I see someone has started a “The Three Dead Celebvs” thread (and there may be one in MPSIMS, I haven’t checked). But Billy deserves a thread all his own. Check out this unmatched resume, of films he directed, produced and/or wrote:
Bluebeard’s Eighth Wife (1938)
Midnight (1939)
Ninotchka (1939)
Ball of Fire (1941)
Ther Major and the Minor (1942)
Double Indemnity (1944)
The Lost Weekend (1945)
A Foreign Affair (1948)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Stalag 17 (1953)
Sabrina (1954)
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Love in the Afternoon (1957)
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Apartment (1960)
Some of the wittiest comedies (you MUST rent Midnight and Ball of Fire if you’ve never seen them), and several of the darkest films noir.
Wilder’s body of work will never be matched. I sincerely believe that. But it continued past “The Apartment.” Even Wilder fans mostly overlook AVANTI!, which I consider a gem of his “second-tier” work.
I couldn’t agree more. I’m hard pressed to think of anyone that better demonstrates the “auteur theory” of filmaking - i.e. the director is in fact the author of the film. And I don’t know of anyone whose entire body of work satisfies me more.
But in the list of Wilder films, don’t overlook “The Fortune Cookie,” which stands right there with Wilder’s other comedies, and which gave Walter Matthau his only Oscar. I don’t know if it was Wilder’s idea to team Jack Lemmon with Walter Matthau (Wilder produced as well, so I suspect it was his idea), but without this movie, “The Odd Couple” pairing of Lemmon and Matthau would probably have never happened.
Let’s raise a glass tonight in memory of a great filmmaker. His kind won’t be coming our way again, I’m afraid.
Our afternoon DJ said on the radio yesterday that Billy Wilder had died, completing the last third of the usual 3-celebrity death coincidence (Dudley and Milton of course).
He went on to say Bob Hope had this to say: “Whew!”
Eve You left off one of my favorites: “Kiss Me, Stupid!”
It was to be a Marylin Monroe vehicle (but she died), and it starred Dean Martin (as himself), Ray Walston, and Kim Novak (in Marylin’s role). A very funny, dark, witty comedy. And apparently it drove the Catholic Legion of Decency (I may be messing up the name) insane.
Great film, easily up there with “The Apartment”, “Sunset Blvd”, “Some like it Hot” and “Irma La D(something)”
Hear, hear. My personal list of top favorite movies is very Billy Wilder-heavy, Eve, as I am reminded by looking at your list. Every passing year deprives us of a few more artists who I love; last year it was Walter Matthau, Jack Lemmon and Alec Guinness. sigh
Well, I’m going to rent one of Billy Wilder’s films this weekend as a tribute to one of our best directors. I think I’ll make it “Ball of Fire”, as I haven’t seen that one in a few years. Thanks for the compilation.
I think my tribute rental will be Sunset Boulevard. I’ve only seen it once, so it should be a treat. Rest in peace, Mr. Wilder. You’ve given us more than just entertainment.
I highly recommend Midnight (1939), which Wilder wrote with Chas. Brackett (Mitch Leisen directed). One of the FUNNIEST screwballs comedies ever: Claudette Colbert plays a gold digger on the run, chased by love-smitten cab driver Don Ameche, and they both wind up in a houseful of insance millionaires (John Barrymore, Mary Astor and a few others).
As Pug noted, Ball of Fire is a hoot, too: stripper Barbara Stanwyck teaches a houseful of dusty professors (including yummy Gary Cooper) slang for their new dictionary.