Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder

Known for: Directing
Biography: 1906-06-22
Deathday: 2002-03-27 (95 years old)

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Biography

Billy Wilder (22 June 1906 – 27 March 2002) was an Austrian-born director, screenwriter and producer who is regarded as one of the most excellent filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age. Today he is best known for his comedies, although he also directed dramas and film noirs. Wilder is one of only five people who have won Academy Awards as producer, director, and writer for the same film (The Apartment).


Wilder's career began in Germany, where he worked as a writer for comedy films from 1930. After the Nazis seized power in 1933, he emigrated to the United States, where he continued to write screenplays, including Ernst Lubitsch's Ninotchka (1939) and Howard Hawks' Ball of Fire (1941). From the early 1940s, Wilder was allowed to film his own screenplays and thus made a name for himself as a director. Initially, his greatest successes included predominantly dramatic film noirs such as Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Ace in the Hole (1951). It was only then that he increasingly turned to comedy, including Stalag 17 (1953), Sabrina (1954) and The Seven Year Itch (1955), although he made a small detour to courtroom drama with Witness for the Prosecution (1957). With Some Like It Hot (1959) and The Apartment (1960) he made his most famous and probably most successful comedy films, the latter even receiving five Oscars. In One, Two, Three (1961), Wilder dealt with the conditions of the time in his former adopted country, Germany, and made the successful romantic comedy Irma la Douce (1963). In the two decades that followed, Wilder made seven more films, which were less well received by critics and audiences, although the German-French drama Fedora (1978) is viewed somewhat more favorably today by predominantly pretentious film experts. Some time later, Wilder was under discussion as director for Schindler's List, which he had wanted as the end of his long career, but ultimately had to turn it down due to his advanced age.

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Filmography

all 106

Movies 97

Writer 46

self 32

Director 24

TV Shows 9

Producer 3

Self - Filmmaker (voice) (archive footage)
Audrey

Audrey (2020)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood's Second World War

Hollywood's Second World War (2019)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Never Be Boring: Billy Wilder

Never Be Boring: Billy Wilder (2017)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Billy Wilder: Nobody's Perfect

Billy Wilder: Nobody's Perfect (2016)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Night Will Fall

Night Will Fall (2014)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
And the Oscar Goes To...

And the Oscar Goes To... (2014)

Movie
Writer
Love, Marilyn

Love, Marilyn (2013)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood

Cinema's Exiles: From Hitler to Hollywood (2009)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Helmut by June

Helmut by June (2007)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Shadows of Suspense

Shadows of Suspense (2006)

Movie
Self
The Making of 'Some Like It Hot'

The Making of 'Some Like It Hot' (2006)

Movie
Self (archive footage) / Thanks
The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot'

The Legacy of 'Some Like It Hot' (2006)

Movie
Self - Filmmaker
Billy Wilder Speaks

Billy Wilder Speaks (2006)

Movie
Self (archive footage)
Un film et son époque

Un film et son époque (2003)

TV
Self (archive footage)
Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor

Klaus Kinski: I'm not an actor (2000)

Movie
Self
Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy

Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy (1998)

Movie
Self
Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough

Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough (1997)

Movie
Self
Fred MacMurray: The Guy Next Door

Fred MacMurray: The Guy Next Door (1996)

Movie
Self
Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman

Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman (1996)

Movie
Writer
Sabrina

Sabrina (1995)

Movie
10
Self
A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies

A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (1995)

Movie
1
Self
Audrey Hepburn: Remembered

Audrey Hepburn: Remembered (1993)

Movie
Self
Billy, How Did You Do It?

Billy, How Did You Do It? (1992)

TV
Self
Billy, How Did You Do It?

Billy, How Did You Do It? (1992)

Movie
Self
The Exiles

The Exiles (1989)

Movie
Self
Directed by William Wyler

Directed by William Wyler (1986)

Movie
Writer
Witness for the Prosecution

Witness for the Prosecution (1982)

Movie
Self
Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder

Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder (1982)

Movie
Director
Buddy Buddy

Buddy Buddy (1981)

Movie
6
Self
The Kennedy Center Honors

The Kennedy Center Honors (1978)

TV
Director
Fedora

Fedora (1978)

Movie
6
Self
Les Rendez-vous du dimanche

Les Rendez-vous du dimanche (1975)

TV
Director
The Front Page

The Front Page (1974)

Movie
1
Self
Spécial cinéma

Spécial cinéma (1974)

TV
Writer
Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity (1973)

Movie
Self
The American Film Institute Salute to ...

The American Film Institute Salute to ... (1973)

TV
Director
Avanti!

Avanti! (1972)

Movie
7.8
Director
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)

Movie
1
Director
The Fortune Cookie

The Fortune Cookie (1966)

Movie
6
Director
Kiss Me, Stupid

Kiss Me, Stupid (1964)

Movie
6
Director
Irma la Douce

Irma la Douce (1963)

Movie
7
Screenplay / Director / Producer
One, Two, Three

One, Two, Three (1961)

Movie
8.17
Writer
Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven (1960)

Movie
Screenplay / Director / Producer
The Apartment

The Apartment (1960)

Movie
4
Writer
Ninotchka

Ninotchka (1960)

Movie
Screenplay / Director / Producer
Some Like It Hot

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Movie
6.59
Director
Witness for the Prosecution

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

Movie
4.9
Director
Love in the Afternoon

Love in the Afternoon (1957)

Movie
6
Director
The Spirit of St. Louis

The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)

Movie
6
Self
Cinépanorama

Cinépanorama (1956)

TV
Director
The Seven Year Itch

The Seven Year Itch (1955)

Movie
6.3
Writer
Emil and the Detectives

Emil and the Detectives (1954)

Movie
Director
Sabrina

Sabrina (1954)

Movie
3.5
Director
Stalag 17

Stalag 17 (1953)

Movie
4
Self
The Oscars

The Oscars (1953)

TV
Director
Ace in the Hole

Ace in the Hole (1951)

Movie
1
Self
Deutscher Filmpreis

Deutscher Filmpreis (1951)

TV
Director
Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Movie
5.25
Writer
The Unexpected Voyager

The Unexpected Voyager (1950)

Movie
Writer
A Song Is Born

A Song Is Born (1948)

Movie
Director
A Foreign Affair

A Foreign Affair (1948)

Movie
6
Director
The Emperor Waltz

The Emperor Waltz (1948)

Movie
Writer
The Bishop's Wife

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

Movie
6
Director
The Lost Weekend

The Lost Weekend (1945)

Movie
5.14
Director
Death Mills

Death Mills (1945)

Movie
Director
Double Indemnity

Double Indemnity (1944)

Movie
6
Screenplay / Director
Five Graves to Cairo

Five Graves to Cairo (1943)

Movie
6
Director
The Major and the Minor

The Major and the Minor (1942)

Movie
6
Writer
Ball of Fire

Ball of Fire (1941)

Movie
6.83
Writer
Hold Back the Dawn

Hold Back the Dawn (1941)

Movie
Writer
Arise, My Love

Arise, My Love (1940)

Movie
Writer
Rhythm on the River

Rhythm on the River (1940)

Movie
Writer
French Without Tears

French Without Tears (1940)

Movie
Writer
Ninotchka

Ninotchka (1939)

Movie
5.08
Writer
What a Life

What a Life (1939)

Movie
Writer
Midnight

Midnight (1939)

Movie
Writer
That Certain Age

That Certain Age (1938)

Movie
Writer
Bluebeard's Eighth Wife

Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (1938)

Movie
Writer
Champagne Waltz

Champagne Waltz (1937)

Movie
Writer
The Lottery Lover

The Lottery Lover (1935)

Movie
Writer
Emil and the Detectives

Emil and the Detectives (1935)

Movie
Writer
Under Pressure

Under Pressure (1935)

Movie
Writer
Music in the Air

Music in the Air (1934)

Movie
Story
One Exciting Adventure

One Exciting Adventure (1934)

Movie
Director
Bad Seed

Bad Seed (1934)

Movie
6
Writer
Adorable

Adorable (1933)

Movie
Writer
What Women Dream

What Women Dream (1933)

Movie
Writer
Madame Wants No Children

Madame Wants No Children (1933)

Movie
Writer
The Blue from the Sky

The Blue from the Sky (1932)

Movie
Writer
Where Is This Lady?

Where Is This Lady? (1932)

Movie
Writer
Scampolo, ein Kind der Straße

Scampolo, ein Kind der Straße (1932)

Movie
Writer
Un rêve blond

Un rêve blond (1932)

Movie
Writer
Happy Ever After

Happy Ever After (1932)

Movie
Writer
A Blonde Dream

A Blonde Dream (1932)

Movie
Writer
Once There Was a Waltz

Once There Was a Waltz (1932)

Movie
Writer
The Winner

The Winner (1932)

Movie
Writer
Emil and the Detectives

Emil and the Detectives (1931)

Movie
Writer
Princess, At Your Orders!

Princess, At Your Orders! (1931)

Movie
Writer
The Wrong Husband

The Wrong Husband (1931)

Movie
Writer
Infidelities

Infidelities (1931)

Movie
Writer
Her Grace Commands

Her Grace Commands (1931)

Movie
Writer
The Man in Search of His Murderer

The Man in Search of His Murderer (1931)

Movie
Writer
A boy song from Heidelberg

A boy song from Heidelberg (1930)

Movie
Writer
The fight with the dragon or: The tragedy of the lodger

The fight with the dragon or: The tragedy of the lodger (1930)

Movie
Writer
People on Sunday

People on Sunday (1930)

Movie
Writer
Der Teufelsreporter

Der Teufelsreporter (1929)

Movie

Ratings

Average 6.09
Based on 1.63 Million movie and tv ratings over time
1929
1937
1954
1940
2020
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Billy WilderBilly WilderBilly WilderBilly WilderBilly WilderBilly Wilder

Information

Known For
Directing

Gender
Male

Birthday
1906-06-22

Deathday
2002-03-27 (95 years old)

Birth Name
Samuel Wilder

Birth Place
Sucha Beskidzka, Poland

Siblings
W. Lee Wilder

Citizenships
Austria-Hungary, Austria, United States of America

Also Known As
Samuel Wilder, 빌리 와일더

Awards
Golden Globe Award for Best Screenplay, Berliner Bär, Directors Guild of America Award, European Film Academy Lifetime Achievement Award, AFI Life Achievement Award, Academy Fellowship Award, Goethe Medal, Golden Globe Award for Best Director, Academy Award for Best Director, Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay, Academy Award for Best Picture, Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay, Palme d'Or, BAFTA Award for Best Film, star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, Great Golden Medal of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, National Board of Review Award for Best Film, National Medal of Arts, Kennedy Center Honors, honorary citizen of Vienna


This article uses material from Wikipedia.
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