Product Details

• Actors: William Holden, Don Taylor, Gloria Swanson, Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn
• Directors: Billy Wilder
• Writers: Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, D.M. Marshman Jr., Donald Bevan, Edmund Trzcinski
• Format: Box set, Black & White, Color, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English, French, German
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 3
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Paramount
• DVD Release Date: November 26, 2002
• Run Time: 342 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00006IUJR
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #39,113 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  #35 in	Movies & TV > Comedy > Comedy Directors > Billy Wilder
  #39 in	Movies & TV > Classics > Classic Directors > Wilder, Billy

• For more information about "Billy Wilder DVD Collection (Sunset Boulevard/Stalag 17/Sabrina)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

This boxed set shows the many moods of director Billy Wilder, from luxurious cynicism to spiky romance. He's teamed up for all three pictures with William Holden, and the two are perfectly tuned to each other's sardonic intelligence. Actually, Holden was a last-minute replacement in Sunset Boulevard, when Montgomery Clift abruptly backed out of the project. Holden plays a hard-luck screenwriter who takes refuge in the home of a deluded silent-movie star (played by Gloria Swanson); we know this because his corpse is telling us the story. The 1950 film is one of the great decayed mansions of Hollywood cinema, a fully imagined look at the souring of the American Dream. And, of course, a poison-pen letter to the movie business--Wilder took pleasure in biting the hand that fed him.

Stalag 17 (1953) won the Best Actor Oscar® for Holden, although it's a less complex piece of work than Sunset Boulevard. It is, however, thoroughly entertaining, with a seamless blend of suspense (who in the POW camp is betraying secrets to the Germans?) and raucous comedy. Sixties-TV fans will quickly spot the similarity with the Bob Crane sitcom Hogan's Heroes. Otto Preminger, himself a director, creates a suave piece of villainy as the German camp commandant. In Sabrina (1954), Holden is a blond, fatuous younger brother to staid businessman Humphrey Bogart--but they both do supporting work to Audrey Hepburn. This is one of her great vehicles, and she inspires Wilder to show more of his romantic side. As the chauffeur's daughter who dreams of mingling with the beautiful people, Hepburn shines in the lush glow of moonlight and "Isn't it Romantic?" and the movie finds a zone of pure pleasure. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars He Left Us Too Soon, November 26, 2002

By	Interplanetary Funksmanship "Swift lippin', e... (Vanilla Suburbs, USA) - See all my reviews

Billy Wilder died earlier this year at 95 years old, and it was still too soon. A shame that Hollywood left him after "Buddy Buddy," to spend the last twenty years of his life pining for a movie production that never came his way.

These three movies represent Wilder in his heydey at Paramount Pictures, and also his three best with William Holden, who was just at home playing it straight or wisecracking. Sure, I'd like to see "The Apartment," and "Some Like It Hot" on this collection, but those were released by United Artists, so those would be released by MGM, not Paramount anyhow.

These three movies really hold their own, even -- or rather, especially -- today. "Sunset Boulevard" is one of the darkest of black comedies, and a really disturbing portrait of Hollywood has-been Norma Desmond and Holden as her kept man screenwriter, who's been hired to bring her out of mothballs. Chilling last line: "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. deMille."

"Stalag 17" is a nice mix of serious war movie interspersed with slapstick humour. Though Holden is great, his supporting cast almost steal the show, especially Sig Ruman as Sergeant Schultz, the camp guard, Otto Preminger as Commandant von Scherbach and Harvey Lembeck and Robert Strauss as the camp cutups, Harry Shapiro and "The Animal."

"Sabrina" is a beautiful portrait of a young Audrey Hepburn, so vivacious and full of wondrous energy. Though she's a bit self-aware in her role, her charm still just carries you away. Holden is in a supporting role here, but Humphrey Bogart comes off as a bit stiff. Really, though, it's Audrey's movie from beginning to end, and the romantic-comedy script by Ernest Lehman and Samuel Taylor has wit and panache.

I own all three movies separately, but this set is worth laying down your Benjamins in one fell swoop.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a DVD collection for the best director of all time, October 2, 2002

By A Customer

Billy Wilder is my cinematic idol. His versatility as a director and as a write is still unmatched. Although these wouldn't all be my choices to include in the collection, I'm still very excited. Sunset Boulevard is one of the most perfect motion pictures of all time. If only the three movies were Sunset Boulevard, Some Like it Hot, and The Apartment, this collection would be perfect. I'll just have to wait until next time. Until then, this will do me just fine.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Folks, hello, this is a *Paramount* collection ..., December 28, 2002

By	S. G. Oles (Venice, CA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

No need to say these are all fine, classic movies,but in response to those who wonder why it doesn't include SOME LIKE IT HOT or THE APARTMENT ... this boxed set is issued by Paramount Pictures. Paramount can't release films made by other studios, so please stop complaining. :-)

I think it's great to have these three films boxed, especially the little-seen STALAG 17.

SOME LIKE IT HOT and THE APARTMENT are available everywhere, so let's be grateful for what Paramount is giving us: the best movies Wilder made at their studio.