Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-born, Jewish-American journalist, screenwriter, film director, and producer whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age. Many of Wilder's films achieved both critical and public acclaim. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... For The Cosby Show episode, see The Lost Weekend (The Cosby Show). ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... The New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay is one the annual film awards given by the New York Film Critics Circle. ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... is the 173rd day of the year (174th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... is the 86th day of the year (87th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... For other uses, see Journalist (disambiguation). ... Screenwriters, scenarists or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. ... This article is about motion pictures. ... ...

Life and career

Origins

Born Samuel Wilder in Sucha Beskidzka, Austria-Hungary (now Poland) to Max Wilder and Eugenia Dittler, Wilder was nicknamed Billie by his mother (he changed that to "Billy" after arriving in America). Soon the family moved to Vienna, where Wilder attended school. After dropping out of the University of Vienna, Wilder became a journalist. To advance his career Wilder decided to move to Berlin, Germany. Sucha Beskidzka (before 1961 called only Sucha) is a county town in the southern Poland (see: Sucha Beskidzka county), in the Lesser Poland Voivodship since 1999, previously in Bielsko-Biala Voivodship (1975-1998). ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... The University of Vienna (German: ) is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ...

Berlin

While in Berlin, before achieving success as a writer, Wilder allegedly worked as a taxi dancer. After writing crime and sports stories as a stringer for local newspapers, he was eventually offered a regular job at a Berlin tabloid. Developing an interest in film, he began working as a screenwriter. He collaborated with several other tyros (with Fred Zinnemann and Robert Siodmak, on the 1929 feature, People on Sunday). After the rise of Adolf Hitler, Wilder, who was Jewish, left for Paris and then the United States. His mother, grandmother and stepfather died at Auschwitz concentration camp. A taxi dancer is a professional dance partner in one of many forms of partner dance. ... Stringer can have different meanings, including: In journalism, a stringer is a freelance journalist, who is paid for each piece of published or broadcast work, rather than receiving a regular salary. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Fred Zinnemann (April 29, 1907–March 14, 1997) was an Austrian-American film director. ... Robert Siodmak (August 8, 1900 - March 10, 1973) was a film director born in Memphis, Tennessee (sometimes his birthplace is stated as Dresden, Germany). ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Menschen am Sonntag (also known in English as People on Sunday) is a 1929 German silent movie, directed by Curt and Robert Siodmak from a screenplay by Billy Wilder. ... Hitler redirects here. ... For other uses, see Jew (disambiguation). ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Auschwitz (Konzentrationslager Auschwitz) was the largest of the Nazi German concentration camps. ...

Hollywood career

After arriving in Hollywood in 1933, Wilder shared an apartment with fellow émigré Peter Lorre, and continued his career as a screenwriter. He became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1934. Wilder's first significant success was Ninotchka, a collaboration with fellow German immigrant Ernst Lubitsch. Released in 1939, this screwball comedy starred Greta Garbo (generally known as a tragic heroine in film melodramas), and was popularly and critically acclaimed. With the byline, "Garbo Laughs!", it also took Garbo's career in a new direction. The film also marked Wilder's first Academy Award nomination, which he shared with co-writer Charles Brackett. For twelve years Wilder co-wrote many of his films with Brackett, from 1938 through 1950. He followed Ninotchka with a series of box office hits in 1942, including his Hold Back the Dawn and Ball of Fire, as well as his directorial feature debut, The Major and the Minor. Greetings from Hollywood Hollywood is a district of the city of Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., that extends from Vermont Avenue on the east to just beyond Laurel Canyon Boulevard above Sunset and Crescent Heights Boulevards on the west; the north to south boundary east of La Brea Avenue... Émigré is a French term that shows how Martin B. loves stephanie. ... Peter Lorre (June 26, 1904 – March 23, 1964), born László Loewenstein, was an Austro-Hungarian actor frequently typecast as a sinister foreigner. ... Naturalization is the process whereby a person becomes a national of a nation, or a citizen of a country, other than the one of his birth. ... Ninotchka is a 1939 American film by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. ... Ernst Lubitsch (January 28, 1892 – November 30, 1947), was a German-born Jewish film director. ... The year 1939 in film involved some significant events. ... The screwball comedy has proven to be one of the most elusive of the film genres. ... Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905 – April 15, 1990) was a Swedish-born actress during Hollywoods silent film period and part of its Golden Age. ... For other uses, see Tragedy (disambiguation). ... Poster for The Perils of Pauline (1914). ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Charles Brackett (November 26, 1892-March 9, 1969) was an accomplished movie screenwriter and movie producer. ... See also: 1937 in film 1937 1939 in film 1930s in film years in film film // Events January — MGM announces that Judy Garland would be cast in the role of Dorothy in the upcoming Wizard of Oz motion picture. ... See also: 1949 in film 1950 1951 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events February 15 - Walt Disney Studios animated film Cinderella debuts. ... The term box office can refer to either: A place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to a venue The amount of business a particular production, such as a movie or theatre show, does. ... Hold Back the Dawn is a 1941 romantic film in which a Romanian gigolo marries an American woman in Mexico in order to gain entry to the United States, but winds up falling in love with her. ... Ball of Fire (also known as The Professor and the Burlesque Queen) is a 1941 comedy film which tells the story of a group of encyclopedists interested in documenting slang who protect a nightclub singer on the lam for testifying against her mobster boyfriend. ... The Major and the Minor is a 1942 film. ...

Wilder established his directorial reputation after helming Double Indemnity (1944), an early film noir he co-wrote with mystery novelist Raymond Chandler, with whom he did not get along. Double Indemnity not only set conventions for the noir genre (such as "venetian blind" lighting and voice-over narration), but was also a landmark in the battle against Hollywood censorship. The original James M. Cain novel Double Indemnity featured two love triangles and a murder plotted for insurance money. The book was highly popular with the reading public, but had been considered unfilmable under the Hays Code, because adultery was central to its plot. Double Indemnity is credited by some as the first true film noir, combining the stylistic elements of Citizen Kane with the narrative elements of Maltese Falcon. This article is about the 1944 film. ... // July 20 - Since You Went Away is released. ... This still from The Big Combo (1955) demonstrates the visual style of film noir at its most extreme. ... For other persons named Raymond Chandler, see Raymond Chandler (disambiguation). ... James Mallahan Cain (July 1, 1892 – October 27, 1977) was an American journalist and novelist. ... The Production Code (also known as the Hays Code) was a set of guidelines governing the production of motion pictures. ... Citizen Kane is a 1941 mystery/drama film released by RKO Pictures and directed by Orson Welles, his first feature film. ... The Maltese Falcon is a detective novel by Dashiell Hammett which was made into a quintessential film noir. ...

Two years later, Wilder earned the Best Director and Best Screenplay Academy Awards for the adaptation of a Charles R. Jackson story The Lost Weekend. This was the first major American film to make a serious examination of alcoholism. Another dark and cynical film Wilder cowrote and directed was the critically acclaimed Sunset Boulevard in 1950, which paired rising star William Holden with Gloria Swanson. Swanson played Norma Desmond, a reclusive silent film star who dreams of a comeback; Holden is an aspiring screenwriter and becomes a kept man. The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Charles R. Jackson (born 1902—died 1968) is an American author, best known for his 1944 novel, The Lost Weekend. ... For The Cosby Show episode, see The Lost Weekend (The Cosby Show). ... Alcoholism is the consumption of, or preoccupation with, alcoholic beverages to the extent that this behavior interferes with the drinkers normal personal, family, social, or work life, and may lead to physical or mental harm. ... It has been suggested that Norma Desmond be merged into this article or section. ... See also: 1949 in film 1950 1951 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events February 15 - Walt Disney Studios animated film Cinderella debuts. ... William Holden (April 17, 1918 – ca. ... Gloria Swanson (March 27, 1899 - April 4, 1983), was an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning American Hollywood actress. ... A comeback may mean: A retort, often intended as an insult. ... Kept Man is an episode of The Suite Life of Zack and Cody. ...

In 1951, Wilder followed up Sunset Boulevard with the remarkably cynical Ace in the Hole (aka The Big Carnival), a tale of media exploitation of a mining accident. It was a critical and commercial failure, but its reputation has grown over the years. In the fifties, Wilder also directed two vibrant adaptations of Broadway plays, the POW drama Stalag 17 (1953), which resulted in a Best Actor Oscar for William Holden, and the Agatha Christie mystery Witness for the Prosecution (1957). Ace in the Hole is a 1951 film starring Kirk Douglas, directed by Billy Wilder and released by Paramount Pictures. ... William Holden (April 17, 1918 – ca. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), mainly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ...

In 1959 Wilder introduced crossdressing to American film audiences with Some Like It Hot. In this comedy Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play musicians on the run from a Chicago gang, who disguise themselves as women and become romantically involved with Marilyn Monroe and Joe E. Brown. Some Like It Hot is a 1959 comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. ... John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001), better known as Jack Lemmon, was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor and comedian. ... Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz, June 3, 1925) is an American film actor. ... Marilyn Monroe (born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926 – August 5, 1962), was a Golden Globe Award-winning American actress, singer, model and pop icon. ... Joe E. Brown in the late 1920s. ...

From the mid-1950s on, Wilder made mostly comedies.^[1] Among the classics Wilder produced in this period are the farces The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959), satires such as The Apartment (1960), and the romantic comedy Sabrina (1954). Wilder's humor is cynical and sometimes sardonic. In Love in the Afternoon (1957), a young and innocent Audrey Hepburn who doesn't want to be young or innocent wins playboy Gary Cooper by pretending to be a married woman in search of extramarital amusement. Even Wilder's warmest comedy, The Apartment, features an attempted suicide on Christmas Eve. This article or section seems to contain too many quotations for an encyclopedia entry. ... The year 1955 in film involved some significant events. ... Some Like It Hot is a 1959 comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. ... See also: 1958 in film 1959 1960 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film Events The Three Stooges make their 180th and last short film, Sappy Bullfighters. ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... See also: 1959 in film 1960 1961 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film // Events April 20 - for the first time since coming home from military service in Germany, Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California to film G.I. Blues August 10 - Filming of West... Sabrina is a 1954 film directed by Billy Wilder, adapted for the screen by Wilder, Samuel Taylor, and Ernest Lehman from Taylors play Sabrina Fair (in the UK, the movie has the title Sabrina Fair). ... The year 1954 in film involved some significant events. ... Love in the Afternoon may refer to either of two films: Love in the Afternoon, a 1957 film directed by Billy Wilder Love in the Afternoon, a 1972 film directed by Eric Rohmer ... The year 1957 in film involved some significant events. ... Audrey Hepburn (4 May 1929 - 20 January 1993) was an Academy Award and Tony Award winning Anglo-Dutch actress of film and theatre, Broadway stage performer, ballerina, fashion model, and humanitarian. ... Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper May 7, 1901 – May 13, 1961) was a two-time Academy Award-winning American film actor of English heritage. ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ...

In 1959, Wilder teamed with writer-producer I.A.L. Diamond, a collaboration that remained until the end of both men's careers. After winning three Academy Awards for 1960's The Apartment (for Best Picture, Director, and Screenplay), Wilder's career slowed. His Cold War farce One, Two, Three (1961) featured a rousing comic performance by James Cagney, but was followed by the lesser films Irma la Douce and Kiss Me, Stupid. Wilder garnered his last Oscar nomination for his screenplay The Fortune Cookie in 1966. His 1970 film The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes was intended as a major roadshow release, but was heavily cut by the studio and has never been fully restored. Later films such as Fedora and Buddy, Buddy failed to impress critics or the public. See also: 1958 in film 1959 1960 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film Events The Three Stooges make their 180th and last short film, Sappy Bullfighters. ... I.A.L. Diamond (27 June 1920 - 21 April 1988) was a comedy writer in Hollywood during the 1940 and 50s. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... See also: 1959 in film 1960 1961 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film // Events April 20 - for the first time since coming home from military service in Germany, Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California to film G.I. Blues August 10 - Filming of West... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... For other uses, see Cold War (disambiguation). ... This article is about the movie. ... James Francis Cagney, Jr. ... Irma la Douce is a 1956 French stage musical whose book and lyrics were written by Alexandre Breffort with music by Marguerite Monnot. ... Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) was an ahead-of-its-time comedy directed by Billy Wilder and starring Kim Novak and Dean Martin. ... The Fortune Cookie is a 1967 film with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. ... The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes is a 1970 film directed and produced by Billy Wilder, and starring Robert Stephens as Sherlock Holmes. ... RoadShow（路訊通, formerly known as 資訊娛樂共同睇 [paraphrased as Integrated View of Information and Entertainment]） is a Multi-Media On Board (MMOB) service on transit vehicles in Hong Kong. ...

Directoral Style

Wilder's directoral choices reflected his belief in the primacy of writing. He avoided the exuberant cinematography of Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles because, in Wilder's opinion, shots that called attention to themselves would distract the audience from the story. Wilder's pictures have tight plotting and memorable dialogue. Wilder filmed in black and white whenever studios would let him. Despite his conservative directoral style, his subject matter often pushed the boundaries of mainstream entertainment. Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock KBE (August 13, 1899 – April 29, 1980) was an iconic and highly influential British-born film director and producer who pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genres. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

He was skilled at working with actors, coaxing silent era legends Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stroheim out of retirement for roles in Sunset Boulevard. For Stalag 17, Wilder squeezed an Oscar-winning performance out of a reluctant William Holden (Holden wanted to make his character more likeable; Wilder refused). Wilder sometimes cast against type for major parts such as Fred MacMurray in Double Indemnity and The Apartment. Many today know MacMurray as a wholesome family man from the television series My Three Sons, but he played a womanizing schemer in Wilder's films. Humphrey Bogart shed his tough guy image to give one of his warmest performances in Sabrina. James Cagney, not usually known for comedy, was memorable in a high-octane comic role for Wilder's One, Two, Three. A silent film is a film which has no accompanying soundtrack. ... Gloria Swanson (March 27, 1899 - April 4, 1983), was an Academy Award-nominated, Golden Globe-winning American Hollywood actress. ... Erich von Stroheim (September 22, 1885 – May 12, 1957) was an Austrian - American star of the silent film age, lauded for his directional work in which he was a proto-auteur. ... It has been suggested that Norma Desmond be merged into this article or section. ... Stalag 17 is a 1953 war film which tells the story of a group of American G.I.s held in a German World War II prisoner of war camp who come to believe one of their number is a traitor. ... William Holden (April 17, 1918 – ca. ... Fred MacMurray (August 30, 1908 – November 5, 1991) was an actor who appeared in over one hundred movies and a highly successful television series during a career that lasted from the 1930s to the 1970s. ... This article is about the 1944 film. ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... My Three Sons was a situation comedy that ran from September 29, 1960 to August 24, 1972. ... Humphrey DeForest Bogart (December 25, 1899 – January 14, 1957) was an American actor. ... Sabrina may refer to: // Goddess of the River Severn in Insular Brythonic mythology. ... James Francis Cagney, Jr. ... This article is about the movie. ...

Wilder mentored Jack Lemmon and was the first director to pair him with Walter Matthau, in The Fortune Cookie (1966). Wilder had great respect for Lemmon, calling him the hardest working actor he had ever met. John Uhler Lemmon III (February 8, 1925 – June 27, 2001), better known as Jack Lemmon, was a two-time Academy Award-winning American actor and comedian. ... Walter Matthau (October 1, 1920 – July 1, 2000) was an Academy Award-winning American comedy actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with fellow Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon. ... The Fortune Cookie is a 1967 film with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. ... // Events Top grossing films North America Thunderball Dr. Zhivago Whos Afraid of Virginia Woolf? That Darn Cat! The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming Academy Awards Best Picture: A Man for All Seasons - Highland, Columbia Best Actor: Paul Scofield - A Man for All Seasons Best Actress: Elizabeth Taylor...

Wilder's films often lacked any discernible political tone or sympathies, which was not unintentional. He was less interested in current political fashions than in human nature and the issues that confronted ordinary people. He was not affected by the Hollywood blacklist, and had little sympathy for those who were. Of the blacklisted 'Hollywood Ten' Wilder famously quipped, "Of the ten, two had talent, and the rest were just unfriendly". Protestors opposing the jailing of the Hollywood Ten in 1950 (from the 1987 documentary Legacy of the Hollywood Blacklist). ...

Later life

In 1988, Wilder was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. He has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. // Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who Framed Roger Rabbit, starring Bob Hoskins Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy Big, starring Tom Hanks Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito Crocodile Dundee II Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis The Naked Gun... The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award is awarded periodically (although not every year) at the Academy Awards ceremonies to Creative producers, whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production. ... Buskers perform on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. ...

Billy Wilder died in 2002 of pneumonia at the age of 95 after battling health problems, including cancer, in Los Angeles, California, and was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles, California. This article is about human pneumonia. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... Cemetery view looking South-East. ... High-rise buildings line Wilshire Boulevard through the Westwood area Another view of the Westwood skyline Westwood is a district in western Los Angeles, California, not to be confused with Westwood, California. ...

Legacy

Wilder holds a significant place in the history of Hollywood censorship for expanding the range of acceptable subject matter. He is responsible for two of the film noir era's most definitive films in Double Indemnity and Sunset Boulevard. Along with Woody Allen, he leads the list of films on the American Film Institute's list of 100 funniest American films with 5 films written and holds the honor of holding the top spot with Some Like it Hot. Also on the list are The Apartment and The Seven Year Itch which he directed, and Ball of Fire and Ninotchka which he co-wrote. The AFI has ranked four of Wilder's films among their top 100 American films of the twentieth century. These are: Sunset Boulevard (no. 12), Some Like It Hot (14), Double Indemnity (38), and The Apartment (93). This article is about the 1944 film. ... It has been suggested that Norma Desmond be merged into this article or section. ... Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Königsberg on December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, jazz musician, comedian, and playwright. ... The 100 funniest American films. ... Some Like It Hot is a 1959 comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... This article or section seems to contain too many quotations for an encyclopedia entry. ... Ball of Fire (also known as The Professor and the Burlesque Queen) is a 1941 comedy film which tells the story of a group of encyclopedists interested in documenting slang who protect a nightclub singer on the lam for testifying against her mobster boyfriend. ... Ninotchka is a 1939 American film by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The first of the AFI 100 Years. ...

Filmography

Main article: Billy Wilder filmography

Complete Filmography Hollywood era German era Categories: | ...

Trivia

Trivia sections are discouraged under Wikipedia guidelines. The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.

• Wilder reveled in poking fun at those who took politics too seriously. In Ball of Fire, his burlesque queen 'Sugarpuss' points at her sore throat and complains "Pink? It's as red as the Daily Worker and twice as sore". Later, she gives the overbearing and unsmiling housemaid the name 'Franco'.

• Wilder is sometimes confused with director William Wyler; the confusion is understandable, as both were German-speaking Jews with similar backgrounds and names. However, their output as directors was quite different, with Wyler preferring to direct epics and heavy dramas and Wilder noted for his comedies and Film Noir type dramas.

• Billy Wilder's twelve Academy Award nominations for screenwriting were a record until 1997 when Woody Allen received a thirteenth nomination for Deconstructing Harry.

• Billy Wilder is one of only four people who have won three Academy Awards for producing, directing, and writing the same film (The Apartment).

• Billy Wilder once said: "My English is a mixture between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Archbishop Desmond Tutu."

• Spanish filmmaker Fernando Trueba said in his acceptance speech for the 1993 Best Non-English Speaking Film Oscar "I would like to believe in God in order to thank him. But I just believe in Billy Wilder... so, thank you Mr Wilder". According to Trueba, Wilder called him the day after and told him: "Fernando, it's God".

• He died the same day as Milton Berle and Dudley Moore. Next day, French top-ranking newspaper Le Monde titled its first-page obituary "Billy Wilder is dead. Nobody is perfect." This was a reference to the famous closing line of his film Some Like it Hot.

• Billy Wilder was the Editors Supervisor in the 1945 US Army Signal Corps documentary/propaganda film "Death Mills"

• Cat Power sings a song entitled "Billy Dead Wilder"

Image File history File links Broom_icon. ... Photograph of Sally Rand, 1934. ... The Daily Worker was a newspaper published by the Communist Party USA, a Comintern affiliated organization in New York, beginning in 1924. ... A maidservant or in current usage maid is a female employed in domestic service. ... “Franco” redirects here. ... William Wyler (July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a prolific, Oscar-winning motion picture director. ... This still from The Big Combo (1955) demonstrates the visual style of film noir at its most extreme. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... Woody Allen (born Allen Stewart Königsberg on December 1, 1935) is a three-time Academy Award-winning American film director, writer, actor, jazz musician, comedian, and playwright. ... Deconstructing Harry is a film by Woody Allen released in 1997. ... Although he never won an Oscar for any of his movie performances, the comedian Bob Hope received two honorary Oscars for his contributions to cinema. ... A film producer creates the conditions for making movies. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... Screenwriters, scenarists or script writers, are authors who write the screenplays from which movies and television programs are made. ... Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (German pronunciation (IPA): ) (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian-American bodybuilder, actor, and politician, currently serving as the 38th Governor of the U.S. state of California. ... In Christianity, an archbishop is an elevated bishop. ... Desmond Mpilo Tutu (born 7 October 1931) is a South African cleric and activist who rose to worldwide fame during the 1980s as an opponent of apartheid. ... Fernando Trueba ( January 18, 1955 in Madrid) is an awarded Spanish screenwriter and film director. ... Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... Milton Berle (July 12, 1908 - March 27, 2002) was an Emmy-winning American comedian who was born Milton Berlinger. ... Dudley Stuart John Moore, CBE (April 19, 1935 – March 27, 2002), was an Academy-Award nominated British comedian, actor and musician. ... For the song by the Thievery Corporation, see Le Monde (song). ... Obituary for World War I death An obituary is a notice of the death of a person, usually published in a newspaper, written or commissioned by the newspaper, and usually including a short biography. ... The Death Mills, or Die Todesmühlen, is a 1945 American propaganda documentary film directed by Billy Wilder and produced by the United States Department of War. ... Cat Power is the stage name of American singer/songwriter Charlyn Chan Marshall (born Charlyn Marie Marshall on 21 January 1972). ...

Academy Awards

Academy Award The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are the most prominent and most watched film awards ceremony in the world. ... See also: 1945 in film 1946 1947 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Top grossing films North America The Bells of St. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... For The Cosby Show episode, see The Lost Weekend (The Cosby Show). ... See also: 1945 in film 1946 1947 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Top grossing films North America The Bells of St. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... For The Cosby Show episode, see The Lost Weekend (The Cosby Show). ... See also: 1950 in film 1951 1952 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati Top grossing films North America David and Bathsheba Show Boat tie The Great Caruso and An... // The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... It has been suggested that Norma Desmond be merged into this article or section. ... The year 1961 in film involved some significant events. ... // The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... The year 1961 in film involved some significant events. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... The year 1961 in film involved some significant events. ... // The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Academy Awards, awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which are voted on by others within the industry. ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... // Michael Jacksons first film was Moonwalker Rain Man, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise Who Framed Roger Rabbit, starring Bob Hoskins Coming to America, starring Eddie Murphy Big, starring Tom Hanks Twins, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito Crocodile Dundee II Die Hard, starring Bruce Willis The Naked Gun... The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award is awarded periodically (although not every year) at the Academy Awards ceremonies to Creative producers, whose bodies of work reflect a consistently high quality of motion picture production. ... The year 1940 in film involved some significant events. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Ninotchka is a 1939 American film by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas. ... See also: 1941 in film 1942 1943 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Carole Lombard is killed in a plane crash when returning from a War Bond tour. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Hold Back the Dawn is a 1941 romantic film in which a Romanian gigolo marries an American woman in Mexico in order to gain entry to the United States, but winds up falling in love with her. ... See also: 1941 in film 1942 1943 in film 1940s in film years in film film // Events Carole Lombard is killed in a plane crash when returning from a War Bond tour. ... The Academy Award for Best Story was the Academy Award that was the predecessor to the Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay which was introduced in 1940. ... Ball of Fire (also known as The Professor and the Burlesque Queen) is a 1941 comedy film which tells the story of a group of encyclopedists interested in documenting slang who protect a nightclub singer on the lam for testifying against her mobster boyfriend. ... // Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring ghost named Casper With Rossellinis Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... This article is about the 1944 film. ... // Paramount Studios releases theatrical short cartoon titled The Friendly Ghost, featuring ghost named Casper With Rossellinis Roma Città aperta, Italian neorealist cinema begins. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... This article is about the 1944 film. ... See also: 1948 in film 1949 1950 in film 1940s in film 1950s in film years in film film Events Top grossing films North America Adams Rib Jolson Sings Again Pinky I Was a Male War Bride, The Snake Pit, Joan of Arc Academy Awards Best Picture: All the... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... A Foreign Affair is a 1948 film directed by Billy Wilder, starring Marlene Dietrich and Jean Arthur. ... See also: 1950 in film 1951 1952 in film 1950s in film 1940s in film years in film film Events Sweden - May Britt is scouted by Italian film-makers Carlo Ponti and Mario Soldati Top grossing films North America David and Bathsheba Show Boat tie The Great Caruso and An... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... It has been suggested that Norma Desmond be merged into this article or section. ... // Events February 20 - The film The African Queen opens (Capitol Theater in New York City). ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Ace in the Hole is a 1951 black-and-white film starring Kirk Douglas and directed by Billy Wilder. ... The year 1954 in film involved some significant events. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... Stalag 17 is a 1953 war film which tells the story of a group of American G.I.s held in a German World War II prisoner of war camp who come to believe one of their number is a traitor. ... The year 1955 in film involved some significant events. ... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Sabrina is a 1954 film directed by Billy Wilder, adapted for the screen by Wilder, Samuel Taylor, and Ernest Lehman from Taylors play Sabrina Fair (in the UK, the movie has the title Sabrina Fair). ... The year 1955 in film involved some significant events. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... Sabrina is a 1954 film directed by Billy Wilder, adapted for the screen by Wilder, Samuel Taylor, and Ernest Lehman from Taylors play Sabrina Fair (in the UK, the movie has the title Sabrina Fair). ... // Events February 16- In the Money is released on this date. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... Witness for the Prosecution is a 1957 crime film based on a short story (and later play) by Agatha Christie. ... See also: 1959 in film 1960 1961 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film // Events April 20 - for the first time since coming home from military service in Germany, Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California to film G.I. Blues August 10 - Filming of West... The Academy Award for Writing Adapted Screenplay is one of the Academy Awards, the most prominent film awards in the United States. ... Some Like It Hot is a 1959 comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. ... See also: 1959 in film 1960 1961 in film 1950s in film 1960s in film years in film film // Events April 20 - for the first time since coming home from military service in Germany, Elvis Presley returns to Hollywood, California to film G.I. Blues August 10 - Filming of West... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to directors working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. ... Some Like It Hot is a 1959 comedy film directed by Billy Wilder. ... Lauren steiger, born in 1992 at Royal Womens hospital started acting and modelling at the age of 2 and is now currently 15 working in Milan on the catwalks. ... // The Academy Award for Writing Original Screenplay is the Academy Award for the best script not based upon previously published material. ... The Fortune Cookie is a 1967 film with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. ... Leo McCarey (October 3, 1898 - July 5, 1969) was a movie director, screenwriter and producer. ... Going My Way, a 1944 Academy Award winning film directed by Leo McCarey and starring Bing Crosby. ... The Academy Award for Directing is one of the awards given to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences; the awards are voted on by other people within the industry. ... For The Cosby Show episode, see The Lost Weekend (The Cosby Show). ... William Wyler (July 1, 1902 – July 27, 1981) was a prolific, Oscar-winning motion picture director. ... The Best Years of Our Lives is a 1946 movie about three servicemen (an air force officer, an infantry sergeant, and an ordinary sailor) trying to piece their lives back together after coming back home from World War II. It is based on a novel by MacKinlay Kantor, Glory for... Ben-Hur is a 1959 epic film directed by William Wyler, and is the most popular live-action version of Lew Wallaces novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1880). ... The Apartment is a 1960 romantic comedy-drama directed by Billy Wilder, and starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray. ... Robert Wise (September 10, 1914 – September 14, 2005) was a sound effects editor, film editor, and Academy Award-winning American film producer and director. ... Jerome Robbins in Three virgins and a devil. ... West Side Story is a 1961 film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. ...

Note

1. ^ Cook, David A. (2004). A History of Narrative: Film Fourth Edition. W. W. Norton & Company. ISBN 0-393-97868-0. 

References

• Clinton, Paul. Legendary director Billy Wilder dead at 95. CNN. Retrieved on January 20, 2006.

January 20 is the 20th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Billy Wilder filmography
• List of film collaborations
• David Niven
• Ruth Chatterton
• Laurence Olivier

Complete Filmography Hollywood era German era Categories: | ... Film directors frequently choose to work with the same actor or actress across several projects. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Ruth Chatterton Ruth Chatterton (December 24, 1893 - November 24, 1961) was an American actress. ... Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM, (IPA: ; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA and four-time Emmy winning English actor, director, and producer. ...

Literature

• Richard Armstrong, Billy Wilder, American Film Realist (McFarland & Company, Inc.: 2000)
• Chandler, Charlotte, Nobody's Perfect. Billy Wilder. A Personal Biography (New York: Schuster & Schuster, 2002)
• Crowe, Cameron, Conversations with Wilder (New York: Knopf, 2001)
• Hermsdorf, Daniel, Billy Wilder. Filme - Motive - Kontroverses (Bochum: Paragon-Verlag, 2006)
• Hopp, Glenn, Billy Wilder (Pocket Essentials: 2001)
• Hopp, Glenn / Duncan, Paul, Billy Wilder (Köln / New York: Taschen, 2003)
• Horton, Robert, Billy Wilder Interviews (University Press of Mississippi, 2001)
• Jacobs, Jérôme, Billy Wilder (Paris: Rivages Cinéma, 2006)
• Lally, Kevin, Wilder Times: The Life of Billy Wilder (Henry Holt & Co: 1st ed edition, May 1996)
• Sikov, Ed, On Sunset Boulevard. The Life and Times of Billy Wilder (New York: Hyperion, 1999)
• Wood, Tom, The Bright Side of Billy Wilder, Primarily (New York: Doubleday & Company, Inc, 1969)
• Zolotow, Maurice, Billy Wilder in Hollywood (Pompton Plains: Limelight Editions, 2004)
• Hellmuth Karasek, Billy Wilder, eine Nahaufnahme (Heyne, 2002)

Charlotte Chandler (née Lyn Erhard) is a biographist, famous for biographies of Groucho Marx and Frederico Fellini. ... Cameron Bruce Crowe (born July 13, 1957) is an Academy Award winning American writer and film director. ... Sir Robert Horton is a UK businessman born on 18 August 1939. ... Ed Sikov (b. ... Tom Wood (b. ... Maurice Zolotow (b. ... Hellmuth Karasek in 2005 Hellmuth Karasek (born January 4, 1934) is a German journalist, literary critic, novelist and the author of many books on literature and film. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Billy Wilder

• Billy Wilder at the Internet Movie Database
• Billy Wilder at the TCM Movie Database
• Billy Wilder at SensesOfCinema.com
• Billy Wilder - The German-Hollywood Connection
• Film Noir and Billy Wilder
• American Master - Billy Wilder
• Wilder Bibliography (via UC Berkeley)
• Billy Wilder Fanlisting
• Billy Wilder Tribute at NPR