Cecil B. DeMille (
August 12 1881 -
January 21 1959) was one of the most successful filmmakers during the first half of the
20th century. He directed hundreds of silent shorts before coming into huge popularity during the
1920s, when he reached the apex of his popularity with such films as "Don't Change Your Husband" (
1919), "The Ten Commandments" (
1923), and "The King of Kings" (
1927). While he continued to be prolific throughout the
1930s and
1940s, he is probably best known for his
1956 film "The Ten Commandments" (which is very different from his
1923 film by the same title).