Hollywood Legend: Billy Wilder
Today we take a moment to celebrate Billy Wilder, not only for his birthday, but for his achievements and incredible contributions to film as we know it. Wilder has a significant place in the history of Hollywood censorship, challenging the Hays Code and even releasing Some Like It Hot without a Production Code seal of approval–which wasn’t granted due to the sexual nature of the comedy. He is also one of five people to have won Academy Awards as producer, writer, and director on the same movie!
Photo via imdb.com.
His willingness to tackle taboo subjects such as alcoholism (The Lost Weekend), mental illness (Sunset Boulevard) and cross-dressing helped to expand the range of what was considered acceptable movie fare. He co-wrote and directed Double Indemnity, which is thought by many to be the first film noir. And many of the film’s elements such as venetian blind lighting and voice-over narrative, have gone on to be hallmarks of the genre.
Photo via imdb.com.
Michel Hazanavicius, the French filmake, said it best during his Oscar acceptance speech for The Artist: “I would like to thank the following three people, I would like to thank Billy Wilder, I would like to thank Billy Wilder, and I would like to thank Billy Wilder.”
Photo via imdb.com.
