Billy Wilder

While his family may have made a good investment in their cake shop, Billy Wilder focused his attention on another career path. Starting as a journalist, Wilder eventually had the chance to establish plenty of relationships in the entertainment industry – and this was before he even made a name for himself as a filmmaker!

After a few years working in the journalism business, Wilder found an interest in screenwriting and, not long after, filmmaking. His first shot to fame came when he wrote the script of 1933’s Oscar-nominated film Ninotchka. Since then, the filmmaker garnered even more praise and recognition for his work on widely-acclaimed movies such as Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sabrina, and Ace in the Hole. Despite making a couple of dramatic features, Wilder is often known for his comedic films and sense of humor. In fact, one of his legacies is the words written on his tombstone, which is a callback to his 1959 film, Some Like It Hot.