Billy Wilder: what great movies he made! But, we forget that Wilder was part of a film industry, first in Germany and later, memorably, in Hollywood. His movies were meant to make money. Whether writing, directing or producing films, sometimes all three, he made films to sell tickets. How did he know how to make successful films? He knew because he remade films that had already done well at the box office, just as other film makers years later successfully remade his films.
Some of these films are no longer available to be seen. Wilder's Some Like it Hot was remade from a German film, which was remade from a French film; unfortunately we can't see those earlier films. Wilder wrote the 1941 film Ball of Fire, which was remade into a Danny Kaye musical, and we can't see either film today.
Fortunately, many other films are available to us. In this 14 week SDG, we will watch seven pairs of films. In each pair is a Billy Wilder films. The other film in the pair, not made by Wilder, was inspired by the Wilder film, or had inspired Wilder's film, or perhaps not.
Double Indemnity, Wilder's famed film noir, was remade 37 years later as Body Heat. Wilder wrote Ninotchka which was remade as the musical Silk Stockings. The Apartment has been judged by some critics as a humorous and ribald remake of the David Lean and Noel Coward film Brief Encounter. Irma La Douce has much in common with the earlier von Sternberg film that Wilder would have seen in Germany, The Blue Angel. And one critic said that the sensibility of Fritz Lang’s Scarlet Street inspired Wilder’s Ace in the Hole six years later—well, maybe.
In the SDG we will discuss whether, and how, the seven other films inspired Wilder, or were inspired by Wilder. You will enjoy every film. Join us and be inspired.
Topics for weekly discussion: Each of the seven Wilder films is paired with a related film—14 weeks and 14 films to discuss. Week 1 & 2 discussions, lead by the coordinator and co-coordinator, are as shown. The order of the remaining six two-week pairs of discussions will be chosen at the pre-meeting.
All films stream on Amazon, and/or on YouTube, and/or on other sites.
The films written, directed and/or produced by Billy Wilder are as indicated.
Weeks 1 & 2
Double Indemnity, 1944, directed W, co-written W & Raymond Chandler
Body Heat, 1981
Two Week pair with date chosen at the pre-meeting
Sunset Boulevard, 1950, directed W, co-written W
American Beauty, 1999
Two Week pair with date chosen at the pre-meeting
Ninotchka, 1939, co-written W
Silk Stockings, 1957
Two Week pair with date chosen at the pre-meeting
The Apartment, 1960, directed W, co-written W, produced W
Brief Encounter, 1945, directed David Lean, written Noel Coward
Two Week pair with date chosen at the pre-meeting
The Lost Weekend, 1945, directed by W
The Days of Wine and Roses, 1962
Two Week pair with date chosen at the pre-meeting
Ace in the Hole, 1951, directed W, produced W, co-written W
Scarlet Street, 1945, directed and produced by Fritz Lang
Two Week pair with date chosen at the pre-meeting
Irma La Douce, 1963, directed W, co-produced W, co-written W
The Blue Angel, 1930, directed von Sternberg
None.