Billy Wilder on writing

Excerpt of Michel Ciment's interview of Wilder.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Billy
• Wilder
• Sunset
• Boulevard
• Writing
• Filmmaking

[bchfront]

Yessir. I.A.L.was "Izzy", Billy's right-hand from "Some Like It Hot", onward. When Izzy was just starting-out, he and my grandfather both worked on a little(forgotten) film called "Love and Learn" with Jack Carson. Probably not together -- my grandfather did the songs. "L&L" turns-up occasionally on Turner, but please don't go out your way -- some things ar best-left forgotten! Thanks for the nice words. R.J.

[Nordenwald]

Thanks for the info R.J. and no worries - I don't have Turner over here in Europe - however I'm sure your deprecative comment is too severe :-)

And btw - your anecdotes from Allan Hersholt's memories on Stroheim are most expected - uh - I mean - welcome, at any time you feel like divulging them :-)

[bchfront]

I went all through school in Beverly Hills with a boy named Paul Diamond, who was I.A.L.'S son! One always saw Billy walking the streets of B.H. in those days (maybe he was looking for ideas). Although my late father Stuart, made a very-nice living as a film/television writer,and was very talented too ("The Fugitive") we were both in agreement that Billy was our personal muse!

[Nordenwald]

ha ha - okay - you lost me here... who is "I.A.L"??? Is it Izzy? And you saw Billy walking the streets? wow - so exotic. Nice to hear Billy was both your and your late father's muse - I love the way he discusses the creative effort - and that you derived so much inspiration from these guys for your own writing - thanks again for commenting :-)

[BMD101]

Wilder was simply the best....

[bluebettle]

Martin Scorsese is still making films.

And Hollywood has always been making crap, we just always remember the good ones.

[analyticaa]

@gatornuggets And obviously the Coen Brothers! They're some of the most talented Hollywood scribes in history. Not to mention visual flair and directorial ingenuity (especially The Big Lebowski; the combination of music, editing and pure visual panache in the Jesus scene is riveting!).

[analyticaa]

@analyticaa Danny Boyle. Trainspotting and Shallow Grave. Though if you don't like voice over then Trainspotting is pretty hard to swallow and I'll completely admit that Shallow Grave doesn't seem to be a favorite of anyone except me, but I love the pacing so much!

[analyticaa]

@gatornuggets 

[analyticaa]

@gatornuggets Anderson writes some great dialogue ("Hell of grave. Wish it were mine.") I like how you mentioned 5 directors (though Fincher isn't a writer-director). Frankly, that is a fair amount. Not to mention Hong Kong has some terrific directors and some good ones in Europe as well.

[analyticaa]

@MsBedwell Wrong. You're thought that all the greats are gone is greatly misguided. No doubt, Wilder and Diamond were some of the best. As was Hecht. But the truth is there are a number of great screenwriters today. That doesn't mean they write the tightly plotted, great dialogue like that of Wilder (those scenes with Robinson in Double Indemnity are second to none!), but they're are terrific writers out there today.

[writerauiler]

great, great--thanks for posting

[ASDMarauder007]

@evanAU dude indy 4 was alright, not great but watchable. And transformers should be appreciated for what they are, good CGI flicks and they are

[ASDMarauder007]

1:41 LOL

[MsBedwell]

Interesting reading all the info and comments - fascinating stuff. But too true that the Hollywood greats are gone - today it's all leaning heavily on CGI and the scripts are non existent, only people today accept it because that is all there is and we've become so technology orientated that we think we've got the best of it.Jeez !

[knutoletube]

where's the rest of the interview!?