nicknamed "The Amateur Cracksman", he takes full advantage of the invitations offered by the aristocrats.  Then he falls in love with the sister of an old friend and when he learns about his friend’s gambling debt, he decides to accept another weekend invitation. 

Starring:
David Niven, Olivia de Havilland, May Whitty, Dudley Digges, Douglas Walton
Directed By:
William Wyler, Sam Wood
39. The Border Cavalier (1927)
9
2
The Border Cavalier
9
2
Starring:
C.E. Anderson, Joyce Compton, Fred Humes, Evelyn Pierce, William Barrymore
Directed By:
William Wyler
40. Glamour (1934)
9
2
Glamour
9
2
Starring:
Paul Lukas, Joseph Cawthorn, Doris Lloyd, Constance Cummings, Phillip Reed
Directed By:
William Wyler
41. Her First Mate (1933)
9
2
Her First Mate
9
2
Starring:
Slim Summerville, Zasu Pitts, Warren Hymer, Una Merkel,
Directed By:
William Wyler
42. The Stolen Ranch (1926)
9
2
The Stolen Ranch
9
2
Starring:
Janet Gaynor, William Bailey, Louise Lorraine, Fred Humes, Ralph McCullough
Directed By:
William Wyler
43. Lazy Lightning (1926)
8
2
Lazy Lightning
8
2
Starring:
Janet Gaynor, Arthur Morrison, Fay Wray, Robert Gordon, Art Acord
Directed By:
William Wyler
44. The Lone Star (1927)
8
2
The Lone Star
8
2
Starring:
Fred Gilman, Barbara Worth
Directed By:
William Wyler
45. The Storm (1930)
8
2
The Storm
8
2
Starring:
John Huston, Lupe Velez, Ernie Adams, William 'Stage' Boyd, Paul Cavanagh, Alphonse Ethier
Directed By:
William Wyler
46. Thunder Riders (1928)
8
2
Thunder Riders
8
2
Starring:
Leo White, William Steele, William Dyer, Ted Wells, Charlotte Stevens
Directed By:
William Wyler
47. Blazing Days (1927)
7
1
Blazing Days
7
1
Starring:
Eva Thatcher, Ena Gregory, Bruce Gordon, Fred Humes, Churchill Ross
Directed By:
William Wyler
48. The Shakedown (1929)
0
0
The Shakedown
0
0

The Shakedown is a sports drama film which tells the story of Dave Roberts, a professional boxer who is part of a group that sets up fixed boxing matches. However, Dave’s life begins to change after he meets an honest woman and he rescues an orphan from an oncoming train. He begins to care for them, and eventually he has to decide whether to continue living his corrupt life, or stand up against those who have been making him take part in the corruption.  

Role:
Photographer at Fight Arena (uncredited)
Starring:
John Huston, Wheeler Oakman, Barbara Kent, James Murray
Directed By:
William Wyler
49. The Ore Raiders (1927)
9
2
The Ore Raiders
9
2
Starring:
J.P. Lockney, Fred Gilman, Bud Osborne, Barbara Starr
Directed By:
William Wyler
50. Private Jones (1933)
7
1
Private Jones
7
1
Starring:
Gloria Stuart, Emma Dunn, Donald Cook, Shirley Grey, Lee Tracy
Directed By:
Russell Mack, William Wyler
51. Straight Shootin' (1927)
6
1
Straight Shootin'
6
1
Starring:
Buck Connors, Joseph Bennett, Ted Wells, Garry O'Dell, Lillian Gilmore
Directed By:
William Wyler

TV Shows and Videos

The Jackie Gleason Show (1966)
The Jackie Gleason Show
TV-G
Starring:
Jackie Gleason, Paul Lynde, Art Carney, Milton Berle, George Chakiris, Taylor Dancers The June
Producers' Showcase (1954)
Producers' Showcase
Starring:
Frank Sinatra, Mickey Rooney, Paul Newman, Lauren Bacall, Buster Keaton, Sid Caesar, Hume Cronyn
Directed By:
Clark Jones, Kirk Browning, Delbert Mann, Vincent J. Donehue, Alex Segal

William Wyler Awards

Academy Awards
Ben-Hur Best Director 1960
The Best Years of Our Lives Best Director 1947
Mrs. Miniver Best Director 1943
Golden Globe Awards
Ben-Hur Best Director 1960
BAFTA Awards
Ben-Hur Best Film from any Source 1960
The Best Years of Our Lives Best Film from any Source 1947 1949