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Billy Wilder 1906-2002

Considered one of the most talented filmmakers of Hollywood's Golden Age, Billy Wilder spoke little English when he arrived in Hollywood from Austria in 1933, but he went on to produce some of Hollywood's classic comedies, including Ninotchka (1939) and Ball of Fire (1941). During his career as a filmmaker, screenwriter, and producer, he received twelve Academy Award nominations, and won Oscars for best direction and best screenplay for The Lost Weekend in 1946, and for best producer, best director, and best screenwriter for The Apartment in 1960. Wilder also produced and directed the classic Marilyn Monroe comedies The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Some Like It Hot (1959).