Book description
One of the most accomplished writers and directors of classic
Hollywood, Billy Wilder (1906-2002) directed numerous acclaimed films,
including Sunset Boulevard (1950), Sabrina (1954), The Seven Year Itch
(1955), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), and Some Like It Hot (1959).
Featuring Gene D. Phillips's unique, in-depth critical approach, Some
Like It Wilder: The Life and Controversial Films of Billy Wilder
provides a groundbreaking overview of a filmmaking icon. Wilder began
his career as a screenwriter in Berlin but, because of his Jewish
heritage, sought refuge in America when Germany came under Nazi control.
Making fast connections in Hollywood, Wilder immediately made the jump
from screenwriter to director. His classic films Five Graves to Cairo
(1943), Double Indemnity (1945), and The Lost Weekend (1945) earned
Academy Awards for best picture, director, and screenplay. During the
1960s, Wilder continued to direct and produce controversial comedies,
including Kiss Me, Stupid (1964) and The Apartment (1960), which won
Oscars for best picture and director. This definitive biography reveals
that Wilder was, and remains, one of the most influential directors in
filmmaking. Gene D. Phillips is author of Creatures of Darkness:
Raymond Chandler, Detective Fiction, and Film Noir and Godfather: The
Intimate Francis Ford Coppola. He lives in Evanston, Illinois.
