Cecil Blount DeMille (1881 - 1959)

Born 12 Aug 1881 in Ashfield, Ashfield, Franklin, Massachusetts, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Constance (Adams) DeMille — married 16 Aug 1902 in East Orange, New Jersey, United States

Descendants

Died 21 Jan 1959 at age 77 in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, United States

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Biography

Cecil B. DeMille is Notable.

Cecil B. DeMille was an American filmmaker. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) won the Academy Award for Best Picture. He is best known for The Ten Commandments (1956).

Cecil Blount DeMille was born August 12, 1881 in Ashfield, Massachusetts,^[1] and grew up in Washington, North Carolina.^{[2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]} His father, Henry de Mille, was a North Carolina-born teacher turned dramatist, playwright, and lay reader in the Episcopal Church.^{[2][1][4][6][10]} His mother was Beatrice Samuel, whose parents were both of German Jewish heritage. ^{[1][4] [6]}She emigrated from England with her parents in 1871 when she was 18, and they settled in Brooklyn. She was related to British politician Herbert Louis Samuel. Cecil's father's Dutch surname was originally spelled de Mil and later became de Mille.

Cecil married Constance Adams, a fellow member of Cecil's acting troupe at the time, on August 16, 1902 in East Orange, New Jersey, and had one child, Cecilia DeMille.^{[4][6][11][7][8][12][10]} The couple adopted three more children; Katherine^[8], John^[13][8], and Richard (the child of his brother William de Mille and actress Lorna Moon).^[7][8][10]

Cecil was one of the most successful movie directors of his era and is considered a founder of the Hollywood industry. He started his career simply, writing plays with his brother William and friend, David Belasco, but after meeting Samuel Goldwyn and Jesse Lasky, the new trio started The Jesse Lasky Feature Play Company. They made millions then separated to form their own film companies.^[10]

The Lasky Players

Cecil was known for his "flamboyant" films. When health interfered with his art, he insisted, against his doctor's orders, that he'd "continue working until God wants me to quit." His 45-year film career included "The Ten Commandments," "Greatest Show On Earth," "The Unconquered," and "Samson and Delilah". Despite his acclaim with audiences and financial success, he never won an Oscar. "The Greatest Showman" did receive an Academy Award in 1952.^[2][10]

Cecil died of a heart ailment at age 77 on January 21, 1959 in Hollywood, California, with his daughter, Cecilia at his bedside.^{[3][4][6][10]} He is entombed at the Hollywood Memorial Cemetery (now known as Hollywood Forever).^[14][10]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} "Massachusetts Births, 1841-1915", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FX75-4CC : 1 March 2016), Cecil Blount Demille, 1881.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QV5Y-HM4H : 16 March 2018), Cecil Blount De Mille, 1924; citing Passport Application, California, United States, source certificate #493301, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, 2671, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "California Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VPWK-JVQ : 26 November 2014), Cecil Blount Demille, 21 Jan 1959; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4} "California Deaths and Burials, 1776-2000", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:HGW2-BWT2 : 4 February 2020), Cecil Blount Demille, 1959.
5. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KZVN-824 : 24 August 2019), Cecil Blount De Mille, 1917-1918.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4} "California, County Birth and Death Records, 1800-1994", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGLF-J23G : 27 September 2019), Cecil Blount de Mille, 1959.
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1 7.2} FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9CH-TYV : 23 November 2019), Cecil B Demille, Councilmanic District 1, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Township, Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 60-80, sheet 5B, line 68, family 98, Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012, roll 393.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4} "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCVM-MRW : accessed 12 August 2020), Cecil B Demille, Los Angeles (Districts 0001-0250), Los Angeles, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 71, sheet 26B, line 90, family 192, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 134; FHL microfilm 2,339,869.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M9NQ-2ZH : accessed 12 August 2020), Cecil B De Mille in household of Margret De Mille, Wayne Township, Passaic, New Jersey, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 92, sheet 2A, family 21, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,990.
10. ↑ ^{10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.7} Cecil B. DeMille, Film Pioneer, Dies of Heart Attack at Age 77. Dallas Morning News: Thursday, Jan 22, 1959, Dallas, TX. Page: 7. Accessed via GenealogyBank.com 11 Aug 2020.
11. ↑ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8NY-1PC : 8 December 2017), Cecil Blount De Mille in entry for Francis Edgar Calvin and Cecilia Hoyt De Mille, 22 Feb 1930; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,789.
12. ↑ "United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M583-82P : accessed 12 August 2020), Cecil B Demille, Manhattan Ward 12, New York, New York, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 727, sheet 23A, family , NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1027; FHL microfilm 1,375,040.
13. ↑ "California, County Marriages, 1850-1952," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8JF-TPZ : 8 December 2017), Cecil Blount Demille in entry for John Blount Demille and Louise Antoinette Denker, 26 Sep 1934; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,113,655.
14. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com : accessed 11 August 2020), memorial page for Cecil B. DeMille (12 Aug 1881–21 Jan 1959), Find A Grave: Memorial #274, citing Hollywood Forever, Hollywood, Los Angeles County, California, USA ; Maintained by Find A Grave .

See also:

• "United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V4DW-B1Z : 8 April 2016), Cecil Blount Demille, 1942; citing NARA microfilm publication M1936, M1937, M1939, M1951, M1962, M1964, M1986, M2090, and M2097 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• Wikipedia: Cecil B. DeMille
• Wikidata: Item Q72267, en:Wikipedia