A splendid documentary on the film director William Wyler (1902-1981), this feature was conceived by his daughter, Catherine, as a loving tribute to him. First shown at the World Film Festival in Montreal in the summer of 1986, it was subsequently offered at that year's New York Film Festival, among other specialized appearances. in 1987, PBS stations presented it on television as part of its "American Masters" summer series. Utilizing a wealth of film clips, many in black and white, the movie features interviews with Bette Davis, Samantha Eggar, Greer Garson, Lillian Hellman, Audrey Hepburn, Charleton Heston, John Huston, Laurence Olivier, Gregory Peck, Ralph Richardson, Terence Stamp, Barbra Streisand, Billy Wilder, Talli (the former Margaret Tallichet) Wyler, and the director himself. A first-rate Hollywood retrospective often is as good as the movies it chronicles. This is certainly one of them. Entertaining and informative, it's also a trove of delightful trivia. Some of the best of the Hollywood commentary comes from Wyler himself, interviewed only a few days before he died in 1981. If you're a movie buff, "Directed by William Wyler" offers behind-the-scene tidbits that are priceless. e84 Written by alfiehitchie