BILLY WILDER
(Samuel Wilder)
 
* 22. June 1906 (in Sucha, Austria, now Poland)     † 28. March 2002 (in Los Angeles, California)
 


OSCAR
 
1946 as Director for 'The Lost Weekend'

1946 for writing the screenplay for 'The Lost Weekend'

1951 for writing the story and screenplay for 'Sunset Blvd.'

1961 as Director for 'The Apartment'

1961 as Producer for 'The Apartment'

1961 for writing the story and screenplay for 'The Apartment'

1988 Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award
 

OSCARNOMINEE
 
1940 for writing the screenplay for 'Ninotchka'

1942 for writing the screenplay for 'Hold Back the Dawn'

1942 for writing the original story for 'Ball of Fire'

1945 for writing the screenplay for 'Double Indemnity'

1945 as Director for 'Double Indemnity'

1949 for writing the screenplay for 'A Foreign Affair'

1951 as Director for 'Sunset Blvd.'

1952 for writing the story and screenplay for 'The Big Carnival'

1954 as Director for 'Stalag 17'

1955 for writing the screenplay for 'Sabrina'

1955 as Director for 'Sabrina'

1958 as Director for 'Witness for the Prosecution'

1960 for writing the screenplay for 'Some Like It Hot'

1960 as Director for 'Some Like It Hot'

1967 for writing the story and screenplay for 'The Fortune Cookie'
 

comments

I read the biography...well...almost an autobiography, because Wilder and the author, Hellmuth Karasek worked on it together for years, and I wanted to know if Wilder is pleased with his biography because they worked on it together, but Wilder trusted Karasek so much, that he finally let Karasek write it. I wrote my letter to Wilder in german because I knew he still knows german after 60 years in the USA, and it worked....he answered my question with this short handwritten note. It's bad german, but...well...after 60 years over there, it's o.k., but what he wrote, translated to english is this:"The book, Karasek wrote is good. With another one than me it would have been better. B.W.". Even if it's bad german...he read my letter, sent a signed photo and answered my question with his typical sense of humor - perfect...one of my top favourite autographs.

one of my favourite directors and a legend, in my humble opinion...I love almost all of his movies

he was married to Judith Coppicus (22. December 1936 - 1946, dicorced)

he was married to Audrey Young since 30. June 1949

Billy is father of the twins Victoria and Vincent (born 1939)...Vincent died shortly after birth...their mother was Judith

he has two greatgrandchildren...their mother is Victorias daughter, his granddaughter

Wilder wanted to direct 'Schindler's List' (1993), but Steven Spielberg prefered doing it himself. Wilder said it would have become his most personal film

Wilders mother, grandparents and the rest of the family died in german concentration camp in WW II.

Wilders father died already in 1927 after short illness in his arms, while he visited his son
 

BACK TO MY HOMEPAGE