With the rise of the Third Reich in 1933, Wilder -- a Jew -- fled to Paris and later to America. His screenwriting talents ultimately earned him the chance to direct in 1942, debuting with The Major and the Minor. The signature cynical style that marks most of his films is abundantly evident in such classics as Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945) -- which netted Wilder his first Best Director Oscar -- and Sunset Boulevard (1950).

Wilder also excelled at comedy, helming Sabrina (1954), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Some Like It Hot (1959) and The Apartment (1960), for which he bagged his second Academy Award for directing. He retired in 1981 and died of pneumonia March 27, 2002.