He would become one of the most prominent filmmakers of his time and yet he came from very humble beginnings. Billy Wilder was born in Sucha, a region of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1906. His father, Max Wilder, ran a chain of cafes. His mother had somewhat of a fascination for legendary Americans, which is where his name "Billy" derived.

Named because of the Buffalo Bill-fascination his mother carried, it wasn't surprising that Wilder would find his way to American soil. After studying law in Vienna, Billy Wilder eventually found his way to Berlin where he wrote for a popular Berlin tabloid. Soon, he was working on a German film that was translated as People on Sunday.

After realizing his gift, Wilder went to Hollywood and soon met up with Charles Brackett. Together, they collaborated on Hold Back the Dawn, Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend among others.

In the 1950s, Billy Wilder went on to produce films on his own. Those films included The Seven Year Itch and Some Like it Hot. Scores of other films would later be credited to Billy Wilder.

He was known for working with some of the all-time greats in motion pictures. Billy worked with Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Jimmy Stewart and many other legendary names.

Wilder received numerous awards for his work including a National Medal of Honor bestowed on him by President Clinton. Billy Wilder was a Hollywood success story. Today, he remains a Hollywood Legend.