William Lee Wilder (August 22, 1904 – February 14, 1982) was an Austrian-American screenwriter, film producer and director. He was the brother of the film director

Billy Wilder Billy Wilder (; ; born Samuel Wilder; June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-American filmmaker. His career in Hollywood spanned five decades, and he is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Classic Holly ...

and father of television comedy writer and producer Myles Wilder.

Biography

Wilder originally was a NY-based maker of purses, Wm. Wilder Co., Inc. Original Handbags, before heading to Hollywood in 1945 to produce movies. There he started his own film production company and produced his first film '' The Great Flamarion'' in 1945 and directed his first film ''

The Glass Alibi ''The Glass Alibi'' is a 1946 crime drama film noir directed by W. Lee Wilder starring Paul Kelly, Douglas Fowley, Anne Gwynne and Maris Wrixon.. Plot A reporter marries a dying girl for her money, but she recovers from her illness so he plots ...

'' the following year. From 1949 to 1950, Wilder directed, wrote and produced 16 musical

short subject A short film is any motion picture that is short enough in running time not to be considered a feature film. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes ...

s featuring traditional spirituals and folk-music. During the 1950s Wilder formed a film production company called Planet Filmplays where he produced and directed several low budget science fiction films with screenplays cowritten by his son

Myles In Greek mythology, Myles (; Ancient Greek: Μύλης means 'mill-man') was an ancient king of Laconia. He was the son of the King Lelex and possibly the naiad Queen Cleocharia, and brother of Polycaon. Myles was the father of Eurotas who begot ...

Selected filmography

* ''

'' (1946) * '' The Pretender'' (1947) * ''

Yankee Fakir ''Yankee Fakir'' is a 1947 American mystery film directed and produced by W. Lee Wilder and written by Richard S. Conway. The film stars Douglas Fowley, Joan Woodbury, Clem Bevans, Ransom M. Sherman, Frank Reicher and Marc Lawrence. The film w ...

'' (1947) * '' The Vicious Circle'' (1948) (also known as ''Woman in Brown'') * '' Once a Thief'' (1950) * ''

Three Steps North ''Three Steps North'' is a 1951 Italian–American film noir crime film directed by W. Lee Wilder and starring Lloyd Bridges, Lea Padovani and Aldo Fabrizi. The film is also known as ''Tre passi a nord'' in Italy. Plot Dishonorably discharged a ...

'' (1951) * ''

Phantom from Space ''Phantom from Space'' is a 1953 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder that stars Ted Cooper, Noreen Nash, Dick Sands, and Burt Wenland. The original screenplay was written by W ...

'' (1953) * ''

Killers from Space ''Killers from Space'' (a.k.a. ''The Man Who Saved the Earth'') is a 1954 independently made American black-and-white science fiction film, produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder (brother of Billy Wilder), that stars Peter Graves, Barbara Besta ...

'' (1954) * ''

The Snow Creature ''The Snow Creature'' is a 1954 American science fiction-horror film produced and directed by W. Lee Wilder, for Planet Filmplays Inc., written by Myles Wilder, and starring Paul Langton. Plot In an undisclosed Himalayan country (presumabl ...

'' (1954) * '' The Big Bluff'' (1955) * '' Fright'' (1956) * '' Manfish'' (1956) (also known as ''Calypso'') * ''

The Man Without a Body ''The Man Without a Body'' (also known as ''Curse of Nostradamus'') is a low budget 1957 British horror film, produced by Guido Coen and directed by Charles Saunders and W. Lee Wilder. It stars Robert Hutton, George Coulouris, Julia Arnall a ...

'' (1957) * '' Spy in the Sky!'' (1958) * ''

Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons ''Bluebeard's Ten Honeymoons'' is a 1960 British thriller film directed by W. Lee Wilder and starring George Sanders, Corinne Calvet, and Jean Kent. The story is loosely based on that of the real-life serial killer Henri Désiré Landru. It ...

'' (1960) * ''Caxambu'' (1967) * ''

The Omegans ''The Omegans'' is a 1968 American science fiction thriller film directed by W. Lee Wilder and starring Keith Larsen, Ingrid Pitt and Lucien Pan. It was shot on location in the Philippines.Mayer p. 49 Cast * Keith Larsen as Chuck * Ingrid Pit ...

'' (1968)

References

External links

* 1904 births 1982 deaths American film directors American male screenwriters American film producers Austrian emigrants to the United States Austrian Jews Science fiction film directors 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American screenwriters {{US-film-director-1900s-stub