Robert Wyler

Robert Wyler September 25 1900 January 17 1971 was a SwissAmerican film producer and associate producer He was the older brother of film director William Wyler and a nephew of Universal Studios head Carl Laemmle Wyler was born in Mülhausen Alsace Germany now Mulhouse HautRhin France His first credit was as a producer in 1928 and he made several unsuccessful attempts at directing in the early 1930s Wyler found success in the late 1940s and 1950s He was associate producer of his brothers adaptation of The Heiress 1949 which was nominated for Best Film at the Academy Awards and won its star Olivia de Havilland her second Oscar Wyler himself was nominated for Best Screenplay for Detective Story 1951 another film directed by his brother and a controversial hit in its day He was involved as an associate producer on most of his brothers films through the 1950s such as Roman Holiday 1953 and Friendly Persuasion 1956 Then 47yearold Wyler married 24yearold actress Cathy ODonnell on April 11 1948 They had met two years earlier while she was being directed by his brother in The Best Years of Our Lives She died in 1970 on their 22nd wedding anniversary following a long illness Robert Wyler died nine months later on January 17 1971