BW
Billy Wilder
Writer, Director, Producer, Actor, Editor, Additional Credits
Born June 22, 1906Died March 27, 2002 (95 years)
Billy Wilder, born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906, was an Austrian-born director, screenwriter and producer who is regarded as one of the most successful 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.
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.
Known For
Billy Wilder Filmography
| 1995 | Sabrina · as Original Film Writer |
| 1982 | Witness for the Prosecution · as Screenplay |
| 1981 | |
| 1978 | |
| 1974 | The Front Page · as Screenplay |
| 1973 | Double Indemnity · as Screenplay |
| 1972 | Avanti! · as Screenplay |
| 1970 | |
| 1967 | |
| 1966 | The Fortune Cookie · as Screenplay |
| 1964 | Kiss Me, Stupid · as Screenplay |
| 1963 | Irma la Douce · as Screenplay |
| 1961 | One, Two, Three · as Screenplay |
| 1960 | |
| 1960 | The Apartment · as Screenplay |
| 1960 | |
| 1959 | Some Like It Hot · as Screenplay |
| 1957 | Witness for the Prosecution · as Screenplay |
| 1957 | Love in the Afternoon · as Screenplay |
| 1957 | The Spirit of St. Louis · as Screenplay |
| 1955 | The Seven Year Itch · as Screenplay |
| 1954 | Emil und die Detektive · as Screenplay |
| 1954 | Sabrina · as Screenplay |
| 1953 | |
| 1951 | |
| 1950 | Sunset Boulevard · as Screenplay |
| 1948 | A Foreign Affair · as Screenplay |
| 1948 | |
| 1947 | |
| 1945 | Masquerade in Mexico · as Original Film Writer |
| 1945 | The Lost Weekend · as Screenplay |
| 1944 | Double Indemnity · as Screenplay |
| 1943 | Five Graves to Cairo · as Screenplay |
| 1942 | |
| 1942 | |
| 1941 | |
| 1940 | Arise, My Love · as Screenplay |
| 1939 | Ninotchka · as Screenplay |
| 1939 | What a Life · as Screenplay |
| 1939 | Midnight · as Screenplay |
| 1938 | |
| 1938 | Bluebeard's Eighth Wife · as Screenplay |
| 1935 | Emil and the Detectives · as Screenplay |
| 1934 | Music in the Air · as Screenplay |
| 1934 | |
| 1933 | |
| 1933 | Was Frauen träumen · as Screenplay |
| 1932 | |
| 1932 | |
| 1931 | Emil and the Detectives · as Screenplay |
| 1931 | |
| 1931 | |
| 1931 | The Man in Search of His Murderer · as Screenplay |
| 1930 | People on Sunday · as Screenplay |
| 1981 | |
| 1978 | |
| 1974 | |
| 1972 | |
| 1970 | |
| 1966 | |
| 1964 | |
| 1963 | |
| 1961 | |
| 1960 | |
| 1959 | |
| 1957 | |
| 1957 | |
| 1957 | |
| 1955 | |
| 1954 | |
| 1953 | |
| 1951 | |
| 1950 | |
| 1948 | |
| 1948 | |
| 1945 | |
| 1945 | |
| 1944 | |
| 1943 | |
| 1942 | |
| 1934 |
| 1978 | |
| 1972 | |
| 1970 | |
| 1966 | |
| 1964 | |
| 1963 | |
| 1961 | |
| 1960 | |
| 1959 | |
| 1957 | |
| 1957 | |
| 1955 | |
| 1954 | |
| 1953 | |
| 1951 |
| 2023 | Stan Lee · as Self |
| 2020 | Audrey · as Self - Filmmaker (voice) (archive Footage) |
| 2019 | Hollywood and World War II · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2018 | Black Baby · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2017 | Audrey Hepburn, le choix de l'élégance · as Self |
| 2017 | Marilyn Monroe: Auction of a Lifetime · as Self |
| 2017 | Du sollst nicht langweilen: Billy Wilder · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2016 | Billy Wilder, la perfection hollywoodienne · as Self (archive Footage) |
| 2014 | |
| 2014 | Night Will Fall · as Self |
| 2014 | And the Oscar Goes to... · as Self |
| 2012 | Love, Marilyn · as Self |
| 2009 | |
| 2006 | Billy Wilder Speaks · as Self - Filmmaker |
| 2003 | The 75th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Memorial Tribute |
| 2000 | Backstory (2000) (TV Series) · as Self - Director |
| 2000 | |
| 1997 | Walter Matthau: Diamond in the Rough · as Self |
| 1996 | Fred MacMurray: The Guy Next Door · as Self |
| 1996 | Jack Lemmon: America's Everyman · as Self |
| 1996 | Marlene Dietrich: Shadow and Light · as Self |
| 1995 | Helmut by June · as Self |
| 1993 | Audrey Hepburn Remembered · as Self |
| 1991 | Billy, How Did You Do It? (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1990 | The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts · as Self - Honoree |
| 1988 | The 60th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award Recipient |
| 1986 | The 58th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter |
| 1985 | American Masters (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1983 | The 55th Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Presenter |
| 1980 | |
| 1978 | The Kennedy Center Honors (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1977 | The Hollywood Greats (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1976 | Live from Lincoln Center (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Arena (1975) (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1975 | Sunday meetings (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1973 | AFI Life Achievement Award (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1971 | Film (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1970 | The 42nd Annual Academy Awards · as Self |
| 1962 | The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1961 | The 33rd Annual Academy Awards · as Self - Winner |
| 1956 | Cinépanorama (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1953 | The Academy Awards (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1952 | Today (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1950 | The Jack Benny Program (TV Series) · as Self |
| 1965 | |
| 1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show (TV Series) · as Audience Bow |
| 1945 |
| 2012 | Love, Marilyn · as Excerpts From Letters |
| 1962 | Mutiny on the Bounty · as Storyline Consultant |
| 1950 | The Lux Video Theatre (TV Series) · as Previous Screenplay |
| 1950 | Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theatre (TV Series) · as Story |
| 1948 | A Song Is Born · as Story |
| 1941 | Ball of Fire · as Original Story |
| 1940 | Rhythm on the River · as Story |
| 1940 | French Without Tears · as Treatment |
| 1937 | Champagne Waltz · as Story |
| 1935 | Under Pressure · as Additional Dialogue |
| 1932 | Where Is This Lady? · as Story |