- At the end of June, the 117th birthday of Billy Wilder was celebrated at Kino pod Baranami in Kraków. One of his famous works – “Double Indemnity” has been recreated
- The screening of the film was preceded by a lecture given by the film expert, Dr. Hobb. Patricia Woodek, who debunked the myth that Wilder came from Soca Beskidzka
- In spite of everything, the memory of this director is still honored in this city in particular
- More interesting information can be found on the Onet homepage
On June 22, we celebrated Billy Wilder’s 117th birthday. On this occasion, one of his popular productions – “Double Insurance” from 1944 – was reproduced at the Pod Paranami cinema in Kraków, an adaptation of a short novel by James M. Cain, written with Remont Chandler. The show was preceded by a lecture by film expert Dr. love. Patrycja Włodek, a specialist in Chandler’s work and a lover of American cinema.
“Double insurance” at Kino pod Baranami
The rest of the article is below the video:
Billy Wilder didn’t feel polish. “There is a city, but there is no country”
The film expert confirmed that Billy Wilder did not come from Socha Beskidzka, which toppled a legend associated with him. His mother actually came from Zakopane, while his father ran a network of station cafés located along the railway connecting Vienna and Kraków. Because of his profession, they had to travel constantly. Fate directed the marriage in such a way that pregnant Eugenia gave birth to Samuel (because that was his real name) in Soka Beskidzka.
confirms the specialist.
Wilder’s Road to Hollywood
After the outbreak of World War I, the family moved to Vienna, which had a great influence on Wilder. However, Berlin, to which he later left, certainly gave him the most. Because of his Jewish ancestry, Wilder left the city before World War II, when Hitler came to power. The next stop for him was Paris, where he made his first movie, titled Bad Seed.
Billy Wilder with Marilyn Monroe
His next two films were shot in Hollywood. One of them, a strange romantic comedy called “Major i Mała”, will certainly not be filmed at present. Ginger Rogers played a young woman who decided to seduce the man she fell in love with. It wouldn’t be surprising if it weren’t for the fact that she disguised herself as a 12-year-old for this. The presented story is poorly progressed and causes much controversy.
His American dream ended in West Los Angeles. Billy Wilder died of pneumonia in 2002. The director is buried at Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery. On his tombstone there is a quote: “I am a writer, but no one is perfect,” because that is what the six-time Academy Award winner used to say about himself.
Dry cinema
Sucha Beskidzka still remembers that an outstanding director was born in this area. For several years, the city’s Film and Culture Center operated under the auspices of Billy Wilder. The city authorities also organize a joint celebration of the director’s birthday, taking into account his memory. In 2011, he “received” a unique gift from the city, which was supposed to symbolize the path he traveled from the city to Hollywood. It was officially unveiled in the presence of many distinguished guests from Poland and abroad A painting by sculptor Wiesław Kwak embedded in the slab of Suski Market Square.
