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Billy Wilder (1906–2002)

Writer | Director | Producer

Originally planning to become a lawyer, Billy Wilder abandoned that career in favor of working as a reporter for a Viennese newspaper, using this experience to move to Berlin, where he worked for the city's largest tabloid. He broke into films as a screenwriter in 1929, and wrote scripts for many German films until Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933... See full bio »

Born:

Samuel Wilder
in Sucha, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Sucha Beskidzka, Malopolskie, Poland]

Died:

(age 95) in West Los Angeles, California, USA
Directors Group Party, 11/20/72 (Front) Billy Wilder, George Stevens, Luis Bunuel, Alfred Hitchcock, and Rouben Mamoulin (Back) Robert Mulligan, Wiliam Wyler, George Cukor, Robert Wise, Jean-Claude Carriere, and Serge Silverman. Directors Group, Nov.1972. George Cukor Hosts a party for Luis Bunuel. Back Row from left: Robert Mulligan, William Wyler, George Cukor, Robert Wise, Jean-Claude Carriere, and Serge Silverman. Front Row from left: Billy Wilder, George Stevens, Luis Bunuel, Alfred Hitchcock, and Rouben Mamoulin. Billy Wilder Billy Wilder, c. 1967
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Won 6 Oscars. Another 46 wins & 48 nominations See more awards »

Known For


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Filmography

Hide HideWriter (76 titles)
1995 Sabrina (earlier screenplay)
 
1982 Witness for the Prosecution (TV movie) (1957 screenplay)
 
1981 Buddy Buddy
 
1978 Fedora (writer)
 
1974 The Front Page (screenplay)
 
1973 Double Indemnity (TV movie) (1944 screenplay)
 
1972 Avanti! (screenplay)
 
1970 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (written by)
 
1967 Casino Royale (uncredited)
 
1966 The Fortune Cookie (written by)
 
1965 Ates gibi kadin (story "Ball of Fire" - uncredited)
 
1964 Kiss Me, Stupid (screenplay)
 
1963 Irma la Douce (writer)
 
1961 One, Two, Three (screenplay)
 
1960 Ocean's Eleven (uncredited)
 
1960 The Apartment (written by)
 
1960 Ninotchka (TV movie) (1939 screenplay)
 
1959 Some Like It Hot (screenplay)
 
1957 Witness for the Prosecution (screen play)
 
1957 Love in the Afternoon (screenplay)
 
1957 The Spirit of St. Louis (screenplay)
 
1956 Robert Montgomery Presents (TV series)
– Sunset Boulevard (1956) (story)
 
1955 The Seven Year Itch (screenplay)
 
1954-1955 Lux Video Theatre (TV series)
– Sunset Boulevard (1955) (film story / previous screenplay)
– Double Indemnity (1954) (previous screenplay)
– Hold Back the Dawn (1954) (previous screenplay)
 
1954 Emil und die Detektive (earlier screenplay / as Billie Wilder)
 
1954 Sabrina (written by)
 
1953 Stalag 17 (written for the screen by)
 
1951 Ace in the Hole (written by)
 
1950 Sunset Blvd. (written by)
 
1948 A Song Is Born (based on the story "From A to Z" by)
 
1948 A Foreign Affair (screenplay)
 
1948 The Emperor Waltz (written by)
 
1947 The Bishop's Wife (uncredited)
 
1945 The Lost Weekend (screenplay)
 
1944 Double Indemnity (screenplay)
 
1943 Five Graves to Cairo (screenplay)
 
1942 The Major and the Minor (written by)
 
1941 Ball of Fire (original story / screenplay)
 
1941 Hold Back the Dawn (written by)
 
1940 Arise, My Love (screen play)
 
1940 Rhythm on the River (story)
 
1939 What a Life (screenplay)
 
1939 Ninotchka (screen play)
 
1939 Midnight (screenplay)
 
1938 That Certain Age (uncredited)
 
1938 Bluebeard's Eighth Wife (screenplay)
 
1937 Champagne Waltz (story)
 
1935 The Lottery Lover (screenplay)
 
1935 Emil and the Detectives (uncredited)
 
1935 Under Pressure (additional dialogue - uncredited)
 
1934 Mauvaise graine (screenplay / as Billie Wilder)
 
1934 Music in the Air (adaptation and screenplay)
 
1934 One Exciting Adventure (story)
 
1933 Adorable (story "Ihre Hoheit Befiehlt")
 
1933 Was Frauen träumen (writer)
 
1933 No Children Wanted (screenplay / as Billie Wilder)
 
1933 Madame Wants No Children (adaptation)
 
1932 The Blue from the Sky
 
1932 Un rêve blond (screenplay / as Billie Wilder)
 
1932 Ein Mädel der Strasse
 
1932 A Blonde's Dream
 
1932 Once There Was a Waltz
 
1932 Liebe ist Liebe
 
1932 A Blonde Dream
 
1932 Un peu d'amour (screenplay)
 
1932 Where Is This Lady? (story "Es War Einmal Ein Walzer")
 
1931 Emil und die Detektive (screenplay / as Billie Wilder)
 
1931 Princesse, à vos ordres!
 
1931 The Wrong Husband
 
1931 Seitensprünge (idea)
 
1931 Her Grace Commands
 
1931 Der Mann, der seinen Mörder sucht
 
1930 Ein Burschenlied aus Heidelberg
 
1930 Der Kampf mit dem Drachen oder: Die Tragödie des Untermieters (short) (idea - uncredited)
 
1930 People on Sunday
 
1929 Hell of a Reporter (as Billie Wilder)
 
Show ShowDirector (27 titles)
Show ShowProducer (14 titles)
1978 Fedora (producer)
 
1972 Avanti! (producer)
 
1970 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (producer)
 
1966 The Fortune Cookie (producer)
 
1964 Kiss Me, Stupid (producer)
 
1963 Irma la Douce (producer)
 
1961 One, Two, Three (producer)
 
1960 The Apartment (producer)
 
1959 Some Like It Hot (producer)
 
1957 Love in the Afternoon (producer)
 
1955 The Seven Year Itch (producer)
 
1954 Sabrina (producer)
 
1953 Stalag 17 (producer)
 
1951 Ace in the Hole (producer)
 
Show ShowMiscellaneous Crew (2 titles)
1995 Sabrina (consultant)
 
1952 Parade, or Here They Come Down Our Street (short) (toy winding-up)
 
Show ShowEditorial Department (1 title)
1945 Die Todesmühlen (documentary) (editors supervisor)
 
Show ShowActor (1 title)
1929 Hell of a Reporter (as Billie Wilder)
 
Show ShowThanks (6 titles)
2012 A Little Bit Zombie (acknowledgment to the works of)
 
2011 10 pelis (special thanks)
 
2010 Variations on a High School Romance (inspirational thanks)
 
2005 Bal-Can-Can (dedicatee)
 
2002 'Sunset Blvd.': A Look Back (video documentary short) (dedicatee)
 
1976 That's Entertainment, Part II (documentary) (acknowledgment: the non-musical sequences represent outstanding contributions by)
 
Show ShowSelf (33 titles)
2006 Billy Wilder Speaks (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2003 The 75th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself (Memorial Tribute)
 
2000 Backstory (TV series documentary)
Himself - Director
– The Seven Year Itch (2000) … Himself - Director
 
2000 AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies (TV special documentary)
Himself
 
1999 The Shoe Store (documentary)
Himself
 
1986-1998 American Masters (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Billy Wilder: The Human Comedy (1998) … Himself
– Directed by William Wyler (1986) … Himself
 
1997 Gloria Swanson: The Greatest Star (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1996 Fred MacMurray: The Guy Next Door (TV movie)
Himself
 
1996 Marlene Dietrich: Shadow and Light (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1995 A Personal Journey with Martin Scorsese Through American Movies (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1995 The 20th Annual Los Angeles Film Critics Awards (TV movie)
Himself
 
1993 Audrey Hepburn Remembered (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1992 Billy Wilder, wie haben Sie's gemacht? (TV series)
Himself
 
1990 The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (TV special)
Himself - Honoree
 
1989 The Exiles (documentary)
Himself
 
1988 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Jack Lemmon (TV special documentary)
Himself
 
1988 The 60th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Winner: Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
 
1987 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Barbara Stanwyck (TV special documentary)
Himself
 
1986 The 58th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Co-Presenter: Best Picture
 
1986 AFI Life Achievement Award: A Tribute to Billy Wilder (TV special documentary)
Himself - Guest of Honor
 
1983 The 55th Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Presenter: Best Director
 
1982 Portrait of a '60% Perfect Man': Billy Wilder (documentary)
Himself
 
1982 Live from Lincoln Center (TV series)
Himself
– The Film Society of Lincoln Center: A Tribute to Billy Wilder (1982) … Himself
 
1978 Hollywood Greats (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Charles Laughton (1978) … Himself
 
1974 Film '72 (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 17 December 1974 (1974) … Himself
 
1973-1974 The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 17 December 1974 (1974) … Himself
– Episode dated 3 January 1973 (1973) … Himself
 
1974 Today (TV series)
Himself
– Episode dated 13 December 1974 (1974) … Himself
 
1970 The 42nd Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself
 
1970 Billy Wilder (TV documentary)
Himself
 
1962 The Jack Benny Program (TV series)
Himself
– Jack Going Back Into Pictures (1962) … Himself
 
1961 The 33rd Annual Academy Awards (TV special)
Himself - Winner: Best Picture, Best Director & Best Original Screenplay
 
1949-1960 The Ed Sullivan Show (TV series)
Audience Bow / Cameo Appearance / Himself - Movie Director
– Episode #13.36 (1960) … Cameo Appearance
– Episode #3.3 (1949) … Himself - Movie Director/Audience Bow
 
1956 Cinépanorama (TV series documentary)
Himself
– Episode dated 9 December 1956 (1956) … Himself
 
Show ShowArchive Footage (11 titles)
2012 Arena (TV series documentary)
 
2010 Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood (TV mini-series documentary)
 
2010 Gilles Jacob: CIitizen Cannes (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2008 Il falso bugiardo
Himself
 
2008 Il était une fois... (TV series documentary)
 
2007 Poison d'avril (TV movie)
Himself (uncredited)
 
2006 The Making of 'Some Like It Hot' (video documentary short)
Himself
 
2006 Ciclo Agatha Christie (TV series documentary)
 
2002 RIP 2002 (TV documentary)
Himself
 
2000 Klaus Kinski - Ich bin kein Schauspieler (documentary)
Himself
 
1966 The Legend of Marilyn Monroe (documentary)
Himself (uncredited)
 

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Personal Details

Other Works:

Promises, Promises (1968). Musical comedy. Book by Neil Simon. Based on the film "The Apartment" by Billy Wilder and I.A.L. Diamond. Music by Burt Bacharach. Lyrics by Hal David. Musical Director: Harold Wheeler. Dance arrangements by Harold Wheeler. Music orchestrated by Jonathan Tunick... See more »

Publicity Listings:

6 Biographical Movies  | 13 Print Biographies  | 2 Interviews  | 19 Articles  | See more »

Alternate Names:

Billie Wilder

Height:

5' 11" (1.80 m)
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Did You Know?

Personal Quote:

Hindsight is always twenty-twenty. See more »

Trivia:

His directorial debut was The Major and the Minor. See more »

Trademark:

His movies frequently started with narration See more »

Nickname:

The Viennese Pixie See more »

Star Sign:

Cancer