About the Program

Billy Wilder’s brilliant storytelling and film direction revealed both comic and tragic truths about the human condition in ways that made his films classic, enduring, and relevant. A refugee from Nazi Germany, Wilder reigned as Hollywood’s greatest and most prolific creative genius from the 1940s through the ’60s, racking up twenty-one Oscar nominations and many wins along the way.

In this discussion series, we focused on four Wilder films that demonstrated his expansive command of styles and genres:

• The noir classic Double Indemnity (1944)

• The social drama The Lost Weekend (1945), featuring Ray Milland at the height of his career

• The biting take on Hollywood Sunset Boulevard (1950)

• The film that arguably catapulted both Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine to stardom, The Apartment (1960)