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Cecil B. DeMille

Cecil B. DeMille

Director, producer, writer, actor and editor · Died January 21, 1959, aged 77 · Ashfield, Massachusetts, USA

Cecil Blount DeMille (August 12, 1881 – January 21, 1959) was an American filmmaker, known as a founder of the Hollywood motion-picture industry, one of the most commercially successful producer-directors of his time, and one of the most influential filmmakers in history. Between 1914 and 1956, he made seventy feature films; all but seven were profitable. Cecil B. DeMille is synonymous with religious epics: The King of Kings, Samson and Delilah, and The Ten Commandments (1956). He blended spectacle, sex, and spellbinding narrative to convey a message of faith. It was DeMille who created the image of the omnipotent director, megaphone in hand, wearing boots and a visored cap. DeMille gave Hollywood numerous stars: Wallace Reid, Gloria Swanson, William (“Hopalong Cassidy”) Boyd, Claudette Colbert, Robert Preston, Jean Arthur, and Charlton Heston. DeMille created the posts of studio story editor, art director, and concept artist. He was one of the first to use theatrical lighting on a movie set. In the late 1920s, when Hollywood converted to sound films, DeMille defied the sound experts, liberating the camera from a confining booth, and implementing the microphone boom. DeMille’s authority extended beyond the confines of his studio. He was a power in aviation, banking, politics, and real estate. In the 1930s, his fame as a filmmaker was surpassed by his fame as a radio star. He was a founder of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an institution from which he eventually won two awards. In 1953 his film The Greatest Show on Earth won the Award for Best Picture of 1952; and he was presented with the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. DeMille’s influence on world culture is incalculable, but there are estimates and milestones. His biography of Jesus Christ, The King of Kings, was a silent film, but because of a unique distribution arrangement, it was eventually seen by 800 million viewers. Samson and Delilah (1949) and The Ten Commandments (1956) are still listed with the top ten all-time box-office champions. They continue to generate revenue and provoke thought.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 12, 1881
Died
January 21, 1959 (aged 77)
From
Ashfield, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Director, producer, writer, actor and editor
Titles
32 on MovieCove · 108 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 64 days to Oct 27Down 23% in 30 days

What are Cecil B. DeMille's films like?

Across their 27 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Drama9 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Drama movies
Adventure7 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Adventure movies
Action4 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Action movies
Biography3 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 70th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 66th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
38%
Bonds
27%
Power
12%
Survival
9%
Self
6%
Society
5%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love10 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice7 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice5 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty5 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom6 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival4 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception3 titles, browse their movies with this themeDuty3 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 27 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 12 · Heightened 12

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 2 · Charged 11 · Intense 14

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 8 · Shifting 16 · Whiplash 3

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 16 · Some laughs 10 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 9 · Even-paced 18 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 13 · Engaged 13 · Full focus 1

Affecting: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their affecting movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 11 · Affecting 11 · Heavy 5

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 25 · Open-ended 2 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
15
Romantic
16
Thrilling
11
Melancholic
7
Triumphant
4
Other
22

How their films linger

Rousing15 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHaunting3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 5 with a twist

  • Happy13
  • Bittersweet11
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Cecil B. DeMille's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 32 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (7).

Subscription and free streaming for Cecil B. DeMille's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

108 credits, 32 with a MovieCove page; 35 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Casting Couch (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Actor

  • The Buccaneer(1958)

    Executive Producer · Producer · as Presenter of Prologue

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Buster Keaton Story(1957)

    as Cecil B. DeMille (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films

  • The Ten Commandments(1956)

    Director · Producer · as Narrator (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • The War of the Worlds(1953)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • Son of Paleface(1952)

    as Photographer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Greatest Show on Earth(1952)

    Director · Producer · as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • When Worlds Collide(1951)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Sunset Boulevard(1950)

    as Cecil B. DeMille

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Samson and Delilah(1949)

    Director · Producer · as Narrator (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Unconquered(1947)

    Director · Producer · as Self - Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Variety Girl(1947)

    as Cecil B. DeMille

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • The Story of Dr. Wassell(1944)

    Director · Producer · as Voice of Narrator (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 67th percentile of all films

  • Reap the Wild Wind(1942)

    Director · Producer · as Prologue Speaker (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Star Spangled Rhythm (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Cecil B. DeMille

  • North West Mounted Police(1940)

    Director · Producer · as Narrator (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all films

  • Land of Liberty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Editor

  • Union Pacific(1939)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films

  • The Buccaneer(1938)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 65th percentile of all films

  • The Plainsman(1936)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Hollywood Extra Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1935)

    as Cecil B. DeMille

  • The Crusades(1935)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • Cleopatra(1934)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Four Frightened People (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    Director · Producer

  • This Day and Age(1933)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Sign of the Cross(1932)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Squaw Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1931)

    Director

  • Madam Satan(1930)

    Director · Producer · as Radio Newscaster (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Free and Easy(1930)

    as Director Cecil B. DeMille (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Dynamite (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1929)

    Director

  • The Godless Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Director · Producer

  • Let 'Er Go Gallegher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1928)

    Executive Producer

  • The Angel of Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Producer

  • The Fighting Eagle (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Producer

  • Vanity (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Producer

  • The King of Kings(1927)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • White Gold (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1927)

    Producer

  • The Cruise of the Jasper B (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Producer

  • The Volga Boatman (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Director · Producer

  • Silence (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Producer

  • Whispering Smith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Producer

  • Red Dice (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1926)

    Presenter

  • The Wedding Song (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Producer

  • The Road to Yesterday (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • The Dressmaker from Paris (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Supervising Producer

  • The Golden Bed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1925)

    Director

  • Feet of Clay (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Director · Producer

  • Triumph (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1924)

    Director · Producer

  • The Ten Commandments(1923)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Adam's Rib (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    Director · Producer

  • Hollywood (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1923)

    as Cecil B. DeMille

  • Manslaughter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Director

  • Saturday Night (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1922)

    Director · Producer

  • Fool's Paradise (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director

  • The Affairs of Anatol(1921)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all films

  • Forbidden Fruit (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · Producer · Story

  • The Affairs of Anatol - Promo Reel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1921)

    Director · as As himself

  • Something to Think About (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director · Producer

  • Why Change Your Wife? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1920)

    Director · Producer

  • Male and Female (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director · Producer

  • For Better, for Worse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • Don't Change Your Husband (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1919)

    Director

  • The Squaw Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • Till I Come Back to You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • We Can't Have Everything (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Editor

  • Old Wives for New (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director · Editor · Producer

  • The Whispering Chorus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1918)

    Director

  • The Devil Stone (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • Nan of Music Mountain (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director

  • The Woman God Forgot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Director · Editor · Producer

  • The Little American(1917)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • A Romance of the Redwoods(1917)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Lost and Won (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    Producer

  • Betty to the Rescue (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1917)

    General Manager

  • Joan the Woman(1916)

    Director · Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • The Dream Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director

  • Maria Rosa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director

  • The Heart of Nora Flynn (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director

  • The Love Mask (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Writer

  • The Trail of the Lonesome Pine (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1916)

    Director · Producer · Story

  • The Golden Chance (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Story

  • Temptation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Editor

  • The Cheat(1915)

    Director · Editor · Producer

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • Chimmie Fadden Out West (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • Carmen (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Editor · Producer

  • Kindling (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Chimmie Fadden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • The Arab (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Wild Goose Chase (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director

  • The Captive (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • The Unafraid (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Story

  • The Warrens of Virginia (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director · Producer

  • After Five (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1915)

    Director

  • The Girl of the Golden West(1915)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 12th percentile of all films

  • The Ghost Breaker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • The Circus Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Writer

  • Rose of the Rancho(1914)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 1st percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • The Man From Home (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • Ready Money (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Writer

  • What's His Name (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

  • The Virginian (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director · Editor

  • The Call of the North (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director

  • The Man on the Box (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director

  • The Only Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director

  • Lord Chumley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Theatre Play

  • The Master Mind (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director

  • Brewster's Millions (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director · Producer

  • The Squaw Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1914)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Faro Dealer

Career shape

A full career of 107 titles from 1914 to 1995.

Biggest box office

The Ten Commandments (1956)

$66M worldwide

Highest rated

The Ten Commandments (1956)

Midcredits 97th

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting19 of 107: 9 only acting, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stDirecting78 of 107: 24 only directing, 54 with another role · typical Midcredits score67thWriting21 of 107: 4 only writing, 17 with another roleProducing61 of 107: 12 only producing, 49 with another role · typical Midcredits score67thEditing19 of 107: 1 only editing, 18 with another role · typical Midcredits score52ndOther crew2 of 107: 2 only other crew, 0 with another role

107 titles, 55 with more than one role — directing and producing overlap on 48 of them.

By decade

1910s49 · 1 acting · 49 crew1920s30 · 2 acting · 29 crew1930s13 · 3 acting · 11 crew1940s7 · 6 acting · 5 crew1950s7 · 6 acting · 4 crew1990s1 · acting

Billing

usually 17th · top billed in 0% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Cecil B. DeMille's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 66th percentile, the median of all 32; across their 27 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 65th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

65thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Approval · how many liked their films

66thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Reach · how many have seen their films

61stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 27

Midcredits score across 32 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up8
  • 50th to 74th20
  • 25th to 49th1
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

23 of their 32 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Universally Panned1
  • Crowd Pleaser23
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed5

Most divisive · actor

The Buster Keaton Story (1957)

56th percentile spread · 33% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Midcredits 99th · 89% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 70/100 and the pacing 47/100 in their films, across 24 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Cecil B. DeMille's work okay for kids?

Across up to 6 MovieCove titles with content scores, sex & nudity runs lighter than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore4 titlesmedian 34 · mildMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity6 titles5–43 · median 20 · mildlighter than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity4 titlesmedian 4 · minimalMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs4 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense4 titlesmedian 38 · moderateMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Cecil B. DeMille work with?

People who share at least 2 of Cecil B. DeMille's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Anne Bauchens shares the most, 18.

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Mixed roles