The Apartment (1960)
Wilder
◄ IMDb Polls
Poll: Wilder or Wyler
Here are two great Hollywood directors who both immigrated to America, were German or Austrian, and of the Jewish faith: Willam Wyler (born Willi Wyler, (and never officially changed his name), July 1, 1902 in Mülhausen, Alsace, Germany [now Mulhouse, Haut-Rhin, France]), and Billy Wilder (born as Samuel Wilder, June 22, 1906 in Sucha, Galicia, Austria-Hungary [now Sucha Beskidzka, Malopolskie, Poland]).
Wyler first came to America in 1920 to work for Carl Laemmle (also Jewish and an immigrant from Germany), his uncle, at the studio he owned, Universal Studios. He grew up in the film industry and won the Best Director award 3 times and was nominated for it 9 more times. Billy Wilder had first started in the German film industry as a screenwriter and is considered as one of the greatest screenwriters of all time before becoming a 2 time Oscar winning director (nominated six more times as Best Director) (and the rest of his six Oscars were for writing). With the rise of Hitler in 1933, Wilder fled first to Paris and then to America. He spoke no English when he got to Hollywood, and roomed with fellow German émigré*, Peter Lorre. Here is trivia for you, he was instrumental in getting “Schindler’s List” to be made.
Instead of asking who do you like more, we’re going to use their best films to decide who people think was better. So, from the list below, vote for your favorite film. The director, whose films get the most votes, wins!
And since Wyler had the longer career and was nominated more times as best director than Wilder, but Wilder’s films are higher rated on the IMDb, I gave the extra shot to Wyler.
To talk about these two, or to debate them, post your Oscar worthy posts here.
* émigré is the word for a person who leaves his country of birth for political reasons, and settles in another.
Make Your Choice
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The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
Wyler -
Some Like It Hot (1959)
Wilder -
Ben-Hur (1959)
Wyler -
Sabrina (1954)
Wilder -
Roman Holiday (1953)
Wyler -
Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Wilder -
The Big Country (1958)
Wyler -
Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
Wilder -
Mrs. Miniver (1942)
Wyler -
The Lost Weekend (1945)
Wilder -
The Collector (1965)
Wyler -
Stalag 17 (1953)
Wilder -
Friendly Persuasion (1956)
Wyler -
Double Indemnity (1944)
Wilder -
Detective Story (1951)
Wyler -
One, Two, Three (1961)
Wilder -
The Heiress (1949)
Wyler -
Ace in the Hole (1951)
Wilder -
The Little Foxes (1941)
Wyler -
Death Mills (1945)
Wilder (a documentary short) -
The Letter (1940)
Wyler -
The Major and the Minor (1942)
Wilder -
Wuthering Heights (1939)
Wyler -
Irma la Douce (1963)
Wilder -
Dodsworth (1936)
Wyler -
A Foreign Affair (1948)
Wilder -
Funny Girl (1968)
Wyler -
Five Graves to Cairo (1943)
Wilder -
The Children's Hour (1961)
Wyler -
The Fortune Cookie (1966)
Wilder -
The Desperate Hours (1955)
Wyler -
The Seven Year Itch (1955)
Wilder -
Jezebel (1938)
Wyler -
How to Steal a Million (1966)
Wyler
