| Top Picks - Billy Wilder on Video and DVD | ||
| Oscar-winning filmmaker Billy Wilder died on March 27, 2002, at age 95. I've always marveled at how his comedies sparkle with dark humor and sharply cynical wit, but he was equally adept at creating fascinating mixes of drama and film-noir in movies such as “Sunset Boulevard” and “Double Indemnity.” Billy Wilder may be gone, but his films and characters will always live in my memory. He was the creative force behind some of my favorite films, five of which I’ve listed below. | ||
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1) "Some Like It Hot" (1959) Billy Wilder directed and co-scripted "Some Like It Hot," which I believe is possibly the greatest comedy ever made. Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis play jazz musicians who dress in drag and join an all-girl band, where they meet the sexy singer Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe). I loved the hilarious Cary Grant impression by Curtis as his character Joe tries to win Sugar's heart by impersonating a suave, debonair millionaire. "Some Like It Hot" is filled with unforgettable moments and dialogue that crackles with wit. | ||
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2) "The Apartment" (1960) "The Apartment" is one of those rare films that can elicit both laughs and tears as it skewers the cynicism of the corporate world. C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) works for a New York insurance company and is lost in the crowd of employees, but he eventually stumbles upon an unusual method of currying favor with his superiors: He lends his apartment to the company's executives as a trysting place for their extramarital affairs. Watch for memorable performances by Jack Lemmon, Fred MacMurray, and Shirley MacLaine. | ||
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3) "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) A mix of drama and black comedy, "Sunset Boulevard" is a complex film noir that goes beyond the genre's usual archetypes, and it has the bite of a tragedy about human frailties. Told in flashback, "Sunset Blvd" is the tale of a down-on-his-luck hack screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) who happens to knock on the door of the mansion of silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Norma Desmond is one of the most painfully heartbreaking characters I've ever seen on film. | ||
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4) "Double Indemnity" (1944) While on a routine business call to renew her husband's policy, insurance salesman Walter Neff (Fred MacMurray) falls in lust with Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), an unhappily married femme fatale. They begin an affair, and soon Neff becomes enmeshed in a scam involving murder and an insurance policy paying double for accidental death. In my opinion, Wilder's stylish direction and an excellent script by Wilder and Raymond Chandler combine with memorable performances to create a masterpiece of film noir. | ||
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5) "The Seven Year Itch" (1955) Richard Sherman (Tom Ewell) stays in Manhattan and works through the sweltering heat of a New York summer, while his wife and son vacation in the country. His devotion to his family is put to the test when his sexy upstairs neighbor (Marilyn Monroe) discovers he has an air conditioner and starts dropping by his apartment to keep cool. "The Seven Year Itch" is a smart, sophisticated comedy, and who could forget Monroe's iconic scene where air from a subway grating blows her skirt up. | ||
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