13 Quotes & Sayings By Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder was born near the end of the nineteenth century in Austria-Hungary. His father was a successful businessman and his mother was a teacher. He left school at age sixteen, but later completed his education at the University of Vienna. In 1906 he directed his first film, "The Student Prince," and in 1910 directed "Sister Cornelia." During World War I, when he was twenty-one years old, he directed twenty-three films for the Austro-Hungarian army and by 1918, after directing hundreds of film shorts and features, he had directed over forty films Read more

He directed his first Hollywood film in 1929: “Ninotchka” starring Greta Garbo. This film won two Academy Awards and made him a household name. He directed such classics as “Sunset Boulevard” (1950), “The Apartment” (1960), “The Seven Year Itch” (1955), and “Some Like It Hot” (1959).

Although not producing any films himself since the 1950s, he continued to write books like “How to Make Money Selling Films” (1941), “To Be or Not to Be” (1942) and “Too Much Johnson” (1953). He passed away at ninety years old on November 16th of the same year of this book's publication.

1
He has Van Gogh’s ear for music. Billy Wilder
2
Jerry: Oh, you don't understand, Osgood! Ehhhh... I'm a man. Osgood: Well, nobody's perfect. Billy Wilder
3
A director must be a policeman, a midwife, a psychoanalyst, a sycophant and a bastard. Billy Wilder
4
France is the only country where the money falls apart and you can't tear the toilet paper. Billy Wilder
5
You have to have a dream so you can get up in the morning. Billy Wilder
6
Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own instead of someone else's. Billy Wilder
7
Hindsight is always zo/20. Billy Wilder
8
He has Van Gogh's ear for music. Billy Wilder
9
If you're going to tell people the truth, be funny or they'll kill you. Billy Wilder
10
Shoot a few scenes out of focus. I want to win the foreign film award. Billy Wilder
11
Trust your own instinct. Your mistakes might as well be your own, instead of someone else's. Billy Wilder
12
France is a place where the money falls apart in your hands but you can't tear the toilet paper. Billy Wilder