Edwards' parallel with Wilder?
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Blake Edwards
s-hill4 — 16 years ago(September 02, 2009 01:37 PM)
In the back of my mind was the impression that Edwards' first major films as director appeared to be a very close parallel to the first US directed features by Billy Wilder (see below). But when I checked
their director credits today, the parallel was not quite as close as I'd remembered. Or am I missing some films that would complete the parallel?
Thanks from Steven P Hill, University of Illinois "S(DASH)HILL4(AT)ILLINOIS(DOT)EDU"
WILDER:- Major & Minor (adult returns to youthful pursuits);
- Five Graves to Cairo (WW2 drama);
- Double Indemnity (crime thriller);
- Lost Weekend (alcoholism);
- Emperor Waltz (lightweight musical).
EDWARDS: - High Time;
- -? (no WW2 drama directed by Edwards, altho' he ACTED in Tokyo Rose, They Were Expendable, 30 Sec. Over Tokyo, Guy Named Joe, etc.);
- Experiment in Terror;
- Days of Wine and Roses;
- Bring Your Smile Along (musical but not really parallel).
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wagnerian — 15 years ago(May 02, 2010 03:10 AM)
No he never directed a WW2 drama but he did direct a comedy, 1966's "What Did You Do In The War, Daddy?". Not the same thing as Wilder's "Five Graves To Cairo" though!
But Edwards does parallel with Wilder's later efforts - their comedies are very similar in relying on wit and visual humour with the occasional nod to satire and social or political comment, both directed their biggest and most expensive films in 1970 at a time when such epic road-show projects were coming to an end and which therefore flopped badly almost ruining their careers and suffering studio interference (Edwards' "Darling Lili", Wilder's "Private Life of Sherlock Holmes"), both directed rather personal, almost semi-autobiographical films detailing an embittered relationship with Hollywood (Edwards' "S.O.B.", Wilder's "Fedora"), both worked frequently with Jack Lemmon and claimed him as their favourite actor, both men were trained in film-making during the 1930's and 1940's (the so-called golden era).