(1881–1959). Film director and producer Cecil B. DeMille was often credited with making Hollywood, Calif., the motion picture capital of the world. He championed the making of feature-length films over short films. He also became known for his use of spectacle in large, often lurid productions of biblical and other epics. Cecil Blount DeMille was born in Ashfield, Mass., the son of a playwright. He began his career as an actor, making his stage debut in 1900. With Jesse Lasky and Sam Goldwyn, DeMille in 1913 founded what would later form part of Paramount Pictures Corporation. The following year, DeMille presented his first film, The Squaw Man, one of the earliest full-length features filmed in Hollywood. His screen productions include The King of Kings (1927), The Sign of the Cross (1932), Cleopatra (1934), The Greatest Show on Earth (1952), which won the Academy award for best picture, and two versions of The Ten Commandments (1923, 1956). In all, DeMille produced and directed 70 films. He also hosted and produced the hour-long Lux Radio Theater from 1936 to 1945. He died in Hollywood on Jan. 21, 1959. |