He has made audiences roar with tears of laughter, and tears of sadness and joy. His body of work is among the longest, greatest, and most memorable in the history of cinema. He is truly a man the words 'legend of Hollywood' apply to.
Billy Wilder; writer, producer and director, is one of the greatest storytellers of our time. Detailing his story of how he fled the Nazis in Germany and got accepted with a work visa to return and stay in America in the video at the Oscar's here below, one gets a sense of the gratitude, dedication, and honor that Billy Wilder possessed. In his thanks for being an American, his appreciation of being given a chance at a better life and a life of freedom, and his memory of the man who helped him and told him to "write some good ones," Billy Wilder was a man from the heart. His films touch the soul like few writers and directors can, and it is for this, and so much more that he is, without question, one of the Top 10 Greatest Directors of All Time.
The following is a list of his few credits and works:
Love, Marilyn (documentary) - Writer (excerpts from letters), Sabrina - Writer (earlier screenplay), Consultant, Buddy Buddy - Writer, Director, Fedora - Writer (writer), Director, Producer, Front Page - Writer (screenplay), Director, Avanti! - Writer (screenplay), Director, Producer, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes - Writer (written by), Director, Producer, Casino Royale - Writer (uncredited), The Fortune Cookie - Writer (written by), Director, Producer, Ates gibi kadin - Writer (story "Ball of Fire") (uncredited), Kiss Me, Stupid - Writer (screenplay), Director, Producer, Irma la Douce - Writer (writer), Director, Producer, One, Two, Three - Writer (screenplay), Director, Producer, Ocean's Eleven - Writer (uncredited), The Apartment - Writer (written by), Director, Producer, Some Like It Hot - Writer (screenplay), Director, Producer, Witness for the Prosecution - Writer (screen play), Director, Love in the Afternoon - Writer (screenplay), Director, Producer, The Spirit of St. Louis - Writer (screenplay), Director, The Seven Year Itch - Writer (screenplay), Director, Producer Emil und die Detektive - Writer (earlier screenplay) (as Billie Wilder), Sabrina - Writer (written by), Director, Producer, Stalag 17 - Writer (written for the screen by), Director, Producer, Parade, or Here They Come Down Our Street (short) - Toy Winding-up, Ace in the Hole - Writer (written by), Director, Producer, Sunset Blvd. - Writer (written by), Director, The Unexpected Voyager - Writer, A Song Is Born - Writer (based on the story "From A to Z" by), A Foreign Affair - Writer (screenplay), Director, The Emperor Waltz - Writer (written by), Director, The Bishop's Wife - Writer (uncredited), The Lost Weekend - Writer (screen play), Director, Death Mills (documentary short) - Director, Die Todesmühlen (documentary) - Editors Supervisor, Double Indemnity - Writer (screenplay), Director, Five Graves to Cairo - Writer (screenplay), Director, The Major and the Minor - Writer (written by), Director, Ball of Fire - Writer (from an original story by) (screen play), Hold Back the Dawn - Writer (written by), Arise, My Love - Writer (screen play), Rhythm on the River - Writer (story), Ninotchka - Writer (screen play), What a Life - Writer (screenplay), Midnight - Writer (screen play), That Certain Age - Writer (uncredited), Bluebeard's Eighth Wife - Writer (screenplay), Champagne Waltz - Writer (story), Emil and the Detectives - Writer (uncredited), The Lottery Lover - Writer (screenplay), Under Pressure - Writer (additional dialogue) (uncredited), Mauvaise graine - Writer (screenplay) (as Billie Wilder), Director (as Billie Wilder), Music in the Air - Writer (adaptation and screenplay), One Exciting Adventure - Writer (story), Adorable - Writer (story "Ihre Hoheit Befiehlt"), Was Frauen träumen - Writer (writer), No Children Wanted - Writer (screenplay) (as Billie Wilder), Madame Wants No Children - Writer (adaptation), The Blue from the Sky - Writer, Ein Mädel der Strasse - Writer, Un rêve blond - Writer (screenplay) (as Billie Wilder), A Blonde Dream - Writer, Once There Was a Waltz - Writer, Liebe ist Liebe - Writer, Un peu d'amour - Writer (screenplay), Where Is This Lady? - Writer (story "Es War Einmal Ein Walzer"), Emil und die Detektive - Writer (screenplay) (as Billie Wilder), Princesse, à vos ordres! - Writer, The Wrong Husband - Writer, Seitensprünge - Writer (idea), Her Grace Commands - Writer, Der Mann, der seinen Mörder sucht - Writer, Soundtrack ("Am Montag hab' ich leider keine Zeit!..") (as Billie Wilder), Ein Burschenlid aus Heidelberg - Writer, Der Kampf mit dem Drachen oder: Die Tragödie des Untermieters (short) - Writer (idea) (uncredited), People on Sunday - Writer, and Hell of a Reporter - Writer (as Billie Wilder), Actor (as Billie Wilder), among more.
This story is copyright, 2014, The Hollywood Sentinel. Movie credits courtsy of IMDB, all rights reserved.