People We Love: Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder, June 22 1906 – March 27, 2002

Born on this Day in 1906.

Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist and journalist with a career that lasted more than 50 years and produced 60 films. He is one of only five people to have won Academy Awards as producer, director and writer for the same film, The Apartment in 1960.

Wilder is responsible for Sunset Boulevard (1950), and such comedies as The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959) and the original Sabrina (1954).

Winning twice, he was nominated eight times for best director, making him the second most nominated director in the history of the Academy Awards.

Wilder began writing films in 1929, but soon realized that his Jewish Ancestry would cause problems in Hitler’s Germany. He moved to Paris and later ot the United States. He knew no English when he arrived in America.

When talking about his career, Wilder said, “I just made pictures I would’ve liked to see.”

Wilder’s grave in West Hollywood, California

Wilder died in March, 2002 at the age of 95.



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