Billy Wilder

Anyone who knows me knows I love Billy Wilder. He is my idol as both writer AND director.
He is also a cantankerous old Nazi camp Jew who didn't mince words. Nor did he allow anyone to steamroll his scripts.

I'm reading the making of "Some Like It Hot" now as told by actor Tony Curtis. It's an amazing diary of the development of an iconic movie (too bad the young folk won't want to watch or even care, it's in black and white). It got me thinking of my own stress when it comes to making movies. Billy, at this time, was an established director. In my mind, I see him as an Otto Preminger. Determined, stern task master who demanded you do what is written. Which is true. Back in the 30's through the 50's there was a studio system. In an odd sense, since this movie was an MGM backed movie but funded by a small independent company called the Mirisches, it was essentially...a Miramax or a Lion's Gate today. There was no true studio, only studio distributed. That's all dull shit.

It got me thinking about me as a movie maker. In any other craft...my contemporaries seem to care so very little about the essential core of why we make movies. To their benefit, most ignore. I say benefit because...you have to worry about the product...the final outcome. The car at the end of a factory line.

Most do it just to get it done. I have ZERO animosity towards that. You do what you have to do. For me, the process is also...the process. Getting things in place to get things done...right. I don't want to miss the details. Or I focus too much on details. These things make steam come out of my ears. It always chafes me when I hear my directing buddies enjoy the process! Ha! Because I wish I could share that exuberance of...well, I'm not sure what it is. To me, it's always a torrential rain in my head of questions. NEVER doubt...just having night sweats as to what I may or may not have forgotten. Mr. Wilder was so steadfast on the details it doesn't surprise me his movies are magical. They have all the idiosyncratic mannerisms of life and consistent performances of his actors. He also did so very little coaching. His approach was still move here to there say what's on the page. The rest is on the actors. On this particular picture he was dealing once again with Marilyn Monroe.
Much has been said about the megawatt star. But, the inside story sends chills up and down my gut. Mostly because (aside from having a doting crew) she tried her hardest to derail production. NOT because she intentionally did so, but she had no awareness of others in society.
My greatest fear in making movies is that lack of awareness for people. Because I genuinely care about people over anything else. If they're comfortable or safe. In short, I want to be a good host. I think Mr. Wilder cared about the pictures and words and deeply cared about making the public's lives much more distracting. That's all we do...we distract. Sometimes with a comfort of knowing we aren't alone (why you see nutjobs at movies in the afternoon).
I have to continue to believe that we push the boulder up the hill. In Mr. Wilder's case, knowing he creates stars (or perpetuates them).