DeMille, Cecil B. (1881-1959), a motion-picture producer and director, became famous for his spectacular Biblical epics. His first Biblical film was The Ten Commandments (1923). His final film as a director was a remake of this picture in 1956. A shrewd showman, DeMille balanced religion with romance in such films as The Sign of the Cross (1932) and Samson and Delilah (1949). His striking drama of Jesus Christ, The King of Kings (1927), was one of the few DeMille Biblical films to win praise from both critics and the clergy. He also made romantic adventures, including The Plainsman (1936), Union Pacific (1939), and Unconquered (1947). His circus spectacle, The Greatest Show on Earth, won the 1952 Academy Award for best picture.
Cecil Blount DeMille was born on Aug. 12, 1881, in Ashfield, Massachusetts, and went to Hollywood in 1913. His early silent films, including Male and Female (1919) and Forbidden Fruit (1921), generally dealt with romantic entanglements in high society. DeMille died on Jan. 21, 1959. He was the uncle of the American choreographer and dancer Agnes de Mille.
