Director · Actor · Writer · Producer
Billy Wilder
81 credited titles on WatchWise
Billy Wilder, born Samuel Wilder; (22 June 1906 - 27 March 2002) was an Austrian-born director, screenwriter and producer who is regarded as one of the most successful filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age. Today he is best known for his comedies, although he also directed dramas and film noirs. Wilder is one of only five people who have won Academy Awards as producer, director, and writer for the same film (The Apartment). Wilder's career began in Germany, where he worked as a writer for comedy films from 1930. After the Nazis seized power in 1933, he emigrated to the United States, where he continued to write screenplays, including Ernst Lubitsch's Ninotchka (1939) and Howard Hawks' Ball of Fire (1941). From the early 1940s, Wilder was allowed to film his own screenplays and thus made a name for himself as a director. Initially, his greatest successes included predominantly dramatic film noirs such as Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Ace in the Hole (1951). It was only then that he increasingly turned to comedy, including Stalag 17 (1953), Sabrina (1954) and The Seven Year Itch (1955), although he made a small detour to courtroom drama
Associated performance by genre
Worldwide gross by tagged contribution — US$.
Bankability assessment
Films measured × gross-vs-budget efficiency, weighted by billing prominence — lead roles and directing count fully, minor roles fractionally. Association, not attribution — not a claim that this individual caused the revenue.
Filmography cards
Each title carries role, budget, worldwide gross and commercial verdict.
Directed (25)
Acted in (6)
Written (10)
Titles are ones WatchWise has catalogued so far — not necessarily a complete filmography.
