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
Shadows (1959 film) admirer. Avant-garde film critic Jonas Mekas highly praised the film, writing in the January 1959 issue of "Film Culture" that "Shadows" "presents contemporary reality in a fresh and unconventional manner... The improvisation, spontaneity, and free inspiration that are almost entirely lost in most films from an excess of professionalism are fully used in this film." The magazine, founded by Mekas and his brother, bestowed upon "Shadows" its first "Independent Film Award". Mekas then arranged to have the film shown six more times at the Young Men's Hebrew Association. Cassavetes shot new scenes in 1959 using a script he co-wrote with