William Wyler of the most important directors in her career. "Friendly Persuasion" (1956) was awarded the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) at the Cannes Film Festival. And in 1959, Wyler directed "Ben-Hur", which won 11 Oscars, a feat unequaled until "Titanic" in 1997. He had also assisted in the production of the . Wyler and its star, Charlton Heston, both knew what the film meant for MGM, which had massive investments in its final outcome, with the film's budget having gone from $7 million to $15 million, and the fact that MGM was already in dire financial straits. They were aware that if
The Bat (1959 film) The Bat (1959 film) The Bat is an American mystery film from 1959 starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead. It is the fourth film adaptation of the story, which began as a 1908 novel "The Circular Staircase" by Mary Roberts Rinehart, which she later adapted (with Avery Hopwood) into the 1920 play "The Bat". The first movie version of the play was the 1926 American silent film "The Bat" starring Emily Fitzroy as Miss Cornelia Van Gorder. The film version was adapted by playwright Crane Wilbur, who also directed. "The Bat" was distributed in 1959 on a double bill with