Happy Birthday, Billy Wilder! Born today in 1906, this Austrian-born screenwriter, producer and film director's career spanned more than five decades. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of the Hollywood Golden Age of cinema.
In the late 1930s, Wilder was best known for co-writing German-born film director, producer, writer, and actor Ernst Lubitsch's ('Trouble in Paradise', 'To Be or Not to Be') 1939 American black and white comedy/rom-com film 'Ninotchka'.
Among his credits in the mid-1940s, Wilder was best known for co-writing and directing the 1944 American black and white psychological thriller noir/crime film 'Double Indemnity' and co-writing and directing the 1945 American black and white drama/noir film 'The Lost Weekend'.
The following year, the former film received seven Oscar nominations at the 17th Academy Awards in mid-March 1945. However, the film won none of these.
The following year, the latter film won four Oscars. These included Best Writing Adapted screenplay (Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett), Best Actor (Ray Milland), Best Director (Billy Wilder) and Best Picture (Billy Wilder). This occurred at the 18th Academy Awards in early March 1947.
Among his credits of the 1950s, Wilder was known for directing the 1950 American black and white noir/drama film 'Sunset Boulevard', the 1951 American black and white noir/drama film 'Ace in the Hole' (also known as 'The Big Carnival') and the 1953 American black and white war comedy-drama film 'Stalag 17'.
Of these, Wilder is best known for co-writing and directing 'Sunset Boulevard' and for co-writing, producing and directing 'Ace in the Hole'.
Praised by many critics when first released, the former film was nominated for eleven Oscars (including nominations in all four categories) but won three.
These included Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-And-White (Hans Dreier, John Meehan, Sam Corner, Ray Moyer), Best Original Musical Score (Franz Waxman) and Best Story and Screenplay (Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, D.M. Marshman Jr.).
This occurred at the 23rd Academy Awards in late March 1951. Today, 'Sunset Boulevard' is often ranked among the greatest movies ever made.
In the mid-1950s, Wilder was known for directing the 1954 American black and white romantic comedy-drama film 'Sabrina' and the 1955 American Deluxe Color romantic comedy film 'The seven Year Itch'.
In the late 1950s, Wilder was known for directing the 1957 American black and white mystery/drama film 'Witness for Prosecution' and directing the farcical 1959 American black and white romantic comedy/mystery film 'Some Like It Hot'.
Of these, Wilder is best known for co-writing, producing and directing 'Some Like It Hot'. The overwhelming success of the film is considered one of the final nails in the coffin for the Hays Code.
The following year after it release, the film received one Oscar for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White (Orry-Kelly). This occurred at the 32nd Academy Awards in early April 1960.
Among his credits in the early 1960s, Wilder was best known for co-writing, producing and directing the satiric 1960 American black and white romantic comedy-drama film 'The Apartment'.
The following year, the film won five Oscars. This was for Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White (Alexandre Trauner, Edward G. Boyle), Best Film Editing (Daniel Mandell), Best Original Screenplay (Billy Wilder, I.A.L. Diamond), Best Director (Billy Wilder) and Best Picture (Billy Wilder).
This occurred at the 33rd Academy Awards in mid-April 1961.
Among his other credits in the early 1960s, Wilder is known for directing the 1961 American comedy/satire film 'One, Two, Three', the 1963 American Technicolor comedy/romance film 'Irma la Douce' and the 1964 American black and white sex/comedy film 'Kiss Me, Stupid'.
In the late 1960s, Wilder is known for directing the 1966 American black and white black comedy/satire film 'The Fortune Cookie'.
Wilder directed fourteen different actors in Oscar-nominated performances. in 1986, he was recognized with the American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award. In 1988, Wilder was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award.
In 1989, 'Sunset Boulevard was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being' "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
Also in 1989, the Library of Congress selected 'Some Like It Hot' as one of the first 25 films for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
In 1992, 'Double Indemnity' was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
In 1993, Wilder was awarded the National Medal of Arts (NEA) from the United States government.
In 1994, 'The Apartment' was one of the 25 films selected for inclusion to the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry.
In the years since its release, it has come to be regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, appearing in lists by the American Film Institute and Sight and Sound magazine.
In 2000, 'Some Like It Hot' was voted as the top comedy film by the American Film Institute on their list on AFI's 100 Years...100 Laughs, it ranked in at #1.
Also, 'The Apartment' ranked in at #20 and 'The Seven Year Itch' ranked it at #51.
On AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes, the quote "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" ranked it at #7 and "I am big! It's the pictures that got small." ranked in at #24. Both were from 'Sunset Boulevard'.
Also, the quote "Well, nobody's perfect." from 'Some Like It Hot' ranked in at #48.
In 2007, 'Some Like It Hot' was ranked it at #22 as the 100 Greatest American Films Of All Time.
Also, 'Sunset 'Boulevard' ranked it at #16, 'Double Indemnity' ranked in at #29 and 'The Apartment' ranked it at #80.
In 2011, 'The Lost Weekend' was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
In 2017, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
According to his personal life, Wilder had been married twice. His first wife was Judith Coppicus (1936–1946), and his second wife was American film actress and big-band singer Audrey Young. The latter was married to wilder until his death. Wilder had two children.
Wilder passed of pneumonia after battling health problems, including cancer, at his home in Beverly Hills, California on March 27, 2002. He was 95.
Wilder had been active from 1929–1995.
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