DeMille was not the only talented person in his family. Both his parents, as well as, his brother and niece and an adopted daughter were well known in their own right. The family ancestors came to the U.S. in the late 1600's. DeMille's mother was a Samuel and of the jewish faith, but his father was Episcopal and, at one time considered becoming an Episcopal priest. DeMille liked to talk about the genealogy of the DeMilles and the family can trace its roots back to around the year 1280, when one Gillis deMil was born in Flanders.

Henry DeMille was a teacher and poet, as well as, a playwright. He collaborated as actor and writer with producer/playwright, David Belasco with whom he had a very successful career.

Cecil, like his father, began his career as a playwright. After his father's death, his mother turned the family home into a day and boarding school for girls and boys and advertised herself as an author's representative, a nice word for an agent which was not and accepted occupation for a woman of the time. However, both ventures enabled her to send her sons to school. William was a playwright like his younger brother, but when Cecil moved onto motion pictures by founding the Lasky company, William didn't immediately agree that it was a good idea. However, later when he saw the success it could be he joined his brother in California. He was a screenwriter on many of Cecil's early silent films and became a film director in his own right. You can see a list of his credits at the Internet Movie Database.

Agnes DeMille was Cecil's niece, daughter of William. She was a dancer and was was an innovator, like DeMille because she is responsible for the revolution in the broadway musical in the forties. She was the choreographer for Oklahoma in 1943 which revolutionized dance for theater. Gone were lines of chorus girls and boys interrupting the story; now cowpokes and their rural sweethearts and tavern cancan girls danced their roles. The dance became part of the story. Oklahoma introduced ballet as part of the story and was truly innovative.

Cecil and Constance's only natural child, Cecilia was an excellent equestrian and in later years was also a horse breeder. At the left, Cecilia is shown at a horse show in the 1920's. Demille also adopted three other children, John, Richard and Katherine shown at right.

Katherine DeMille, Cecil's adopted daughter also became a successful actor in films and was in many of her father's films like, Madam Satan and The Crusades. She married Anthony Quinn who later took over direction of the remake of The Buccaneer for DeMille who had to step back and just produce because of poor health. See Katherine's credits at the Internet Movie Database.

I strongly suggest that you read the book which depicts the Demille Family in detail by Anne Edwards for further details regarding the DeMille family:

The DeMilles An American Family by Anne Edwards, 1988 Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, New York This book is currently out of print,but you can request it at Amazon.com