Billy Wilder (alizaliwa Juni 22 1906 huko Sucha, Galicia ambayo kwa sasa ni sehemu ya Poland) alikuwa mwandaaji na mwandishi wa filamu kutoka nchini Austria. Billy ni jina kubwa katika historia ya sinema, akijulikana kwa mchango wake mkubwa kama mwandishi, muongozaji, na mtayarishaji wa filamu. Baada ya vita kuu ya kwanza ya dunia, familia yake ilihamia Vienna, Austria, ambako alikulia na kuanza kazi yake ya uandishi wa habari.

Billy Wilder (1989)

Katika miaka ya 1920, Wilder alihamia Berlin, Ujerumani, na kufanya kazi kama mwandishi wa habari na mwandishi wa skrini. Alifanya kazi kadhaa, lakini kuibuka kwa utawala wa nazi mwaka 1933 kulimlazimisha kuhamia Paris, Ufaransa, na baadaye kwenda Hollywood, Marekani, ambapo alibadilisha jina lake kuwa Billy Wilder. Huko Marekani, alianza kazi yake mpya katika tasnia ya filamu, ambayo iliendelea kwa zaidi ya miongo sita.

Filamu yake ya kwanza muhimu akiwa kwenye nafasi ya uandishi ilikuwa "Ninotchka" (1939), ikifuatiwa na "Hold Back the Dawn" (1941). Hata hivyo, alionyesha kipaji chake kikubwa zaidi alipoanza kuongoza filamu. "Double Indemnity" (1944) ni mojawapo ya filamu zake za mwanzo zilizopata sifa kubwa, ikifuatiwa na "The Lost Weekend" (1945) ambayo ilishinda tuzo ya academy kwa filamu bora na mwongozaji bora.

Wilder alikuwa na uwezo wa kuunda aina mbalimbali za filamu, kutoka kwenye filamu za noir, vichekesho, hadi maisha yanayogusa jamii. Filamu zake kama "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), "Ace in the Hole" (1951), "Stalag 17" (1953), na "Sabrina" (1954) zinaonesha utofauti wa kipaji chake na uwezo wa kuvutia watazamaji na wachambuzi.

Mafanikio yake makubwa yalikuja na filamu "Some Like It Hot" (1959), ambayo inachukuliwa kama mojawapo ya vichekesho bora zaidi katika historia ya sinema. Filamu hiyo, pamoja na "The Apartment" (1960), ilimletea sifa nyingi na tuzo za Oscar. "The Apartment" ilishinda tuzo tano za Oscar, ikiwemo filamu bora na muongozaji bora.

Wilder alifunga ndoa na Judith Coppicus mwaka 1936, na baadaye na Audrey Young mwaka 1949. Alikuwa na watoto wawili, Victoria na Vincent. Wilder alikuwa mtu mwenye urafiki na hujumuisha sana vichekesho na uhalisia wa kijamii katika kazi zake. Alikuwa na kipaji cha kuandika maandishi yenye nguvu sana.

Billy Wilder alifariki tarehe 27 Machi 2002, huko Beverly Hills, California, akiwa na umri wa miaka 95. Urithi wake unaendelea kuishi kupitia filamu zake, ambazo bado zinaendelea kuvutia watazamaji wa kizazi kipya.

Baadhi ya kazi za Billy Wilder

hariri
Jina la Filamu/Tamthilia Mwaka Uliotoka Idadi ya Tuzo Wasanii Wakubwa Alioshirikiana Nao
Double Indemnity 1944 0 Fred MacMurray, Barbara Stanwyck
The Lost Weekend 1945 4 Ray Milland, Jane Wyman
Sunset Boulevard 1950 3 Gloria Swanson, William Holden
Ace in the Hole 1951 0 Kirk Douglas, Jan Sterling
Stalag 17 1953 1 William Holden, Don Taylor
Sabrina 1954 1 Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart
The Seven Year Itch 1955 0 Marilyn Monroe, Tom Ewell
Witness for the Prosecution 1957 0 Tyrone Power, Marlene Dietrich
Some Like It Hot 1959 1 Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis
The Apartment 1960 5 Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine
One, Two, Three 1961 0 James Cagney, Horst Buchholz
Irma la Douce 1963 1 Shirley MacLaine, Jack Lemmon
Kiss Me, Stupid 1964 0 Dean Martin, Kim Novak
The Fortune Cookie 1966 1 Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes 1970 0 Robert Stephens, Colin Blakely
Avanti! 1972 0 Jack Lemmon, Juliet Mills
The Front Page 1974 0 Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
Fedora 1978 0 William Holden, Marthe Keller
Buddy Buddy 1981 0 Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau
The Spirit of St. Louis 1957 0 James Stewart, Murray Hamilton

Marejeo

hariri
  • McGilligan, P. (1999). "Billy Wilder: The Life and Times of Hollywood’s Most Influential Director." HarperCollins.
  • Crowe, C. (2001). "Conversations with Billy Wilder." Knopf.
  • Sikov, E. (1998). "On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder." Hyperion.
  • Ebert, R. (2002). "Great Movies: Billy Wilder's Best Films." Chicago Sun-Times.
  • Cameron, I. (1982). "The Hollywood Professionals: Billy Wilder." Tantivy Press.
  • Zolotow, M. (1977). "Billy Wilder in Hollywood." G.P. Putnam’s Sons.
  • Kobal, J. (1980). "Billy Wilder: In His Own Words." Viking Press.
  • Chandler, C. (2004). "Nobody’s Perfect: Billy Wilder - A Personal Biography." Applause Books.
  • Phillips, G. D. (2010). "Billy Wilder: Interviews." University Press of Mississippi.
  • Brooks, P. (2003). "Billy Wilder, American Filmmaker." McFarland & Company.