William Churchill deMille

William Churchill deMille (July 25, 1878 – March 5, 1955), also spelled de Mille or De Mille, was an American screenwriter and film director from the silent film era through the early 1930s.

Biography DeMille was born in Washington, North Carolina on July 25, 1878, to Henry Churchill de Mille, an actor and playwright from North Carolina, and Matilda Beatrice Samuel, who was also a play and screenwriter. His father was a Christian while his mother was born to a German-Jewish family in Liverpool but converted to her husband's faith.

William was the elder brother of Cecil B. DeMille, who altered the capitalization of his last name when he went to Hollywood, claiming that it fit better on marquees. (William continued to be known as "de Mille", and his daughter Agnes also chose "de Mille".) William received a bachelor's degree from Columbia University followed by graduate studies at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, at schools in Germany, and a second stint at Columbia studying under Brander Matthews.

In 1903, he married Anna Angela George, the daughter of economist Henry George. Anna and William had two children, Agnes de Mille – named after a younger sister who died in childhood – who became a noted choreographer and Peggy George, who became an actress.

Professionally, their life was stable. In 1905, he became a successful Broadway playwright, following its development in 1904.

William wrote or co-wrote nine plays – one of them with Cecil – produced on Broadway between 1905 and 1913, and another two productions mounted in 1929 and 1936, the latter of which he produced and directed as well.

His first play, Strongheart was eventually released as a movie by his brother as Braveheart (1925). Two of William's works, The Warrens of Virginia (1907) were produced by the flamboyant impresario David Belasco. The former featured future film star Mary Pickford and Cecil, both struggling actors playing minor roles.

He wrote a number of vaudeville sketches including In 1999, Food, Poor Old Jim, The Squealer, The Martyrs, and The Deceivers.

Cecil eventually moved to Hollywood, and William followed. His directorial debut was The Only Son (1914). He was one of the first investors in Neely Dickson's playhouse, the Hollywood Community Theatre, and many of his plays were produced there, featuring Hollywood stars.

Personal life William C. deMille and Anna Angela George divorced in 1927. One of the writers of Miss Lulu Bett was Clara Beranger, whom deMille married in 1929. He is interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

Partial filmography

The House of Discord (1913) (author of play) The Only Son (1914) Rose of the Rancho (1914) (actor) Strongheart (1914) (play) Young Romance (1915) (author of play) The Goose Girl (1915) (screenwriter) The Woman (1915) (author of play) The Wild Goose Chase (1915) (story/screenwriter) Carmen (1915) (screenwriter) The Ragamuffin (1916) The Blacklist (1916) The Sowers (1916) The Clown (1916) Common Ground (1916) Anton the Terrible (1916) The Heir to the Hoorah (1916) Maria Rosa (1916) (screenwriter) Hashimura Togo (1917) The Ghost House (1917) The Secret Game (1917) The Widow's Might (1918) One More American (1918) The Honor of His House (1918) Mirandy Smiles (1918) The Mystery Girl (1918) For Better, for Worse (1919) (screenwriter) Peg o' My Heart (1919) (completed but never released due to legal matters) The Tree of Knowledge (1920) Jack Straw (1920) The Prince Chap (1920) Conrad in Quest of His Youth (1920) Why Change Your Wife? (1920) (screenwriter) Midsummer Madness (1921) What Every Woman Knows (1921) The Lost Romance (1921) After the Show (1921) Miss Lulu Bett (1921) Bought and Paid For (1922) A Trip to Paramountown (1922 short) Nice People (1922) Clarence (1922) The World's Applause (1923) Grumpy (1923) Only 38 (1923) The Marriage Maker (1923) Don't Call It Love (1923) Icebound (1924) The Bedroom Window (1924) The Fast Set (1924) Classmates (1924) (author of 1907 play) Locked Doors (1925) Men and Women (1925) Lost: A Wife (1925) New Brooms (1925) The Splendid Crime (1926) The Runaway (1926) For Alimony Only (1926) The Little Adventuress (1927) Tenth Avenue (1928) Craig's Wife (1928) The Doctor's Secret (1929) The Idle Rich (1929) Passion Flower (1930) (director and producer) Two Kinds of Women (1932) His Double Life (1933) (associate director)

Books