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CNN Live At Daybreak

Legendary Director Billy Wilder Dies

Aired March 29, 2002 - 05:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Finally this hour, though, they say it comes in threes. Yesterday we told you about the passing of Milton Berle and Dudley Moore. This morning, Hollywood is mourning the loss of a legendary filmmaker. Six-time Oscar winner Billy Wilder died Wednesday night at his Beverly Hills home.

CNN's Frank Buckley looks back at the man and his movies.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.

FRANK BUCKLEY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His characters were memorable, the scenes unforgettable. His films considered classics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My husband, you were anxious to talk to him, weren't you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah I was, but I'm sort of getting over the idea, if you know what I mean.

BUCKLEY: Billy Wilder was a director, a writer and a producer of films who gained 20 Oscar nominations for his work, winning six. Three, for this film alone: "The Apartment," for screenplay, directing and best picture.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cheers.

BUCKLEY: His films could carry a cynical tone or deliver knockout funny lines.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look how she moves. That's just like Jello on springs. Must have some sort of built-in motor or something.

BUCKLEY: Two years ago, the American Film Institute named "Some Like It Hot" the funniest American film ever made. But Wilder took his role as a filmmaker very seriously.

BILLY WILDER, FILMMAKER: As you can put the camera any place you want to with any kind of a lens. Did we choose the right spot? That's the question. If you have all the liberty in the world, anything you want to, that becomes a very, very heavy responsibility. BUCKLEY: The late Jack Lemmon said it was Wilder's idea for him to shake maracas in this scene. One Lemmon didn't think was a particularly good idea.

JACK LEMMON, ACTOR: It was not until the next day after I saw the rushes that I realized that it was probably the best single piece of comedy direction that I've ever received.

BUCKLEY: His co-star in the film was Tony Curtis.

TONY CURTIS, ACTOR: I was lucky. I met Billy Wilder early enough for him to, if not guide me, show me, you know, the proper way to do things all -- just watching him I learned.

BUCKLEY: But as witty as Wilder was, his characters could also be painfully dark.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh come on Ned, come on.

BUCKLEY: Wilder was born in Vienna, 1906. He was a journalist, then a screenwriter, then a refugee as Hitler came to power. The Jewish filmmaker fled to America. His mother and step father died in Auschwitz. Wilder's take on World War II: "Stalag 17."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It will cost you a cigarette or a half a bar of chocolate a peep. You couldn't catch much through that steam.

BUCKLEY: George Schlatter was one of Wilder's long-time friends.

GEORGE SCHLATTER, PRODUCER: He was a genius. He was an event. He was quite simply one of the most talented filmmakers, writers we ever had. I don't think anyone will ever duplicate that body of work.

BUCKLEY: A work that will be worshipped in Hollywood for generations to come.

WILDER: I don't think most directors die. They just fade out slowly.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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