Billy Wilder

A bullet-riddled body floats in the pool of a faded screen star. A desperate wife and a crafty insurance man mix lust with murder. Two musicians flee Prohibition gangsters by joining an all-girl band. A likeable loser climbs the corporate ladder by pimping for his bosses. Only in the skewed world of Billy Wilder would such situations provide the context for classic cinema: Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, Some Like It Hot, and The Apartment. Over a career longer than that of any other celebrated film-maker, Wilder has co written and directed an enduring body of work noted for its range, intelligence, wit, and bracing, if off-kilter, morality. A master of many genres, the six-time Oscar winner has given the world classic comedies (Ninotchka, The Seven Year Itch), romances (Sabrina, Love In The Afternoon), and dramas (The Lost Weekend, Stalag 17). Even movies once dismissed as failures (Ace In The Hole; Kiss Me, Stupid) now attract admiring fans. Examine the many sides of Billy Wilder: writer, producer, director, quipster, iconoclast, mensch. What's in this book? As well as an introductory essay, each of Wilder's Hollywood films is individually reviewed and analyzed. The reference section assesses books on Wilder. Don't end up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop or the squeezed-out tube of toothpaste! Discover a great filmmaker-or get to know him even better.

By Glenn Hopp