Billy Wilder’s Experiential Film Education:

Experience, Reflection, and Experimentation

A dissertation submitted to the

Graduate School

Of the University of Cincinnati

in partial fulfillment of the

requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Philosophy

in the Department of German Studies

of the College of Arts and Sciences

by

Deborah Page

B.A. Ashland University, 1977

M.A. Ohio University, 1979

Committee Chair: Todd Herzog, PhD

July 17, 2018. Abstract

In this dissertation, Billy Wilder: Experience, Reflection, and Experimentation, I use an interdisciplinary approach to investigate Billy Wilder’s early experiences and journalistic writing and compare these to his later screenplays and film aesthetic to provide a rationale for how he learned and developed in his career. Wilder’s journalistic writing at several newspapers in

Vienna and Berlin, and his literary writing highlight the reflections he engaged in. These reflections provide early evidence of his ability in character development and various dramatic structures, as well as his finely developed sense of wit and social satire that are apparent in his films. I have selected films with original screenplays written by Wilder, and two by Wilder and his long-term co-writers Charles Brackett and I.A.L. Diamond, rather than adaptations of existing plays or stories, to illustrate the experimental component of his experiential education.

The theoretical underpinning for this study is David Kolb’s experiential learning model (1984).

This approach gives a new perspective in understanding Billy Wilder’s work and expands the functionality of experiential learning theory.

1

2 Acknowledgements

Heartfelt thanks go to my committee, and especially my advisor, Todd Herzog, for the encouragement and guidance as I worked on this project. I would also like to thank UC Blue

Ash Deans Bardes, Cady-Short-Thompson and Robin Lightner for their personal and professional support.

I am grateful to the Deutsche Kinemathek Archiv in Berlin, Germany and the Filmarchiv

Austria in Vienna for the resources made available to me, without which this dissertation would not be possible.

Special thanks go to family members Irene Burger, Martin Page, and Kristen Page for their patience and loving support.

3 Billy Wilder’s Experiential Film Education: Experience, Reflection, and Experimentation

Table of Contents

Abstract 1

Chapter 1 Introduction 5

Chapter 2 Theoretical Basis 25

Chapter 3 Experiences and Reflection 38

Chapter 4 Active Experimentation 67

Chapter 5 Conclusion 84

Appendices

Appendix 1: Der Teufelsreporter: Zwischentitel 87

Appendix 2: Billy Wilder’s Journalistic Writing in Vienna 104

Works Cited 133

4 Chapter 1 Introduction

Billy Wilder is one of Hollywood’s most successful writers, directors and producers.

Born in Sucha, Galicia in 1906, his Jewish family had moved to Catholic Vienna prior to the outbreak of World War I. Although unable to obtain Austrian citizenship, the family remained and Wilder attended school, completing his Matura, and rather than pursuing additional education as his father wanted, he began to work as a journalist. He sought permission. To report on a traveling jazz group to Berlin, and never returned. Berlin is where he began his film career, which eventually led to Hollywood.

Wilder did receive money from his father for a proposed typing/stenography course, which Wilder used to pay for a storefront window he had broken (Chandler, 30). There were also rumors of a brief sojourn at the University of Vienna to study law, for which there is no evidence, and which Wilder explains as exposes as incorrect (Chandler, 35). Although Wilder did complete the Matura, he is reported to have spent his high school days in movie theaters whenever he could sneak away (Chandler, 34). There is also no evidence that he had any formal training in screenplay writing, directing or producing. The question I investigate is how he learned the skills of observation he later evidences in the characters in his films, how he was able to practice those skills, and how he put his new insights into practice. Using

David Kolb’s experiential learning model (1984), I will discuss the events Wilder experienced as a young man, followed by an explanation of his use of them as he advanced his journalism and literary career. This discussion will provide an explanation for his success in the film making business and form the corpus of his education. The theoretical model includes a series of

5 required components, including experiences, reflection and experimentation. I will discuss

Wilder’s activities in each component.

This study will attempt to discover and define how Billy Wilder obtained both theoretical and skills-based knowledge, given his lack of formal training beyond the Matura. I will begin with a general review of knowledge and learning theory, tracing major developments in history that influenced experiential learning theory. I will present the basic tenets of experiential learning theory, and examine Billy Wilder’s early writing and experiences specifically identifying the work with regard to the kind of development evidenced in it. I propose that

Wilder’s career experiences and journalistic writing form the basis of learning as defined by experiential learning theory. Wilder’s various experiences and published as well as anecdotal writing, along with interviews of him, will be analyzed to illustrate how he obtained the necessary knowledge to create characters, write scenes, and structure three act screenplays.

Finally, an analysis of Wilder’s original screenplays will illustrate the extent of that development.

Although he experienced undisputed success, winning multiple awards over his 50-year film making career, and earning critical positive reviews, scholarship on his work is sparse. For many years, there was limited research into his unique film projects, but recently, interest has expanded to examine the content of his films with critical analyses. Past scholarship can be grouped into several major categories that include biographies, interviews, and film analysis manuscripts and articles. These include analysis of individual or groups of films and Wilder’s role as an emigrant/immigrant film maker. Nearly all of the scholarship on Wilder’s career include personal and biographical information about him, his films and his advice for other film makers, with a significant overlap in all categories.

6

Most previous analysis of Wilder is focused on film analysis, often about an individual film, about a group of films from a specific range of dates, about his comedic, or dramatic films as a group, or about his films as seen in their totality. There is an area of Wilder scholarship that centers on analysis of individual films in which scholars often refer to Wilder’s life experiences that influenced his writing,. The fact that very little is written on screenplay structure and how

Wilder came to learn and apply traditional literary form to his screenplays, I propose that a new way to understand Billy Wilder is through an analysis of his life experiences, and how Wilder’s subsequent activities caused evolved cognition, such that he had the requisite knowledge to be able to succeed in the film business. Wilder’s experiences and journalistic activities are not merely work he completed, but comprise two key components of experiential learning theory.

Everyone, including Wilder, has everyday experiences, but these are not automatically converted to new insights or learning. I will discuss how Wilder’s journalistic and literary writing are the second necessary component of experiential learning theory. I propose that Wilder used his experiences and early writing to play the role of Wilder’s informal education. While Richard

Armstrong (2009) stated that Wilder was a product of the Paramount University training system,

I argue that Wilder had already accumulated a wealth of experiences and had acquired a broad array of writing and filmmaking skills prior to arriving in Hollywood. The model proposed by

Kolb will explain how these previous experiences were key in the experiential model, leading to a more complete explanation of Wilder’s informal education.

Since Wilder did not have any formal training beyond the Matura and can be thought of in a romantic sense as a self-made Hollywood man who happened to be a genius, Kolb’s experiential learning models provide a theoretical framework to explain how Wilder obtained the

7 knowledge he needed to conceptualize his screenplays and later produce and direct pictures. The experiential learning model allows an analysis of how Wilder reflected upon events and knowledge gleaned from them, and how he practiced, and later used these insights in his later screenplays.

Billy Wilder’s life is documented in a series of books and articles that include interviews, biographies or an analysis of one or more of his films within the context of him as an immigrant film maker. It is only by reading all of them that a more complete, and possibly correct representation of Wilder is possible. One will highlight an amusing anecdote, another will provide the background, and yet another will address the repercussions. These documents and manuscripts always highlight Wilder’s keen eye for societal shortcomings, which he served up with wit and satire. Little is written on how Wilder came to learn and apply traditional literary form to his screenplays. Wilder often referred to a three-act structure, the necessity of a hook in

Act 1, clarity and set up for the ending of the story in Act 2, and finally the conclusion. This dramatic structure gets the significant attention, as he routinely commented on the importance of it to avoid major errors in film construction. Where did he gain this knowledge of literary theory? In what is one of the definitive later interviews of Wilder by Volker Schlöndorff and

Hellmuth Karasek, Billy Wilder, wie haben Sie’s gemacht? (1998), the now mature film maker speaks in German with his German biographer and a young German film maker as the equals they are, addressing his underlying theories of filmmaking and writing, and of course, including anecdotes.

I propose that a new way to understand Billy Wilder is through an understanding and compilation of his life experiences, how Wilder’s subsequent activities caused reflective critical thinking and experimentation, such that he had the requisite new insights and knowledge to be

8 able to extrapolate from those experiences into screenplays and to succeed in the film business.

These experiences are not merely facts and impressions that he filed away, they comprise a key component and necessary stage of what is now known as experiential learning theory. In addition, there is very little analysis of his writing and how the various written works relate to his films. I will discuss how Wilder’s journalistic and literary writing are a necessary component of experiential learning theory, following his experiences.

To gain perspective on how Wilder has been received, and how his work has been explained and analyzed, I found that there are five basic areas of scholarship on Wilder’s life and work, listed in the order of frequency:

1. Film analysis, including his status as an émigré of one or more films

2. Personal Interviews

3. Biographies

4. Reviews of individual films

5. Compilations of early writing

The largest category of scholarship includes books and articles that analyze Wilder’s various films within the context of him as an immigrant film maker. Some in this category also include biographical information but are not structured as biographies. Seen together, these books offer a panoramic snapshot of Wilder’s earliest experiences in their anecdotes.

Neil Sinyard and Adrian Turner (1979) deal with Wilder’s films in thematic groups.

Themes include Isn’t it Romantic?, Fraternisation is Legal, It’s on the Diners Club, Hi! I’m

Daphne, A Woman’s Two-Face, and We All Have Occasional Failures. The tone of the book is a cross between serious scholarship and material for the fan audience. The filmography merely lists selected European and American films with no additional notes beyond the persons involved

9 in the making of the film. The German translation of this book, Billy Wilders Filme, published one year later, contains additional information. In addition, the German version includes a biography by Heinz-Gerd Rasner (1980), an extensive filmography by Reinhard Wulff (2012) , a bibliography by Frank Arnold (1980), and a conversation/interview with Wilder by Rasner and

Wulff.

Maurice Zolotow (1977) compiled a book of anecdotes based on interviews with Wilder and tied the anecdotes to Wilder’s professional life and film. While Zolotow offers no clear trajectory defining how Wilder developed his abilities in storytelling, character development and script structuring, he does acknowledge that Wilder had unique experiences. He includes a telegram exchange between Wilder and Arthur Miller, demanding an apology for Wilder’s negative comments in an interview about the difficulties of working with Marilyn Monroe

(Zolotow, 265-267). The filmography included is complete but skeletal, containing only title, year, film company as well as list of names for director, producer, screenplay writer and cast.

Richard Armstrong (1970) discussed and analyzed fifteen of Wilder’s Hollywood films, each approximately 6-10 pages of description including some analysis. It is a collection of critical reviews of individual films, their genesis, all tied together with an introduction.

Armstrong stated that “Wilder was a graduate of the ‘university’ of Paramount, a studio renowned for the Continental look of its product” (Armstrong, 2). Armstrong does not explain what the “university of Paramount” might have had as the components making up its curriculum, or how it might have influenced Wilder’s later efforts. Armstrong also discusses Wilder’s fondness for Europe as the backdrop for many of Wilder’s films. Although Armstrong stated that

Wilder was a product of the so-called Paramount University in reality, Wilder had already

10 accumulated a wealth of experiences by his time at Paramount and had acquired broad writing and filmmaking skills.

Tom Wood (1970) is an anecdotal account of Wilder, the actors he worked with an array of Wilder quotes. This book is a popular book written for Wilder’s many fans rather than a serious scholarly work. The forward provides a conversation Wood had with Wilder about the topic of the book Wood wanted to write. Wilder was not always a willing interviewee, and he suggested to Wood that he “Make it three volumes: WHO I WAS? HOW I BECAME WHAT I

AM? And WHO THE HELL AM I NOW?” (Wood, i). Wood uses these spunky questions as the basis of his book. The chapter format is not necessarily tied to any one of these questions; rather, each chapter discusses at least one and often more than one of Wilder’s films to illuminate topics such as Wilder’s work ethic, his ability to joke with friends and foes, his work with collaborators, or some other minor point of information from his life.

Ed Sikov (1998) debunks several of the myths of Billy Wilder, e.g., when and why they moved from Krakow to Vienna (1912) and Wilder’s supposed enrollment in Law at the

University of Vienna. He deduces the year the Wilder family moved from Krakow to Vienna from logic, such as the use of hotels and the lack of matriculation at the University Vienna, a fact that was often stated as fact. Wilder was supposedly a student at the university for one semester, but which is debunked by Wilder’s own admission to Charlotte Chandler (2002). However,

Sikov makes an argument that Wilder had a propensity for creating stories, about himself and others, that combine a bit of fact or reality with a bit of fiction and embellishment. He implies that these stories could be one way that Wilder created and re-created himself for others. Sikov

11 identifies Wilder’s co-workers at Die Stunde and Die Bühne1 served as mentors who “taught him to create atmosphere…[and] to write in a breezy but elegant style” (Sikov, 22). Sikov also cites the importance of Wilder’s notebooks, where he recorded any clever characters or ideas that could be used at some point, another aspect of experiential learning.

Michael Hanisch (2004) analyzes the manner in which various key events influenced

Wilder and how he incorporated these experiences into his screenplays, One such event that

Wilder experienced during the filming of Hold Back the Dawn (1941), directed by Mitchell

Leisen and starring Charles Boyer. Charles Brackett and Wilder wrote a scene so that Boyer’s character would be having a conversation with a cockroach to exemplify the sad state of his life at that point in the story, one that may have its origin in Wilder’s own stay in a cheap hotel in

Mexico. However, Leisen, together with Boyer, rewrote the scene and eliminated the conversation as Boyer felt it was beneath him personally to talk with a cockroach (Hanisch, 7-8).

Hanisch notes that this change in the script irritated Wilder so much that one year later, Wilder directed his first film in Hollywood to ensure he would have the control needed regarding the scripts he wrote so carefully with his writing partners (Hanisch, 8). Hanisch also cites early experiences that influenced Wilder’s later work, such as a Stundenhotel, and its steady traffic of prostitutes and their clients that he could see from his classroom, interviews with famous

Viennese people, and his work as an Eintänzer, and how these many experiences when taken together, form the building blocks in his long memory (Hanisch, 15-16). The Eintänzer, translated as dancer for hire, taxi dancer, tea dancer, or gigolo, often depending on the particular kind of service request by the (usually) older wealthy women resulted in one of Wilder first

1 Die Stunde began publishing in Vienna in 1923. Die Bühne began publishing in 1924. The selections discussed are from the compilation of Billy Wilder’s journalistic efforts in “Billie.” Billy Wilders Wiener journalistische Arbeiten (Aurich et al, 2006).

12 longer articles, Herr Ober, bitte einen Tänzer. Aus dem Leben eines Eintänzers (Wilder, 1927 in

Aurich et al, 107-120). Gene Phillips (2010) writes that Wilder merely posed as a dancer-for- hire, rather than his needing the income this work would have provided, in order to write a series of articles on gigolos, and certainly not engaging in the extra-curricular bedding of wealthy older ladies (Phillips, 4).

The second category of scholarship includes several volumes and brief articles featuring personal interviews with Wilder. Some of these are from a professional film maker’s viewpoint to record an oral history, and others from a more personal one, intended for the general public and film enthusiast’s consumption.

Billy Wilder’s reflections on his own work are recorded in the many interviews that have been published, both as articles and manuscripts. Glenn Hopp’s Billy Wilder: The Complete

Films (2003) begins with Wilder’s emigration from Europe to America, concentrating on the films in which Wilder had increasingly more influence. He devotes only two pages to Wilder’s visual style, using four photographs from The Apartment to illustrate Wilder’s statement about his style, “I shoot it elegantly” (Hopp, 146). Representative of this category of scholarship, the book does contain hundreds of photos and images, from on-set images to stills and posters. A full page is dedicated to perhaps one of the most iconic shots from The Seven Year Itch (1955), that of Marilyn Monroe with Wilder standing over a subway grating, her white dress billowing up to reveal her legs and undergarments. The filmography is incomplete, containing only those films after his 1933 emigration, but features the advertising posters, even some as they appeared in other countries. Hopp does include a bibliography of articles and books written about Wilder and his films, providing a good starting point for avid fans.

13 Cameron Crowe’s Conversations with Wilder (1999) is another coffee table style book filled with images taken during filming, as well as still shots from Wilder’s films. These are arranged around the twists and turns of a series of circular interviews that Crowe had with

Wilder, who apparently only consented to the conversations under duress. Crowe admits in the

Introduction that he lay in wait to meet up with Wilder more than once, and that Wilder didn’t really want anyone to write a book about him, as he felt those books had too many errors and were boring (Crowe, xvii). The value of this book is that Wilder is quoted directly in the interviews, and the interviews comprise the lion’s share of the text. Occasionally, Crowe provides a paragraph or two of contextualization for the conversation. Highlights of this work include Wilder’s Rules for Writers:

1. The audience is fickle.

2. Grab ‘em by the throat and never let ‘em go.

3. Develop a clean line of action for your leading character.

4. Know where you’re going

5. The more subtle and elegant you are in hiding your plot points, the better you are

as a writer.

6. If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.

7. A tip from Lubitsch: Let the audience add up two plus two. They’ll love you

forever.

8. In doing voice-overs, be careful not to describe what the audience already sees.

Add to what they are seeing.

9. The event that occurs at the second-act curtain triggers the end of the movie.

14 10. The third act must build, build, build in tempo and action until the last even, and

then—

11. –that’s it. Don’t hang around (357).

These rules provide evidence that Wilder spent reflecting on what works best in film making, and specifically key elements of a screenplay. Wilder poignantly admits to Crowe that he wished he had made a film about Berlin’s Romanisches Café, where he came in contact regularly with the literary leaders of the time, as well as actors and others in filmmaking, and where he worked with his young colleagues while creating Menschen am Sonntag (1930). The experiences and his later reflection led Wilder to state that he had wanted to create a film about his experiences in the café, but “then I got sidetracked. It was never captured in film, this feeling. It was home” (Crowe, 196). Such a film project would have provided valuable insights into how the literary culture of the cafê influenced his work.

Crowe also encouraged Wilder to talk about his work with collaborators, citing that even though Wilder always worked with one, he finds that “the scripts all have a single, idiosyncratic voice” (141). Wilder reminisces about he actually worked with I.A.L. Diamond, and how they would both write at the same time, then compare and discuss until they reached agreement.

Diamond would then type the script and Wilder would correct it. He also elaborated on how and why they leave the third act to be completed during filming as a way to not just put off the difficult work of writing, but as a way to accommodate the actors and their unique abilities, or lack of them, and of course, to avoid unwanted studio and censors’ changes (41).

Billy Wilder Interviews is a collection of 19 interviews, each by a different person, and provides insight into Wilder’s philosophy of film, his screenplay writing process, his directing style, as well as his personality (Horton, 2002). This book includes a chronology of Wilder’s life

15 from his birth in 1906 to 1998, when four of his films were included on the American Film

Institute’s list of 100 greatest American movies. The filmography includes only those films filmed in exile/as an immigrant, and none of his European films. The interviews contain many direct quotes that provide insight into Wilder’s life, thought processes, and filming practices.

Several of them are interpreted and contextualized by the person who held the interview and some are presented in the traditional reported Q&A format.

Max Wilk (2004) includes a report of a brief one-hour meeting with Wilder, where

Wilder talks about the difficulties the immigrant actors, directors and screenwriters faced while working in Hollywood. Besides the language and studio politics, there was the difficulty of adjusting to living in perfectly sunny southern California after having lived in Central and

Eastern Europe. Turning back the clock to the mid-1930’s, Wilk allows Wilder to reminisce, and

Wilder’s wit becomes instantly apparent. He relates oft-told and reported stories about meeting and receiving money for a screenplay from Herr Galitzenstein, of Maxim Studios in Berlin, when he was forced to sneak out of a girl’s room to avoid her husband. Wilder definitely had the upper hand when he pitched a new story to Galitzenstein, who instantly bought the story to ensure that Wilder would be a “silent” partner and not cause problems. Wilder shares his insight into the requisite training, especially when an established writer attempted screenplay writing.

He also talks about the additional difficulty the immigrant screenwriter faced with regard to language, and sums up the dilemma with “People do not realize writing a film is very difficult.

They do not realize that you must serve your internship, that you must develop a feel for it. And additionally, you have to learn the mechanics! …It is a craft that has to be learned!” (Wilk, 159).

This insight illustrates Wilder’s reflection on his own reflective writing, and that he recognized that his experiences were an apprenticeship,

16 There is one film of the elderly Wilder, comprised of a Wilder interview, Billy Wilder

Speaks, (Gisela Drischow and Volker Schlöndorff, 2006). Although it was released after

Wilder’s death, it provides an engaging view of Wilder. In this film, narrated by Jack Lemmon, who was one of Wilder’s favorite actors and who appeared in many of his films, Wilder speaks extensively of the importance of his notebook for recording people, places, and ideas; the process he followed to develop a screenplay; and the importance of the three-act structure, specifically the all-important second act as the set up for the third act’s climax and resolution.

James Linville, in an interview for the Paris Review (1996), asked Wilder whether one of the reasons he became a director was to protect his scripts. Wilder responded that it was indeed one of the reasons, and that he did not set out to become a director, rather he “just wanted to protect the script…It’s not that I had a vision or theory I wanted to express as a director; I had no signature or style, except for what I learned from when I was working with Lubitsch and from analyzing his pictures—to do things as elegantly and as simply as possible” (Linville, 70). In this interview, Wilder also admitted he had a black book with ideas, dialogue fragments, ideas, characters, settings, and boy-meets-girl possibilities (Linville, 54).

Wilder added to information about his writing practices in this interview, namely that he and his co-writer “would discuss everything, the picture as a whole, the curtain situations – first act, second act and then the end of the picture – and the curtain lines. Then we would break it down and go to a specific scene and discuss the mood and so forth, then we’d figure out what bit of the story we’d tell in those ten pages of the scene” (Linville,59). This process is similar to the one Robert McKee states is the one used by successful writers, the “step outline” (McKee, 1997,

412-417), in his screenwriting tutorial.

17 The third category of research is biography, again either professional or personal.

Popular film-based biographies are numerous, and reflect the influence Wilder had on popular culture. Charlotte Chandler’s biography, Nobody’s Perfect. Billy Wilder: A Personal Biography

(2002) is the result of working with Wilder. It is as close to an autobiography as might exist, given Wilder’s cooperation. However, it is intended for Wilder’s fans, and is seen through

Chandler’s romantic Hollywood lens, the same one she brought to works on other Hollywood celebrities. The back cover states, “This revealing and vastly entertaining book is a wonderful, timely tribute to this great writer-director,” highlighting the entertainment focus of the book. She describes his childhood, time spent in Vienna and Berlin, his émigré status in the U.S., and the unfolding and successfully Hollywood legend he became. As intended, this is an entertaining book and not intended to be a scholarly study of Wilder’s work. It captures the excitement of the life of a successful Hollywood writer, director, and producer much as entertainment networks focus on current Hollywood figures. Chandler’s filmography is complete for his films made in the USA, but skeletal in information for the same reasons already listed.

Wilder’s childhood and adult experiences are well documented in the biographies as well as in interviews as well as numerous newspaper and film publications). In her biography of

Wilder, Chandler emphasizes that Wilder’s first exposure to America came from his mother’s fascination (Chandler, 19), and that his earliest experiences in life included being the Galician outsider in Vienna (Chandler, 23). She posits that he recalled very early events and experiences that would eventually work their way into his subsequent films. One example is that the two white roses put into the coffin in Fedora (1978) were a reenactment of the funeral of the

Emperor Franz Joseph I, an event that was one of his first in Vienna, and especially poignant as

Crown Prince Otto was the same age as he was (Chandler, 25). In these interviews with

18 Chandler, Wilder confesses that he always knew he would go to America (Chandler, 53), and that after Menschen am Sonntag (1930) was released by UFA, Hollywood was his goal.

Hellmuth Karasek’s Billy Wilder: Eine Nahaufnahme (2006) is a more in-depth, complete, and serious biography. Karasek’s work begins to approach a scholarly study of

Wilder’s work and highlights the influence of several men on Wilder as well as Wilders working relationships with several men (Ernst Lubitsch, Howard Hawks, Sam Spiegel, Erich von

Stroheim, Raymond Chandler, Charlie Chaplin, Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis, and Charles

Laughton). In addition, he discusses Wilder’s working relationships with his leading women

(Greta Garbo, Jean Arthur, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe). This lengthy biography limits itself to discussions about individual affairs, films and events that would appear in the

Hollywood newspapers, using the theme of Wilder’s wit and social satire as a red thread that connects all of the various contacts. Karasek provides a close study of the person, not necessarily one of his work. The annotated filmography is one of the most extensive on Wilder’s work. Karasek also includes a letter exchange between Steven Spielberg and Billy Wilder, where Spielberg thanks Wilder as the inspiration for the screenplay of Schindler’s List (1993) as well as for filming techniques. Wilder calls Spielberg’s film a Meisterwerk and asks that

Stephen’s letter to him be read at his funeral, with no other speeches, music or flowers.

Karasek also gives a broad combination of analysis and interview of Wilder’s life and work. He describes how Wilder and Paramount ended their relationship when Paramount executives requested Wilder change the nationality of the spy from German to Polish in Stalag

17 (1953) for screening in German theaters. Wilder refused, on the ground that his mother, grandmother and stepfather had been killed by Nazis, at Auschwitz and he would not make a change to make German audiences feel better (Karasek, 372).

19 There is no shortage of biographies of Wilder, but many contradict each other on even basic facts such that it is difficult to definitely state what happened when in his private life.

Wilder contradicts himself, he tells different interviewers different stories, inventing a different story line but based on actual experiences. I propose he approached his life as a script undergoing constant revision, adding events, then repeating them until they entered the general mythos of what has been recorded as his life. In doing so, his life story became fluid, much as his scripts were drafts and often finalized on the set.

Ed Sikov (1998) includes a detailed biography, and attempts to find the truth, rather than accepting the myth. He traces Wilder’s experiences as a “daredevil” reporter, theater reviewer, and interviewer, along with the fact that he was paid only when something was printed, as having helped him learn “to be pragmatic, understanding that he had to connect with both his readership and his bank account,” and how the experiences in their entirety that provided the training

Wilder could rely on when he began to work in the filmmaking business (Sikov, 20), stressing the idea of experience as impetus for further success. Sikov also posits that the many experiences

Wilder had, such as interviewing the Tiller Girls on their arrival in Vienna, as well as other interviews of well-known people, were generally input that “Billie filed…away for future reference” (Sikov, 28).

Sikov also writes that one of the reasons Wilder may not have wanted any books written about him was because he “wants his biography to be as original as his movies” (Sikov, 23).

Evidence that he wanted a biography bigger than his actual life can be found in his early claims to have interviewed Ferenc Molnar, Richard Strauss, Arthur Schnitzler, Alfred Adler and

Sigmund Freund all in one day, something he maintained in various reports until he admitted in

20 1990 that it did not really happen that way, further supporting that his life was a series of themes and variations on them, with less attention paid on inconsistencies (23).

The fourth area of scholarship includes reviews of Wilder’s films, most frequently his

Hollywood ones. Taken together, these reviews establish a philosophical viewpoint to understand the man and his work, or perhaps to place the film within the greater field of film studies. This area of scholarship on Wilder’s work includes a limited number of master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, journal articles and book chapters, as well as a major work. In this literary scholarship, individual films and film groups are analyzed for theme, metaphor, filmic style, problems of modernity, or character development. These have been based on Wilder’s major screenplays and films. The most significant of these was Gerd Gemünden’s Filmemacher mit

Akzent: Billy Wilder in Hollywood (2006) and its English translation, A Foreign Affair: Billy

Wilder’s American Films (2008). Gemünden’s manuscript can be considered as the major scholarly work on Wilder to date, providing a clear argument with regard to the politics of the

Hollywood in the 1940s and subsequent decades. The monograph takes a more philosophical- analytical stance of Wilder’s films. Gemünden uses Theodor Adorno’s thesis of cultural shift

(Horkheimer and Adorno, 1947) as the basis for his argument that Wilder’s work is located in the space between his European heritage and his adopted American life, a space he utilizes to introduce topics that would otherwise not be acceptable, e.g., homoerotic relationships between men, societal ills such as alcoholism and aging, and WWII and people’s survival. Gemünden uses a selection of five of Wilder’s American films (Double Indemnity,1944; A Foreign Affair,

1948; Sunset Boulevard, 1950; Fedora, 1978; Some Like it Hot, 1959; The Apartment, 1960; and The Private Live of Sherlock Holmes, 1970). The filmography is complete and annotated, and the text is rich with endnotes.

21 Gemünden highlights out the similarities between Wilder and Adorno to justify his choice. Adorno and Wilder were both Jewish, both exiled, both based in Weimar tradition, both trying to explain the world during/after WWII (Gemünden, 2008, 134) and that both were criticizing the same problematic areas of American culture (Gemünden, 2008, 51.)

If Adorno saw mass culture as leading to a culture of suppression/during his own exile in

Hollywood, likened it to the downfall of Weimar culture, and became more pessimistic with regard to the forces in culture and modernity, i.e., the loss of “high” culture, Wilder searched for a way to bridge this gap, not mourn it, with a resulting mix of high with popular culture

(Gemünden, 2008, 9). The space between high and low culture is one that Wilder resides in happily, tackling serious topic with (usually) just enough irony/cynicism/slapstick to be able to appeal to a larger audience (than gloom and doom predictions). Gemünden writes that “Wilders

Werk besitzt eine entschieden transkulturelle Dimension, die sich aus den sehr unterschiedlichen

Sensibilitäten zweier Kulturkreise speist.” (Gemünden, 2006, 2) and that “sein Kino [ist] ein

“cinema of in-between,” das die Dialektik von Insider und Outsider hervorhebt, die Dialektik des

Grenzüberschreitenden, Fluiden und Temporären, von sozialen Aufstiegs- und

Abstiegsmöglichkeiten, von Eliten- und Trivialkultur.” (Gemünden, 2006, 28). Is

Wilder a German emigrant film maker, one of many who left Europe for Hollywood in the 1920s and 1930s? Robert Dassanowsky (2013) finds that Wilder was an outsider in Vienna and Berlin, but that once he is in Hollywood, he is cast as the émigré and recast as a “cynical American

Realist” (2013, 1). He further finds that Wilder was never able to cast off his feelings for

Austria, based on his early experiences where he did not fit into the Catholic imperial society, and that only Berlin left a lasting impression on his work (Dassanowsky, 2008, 7). I argue that

Wilder’s early experiences did not leave some amorphous impression on him, one that he was

22 unable to cast off. Rather, I argue that these early experiences were key in the formation of his thoughts and eventual presentation of characters in settings and contributed to his ongoing education. I further propose that Wilder’s work is truly between two continents (Europe and

North America), two cultures (German/Austrian and North American), two languages (German and English), two political systems (fascism and democracy). He inhabited and worked in both cultural and geophysical systems without exhibiting fractures, and able to move easily between them, belonging to both but not wholly to anyone. Gemünden states that understanding Wilder means understanding how a person moves from one to another culture, in exile, and how he is able to adapt his message. The ability to move among cultures, and to function seamlessly in both is an indicator of a highly developed level of intercultural development (Hammer, 1989).

The fifth and smallest area includes those works in which Wilder’s early journalistic writings are compiled, as well as Wilder’s publications in literary magazines. Several of Wilder’s short stories for the Feuilletons are also included in the compilations. Andreas Hutter and Klaus

Kamolz’s Billie Wilder: Eine europäische Karriere (2006) touches briefly on Wilder’s youth in

Galicia and Vienna, moves to a description of his professional life as a reporter and UFA screenplay writer, ending with his exile in Paris, where Wilder spent one year and made his directorial debut, prior to emigration to the US, before introducing Wilder’s published works.

The biography, based on Hutter’s own Magisterarbeit, is much more scholarly in nature than others, in that the details of Wilder’s professional life in Europe are explicated. The filmography is limited to European films, as would be expected, and includes ratings and the dates the films were censored. Hutter and Kamolz include an extensive bibliography of primary, secondary and general literature. This is a collection of his actual journalistic work, as well as his film-related work, but does not address relationships between the two.

23 Klaus Siebenhaar’s Billy Wilder. Der Prinz von Wales geht auf Urlaub (1996) is a compilation of Wilder’s journalistic and other writing while Wilder was living in Berlin as a young man (1926-1933). This book contains the longer version of his serial articles sent back to his (at that time still) employing newspapers in Vienna. These reflective pieces were based on his own experiences in Berlin, including his work as an Eintänzer in the Hotel Eden, as well as the difficulties he faced trying to establish a career in the city. In these longer pieces, Wilder begins to show evidence of deeper reflection, and initial implementation of film structure.

In this dissertation, I will present a different type of scholarly investigation on Wilder and his work, namely that his efforts were informed by his childhood and young adult experiences, that he engaged in formal reflection on them as part of his journalistic work, and that he utilized insights gained in his screenplays.

24

Chapter 2 Theoretical Basis

To understand how Wilder used these experiences, reflections through journalistic writing and experimentation in his later screenplays can be understood, the field of knowledge acquisition and learning theory are useful. This topic has been one of great interest among philosophers. Modern discourse begins with Kant’s definition of the Enlightenment, Was ist

Aufklärung? (1784), where the individual has the responsibility to be courageous and use one’s own cognitive ability to advance one’s understanding and knowledge. Kant thus established the norm for all education being based on the individual’s personal agency in engaging in self- initiated activities to become educated. Learning theorists have often traced interest in the discipline to Kant’s statement where the individual is responsible for learning. Teaching then becomes the guidance of the desire to learn.

The question for later learning theorists expands upon Kant’s definition to the methodology used as the basis for how one acquires knowledge. Twentieth-Century thought on this topic includes a number of educational and psychological theorists who focused on childhood learning: physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1927) and his experiments in illustrating classical conditioning, psychologist and social philosopher B. F. Skinner’s (1948) extension of that to include positive and negative rewards in operant conditioning. Constructivist psychologist and educator Jean Piaget (1936) focused on how people make meaning, psychologist Lev Vygotsky

(1978) placed emphasis on interpersonal, cultural connections as the basis for the development of critical thinking skills, philosopher and psychologist John Dewey (1938) applied pragmatism to understand learning.

25 More recent learning style theorists include educational theorist David Kolb with his model of the experiential learning cycle (1984) and psychologist Howard Gardner with his concept of multiple intelligences (1991). The wide range of disciplines concerned with the issue highlight the importance in modern thought to discern and describe how people learn.

The 20th century growth of the field of psychology provided an additional impetus for learning theory. Learning theory based in the discipline of psychology had a parallel in the field of education. The early education psychologist Piaget was most concerned with education and development of children, especially three themes: reason, nature and progress (Kitchener, 72). In

Piaget’s terms, children begin to learn by interacting with objects, usually touching or holding them. Children are engulfed in experiences, and also actively seek them out. He concludes that

“perception itself does not consist in a mere recording of sensorial data but includes an active organization in which decisions and preferences intervene” (Piaget, 87). He also traces the development of higher order thinking, noting that “reflecting abstraction,” is the kind of abstraction that “always implies the ‘reflection’ on a higher level of whatever is derived from a lower level” (Piaget, 90).

John Dewey is perhaps the most influential learning theorist in progressive American education. In the chapter titled The Need of a Theory of Experience. in his brief book,

Experience and Education, originally published in 1938, he states that “all genuine education comes about through experience,” but that this “does not mean that that all experiences are genuinely or equally educative,” and that “experience and education cannot be directly equated to each other” (Dewey, 1977, 25). Dewey recognized that everyone has experiences, but that learning has further requirements. He presents various types of bad encounters, some where the experience makes a person so unhappy or there is boring repetitiveness, experiences that lead to

26 carelessness and laziness, others where experiences are too random or unconnected or where rote memorization does not require any critical thinking leading to boredom (Dewey, 26-27). These examples of bad experiences are contrasted with good ones, where, regardless of whether the experience is pleasurable or not, it definitely influences learning (Dewey, 27). While it is true that Dewey was writing this as a foundation for progressive schools, he does not specifically limit his theory to a classroom, stressing instead intellectual organization and empiricism.

Dewey discusses the experiential continuum, and was more concerned with creating an educated democratic populace, but his theory about experiences that form a meaningful continuum of learning can be applied to understand Billy Wilder’s education. Thus, using

Dewey’s terminology, Wilder had experiences, some pleasant and some not so pleasant, wrote articles for a variety of magazines and newspapers, then eventually used the knowledge of observation and writing purposefully to create screenplays and a unique aesthetic for language and film. Dewey describes the formation of purpose as

“a rather complex intellectual operation. It involves

(1) observation of surrounding conditions;

(2) knowledge of what has happened in similar situations in the past, a knowledge

obtained partly by recollections and partly from the information, advice and

warning of those who have had a wider experience; and

(3) judgment which puts together what is observed and what is recalled to see

what they signify” (Dewey, 69).

I ascertain that the first is necessary as an impetus for the majority of action required to lead to knowledge acquisition. Benjamin Bloom’s definition of levels of cognitive though also place this at the lowest level in his taxonomy (1956-64). Both Dewey and Bloom place the

27 second point automatically at a higher level of cognitive thought, requiring comprehension to be able to compare and recall similar or contrasting skills. However, the third, judgment, and the inferred reflection needed to arrive at judgment, requiring the highest level of cognition is the highest level for both Bloom and Dewey, and is required to change the individual’s acquisition of knowledge.

David Kolb: Experiential Learning Model

David Kolb, citing the influence and similarities of Dewey, Kurt Lewin, Jean Piaget and

Lev Vygotsky developed a model for explaining experiential learning based on his research and their previous work (Kolb, 1984, xi). He begins his explanation of the model by defining experiential learning as a cyclical process, one, “ that links education, work and personal development (4). Kolb’s model offers a way to explain the importance of practical and co- operative learning experiences in formal education and explains how adults learn outside of the traditional classroom model. I propose that his model provides a useful framework for analyzing

Wilder’s experiences, journalistic writing, and films to define how he acquired the knowledge, insights, and ability to write, produce and direct films successfully. The model also provides a theoretical basis for understanding how a person’s life experiences, coupled with reflection and systematic testing and practice of a skill can indeed be the basis of education, specifically the cyclical framework of experience, reflection as a means of arriving at a truth, and testing that idea in practice, as well as refinement through repeated reflection and testing.

Simply having an experience is not sufficient in Kolb’s model to ensure learning occurs.

Everyone has experiences every day, which are not always followed directly by new learning. In order for new learning to occur, this model shows that there must be structured reflection,

28 followed by active experimentation using the insights gained. The process provides the continuum Dewey described as necessary, and is additionally supported by recent studies, most notably those concerned with the teaching of intercultural development. One example is Melanie

Tervalon and Jann Murray-García who argue for the importance of structured reflection in achieving a higher level of intercultural competence termed cultural humility that leads to a

“lifelong commitment to self-evaluation and critique” (124).

Formal co-operative education is based on many of these same principles. It is partially experiential learning, but includes vocational training, melding the two areas to train students in a specific career and provide them the kinds of professional contacts needed for their future professions. This process keeps career training within an educational context, much like apprenticeships for technical careers. Experiential education today subscribes to the expected practical component, but also includes a component of reflection. It is important to guide reflection, rather than asking a student to “reflect on your experiences.” Since formal reflection is difficult, and not something most students will engage in unless prompted, the structure of the prompt becomes increasingly important. In his edited text, that is used in many experiential and co-operative programs, Marius Wessels (2005) presents a series of structured reflective questions for students to consider and write about before, during, and following an experiential learning placement (154-185). I propose that the model’s requisite structured reflection can be inferred from Wilder’s journalistic writing. In this writing, if an interview, he needed to reflect prior to the experience to develop interview questions, have the experience of the interview, then reflect on how to best present the information to readers. Editing and review by himself and editors at the newspapers would follow prior to publication. In the case of a play review or unexpected or everyday experience, Wilder may have not needed to prepare for the content, but the same

29 reflective process for writing and editing would follow. In this way, the writing process moved him along Bloom’s taxonomy to a higher cognitive level which leads to learning.

Experiential learning theory has been used to understand the role of experience in internships, study abroad and organizational leadership. While the theory was developed and used extensively in the late 20th century, interest in it continues. This case study begins nearer to the beginning of the 20th century, well before the theory as we understand it today was formalized. Theories often evolve from a series of events that are examined closely to understand life. A resulting theoretical model is often judged on how well it allows the present and future to be explained and understood, However, I posit that its strength is also how well it can be applied to unique situations in the past, allowing a fresh understanding and ordering of past experiential learning. I draw on primary sources from learning theory in education, psychology, and professional settings to illustrate how the soundness of the theory allows it to be applied in reverse to a topic not yet included in the traditional corpus of experiential theory research when first proposed. This dissertation focuses on one man’s experiences and development, with the results strengthening and advancing the applicability and cogency of experiential learning theory by using a case study.

Kolb writes that when experiential learning theory is applied to adult development,

“stability and change in life paths are seen as resulting from the interaction between internal personality dynamics and external social forces…,” namely that people choose an environment where they see evidence of their own personal characteristics (143). Support for this point is found in the fact that Wilder sought out work in journalism in Vienna, manipulated a situation to get to Berlin, continued his journalistic career there, focused on getting into the film business,

30 and supplemented it with increasingly more complex, more screenplay-related writing until he was able to land writing contracts with UFA (Universum Film-Aktien Gesellschaft).

Kolb defines learning as a “process whereby knowledge is created through the transformation of experience” (38) and describes experiential learning as a holistic and “central process of human adaptation to the social and physical environment,” one that is a “function of dialectic tensions between basic modes of relating to the world” (31). Kolb’s definition and explanation provide insights in the manner in which Wilder adapted to and made sense of his world experiences. As a self-described misfit and outsider, Wilder is able to make sense, via the reflection in writing scenarios and articles, to fully explore the insights gained about the dialectic tension between individual and society. He is able to see and explain both sides.

Kolb also explains that not everyone progresses the same, or even passes through a series of identical stages (39). He stresses that there is a transformation process, along with a self- regulation process that leads to learning, and that it is based on internal cognitive processes that follow experiences and culminate in active experimentation, here the making of a screenplay and directing/producing a film. [See Illustration 1). The illustration below shows the structural dimensions that form the basis for Kolb’s model of experiential learning, and the corresponding types of knowledge that occur.

Concrete Experienc e

Active Experiential Reflective Experime Learning Observati ntation Cycle on

Reflection /Abstract Conceptua lization

Illustration Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle (based on Kolb, 1984)

31 This illustration identifies experience, reflection, conceptualization and active experimentation as the main components of the processes of experiential learning. Knowledge is achieved through engagement at each step, i.e., by concrete experience through the lens of individual intention, the transformation that occurs with reflection, and when knowledge is examined and beginning experimentation of abstract concepts. There is experience, but it must be followed by some transformation in the individual to develop into knowledge able to be used appropriately (44).

Kolb states that the cycle should be viewed as a continuous spiral, but where the evidence of learning is application to new situations. Each application is a test, which can either allow the knowledge to be confirmed and expanded upon or found faulty and changed. The multiple phases are key, since an individual’s experience or ability to comprehend an abstract by itself is insufficient to produce learning. Similarly, transformation through either active experimentation or reflective observation is also insufficient. Rather, both the grasping of knowledge and acting upon it are required (42).

As a writer, Wilder must first know his subject, then write and engage in the editing process such that the experience being described is internalized. The many professional assignments Wilder has when working as a journalist, and the required writing assignment, namely the characters described and developed in Wilder’s articles, are indeed the reflection necessary to comprehend the usefulness of that knowledge. Then, the later component in the model of experimentation that solidifies the knowledge can be understood as insights into how

Wilder developed characters, highlighted certain types of situations, and favorite topics in screenplays within a formal three-act structure.

Another experiential learning model provides insights into how Wilder was able to use his movement from Sucha, Galicia to Hollywood, California to inform his later screenplays.

32 Illustration 2 shows an alternate concept of intercultural perspective described by Angela Scarino and Anthony Liddicoat (2009).

Illustration 2

(Scarino and Liddicoat, 2009)

Scarino and Liddicoat place intercultural development within the scope of second language acquisition, and also include reflection a key component in the model. Studies in intercultural development emphasize the continuum from no knowledge of other cultures to the ability to move among and within various cultures. Using structured reflection, a person is asked to examine and analyze aspects and practices of other cultures and arrive at a new insight or behavior (e.g., Hammer, 1989; Tervalon and Murray-García, 1998). Their model incorporates not only cultural aspects related to language learning, e.g., comparing two cultures and interaction with others in addition to noticing (experience) and reflection on it. As Wilder was learning another language, and other cultures, (Vienna, Berlin, Paris and the Hollywood,) during this process, this model provides another basis for understanding Wilder’s development.

33 Scarino and Liddicoat’s model also incorporates components of noticing and reflection, but includes a separate level for comparing and interacting, as illustrated above. A person notices, or experiences something, then compares that experience with a different, perhaps native, culture, then reflects on the difference(s) before interacting with people in the new culture, in effect testing or experimenting on the results of the new conceptual belief about the culture and/or language. The aspect of language is an important component, especially as Wilder worked in languages other than his native one, and in very different social settings over the course of his career. Wilder’s movements from culture to culture, coupled with his activities as defined by both Kolb’s and Scarino and Liddicoat’s models form the basis of his ability to be everywhere, but not necessarily only within one culture.

Kolb stresses that knowledge begins with apprehension, namely an experience where the person is aware, followed by comprehension, meaning that the experience is understood by means of a state of mindfulness, as well as reflection (100). One other aspect of Kolb’s experiential learning theory is the importance of adaptive flexibility, namely an examination of an individual’s ability to be proactive in adapting their life and career. That is, individuals who experience something, reflect on it, and then change their life are able to successfully adapt that experience into knowledge. These individuals are able to integrate the knowledge within their own context through a series of personal choices. Kolb proceeds from his own observation, work and personal judgement in the field psychology He ties his model on the experiences of individuals with rich, complex lives, where people functioned successfully in their work and personal lives based on experiences and reflection upon them (223).

34 While Kolb’s theory of experiential learning offers an explanation of what Wilder learned how he came to include humor and wit in his work is also important. Several theories have been proposed, e.g., could his ability to create subtle irony be attributed to his Eastern European

Jewish heritage? Perhaps it could be the effect of Vienna on him, along with its love of comedic theater. Perhaps it is due to his one time and unsuccessful attempt to interview Sigmund Freud for Die Stunde. As a resident of Vienna, and very aware of Freud’s influence in the city, as well as in the growing field of psychology, Wilder would have had at least minimal knowledge of

Freud’s writing. Most of his seminal works were published at the beginning of the 20th century, and it is not beyond reason to state that Wilder would have been aware, and possibly quite familiar with Freud’s writing, given that he lived in Vienna at this time. As Ed Sikov deduced,

Wilder’s family took up permanent residence in 1914, probably initially moving there in 1910.

In 1918, Wilder would have been twelve years old, and probably not aware of the scientific world of Freud. However, by 1925, when he began to work for Die Stunde, he was twenty, and as his December 1925 report on the failed attempt to interview Freud shows, he was aware of his work. Wilder’s sense of comedy could be attributed to his own cynicism about the world around him. Certainly, his experiences with attempted interviews with Sigmund Freud indicate he did know about his reputation.

The question of how a person learns to write screenplays, or direct and produce films remains. In today’s Hollywood, connections and money play a major role in getting a film project started. Independent film makers may have a bit more latitude, but often require more investors. Due to the large financial outlay, there is a general hesitation to take risks. What sort of preparation, training, and experience are expected today? Screenwriting courses can include software, face to face seminars at institutions, such as Screen Writing U, with online courses,

35 meet up groups around the country, magazines dedicated to the training of would-be screenwriters.2 A potential screenwriter today can find numerous books for advice on how to create a screenplay.3

Of course, there is also the possibility of formal university education, with a major in creative writing, film studies, English or journalism. And while there may be some “natural” screenplay writers, the highly structured 120-page screenplay requires that training is needed to meet the strict formatting, length, style and structural requirements. Should there be 50 or 60 scenes, should the conflict arrive at minute 18, should it be a one, two or three act story? Are there tricks to writing a screenplay? Robert McKee emphasizes in chapter 9 the need for a compelling story, and to go beyond the strict page requirements. He includes elements of a story and exactly how it must be constructed. Furthermore, he provides examples for shorter and longer stories, explains the importance of inciting incidents, structural design, and the progression forward to the culmination (McKee, 1997)

The training available today stands in contrast to the studio system when Wilder began working in Hollywood, after having participated in a different practice as an apprentice with artists and film makers In the area of screenplay writing, it was common for writers to work as ghostwriters in a team initially. In Hollywood there was an additional political factor: The studio system, coupled with the desire to use film as education, especially following WWII, led to the politicization of screenwriting. The post World War II political system, and especially the

Office of Military Government, United States (OMGUS) which held lofty expectations for using

2 These organizations can be accessed at http://screenwritingu.com, http://www.meetup.com/Cincinnati-Screenwriters/>http://creativescreenwriting.com 3 Examples include Syd. Field’s Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. 2005. and Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need 2005.

36 film as (re)education, is also an important factor in the USA. Looking for OMGUS approval,

Wilder pitched A Foreign Affair (1948) as a film meant for reeducation, although the actual film subverted that statement, where the Congressional representative is shown as a frigid micromanager, and especially as the naughty Lola, Erika, not only fraternizes with American soldiers, but is found to be the girlfriend of a Nazi Gestapo officer, and rather than being punished, she uses her charms to presumably escape her captors. The film was indeed a type of education, but not as OMGUS had envisioned it (Willett, 1989).

In conclusion, experiential learning theory, and specifically Kolb’s and Scarino and

Liddicoat’s models provide a framework for examining Wilder’s film education. His experiences, including travel/relocation, language acquisition, and journalistic writing form the basis of his experiential learning.

37 Chapter 3 Experiences and Reflection

In this section, I will focus on specific experiences Billy Wilder had and show how they formed the substitute for formal education in dramatic theory and character development. In addition to childhood memories, such as his mother’s fascination with America’s Wild West, his father’s train stop cooking and the sense of timing it imparted to his son, the many fading hotels he and his family stayed in, and witnessing the funeral procession of Austro-Hungarian Kaiser

Franz Joseph (Chandler, 19-25), Billy Wilder’s journalistic writing in Viennese and Berlin newspapers provides evidence of his life experiences in these locations, as most were based on interviews and dramatic reviews. Selected writings will be used to highlight how they fulfill two of the components in Kolb’s model. First, personal experience, when Wilder closely observed people, their personalities and interactions with other. Second, when Wilder engaged in formal reflection on those experiences as he prepared articles for publication. These early writing activities led to his ability to describe unique characters, which would result in creation of characters in later film projects, modeling them on actual people he came in contact with, as well as the formulation of his well-known wit and cynicism in his creative work. The following section will include an analysis of selected articles he wrote as a means of understanding his later filmic work. The act of writing fulfills the reflection and preliminary experimental components in Kolb’s model of experiential learning application. As a writer, Wilder would have had to engage in a careful and close analysis of what he had experienced to craft a concise article or character study that would hold a reader’s attention. Depending on which paper he was writing for, Die Bühne or Die Stunde in Vienna, or B.Z. am Sonntag or the Berliner Börsen Courier in

Berlin, or for the more literary Feuilleton sections in the newspaper or the literary magazine,

38 Querschnitt, that analysis would either need to be more serious or sensational, just the facts or an expanded description, or more or less social satire.

Kolb’s experiential learning model maintains that a person can begin with any of the components, as his theory is by definition cyclical when put into practice, and any one of the components can be addressed either singly or with others. The writing process fulfills what Kolb terms cognitive conceptualization, i.e., reflection, of his experiences and includes all of Wilder’s initial journalistic efforts and related activities, including his first proto-screenplay. The review and editing of these publications by either his fellow writers or the editorial staff fulfills these components. The final stage, active experimentation, i.e., the implementation of the newly learned concepts/insights, will be analyzed in a discussion of Wilder’s professional screenplays.

Wilder was able to obtain employment at Die Stunde, founded by Emmerich (Imre)

Bekessy in 1923. 4 It was the first boulevard press in Austria, and shocked citizens with its brazen photos and reports on scandals. Bekessey, a Hungarian Jew who converted to

Protestantism when he moved to Vienna after World War I, was the bane of traditional and conservative culture protectionists such as Karl Kraus, who led the attack in his own publication,

Die Fackel, stating that the paper should be not be allowed to publish at all, and repeated stating,

Hinaus aus Wien mit dem Schuft! (Kraus, 1925) . He labeled the publication “eine Zeitung, die in ihrem geistigen Inhalt nichts als ein scherzhafter Vorwand der Räuberei und die Umsetzung des Lausbubenwitzes in öffentliche Meinung ist.” (Karasek, 45). However, Kraus was also following Wilder’s writing, as Hutter claims that Wilder was “ein gefundenes Fressen” for

Kraus, with Kraus criticizing what he considered Wilder’s inappropriate topics as part of the

4 All existing copies are located in the Österrichische Nationalbibliothek, information at http://data.onb.ac.at/rec/LZ00831876).

39 Fackel’s campaign to drive the paper out of Vienna (Hutter, 2006, 19). This encounter provides evidence of Wilder’s interaction with the leading literary critics of the time in Vienna.

Bekessey founded Die Bühne. Zeitung für Theater, Literatur, Film, Kunst, Gesellschaft und Sport the following year. It was a significantly more serious newspaper, and provided

Wilder a way to expand his career, as was able to begin writing more serious pieces about the

Viennese theater productions with reviews and interviews of the stars who appeared in them.

Once Wilder had moved to Berlin, adding himself to jazz band leader Paul Whiteman’s entourage, with the self-appointed task of reporting on the band’s activities, Wilder began to look for work in Berlin with no intention of returning, finally landing in the more sensational B.Z. am

Mittag, with ties to Magnus Hirschfeld and gay Berlin, and the more staid Berliner Börsen

Courier, writing for the Feuilleton.

From Life Experiences to Romance, Social Criticism and Comedy

It is well documented by Billy Wilder’s biographers that he was born in Galicia, formerly part of the Austrian Empire, and moved with his family first to Krakow, then to Vienna, where he spent most of his childhood and completed his Matura. In his exhaustive bibliography, Wulff

(2012) lists 46 books on Wilder’s films and life, published in German, English, Italian, Spanish,

Portuguese and French, along with numerous articles on specific films and meta-analyses. While this is not uncommon for successful directors, this fact does support an ongoing, and extensive interest in Wilder’s work. Less has been written about his journalistic writing. Klaus Siebenhaar

(1996) collected nearly all of Wilder’s writing while in Berlin. This compilation includes numerous character studies as well as his most notable piece, Herr Ober, bitte einen Tänzer

(Wilder, 1927). In this piece, Wilder exposes the difficult life he was leading initially in Berlin

40 without employment and lucking into dancing through an acquaintance, while having to walk the fine line between being a dancer for hire during evenings and being asked to act as a gigolo as well for the older ladies he serviced. The experience of not having sufficient money or food, dancing with many ladies, or at times only one, and being expected to meet the ladies’ needs served as an experience that Wilder referred to in several of his films.

Andreas Hutter and Klaus Kamolz (2006) present information on Wilder’s early life in

Galicia, completing the loop between watching Kaiser Franz Joseph’s funeral procession in

1916, in which he watched the crown prince Otto von Hapsburg, and Wilder’s later reception of

Otto in Hollywood (17). They include numerous chronological essays highlighting his experiences in Vienna and Berlin, as well as his screenplay and film making activities in Berlin and Paris, prior to his emigration to the United States. In addition to compiling all of Wilder’s published work in the Vienna newspapers and Die Bühne, the team of Rolf Aurich, Andreas

Hutter, Wolfgang Jacobsen and Günter Krenn (2006) do the same for Wilder’s time in Vienna, including essays on Wilder’s home town of Such today, an essay postulating how Wilder became a cynic, and an analysis of Der Teufelsreporter, 1929), Wilder’s first film.

Anecdotes about Wilder’s personal life appear in nearly all of the articles, books, interviews and film analyses, giving a rounded view of the man when taken as a whole. For example, there are instances that report that Wilder studied at the University of Vienna for at least a period of 3 months, presumably one semester, before withdrawing to begin work as a reporter, for example, Glenn Hopp (2003), Tom Wood (1969), Bernard Dick (1980), Maurice

Zolotow (1987), as well as numerous websites. Zolotow also places Wilder at the University of

Vienna, but posits that Wilder left his law studies due to a nasty romantic breakup with a girlfriend whom he discovered was prostituting herself (26). Heinz-Gerd Rasner (1980) also

41 wrote that Wilder began a study of law, and stated without reason that he broke it off after three months, which would have been around November, 1924 (439-440). Charlotte Chandler, whose biography of Wilder was informed by numerous interviews with him as she was gathering information for the biography quotes Wilder’s correction to other biographers’ claims of his

(unfinished) university education: “I never went to the university…I was eighteen when I decided not to go to college. I could have gone, but I did not want to be dependent on my father’s pockets” (35). An examination of the salient points from his childhood will offer a glimpse into the beginnings of his experiential education.

As Chandler reports, Billie Wilder was born to a mother who was such an

Americanophile that she reportedly named her son Samuel, but called him Billie, after Billy the

Kid (16-19). Thus, the seed for Wilder’s future in America may have been planted. His Wild

West name certainly must have set him apart from the other children in Galicia. More important, however, were other factors in his life. The majority of his childhood and young adulthood were spent in Vienna, the capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and arguably one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Europe at the time, something that certainly contributed to the development of his personal aesthetic and sensibility. Additionally, it is important too that from infancy, Wilder was an outsider, a newcomer, a traveler, a Jew in the Christian Hapsburg

Empire, a country bumpkin in the big city, a European in Hollywood. This sense of being an outsider began when he emigrated to being a German (not Austrian or Pole) in the USA, a refugee in Paris in the USA, and a German speaker writing for Hollywood films. As a result, he developed the ability to look at people, places, politics, society and culture as the outsider while being integrated as an insider in much of his work. He is able to occupy the liminal space

42 between languages and cultures as both an outsider and an insider. Karen McNally (2011), speaking in the context of Wilder’s Hollywood films, supports this assertion and argues that,

“Wilder’s place within both popular film and transnational film

history crucially informs his work. His Hollywood films are

fundamentally those of an observing outsider in an American

context, who at the same time finds himself returning to Europe,

illustrating his indefinite national status and sensibility. Wilder’s

eye for contemporary urban American culture and his ear for the

nation’s vernacular reveal a core ambivalence. He encourages his

audience to contemplate the conflicting culture of the old and new

worlds, idealizing neither and uncovering layers within both” (3).

Her argument further supports Wilder’s outsider status. But her statement highlights

Wilder as a person able to compare and contrast one culture with another, not as Dassanowsky

(2013) interpreted it. Here, Wilder has assimilated in American culture, but remains European in his heart, thus explaining his return to not only European settings, but specifically Berlin. For example, immediately following World War II, he assisted with the production of Die

Todesmühlen, then convinced OMGUS to film A Foreign Affair (1948). Later, he returned to

Berlin in 1961 to film One, Two, Three (1961). Germany plays a major role in Stalag17 (1953) and Witness for the Prosecution (1957). Europe, specifically Italy, is represented as the place to escape to in Avanti, Avanti (1972) for an annual love affair that is bequeathed to the lovers’ children when they arrive to deal with their parents’ deaths.

This outsider status gave Wilder the ability to closely examine individuals and societies from a perspective not beholden to either one or the other. And if Wilder’s cultural ambivalence

43 is key to understanding his characters and their development, it becomes easier to understand why he chose to develop characters who struggle with cultural mores and expectations, that is the seducers and philanderers, the swindlers, the prostitutes, the cross dressers, the unseemly reporters, and the vain, that is, the cultural outsiders. His characters negotiate difficult decisions.

Soldiers, and at least one officer, choose to fraternize with the German women and face their own demons in A Foreign Affair (1948), Tatum manipulates the situation to further his failing career as a reporter in Ace in the Hole (1951), Walter kills for love in Double Indemnity (1944),

Henri steals cars to earn money before escaping to Marseille in Mauvaise Graine (1934), Don attempts to overcome alcoholism in The Lost Weekend (1945), Richard gives in to adultery in

The Seven Year Itch (1955), Harry is convinced by his brother in law to cheat the insurance company in The Fortune Cookie (1966), Wendall and Pamela continue their parents’ affair in

Avanti, Avanti! (1972), a deceased Joe reveals how his life went bad in Sunset Boulevard (1950), and Bud and Fran both act against their better judgment before finding each other in The

Apartment (1960), Christine lies for a lover in Witness for the Prosecution (1957), only to be betrayed, Joe and Jerry assume a life in drag in Some Like It Hot (1959) to avoid the mob, and

Antonia/Fedora subsumes her own life for the reputation of her mother in Fedora (1978).

Adultery and romance outside of marriage, a topic shunned by censors, but found in many, if not most of Wilder’s American films, including, Ace in the Hole (1951), Sunset

Boulevard (1950), Some Like it Hot (1959), Mauvaise Graine (1934), Double Indemnity (1944),

A Foreign Affair (1948), Sabrina (1954), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Love in the Afternoon

(1957), Witness for the Prosecution (1957), The Apartment (1960), One, Two ,Three (1961) including daughter Scarlett who requires a hasty marriage, Irma la Douce (1963), Kiss me Stupid

(19640, condemned by the Catholic Church, and Avanti Avanti! (1972). Negotiation proves to

44 be difficult for all of them, some ending happily, some evoking Schadenfreude, and some ending in death. Others effectively solve the difficult situation, a compromised happiness, and others restore order and reject the indiscretion to return to the fold. Over the course of approximately 30 years, Wilder developed these characters and plots as morality plays. They educate, or at a minimum, cause the viewers to think and reflect, but all the while providing entertainment.

In an interview with Helmut Karasek (1992), Wilder tells him that he has a title for an autobiography that came to him in a semi somnolent state, namely “Wer ich bin, was ich wurde, was ich bin, und wer bin ich schon, nebbich?” (12). Krenn uses this quote, as the title for one essay to emphasize how Wilder described himself as an everyman, in self-depreciating terms, as a “nobody.” He emphasizes his Jewishness with the Yiddish “nebbich” and establishes himself as someone who is certainly qualified to describe the outsiders and nobodies of Vienna in his journalistic writings since he himself is one (Krenn, 2006, 8-9). Krenn continues that Vienna at this time,

“wird auch für ihn [Wilder] zu einem ersten kulturellen Transformator, in

dem Künstler und Intellektuelle aus allen Teilen der Monarchie

analytisch, strukturalistisch oder traditionalistisch an einer permanenten

urbanen Legendenbildung arbeiten” (8-9)

Hellmuth Karasek supports that it was Wilder’s work as a journalist that formed the basis for many, if not all of his later filmic characters, using the example of Wilder’s work as a dancer- for-hire at the Hotel Eden (61-62). Given the many instances of dancing in his films, and photos of Wilder directing both men and women on how they should move when dancing, and even the speed with which a dance should happen, this point further supports experiential learning as education.

45

Writing: Reflection in Action

Beginning as a reporter, Wilder wrote primarily for two publications while in Vienna,

Die Bühne and Die Stunde. Wilder’s published contributions for Die Stunde, a total of 41, included articles, cross word and other puzzles, reports, interviews, reviews of theater productions and similar essays within publication’s topics, including use of direct dialog when reporting on interviews. This manner of writing can be seen as the beginning of writing screenplays with exciting and precise dialog.

Wilder wrote a total of 31 items for the more culturally highbrow publication, Die Bühne, a sister publication of Die Stunde, which was not a sensationalist tabloid. It was also owned by the Kronos-Verlag, and the chief editor, Hans Liebstoeckl, was dedicated to covering theater, literature, film, fashion, art, society and sports. It was published from 1923 until 1938.7 Wilder told Karasek that the reason he even got the job was again, being in the right place at the right time. In this case it involved discovering Liebstoeckl in flagrante delicto after business hours, and Wilder’s ability to use that situation to secure his position as a reporter (Karasek, 45-46).

The recurring theme of being at the right place at the right time occurred often in Wilder’s personal, as well as professional life. His association with these two publications lasted for approximately two years, from his completion of the Matura until he left the city accompanying the Paul Whiteman jazz orchestra to Berlin. In Berlin, Wilder worked at B.Z. am Mittag and

Berliner Börsen Courier but was also published in the literary journals Der Querschnitt, Tempo, and Revue des Monats. These literary journals, and his publications in them, provide evidence of

Wilder’s continued interest and awareness of the literary world, much as his other reviews show

7 All issues are available at http://anno.onb.ac.at/cgi-content/anno-plus?aid=bue

46 a knowledge of dramatic structure. He also continued to send articles to the Vienna newspapers, resulting in publication in more than one source. One example of his ability to use dual locations and multiple newspapers is the proto-screenplay, Herr Ober, bitte einen Tänzer: Erlebnisse eines

Eintänzers, published in four installments for B.Z. am Mittag (Wilder, 1927), but also sent to

Vienna.

Wilder’s journalistic writings were the formal practice of reflection, initially about the outsiders and nobodies, but quickly moved to include somebodies, such as famous actors, writers and musicians due to the types of publications he worked for. The articles and anecdotes published in these newspapers provide evidence of specific experiences, as well as Wilder’s reflection on them, fulfilling two of the basic components in both experiential learning models.

In addition, these articles had to hold reader interest, even if the people he wrote about were not famous. Thus, Wilder developed his ability at bringing his astute observations to the written word such that the most interesting aspects of the person were highlighted.

This writing can be understood as Wilder’s reflections on the people, culture and events he experienced. Writing for these two popular newspapers, his writing had to rise to the expected linguistic level and audience to be accepted for publication, giving him the opportunity to reflect on a variety of his life experiences, to consider how those experiences fit the fabric of social and artistic life in Vienna or later Berlin, and to record them in articles with a twist of satire and social irony to be able to capture the reader’s attention. As further support of the methodology of being a journalist and writer, Hutter highlights how practiced writing about things he knew best, carefully crafting the essays, which would then undergo the eye of his editor, establishing the basis for the collaborative type of writing that Wilder practiced in nearly all of his later work (2006, 14).

47 Once in Hollywood, Wilder needed a native speaker to help him with his as yet less than perfect English. He co-wrote with a number of different people, generally for only one project.

One of two co-writers Wilder wrote with for most of his Hollywood films was Charles Brackett.

They created the original screenplay The Emperor Waltz (1948). His other long-time co-writer was I.A.L. Diamond, with whom he co-wrote the original screenplays The Apartment (1960) and The Fortune Cookie (1966), as well as for many of his major successes in films from adaptations. Brackett and Wilder had a solidly successful career as co-writers, recognized by the general public, their peers in the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences, and film critics despite their very different backgrounds, namely Brackett’s familial pedigree and Harvard education as compared to Wilder’s more bourgeois background and lack of education.

Brackett’s personal diaries, compiled and edited by Anthony Slide, with cooperation by

Brackett’s grandson Jim Moore (2015) provide a closer look at that relationship, albeit through a somewhat hostile attitude toward Wilder in favor of his grandfather. In the Forward, Brackett’s grandson Jim Moore, states that his grandfather’s diaries could not have been published earlier since Wilder outlived Brackett by 33 years, and the fact that the diaries expose the family’s social problems (Slide, xiii). He admits that his grandfather never complained openly about

Wilder, and that Brackett’s anger, as is seen later in the entries, was kept in check (xvi).

Brackett’s diaries document his prejudices against Wilder, e.g., Wilders Jewish instinct as the reason he left Berlin when he did (87), his positive qualities couched in a passive-aggressive manner, e.g., that Wilder was an excellent constructionist but not very good at dialogue, and that he changed words without changing meaning (89). Brackett also repeatedly expresses a variety of irritations he feels along with his disgust for Wilder, e.g., complaints about working on Jewish holidays (146) and his lackadaisical approach to the job of writing (147, 170, 312). Brackett was

48 not happy working with Wilder, and specifically mentioned his eagerness to end the relationship with Wilder (212-213, 220, 302, 327). Brackett even insults Wilder calling him a “real misogynist” and describing his attitude toward women as including “a strong increment of

European lower-class attitude” (312). Brackett also insults the future Mrs. Wilder, writing that

“Audrey is pretty, young, a little deaf, and limited in education and intelligence” (369). Their partnership ended with Sunset Boulevard. It was not an easy relationship, and easy to understand why the diary was delayed until after Wilder’s death. However, the diary does provide insight into how work may have been shared and how Wilder was viewed by the educated Hollywood elite, namely as a lower-class European immigrant with questionable morals and ability.

The spin Brackett’s grandson puts on the diaries is that Brackett “was at home with the

English language, but he was adrift in Hollywood, out of place among the profane and driven owners and professionals of the movie business who tapped into Charlie’s legal skills, political aptitude, and emotional pliability, to play him for what it was worth to them” (xvii-xviii). Thus, the purpose of the biography is to highlight the relationship between Brackett and Wilder, and to showcase Brackett as the better of the two in terms of sanity and work produced. The diaries are not complete, including at times incomplete entries that seem to have been selected to highlight only his association with Wilder. The process and steps of their writing process are addressed, revealing a true collaboration, and one in which Wilder takes the lead on much of the script initially, as well as during editing and re-writing. Brackett documents how the two created an outline of the entire film, but how they rarely wrote the end of the screenplay until filming actually began, in order to accommodate actors’ abilities to become the character, and any changes that may bring (199). One fact presented is that both Wilder and Brackett concentrated on the three act structure of the screenplay, e.g., “There are in Second Act trouble” (225), and

49 that they spent “A morning devoted to the difficulties…in finding a last act” (231). Thus,

Brackett’s diary provides evidence of how Wilder was implementing the insights he had gained from experiences and reflection.

There is no book documenting the relationship between I.A.L. Diamond and Billy Wilder as writing partners, but evidence suggests it was considerably friendlier. Wilder expressed his own thoughts about his co-writing and his relationship to I.A.L. Diamond [Iz] in an interview to biographer Charlotte Chandler, saying, “A good writing collaboration is more difficult to achieve than a good marriage…and it’s more intimate. Iz was not only my writing partner, but my alter- id, my alter-Iz,” (Chandler, xv). He continues that “It’s like with married people. It’s important to learn how to fight. You have to be able to argue about something so you don’t destroy anything basic about the relationship. It’s like boxing with rules. No hitting below the belt. No biting. You have to be able to come back for more,” (Chandler, xv).

The success of the partnerships can be judged by the screenplays completed and their successes. Certainly, both Brackett and Diamond enjoyed successes writing with Wilder, though their writing styles may have been different. The relationship with Brackett may have been more structured but lacked the comfort of the one with Diamond. An example of this comfort is illustrated in the fact that both Wilder and Diamond credit the other for coming up with what is arguably the best closing line in film history, “Nobody’s Perfect” (Chandler, xvi). Krenn cites the text on Wilder’s grave, “I’m a writer but then nobody’s perfect” as a Socratic joke, a “One-

Liner-Apologie” at the end of his life, but a coolly calculated understatement of his life as well as a reference to the closing line of Some Like It Hot. (Krenn, 2006, 7) Krenn summaries Wilder’s writing as based on everyday events, and that

50 “Manche Reportagen … skizzieren bereits Sujets, wie sie Wilder ein paar

Jahre später in seinen ersten Tonfilmdrehbüchern verwenden wird:

Wenige Handlungselemente plan aneinander gereiht, noch ohne Tiefe und

Hintergrund, jedoch mit Charme und Witz erzählt” (Krenn, 2006, 9).

I argue that the playful relationship between Wilder and Diamond allowed Wilder the freedom to write in accordance with the insights he formed as a result of his experiences. In this regard, these early articles indicate Wilder’s development in creating and describing characters within a context that could, and does, eventually end up as a total work of screenplay written, directed and produced by Wilder.

Journalists must concentrate on clarity and brevity of expression and Hutter notes that it was in Vienna where Wilder learned how to tell “ausgekügelte Geschichten so knapp, lakonisch und schnörkellos wie möglich,” knowledge that Wilder used routinely in his later filmic work.

(Hutter, 13). Indeed, Hutter claims that it was during Wilder’s Vienna reporter work that he was able to develop his future films about reporters and journalism, to have these experiences as the basis for all of his future work, and to characterize his co-workers as well as the people and events he covered (Hutter, 13-17).

Early Journalistic Writing

The following section presents an analysis of selections that Wilder wrote as a reporter while living in Vienna and Berlin. This period served as an apprenticeship in writing, including character development, location scouting, mise-en-scene development, and the beginnings of script development. These publications also fulfill the experiential learning requisite reflection

51 component.8 Wilder’s earliest published postings in 1924 ranged in length from approximately

200 - 1000 words and show a progression typical of an apprentice including very basic types of writing, such as making comments to readers and creating cross-word puzzles, and an explication on the importance of the English language, and the role of America in journalism.

He writes that knowledge of English is key, perhaps sensing the role it will play in his own life, in response to a reader’s letter, “Ohne vollkommene Kenntnis der englischen Sprache können Sie auch bei den deutschen Zeitungen nichts aufstecken” (Wilder, 1924 in Aurich et al, 2006, 55).

As Wilder began to expand his knowledge and responsibilities as a journalist, the topics he covered continued to relate to America and England predominantly, from the Tiller Girls visit and performance in Vienna to a Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr. visit and interview, to using a reference to the Prince of Wales to discuss men’s fashion in Vienna. The English-speaking world was central in his field of interest. However, he also reported on more sensational cultural topics, such as the high rate of people who disappear in the city, “In Wien verschwinden täglich sechs

Menschen. Neunzig Prozent der Verschwundenen kehren allerdings wieder zurück,” (Wilder,

1926, Aurich et al, 175). He reported on unfortunate social problems of a city, but already in the long title, which reads like an introductory sentence, Wilder reassures those who may be uncomfortable with overly realistic report, showing a softer side and a bent for humor that will continue in his future work. Similarly, he also tackled the phenomenon of public starvation, including the public spectacle and the accompanying voyeurism of a starvation artist, whose stated goal for fasting is 45 days. Wilder editorializes that this will serve to be “ein »Fressen«

8 Appendix 2 contains the contents of this collection, including titles, opening sentences, and original publication information.

52 für die Wiener,” (Wilder, 1926, Aurich et al, 180), playing to the theme of the artist and painting the Viennese unfavorably by comparing them to animals by using fressen.

These early statements of social criticism presage Wilder’s later filmic examinations of alcoholism (e.g., The Lost Weekend, 1945), sexual promiscuity (e.g., Menschen am Sonntag,

1930; A Foreign Affair, 1948; The Seven Year Itch, 1955; The Apartment, 1960; Avanti!, 1972) , murder, (e.g., Sunset Boulevard, 1950) cross-dressing (e.g., Some Like it Hot, 1959), sensationalism in the news media (e.g., Ace in the Hole, 1951), and fraud (The Fortune Cookie,

1966). A closer examination of the body of Wilder’s articles while in Vienna indicates that the subjects he wrote about included character studies and interviews, articles on locations and culture, reviews of plays/opera/film/theaters/etc., and a few longer stories, which can be classified as budding proto-screenplays. . The opening lines for these articles give insight in how

Wilder was able to set the scene by creating a beginning that would hook the reader into wanting to read the article. In addition to very long titles that told the basic story, he would often start the article with some bit of information that could be interpreted as gossip. An example of a long title is, Eine Operetten-Uraufführung. Der Vetter aus Hinterindien. Operette in einem Akt von

W. Kraus und E. Reif – Musik von Ernst Mayer, uraufgeführt durch den „Kristallklub“ in den

Pan-Kunstspielen (Wilder, 1925 in Aurich et al, 2006, 66). In addition to evidence that Wilder was in contact with dramatic structure, the reader has all the information in the article reflected in the title. Another example of a long title is Das Glück des Gerngroß-Mädchens. Ein reicher

Türke verliebt sich in ein Fräulein von Gerngroß und heiratet sie (Wilder, 1925, in Aurich et al,

2006, 140). This title also appears to tell the whole story in brief, but it is the opening line that addresses the newspaper’s audience and hooks the reader, namely, Es war einmal eine schlanke, blonde Verkäuferin, die Rosa hieß (Wilder, 1925, in Aurich et al, 2006, 141). Thus, the reader

53 knows the story, but is drawn in by the use of a fairy tale trope. Other opening lines were designed to set the scene or give background information to the contents of the article. The example of a long title giving the origins of the warm waters in a river in an article about the danger of the construction of the Marienquellen bath spa and how it was endangering the existence of the water source, begins with the following, i.e., Die Kinder des Hausmeisters

Richard Henenstreit, der in dem Hause Baden, Braitnergasse 3, bedienstet ist, bemerkten vor einigen Jahren, daß die Schwechat, die unmittelbar vor ihrem Hause vorbeifließt, einige sehr warme Stellen aufweise. (Wilder, 1925, in Aurich et al, 2006, 125) Thus, the reader instantly knows that the text will not be a report in technical language on the legal or scientific issues involved, but that it will focus on the effects of the construction on common people. Another article of a common person, and her importance in everyone’s lives, is apparent in the opening line, Die Köche, diese Braven, die man nie zu Gesicht bekommt, denen man nie in Bewunderung und Dankbarkeit die Hand drücken kann, die sich aus ihrem Allerheiligsten nicht hinaustrauen, nie wissen, ob es auch geschmeckt hat – sofern sie eben nicht das Schmatzen aus dem Speisesaal hören. (161) Another title and opening line combination illustrates how the two work together.

With the title, Ich interviewe Mr. Vanderbilt. Ein Gespräch mit dem amerikanischen

Multimillionär – Er trägt nur 250 Mark bei sich – Auch hat er keine Zeit, einen Zahnarzt zu konsultieren, Wilder sets the reader‘s expectations to a report of society gossip, and gives a witty rejoinder. He then begins the article with a short exclamation, “Das ist er!” which stands in contrast to the long title (196). Thus, although the reader has all the information, he is drawn to reading the entire article, and Wilder has experimented with setting a hook to keep the reader’s interest.

54 Still others provide insight into the importance, or even the pretentiousness of the subject, e.g., Die nächste große Novität des Raimund-Theaters, Lengyels Antonia, wird bereits fleißig geprobt, und natürlich dreht sich alles um die Trägerin der Titelrolle, welche auf besonderen

Wunsch des Autors von Ungarns größter Schauspielerin, der in beiden Kontinenten bekannten, beliebten und berühmsten Sári Fedák, dargestellt wird (57). Wilder places the where (Raimund

Theater), and what (Antonia), before loading praises onto the who (Sári Fedák). By mentioning her last, Wilder is able to extend the positive words about her, her origin, how she is beloved, and her fame on two continents, all within the title.

His articles also reflect specific experiences with people Wilder met or observed during his everyday life. They included interviews with people famous at the time as well as “man-on- the-street” studies, locations in and around Vienna, cultural events attended, cultural observations on American and European society and life, and events from his own life. Wilder reported the settings within the articles, showing the first traces of thinking as a director in planning the mise-en-scene. These articles show the systematic progression of Wilder learning how to define a character, and experiment with screenplay components in longer stories. In addition, Wilder highlights both very common people, and with higher status. Each description highlights the commonality among them as people, as well as their unique qualities.

As a news writer, Wilder’s earliest publications included writing descriptive analyses of the men and women on the street. These pieces are indicative of his preparation for character development within the context of a screenplay. The following two characters may illustrate how

Wilder was processing the effect of the war on post WWI-Europe, or the importance of the everyday man as opposed to the literal unimportance of a dethroned emperor.

55 The first example is Wilder’s interview of Franz Nusterer, the concierge at the Vienna

Court Opera for over 25 years, on the occasion of his 51st birthday (Wilder, 1926 in Aurich et al,

2006, 182) With a basic scene set, one familiar to all Viennese, the first informational section lists the five directors Nusterer has worked with, as well as a series of stars, the biggest names of the early 20th century, and the friendly relationships he had with them. Wilder shares that

Nusterer took voice lessons, and was even invited to audition, but he preferred his role as concierge, one of the small people. The article closes with a series of anecdotes from famous singers about Nusterer and the fact that he was a true servant of the masters. Wilder chooses what appears to be an insignificant man within the high culture of the Vienna Court Opera, and highlights his importance to the great opera stars, and to the tradition of the opera house, effectively placing Nusterer in the liminal space between being an insider and an outsider, between a somebody and a nobody, a nebbich. This article shows how Wilder reflected on the placing characters between levels of society, creating a liminal space for them to exist. In his future life and scripts, this will emerge as key to defining his own life, as well as those of the characters he creates for his screenplays.

In another article, Wilder reported on Johann Peternel, a man nearly 70 years old and still mentally alert, with a round face, gray hair and mustache, and calloused hands (Wilder, 1926 in

Aurich et al, 2006, 159-160). The physical description comes first, to give the reader a visual image of the person. Wilder realized that the visual image was key in creating characters, a key skill for a future screenplay writer and director. Although Wilder stated he met Peternel only the day before, he was sure that Peternel is a man that one rarely finds. Following these few sentences of description, Wilder added personality to the image of Peternel’s hobby of collecting matchboxes, rather than anything of value, such as weapons, autographs, coins, ties, books or

56 butterflies. Again, this slightly tongue-in-cheek description of all of the different types of matchboxes belies the importance of them as evidence of Peternel’s life spent in travel and encounters with sailors and foreigners over 54 years until he had amassed an entire room of over

10,000 matchboxes. Wilder wrote that the fact that Peternel spent over five years, from 1914 to

1919, a direct allusion to the length of World War 1, creating his collection, and then contrasting

Peternel’s activity the events of the Great War. Rather than fighting, Peternel spent this time constructing a fortress and a church with an altar and towers, cannons, including officers and pastors with those matchboxes. Peternel’s hands were accustomed to hard manual labor and handling the small boxes must have been difficult. By stating that Peternel finished this project in 1919, Wilder implied that this was a project constructed during World War I, positing that it was perhaps a collection that was acquired during war time travel. Upon his retirement the following year, Wilder wrote that Peternel began exhibiting his work, and experienced success.

He even had an offer from a Baroness to purchase everything for 25 million, which he declined, given the project’s sentimental value. The article has a postscript where Wilder asks the readers what they will do with their empty matchboxes in the future, throw them away, leave them in a coffee house or construct a fortress and a skyscraper, since 25 million is not half bad.

The reader must wonder why this man would turn down a fortune. What exactly was the sentimental value of his creations? The underlying message undermines the presumed beliefs of many, namely, that money and prominence are the most important. But you cannot buy it, and the Baroness will not be able to assuage any guilt she may feel due to her status by acquiring the collection. Wilder showed signs of subversion of cultural norms and expectations, as well as the importance of a person’s own accomplishments. That is, this article shows Wilder highlighting one relatively unknown man’s accomplishments , and his collection of relatively unimportant

57 objects, which he transformed into something wonderful. However, Wilder wrote it in such a way that the reader is charged to wonder about the many small unimportant items that cross everyone’s hands, in this case, the ubiquitous matchbox that can take a laborer, perhaps soldier, and even a baroness, to the highest reaches of societal interest and financial gain. Like Nusterer,

Peternel finds himself the liminal space between insider and outsider, but chooses not to change his status in the same way Nusterer did. They both rejected the presumed higher and better insider status to remain in their own insider world, namely that of an outsider.

Wilder’s emerging use of satire, which pervades not only his journalistic writing, but became a point of his signature in his films, can be recognized in his article about the Vienna

Weather-God on the first day of spring (Wilder, 1926 in Aurich et al, 2006, 171). Most of this article is dedicated to the apparatus the weatherman used to monitor the temperatures around

Europe, and the man’s rambling on in profession-specific jargon about the maps and statistics about the weather in view of recent weather. The only question Wilder includes in the article,

“Und wie wird das Wetter?” is answered with a cautionary statement from the Weather-God, namely, Man soll nie das Wetter voraussagen, but that the skiers will probably enjoy the upcoming Easter holiday and that it will remain cool. This is certainly humorous, especially since he does in fact give a general forecast that every farmer knows what will come, which stands in stark contrast to the equipment present, as well as his very scientific profession .

Other examples show Wilder practicing the craft of dialogue, in two brief related stories about events in the local court. Wilder wrote the article based on the discussion between the judge and the persons involved, however, the first half of each short report was dedicated to a description of each person, as well as the nature of the case. The article, Momentanaufnahmen vom Bezirksgericht „Batiar“, Eine Dusche im Winter, features first two Jews arguing about an

58 insult, which may or may not have actually occurred. The judge finds a solution to their conflicting and nonsensical arguments by adjourning the negotiations. In the second part of the article, Eine Dusche im Winter, Wilder presents a case of two argumentative families. In this case, one woman lay in wait for the other, then dumped 25 liters of ice cold water over her head in retribution for the other woman having done the same to the defendant’s sister one year before, and that the sister then had icicles in her hair, a fact which the defendant repeats over and over. The judge refuses to consider the past event as he simply repeats his question of whether she wants to pay the court costs or not, which she decides to do after speaking with her husband

(Wilder, 1926 in Aurich et al, 2006, 168-169).

One of Wilder’s later articles in Vienna is Kohlenhändler Josef Steiniger gewinnt das

Auto der „Stunde“ und „Bühne“. Ein nächtlicher Besuch in Gießhübl beim Gewinner unserer letzten Kreuzworträtselserie (Wilder, 1926 in Aurich et al, 2006, 184-195). In it he reports on the awarding of the grand prize in a crossword puzzle, sponsored by both of the newspapers for which he was writing. In this piece, Wilder practiced building tension, as well as a surprise ending. Although the reader knows from the title that Steiniger won the prize, his rooms, the value of the car and the people involved in selecting the winning card were all described in detail, creating a mise-en-scene. Interspersed with the action, Wilder inserted “Tick, tack, tick tack” repeatedly, effectively drawing out the actual action of the selection of a name from the barrel of names and creating a sense of tension in the room. When Steiniger’s name was announced, the prize was claimed by a young boy, who stated that he was there for his uncle.

The uncle, Steiniger, was on vacation in Gießbühl, outside of Vienna. Wilder expanded this unexpected turn to describe how a delegation set out for Gießbühl. By the time they had all arrived, the entire village had assembled in from of Steiniger’s house, as the nephew had

59 telephoned from Vienna. The scene was described in great detail, and Wilder ended the article by stating that Steiniger was a wealthy man who had wanted a car for some time, and that he had the resources, including a garage, to have one. But the coup de grâce was the surprise ending when Steiniger revealed that it was actually his wife Kathi who solved the crossword puzzles, even if he had submitted the entry under his name. Given the competitive nature of the contest,

Wilder must have anticipated the amount of discussion this revelation would have caused. Thus, the experience and timing of the revelation, along with Wilder’s reporting of it to great effect, can be found in later films, e.g., Witness for the Prosecution (1957), along with its initial admonition to the audience not to reveal the surprise ending, or even Jerry’s revelation of his gender to Osgood in Some Like it Hot (1959).

Wilder was also assigned the talk of interviewing local celebrities as well as visiting actors and authors, giving him insider entrée to the theater and literary world. One example is an essay about the famous Hungarian actress Sári Fedák, rehearsing for Lengyel’s Antonia at the

Raimund Theater, where he appears to have interviewed her, but without clarification (57). This essay illustrates how he analyzed the Hungarian’s career, accent, and artistic temperament, a skill he would later need to develop characters using dialog in screenplays. Another interview was with the local well-known dance master (teacher and performer), Richard Roy, about the then modern dances Wilder , 1925 in Aurich et al, 2006, 58-59). Dance was undergoing changes, with a movement to “free dance” as described by Andrea Amort (2009), where newer forms moved away from the strict steps of ballroom dancing found in a waltz to the Foxtrott , Tango milonga, Blues and Paso doble, Der Five-Step and more uninhibited forms, as well as those completely free, i.e., no or very few steps to learn, practiced in Berlin nightclubs and the Roaring

Twenties. The interview with dance master Roy was written as a conversation between a layman

60 (presumably Wilder himself) and the dance master. This article indicates that Wilder was knowledgeable about the arts, including their transition from the traditional to the modern, and to his special interest in dance, an interest that would lead to his later employment as an

Eintänzer in Berlin.

Another article illustrates how Wilder engaged with leading literary figures, and how he dealt with problems that arose with them. This example gives an indication of how Wilder will later interact with studio bosses. Wilder’s interview with Ludwig Fulda on the occasion of the

Austrian premiere of Der Vulkan at the Akademietheater, appears much earlier in Die Bühne, on page 15 as compared to his earlier articles, which were generally toward the end, somewhere on pages 40-60, of the magazine. This indicates the relative importance of the interview with a well- known author premiering a new work at a well-known theater, as well as recognition that Wilder was competent to complete the task. Wilder writes the report in direct speech, with Fulda speaking in quotes to Wilder’s question, not in quotes, expressing opinions on other artists, writers and technicians. (Wilder, 1925, in Aurich et al, 2006, 73-74) A subsequent response was published in which Fulda voices his discontent with the article, in the most gentle and proper way (Wilder, 1925 in Aurich et al, 2006, 75). Fulda’s complaint is followed immediately by

Wilder’s response. When Fulda complains that he recognizes that the actual words he said could not be reproduced, he feels that the editor, Dr. Fritz Kaufmann, needs to be aware that his Herr

Mitarbeiter seemingly quoted him incorrectly in two locations, and asks that the editor be so kind as to print a retraction in the next issue. Fulda writes:

“Ich habe nicht die Geschmacklosigkeit gehabt, von meinem jungen

Berufsgenossen Arnolt Bronnen zu sagen: ‘Tanzt wunderbar.’ Und ebensowenig

habe ich in bezug auf die klassischen spanischen Komödien, die ich bearbeitete,

61 behauptet: ‘Wirksamkeit ist doch die Hauptsache, das einzige, das wichtigste.’ In

beiden Fällen ist auch nichts entfernt ähnliches gesprochen worden.” (Fulda,

1925 in Aurich et al, 75).

Wilder’s response to the letter is written in the most polite form possible and replicates the careful tone Fulda used, but to comedic affect. He begins with Verehrtester Herr Doktor

Fulda,” includes what appeared to be an apology for inserting a few extra unimportant words into the quote of Fulda’s geistvollen und treffenden Mitteilungen. Wilder states regret that these may have remained in his memory and closes an indirect subjunctive request for forgiveness with a proper closing (Wilder, 1925 in Aurich et al, 2006, 75). Wilder is able to provide just enough contrition to satisfy the requirement for an apology together with enough wit for the reader to understand the tongue-in-cheek meaning. It is also interesting that the apology did not appear in the issue immediately after Fulda’s complaint, but in the next one, allowing Fulda sufficient time to fume, and adding to the humor of the response. This exchange provides evidence of how Wilder is preparing for future conflicts. Wilder would experience negative reactions to his films from within the industry, such as the charge of fouling his own Hollywood nest with Sunset Boulevard, from the Catholic Legion of Decency for adulterous themes in The

Seven Year Itch, or when responding to film critic Budd Schulberg’s charges of not having a sense of humor.

In an interview with actress Asta Nielsen, and unexpectedly her husband actor Grigori

Chmara, at the Raimund Theater, Wilder again established a mise-en-scene, and introduced the husband before the actress appears, continuing to provide description of the scene as it changed.

The reader sees the scene unfolding. The interview with the actress itself was brief, and consisted of short back and forth exchanges, including mostly superficial questions. These

62 included, for example, whether she would like to go Hollywood, what she does when she does nothing, how long she has had her Bubikopf hairstyle, and whether she liked English mustaches.

The format provided a glimpse into her ordinary private life, and by writing quotes, Wilder was able to provide the reader with a sense of how she spoke when relaxed and not on the stage

(Wilder, 1926, in Aurich et al, 2006, 80-82).

In addition to the many other interviews and character studies, Wilder was beginning to reflect on and consider mise-en-scene. His observations and detailed reflection on the look, background sounds, and colors of a scene definitely establish a living and visual space. For example, when writing on a new coffee house in Vienna, Wilder begins by setting the context and scene and stating that everyone the world over knows there are four things a visitor needs to see when visiting Vienna: girls, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Cobenzl Castle, and the famous coffee houses. The review itself glowed with the wonder Wilder experiences at this new coffee house, citing the location, the shape and color of the rooms, the well-dressed waiters, and how it all speaks of charm and good taste (pun included in the original). He continued by praising the cook who prepared the Melange and its half-cup full of whipped cream, moving then to the efficient and seamless service, the marble tables, and the windows, decorated with flowers, which offered a view of the Ring while the smell of Turkish coffee rises to his nose. It comes as no surprise that Wilder claimed to have found a new Stammcafé, inviting the reader, whom he addressed with the familiar du to try the new café. (Wilder, 1925, in Aurich et al, 2006, 139).

While the reader was able to enjoy a sensory experience in this brief review, the text written shortly before Wilder’s departure for Berlin shows an early ability to describe a scene using more than one sense, even for those who would have frequented any number of Viennese coffee houses.

63 Wilder’s final article written in Vienna for Die Stunde is a piece about men’s fashion told in the voice of the Prince of Wales ordering new clothing, but it is Wilder’s analysis in the second section of this two-part article that provide insight into his thinking:

Das ist ein Modegespräch von heute. Englisch, englisch und wieder englisch. In

den Auslagen: »original englisch!« »Made in London!« »The last fashion!« …

Englische Mode ist: Zweck. Zweck ist ihr Stil … Sehr wichtig, der Geschmack

ist verschieden, den es gibt einen guten und einen schlechten” (Wilder, 1926 in

Aurich et al, 2006, 192-193).

With his preliminary training near completion in Vienna, Wilder negotiated an assignment to Berlin, ostensibly to write a travelogue of the American Paul Whiteman’s jazz band tour, but aware that the film industry was centered there.. Once in Berlin, he expanded his writing to include work on screenplays to create a career in film. When he arrived in Berlin with the Paul Whiteman band, Wilder still held his positions in Vienna, sending home reports on his activities in the city.. He submitted and re-published his four part story about his life as an Eintänzer in B.Z. am Mittag, one of his first newspaper jobs in Berlin.10 The supposed travelogue ended up being one extended article for Die

Stunde shortly after they arrived (Wilder, 1926 in Aurich et al., 2006, 194-195).

Klaus Siebenhaar (1996) compiled all of Wilder’s published reports, Feuilleton contributions and critical essays for his time in Berlin. Wilder’s Berlin writing mirrored his earlier work in Vienna, with a few topical differences. Most important is that Wilder had begun to develop a career in the world of film and that he considered himself a

10 The series was published in the Berlin newspaper B.Z. am Mittag on the 19, 20, 22 and 24 of January 1927, a full 6 months prior to publication of the same piece in Die Bühne.

64 Berliner. In Wir Berliner sind neugierig!, Wilder writes about the transformation of the city with its many building projects. He mentions about “our museum,” firmly planting himself in this city (Wilder, 1927 in Siebenhaar, 1996, 62-64).11 Film maker were everywhere in Berlin. He reported on Moritz Seeler’s new studio, wishing him luck, but talking more about the five young men and their film project in conjunction with Seeler’s study, Menschen am Sonntag. By the time he wrote this, Wilder had already completed his first solo screenplay for Der Teufelsreporter. Themes related to filmmaking permeate his Berlin writing. One example is Filmterror, where the unexpected phrase “Sie sind soeben gefilmt worden” is heard repeatedly on the street and the filming craze takes over the city (Wilder, 1927 in Siebenhaar, 1996, 51).12 Other topics Wilder wrote about while in Berlin include Felix Holländer, Erich von Stroheim, William Wilkerson, as well as many film reviews and comments on teasers in movie theaters. What Vienna offered

Wilder in Theater and dramatic structure, Berlin allowed him the opportunity to see how that was being applied in films, and to come in contact with and form relationships with the people who later influenced his films and professional contacts.

The importance of the English language is a recurring theme in Wilder’s life and work, starting with his mother and her fascination with American culture, and continuing through his own forward trajectory. Wilder planned to go to America after his chosen mentor, Ernst Lubitsch, and many other of his acquaintances from the film-making world of Berlin moved and/or emigrated. Although he told Cameron Crowe that when fleeing his self-proclaimed home in Berlin, his goal was Paris (Crowe, 181-182), he may have

11 This article was originally published in B.Z. am Mittag on August 18, 1928, approximately one year after Wilder arrived in Berlin. 12 Filmterror was originally published in the Berliner Börsen Courier on September 1, 1927.

65 already had America in mind. Karasek writes that Wilder described his life in Paris as in a “kalten und abweisenden Atmosphäre, in der wir Emigranten in Paris lebten” and that

Wilder was not helped with the relative success of Mauvaise Graine (Karasek, 98).

Indeed, Paris had lost its luster, and Wilder reported that he wanted to go to America, and that through fellow Austrian Joe May’s generosity, he was able to sell a story to

Columbia in Hollywood (Karasek, 101).

In summary, Wilder had a wide variety of news articles, film and theater reviews, reports of interviews, as well as the beginnings of screenplay writing and directing before he left Berlin. He had completed experiences and reflection required by

Kolb’s experiential learning model, and had begun active experimentation.

66 Chapter 4 Active Experimentation

In his Conversations with Wilder (1999), Cameron Crowe introduced the topic of Wilder as a genius screenplay auteur by stating, “You seemed to have had an innate knowledge of structure, to have grown up understanding it” (266). Wilder’s response to this statement was that he had to learn it, that it took a long time, and that it was important to remember not to bore the audience (267). Several scholars address this in their analyses of Wilder’s films, e.g., Glenn

Hopp (2003) notes the component of each act in the films he discusses. Wilder is cited repeatedly for his comments on the structure of films, especially the importance of what appears in act one and two. As explained earlier, Wilder’s experiences as a reporter were foundational in Vienna, a city known for its numerous theaters, where Wilder would have had the opportunity to visit any one of the over 25 theaters, some with multiple offerings, others with long-standing plays.13 He was able to review one-act plays, with unity of time, place and location and required elements of conflict, complications, crises, climax and resolution. In addition, he attended and wrote reviews of 3-, 4- and 5-act plays which would have reinforced his ability to define dramatic structure.15 Serious dramas, comedies, operas, all of these were easily available in

1920s Vienna. The process of writing a review presupposes a thoughtful analysis of not only the play seen, but also of the components relating to how it was structured and presented. His

13 For example, the June 1924 newspapers list the following theaters: Burgtheater, Akademietheater, Operntheater, Volkstheater, Deutsches Volkstheater, Raimund Theater, Theater in der Josefstadt, Modernes Theater, Kammerspiele, Carl-Theater, Johann Strauß- Theater, Theater an der Wien, Apollotheater, Wiener Bürgertheater, Wiener Komödientheater, Wiener Stadttheater, Neue Wiener Bühne, Renaissancebühne, Rolandbühne, Lustspiel Theater, Metropotheater, Josefstadter Theater, Redoutensaal, Schönbrunner Schloßtheater, and Volksbühne Wasserwiese. 15 See Appendix 2.

67 apprenticeships as a writer both in Berlin and his early days in Hollywood provided him additional experiential education in dramatic structure, specifically screenplay structure. By the time he arrived in Berlin, Wilder had had sufficient practice in reflecting on his life experiences to enable his ability to create characters and mise-en-scene. Now he was ready to begin the experimentation component of experiential learning. This section will address the element of structure in the screenplays he wrote. Wilder often adapted existing novels and dramas into screenplays with many different co-writers, some only for one film. However, in order to assign

Wilder’s influence, only those films with original screenplays are discussed here, and only those in which he wrote with one of his two major co-writers, Charles Brackett and I.A.L. Diamond. I will offer an analysis of the structure of these films in terms of components that were part of

Wilders experiential learning to date:

Der Teufelsreporter (1929) is Wilder’s first solo credit for a screenplay. 16 In this picture, A group of young wealthy American women who are kidnapped shortly after their arrival in Berlin by a criminal gang. The screenplay centers on the way a reporter, hoping to get a story, discovers the plot and sets out to rescue them. A lengthy car chase drives the action, with a happy outcome and rescue. Rather than concentrate on character development in this film, starring Eddie Polo as himself in an effort to reinvigorate his falling career, Wilder’s script of car chases and limited dialogue instead is meant to entertain local viewers with a tour of their city and the surrounding countryside.

An initial review of the film by Martin Beheim-Schwarzbach states that “Hier haben wir den amerikanischen Sensationsfilm in Reinkultur, in deutschem Produktionsmilieu” (1929). The

16 This film is available at two locations, the Filmarchiv Austria in Vienna and the Deutsche Kinemathek in Berlin. See Apendix 1 for the German intertitles and additional information related to them.

68 program notes of a 1982 screening at New York University, William Everson states that this film is a rare and interesting “B” film, and that “the story is simple and direct, no more than an excuse for chase and action...(1982). He continues to note the last two-thirds of the film are virtually all chase, and in typical German melodrama fashion, include a brief sojourn in an insane asylum”

(1982). Among those biographers and scholars who do examine this film, there is a variety of interpretation. Gene Phillips (2010) reports that Wilder used his experience as a reporter to inform the script (6). In interviews with Crowe (1992), Wilder emphatically told him that this film was not based on his life experiences (198), however, that statement can be questioned with

Wilder’s work as a journalist, and the fact that Wilder is a credited actor in the film, playing one of the thugs in th4e kidnapping gang, but as he wears a reporter’s hat, the film appears to mimic his life in part.

The most serious analysis of the film is that by Rolf Aurich and Wolfgang Jacobson, who link the film to Wilder’s fascination with automobiles, being able to afford his own vehicle, and being a part of the fast pace of life he was seeking (Aurich et al, 31-32 hometown. It is my opinion, that this is an overly simplistic way of looking at the film. Der Teufelsreporter, known in English as Hell of a Reporter, is the first firm where Wilder emerges from being one in a crew of UFA’s ghostwriters, nameless contract workers, to being an independent writer. Wilder has multiple cameo appearances, which Aurich and Jacobson claim is Wilder’s way of claiming for himself the role of the devilish reporter, indeed the person responsible for direction, namely the one wearing the hat (Aurich et al, 41) but may have been solely used as a way to keep expenses for extras down. Wilder’s appearances, always the man in the hat, do indeed make him appear to be in charge of something.

69 Other aspects that tie directly to Wilder’s experiences include the use of Eddie Polo, an

American actor who brought a certain amount of status for Wilder’s project because of that, even if his career needed a boost it put Wilder in contact with an American actor from California. In addition, the film features young women prominently, and especially their legs. Shapely legs were referenced in Wilder’s review of the Tiller Girls, as well as those in Wilder’s article of the servers in Berlin’s infamous Moka Efti coffee house, those the kidnapped American young women were pure and innocent in the film. Finally, there is a western style shoot out, complete with pistols that seem to have more rounds than are possible that lead the good guy, Eddie, to success over the all of the bad guys, again with Wilder playing a role as one of the kidnappers.

The young women also form a Tiller Girl-like pyramid to enable Eddie to rescue them, further tying Wilder’s experiences in journalism into a screenplay.

However, it is Wilder’s article, Die Requisiten des amerikanischen Films that serves as the most important link to understanding Wilder’s development In this article, he notes the following requirements for an American film about the United States:

„1 Milliardär – 1 Tochter des Milliardärs – 1 Villa – 1 Schwimmbassin – 1

dunkler Gentleman mit Schnurrbart – 1 Ranch – 2 Pferde „wie der Wind“ – 1

Lasso – I Teufelsfelsen – 1 Petroleumfeld – 3 Revolver – 2 Revolver – 1 Boxkampf

– 1 Verfolgung – 4 Revolver – 1 Pacific-Express – 1 Magenstoß – 17 Aufschriften

„Auf Leben und Tod“ – 2 Revolver – 1 Fliederbaum – 1 schnippischer Amor“

(Wilder, 1926, 42 in Aurich et al, 2006, 90).

Although this film is not about the United States, but about kidnappers in Berlin, Wilder meets most of his preconceived requirements of an American film, including, millionaires, daughters of millionaires, villas, dark Gentlemen with mustaches and who are a threat to the

70 daughters, revolvers galore, a fistfight with punches to stomachs rather than a boxing match, a train ride into Berlin from Hamburg where the young women entered Germany, many telegrams and newspaper headlines about the kidnapping, beautiful flowers and a happy end to the reporter’s favorite young millionaire’s daughter. It is as if Wilder revisited that article and found a way to incorporate as many of the features as possible in his first solo screenplay, and with as much drama as possible, to apply what he had learned while also practicing for Hollywood..

Whether the film is autobiographical or not, the text included in the Illustrierte Film-Kurier supports the degree that it is about Wilder’s life:

„Zwischen den beiden Zeitungen “Abendglocke” und “Rapid” ist ein heftiger

Konkurrenzkampf. Eddie arbeitet als Stenograph bei der Zeitung “Rapid”. Sein

ehrlichster Wunsch ist es, auch einmal Reporter zu werden, seinem Blatt

Sensationen zuzuführen. Einmal hat er wirklich diese Chance: Die ganze

Redaktion ist gerade bei der Hochzeit des Chefredakteurs. Polo bleibt allein mit

seinem Leidensgenossen, dem Redaktionsjungen Maxe zurück. Das

Telegrammband meldet: Ein Pensionat Lourdier aus Paris befindet sich mit 13

Mädchen, Töchtern der besten amerikanischen Familien auf einer Europareise

und trifft mit dem Mittagszuge von Hamburg kommend in Berlin ein. Eddie

beschließt, diese Amerikanerinnen auf eigene Faust zu interwieven (sic). Er läuft

zum Bahnhof, der Konkurrent von der “Abendglocke” lacht ihn aus: “Sie sind

wieder zu spät gekommen”, aber Eddie jagt dem Autobus, in dem die jungen

Amerikanerinnen sitzen, nach, erreicht ihn und interviewt dort die jungen

Mädchen. – Was er aber vorläufig nicht weiß ist, daß die Vorsteherin dieses

Pensionats, Madame Lourdier, es mit den Mädchen gar nicht ehrlich meint. Sie

71 sieht in Verbindung mit einer internationalen Gaunerbande, hat die Mädchen nur

nach Berlin gelockt, um sie hier mit Hilfe dieser Bande verschwinden zu lassen

und ein hohen Lösegeld zu bekommen“ (Aurich and Jacobsen, 47).

The structure of Der Teufelsreporter is in defined acts although they are not labelled as such. In Act 1, Wilder introduces the young women, their tour and subsequent kidnapping.

While defining the characters and foreshadowing the young women’s problem on the train ride to Berlin, the parallel plots of the competing reporters and the love interest are introduced. Act 2 expands the problem faced by the young women as they are moved to a house on an island by several rough men and one rough woman. The rest of this act revolves around the search and related activities. Eddie searches for the young women, is captured by the thugs, and is taken to an insane asylum to get him out of the way, from where he cleverly escapes. Printing presses whirl with the news of the kidnapping in multiple languages, and we meet the top kidnappers, businessmen from New York City. Eddie and his young helper from the editing room investigate, find that the young women are being held on the island, and hatch a plan to rescue the young women. The problem is further described, along with all of the interfering aspects.

Act 3 is quite a bit longer in time, as it shows the protracted car chase, presents the race to find the women, the fisticuffs and ensuing shoot out, the capture of the kidnappers, and finally the discovery of the women being held in their underwear. The closing scene is the happy ending of

Eddie and his Bessie kissing. Order has been restored following the whirlwind of the upside- down world introduced by the kidnapping plot. Thus, the film contributes to the final required component of experiential learning theory by both illustrating an attempt to apply knowledge and insights gained from earlier reflection, but also as a creative endeavor, the highest level of

Bloom’s definition of critical thinking.

72 Menschen am Sonntag (1930) was a completely different kind of film in terms of the underlying aesthetics. This film is the story of five average young people, and how they spend their one and only day off from work on Sunday. The script was very loose, written by Wilder based on an idea of Curt Siodmak, and often improvised on as opportunities arose during the

Sunday shooting. The contemporary viewer would identify with the characters. These were the types of people Wilder came in contact with on a daily basis. They were:

Annie Schreyer (Mannekin) who files her nails and sleeps

Erwin Splettsstößer (Taxifahrer) who drives a taxi and picks up fares

Brigitte Borchert (Verkäuferin) who goes to work

Christl Ehlers (Film-Extra) who goes to an audition

Wolfgang von Waltershauser (Offizier, Landwirt, Antiquär, Eintänzer und zur

Zeit Weinreisender) who is in a wine shop.

It is interesting that Wolfgang is a sometimes Eintänzer, a role Wilder knew well.

The pace of this film is not hectic like Der Teufelsreporter, rather it is serenely slow and measured. It still presents Berlin, but this Berlin is an idealized one of common people, and their usual lives. The characters are presented as the ordinary young working men and women living in a crowded Berlin at the time of the filming. They are not actors, and they play themselves.

There was little need to create an artificial setting, as all scenes are found in and around

Berlin. That is not to say that care was not taken to show those facets of Berlin life that affected not only these characters, but the entire population of the city. We see the bustling city during the week, then the exodus for a lake outing resulting in empty streets and some who choose to sleep in on Sunday. People stream into the train stations, packed trains leave for the country, engage in free-time activities, and finally return to the city at the end of the day. The other location is

73 Nikolassee, where there is another world quite different from the work-a-day life of Berlin, namely one where people relax, play in the water, eat and dance outside. In these scenes, the natural setting of lake for swimming and boating; beach areas for relaxing, dancing, eating and taking photos; and forest for walking and love-making.

The dramatic structure in this film is a basic 3-act framework:

Act 1: People live and work within the metropolis of Berlin, and make plans for their

free time, having 1 ½ days off every week, Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Act 2: People engage in free time activities away from the urban city in the

countryside.

Act 3: People return to the city at the end of their free day and leave for work on

Monday morning.

The characters acted as themselves engaging in these activities. The simple 3-act structure is immediately apparent. Act 1 includes an introduction to Berlin, meeting the characters and seeing them making plans for their free day on Sunday. It introduces scenes of an active and vibrant Berlin, with street scenes shot in a variety of locations, the characters’ workplaces and homes, and details that highlight their lives, e.g., a dripping faucet in the small apartment, and playing cards. Act 2 is made up of the free time activities, namely, the exodus from the city (or staying in town to sleep or relax), shown by a focus on the steady stream to the trains and Nikolassee. Activities in the country location include arrival, swimming, playing records, grilling and eating snacks, sleeping, awkward sexual encounters, a lakeside photographer recording the activities with freeze frames, and boating. All of these activities are cross-cut to the sleeping city, where there are no people on the streets, and older people leaning out of windows observing the quiet and empty streets. Act 3 provides resolution for the activity

74 of those who visited Nikolassee as well as those who remained behind. Here we see the steady stream of people returning to the city and their homes in preparation for the week to come. The final scene is the next morning as everyone is on their way to work. The intertitle is “4 Millionen warten auf den nächsten Sonntag” followed by, “Wieder Arbeit, Wieder Alltag, Wieder Woche” gives closure to the Sunday escape from the working world.

While Menschen am Sonntag and Der Teufelsreporter are similar in location and methodology for presenting Berlin via tour, but they show two different sides of the city. Der

Teufelsreporter is a frantic tour of the city and countryside, filled with gangsters, but with a happy ending where the gangsters are captured and the boy gets the girl. Menschen am Sonntag is a peaceful representation of a day of rest, a calm and loving tour of both the city and countryside, but with an ending bordering on despair as everyone faces four million people and another work week.

Chandler (2002) writes that it was Berlin that Wilder was running to, not that he was necessarily running away from Vienna (324). The cheeky, snoddrige, people in the fast and big city environment of Berlin and UFA films beckoned him. I agree with her claim, especially since Berlin served as a location to continued experimentation. By the time he left Berlin, Wilder enjoyed moderate success in writing screenplays in Germany, and shortly after the beginning of

National Socialism, he joined many other Jews in leaving Germany. With a brief stop in Paris, he had his directorial debut, shared with Alexander Esway, and co-written screenplay for

Mauvaise Graine (1934), a film about running away from problems, although it is to Casablanca here. Wilder was ready not only to escape the political problems of Europe, but to move toward

America.

75 Upon arrival in Hollywood, Wilder made use of the contacts in the American film industry he knew from his UFA days, and was able to begin work. He struggled with low proficiency in English, and was thus paired with stronger writers. The system of working with partners was nothing new to Wilder, and his ideas of character development were well known.

His personal knowledge of dramatic structure was strong, and he had begun to practice while working for UFA. Wilder continued worked with well-known directors writing adaptations, and it wasn’t until 1948, 14 years after his arrival, that he was able to complete an original screenplay for The Emperor Waltz with his co-writer Charles Brackett. Brackett and Wilder co-wrote 14 screenplays, including such successes as Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), A

Foreign Affair (1948) and Sunset Boulevard (1950). In their film The Emperor Waltz (1948), a comedic musical, Wilder returns to his pre-xWWI Austrian roots with an Alpine setting and

Emperor Franz Joseph, although in a fantasy and stereotypically Austrian setting. The comedic element arises with a countess who wishes to mate her dog, Scheherazade with the emperor’s.

The Hapsburg royals are confronted with an American record player salesman, hoping to get

Franz Joseph’s endorsement, who is travelling with his dog Buttons. The film is a comedy as well as a light-hearted criticism of the Austrian court, where the mating of mixed breed dogs is a parallel to the match between the Countess Johanna von Stolzenberg-Stolzenberg and the

American salesman Virgil, from two different social classes. Virgil falls for the countess, and even Buttons knows how to get Scheherazade to warm up to him. The Countess can be compared to any of the descriptions of high society people Wilder wrote about in his days in

Vienna, namely they are made human and show the commonalities they share with less notable people, e.g., Sári Fedák and Mr. Vanderbilt,.

76 This film uses a cut-to-black technique to identifying and separating the acts of the 3-act structure. Act 1 is the introduction of the characters, the underlying themes, and establishing the exclusive mountainous setting where everyone yodels, even American Virgil, played by Bing

Crosby. The structure is unbalanced in length, as Act 1 is the longest. There are simply so many characters, i.e., an American salesman, an Austrian emperor, Hungarian Hussars, dogs and all the various yodeling villagers, a Countess that introduction and basic character development requires many scenes. Act I closes with a first kiss between Virgil and the Countess, and the dogs together under the bed. Act 2 addresses social class differences, especially between the emperor, the salesman, and the Countess. It begins with Franz Joseph hunting and the Hungarian Hussars attempting to woo the Countess. Virgil makes his petition to Franz Joseph to marry the countess, stressing the importance of love over tradition and class separation. Franz Joseph doesn’t agree.

Virgil uses this discussion to sell a phonograph to the Emperor and is able to get the emperor’s permission to marry the Countess included as part of the sale. The deal ends Act 2, again signaled by a cut-to-black. The final act opens with Virgil having become wealthy selling phonographs to everyone in the village surrounding the country estate, and the arrival of

Scheherazade’s three puppies, obviously mixed race from Virgil’s mutt, Buttons, and not the

Emperor’s purebred white, royal dog. Virgil steals the pups as the veterinarian is about to drown the spotted ones to ensure the blood line, accompanied by the Emperor’s anthem playing in the background. Virgil then shows the puppies to Franz Joseph, who immediately is enchanted with them. The dance resumes and everyone joins in the waltz ending the film. The happy ending includes the dilution of the royal dog’s breed, the countess ending up with the lower class

American salesman, and a grand Strauss waltz ties it all together. The superficial nature of the film makes it is easy to see why the it was not well received. Bosley Crowther (1948) was not

77 overtly negative but noted that it was lighter fare for Brackett and Wilder, given their previous film about the horrid effects of alcoholism. It was also a change for Joan Fontaine, but that the costumes and Bing Crosby’s singing held the film together. Talking with Chandler, Wilder noted that while influenced by his childhood in Austria, the film didn’t quite rise to what he had hoped, and that it was not the tribute to Lubitsch he had hoped (Chandler, 131-135). Wilder’s childhood experiences may have informed the film, but they were not fully developed. The long first act overshadows the remaining two. Filmed in 1948, it is apparent that Wilder was applying insights from experiences but had not engaged in sufficient formal reflective writing on these topics to process childhood memories in Vienna into new learning and insights. Thus, this is an attempt to experiment based only on childhood experiences.

Kolb is careful to note that the model is cyclical, so that refinement following reflection, especially of a less-than-perfect experimental screenplay, is to be expected. In addition, the relationship between Brackett and Wilder was souring, further inhibiting Wilder’s feelings.

Perhaps the relationship with Brackett did not allow comedy or humor, especially when the two worked on serious films before (The Lost Weekend, 1945) and after (Sunset Boulevard, 1950) which were great successes. However, The Emperor Waltz did provide evidence of variety of everyday characters. Soldiers, drivers, and workers, namely common people who completed their tasks in unique ways, can be traced to Wilder’s idealized experiences as a child in Austria.

Wilder’s articles also highlighted them, e.g., Der Würstelkönig (“Heiße, Heiße! “Der

Würstelkönig am Stephansplatz) and the cook and waiter at the train station (“Mit dem Kaffee im

Ostbahnrestaurant, …“) are present as support staff in the film.. Thus, while he may not have resolved his own conflicted feelings, he was still able to reflect on these early experiences and develop characters representing them.

78 Approximately 10 years later, Wilder’s partnership with I.A.L. Diamond began with

Some Like It Hot (1959), an adaptation. A year later, love plays a central role in Diamond’s and

Wilder’s next original screenplay The Apartment (1960). With their success one year earlier, they continued to push against the social limits, and confront adultery head on. Everyone in the office, so large it nearly disappears into the vanishing point, is having affairs, using Bud’s apartment for the assignations, leaving a mess in their wake, including an attempted suicide by drug overdose. Bud’s four co-workers take his apartment, presumably 1 a day for 4 days in the week. It’s only when Bud’s boss Sheldrake wants in that Bud realizes that something needs to be done. This realization becomes apparent in the mise-en-scene as Bud is alone outside in the park, which also fades to the vanishing point, while he waits for his apartment. The other major character in the film, Fran, is having an affair with Sheldrake. The entire film shows the desolation Bud and Fran feel while the others are driven by sex and their need to achieve a better position in a company. It is only after the set up collapses, thanks to a secretary’s call to Mrs.

Sheldrake and Fran’s subsequent drug overdose, that Bud and Fran can begin to find a more real definition of a loving and joyful relationship. The theme of adulty can be trace to Wilder’s experiences as a school boy watching the comings and goings at the Stundenhotel, as well as the complications of being an Eintänzer, when he was propositioned by at least one woman. This theme has reappeared in many of Wilder’s films, e.g., The Seven Year Itch (1955), Irma la

Douce (1963), and Love in the Afternoon (1957) The happy ending in The Apartment was probably what saved the film from the censor’s cutting block, as it restores order to the world portrayed in the film, upholds the moral code of marriage and monogamy, condemns immoral behavior, shows an unsuccessful suicide, provides for punishment for Sheldrake and the other men, and reaffirms once again the strength of true love of ordinary people.

79 The Apartment has a 3-act structure, where Wilder delineated the end of the acts with cut- to-black. In Act 1, he establishes the location as New York City, with the main locations the park, and the office, both manipulated to appear larger and overwhelming in depth. The apartment is small and meets the expectations as a bachelor’s residence. Bud is introduced as a nebbish by his neighbor the doctor. Bud works long hours, leads a lonely bachelor’s life, watches movies on TV, and is manipulated by men higher in his company who use his apartment for private visits with girlfriends without their wives’ knowledge. We meet Fran, the elevator operator and Sheldrake, the big boss. Bud does not know how to reclaim his apartment from the constant visitors, and when Sheldrake also wants to use it for his mistress, Bud negotiates the removal of the others, and arranges a date with Fran. Sheldrake’s mistress is revealed as Fran, ending Act 1. Thus, the hook at the end of Act 1 is that Fran will be central to the plot, and not

Bud’s philandering co-workers. Act 2 begins with Bud moving to a new office higher in the building to match the promotion he has received due to his meeting Sheldrake’s rendezvous requirements, and Sheldrake is revealed as a cad at the Christmas party. Bud is displaced again on Christmas Eve and Fran realizes that Sheldrake will never leave his wife and takes all of her sleeping pills. When Bud returns to his apartment, he finds a comatose Fran, and enlists his neighbor the doctor to help revive Fran. Following emergency treatment in Bud’s bathroom, Act

2 ends with Fran awake, but needing coffee and prodding to stay awake. Act 3 begins on

Christmas morning, with Bud noting that this was a “lost weekend,” referencing Wilder’s highly successful film. The rest of the film is devoted to Fran and Bud finally realizing they are meant to be together, Bud faces reality and quits his job, and both of them realize that Sheldrake is a cad. The film closes with Fran telling Bud to shut up and deal as they begin to play cards together.

80 The Apartment was very successful, winning 5 Oscars and a Golden Globe award, and was also well received. Crowther was very complimentary, writing that it was a “gleeful, tender and even sentimental film. And it is kept on the side of taste and humor by the grand performance of Jack Lemmon…” (1960). Although the film deals with very serious and disturbing issues, attempted suicide and adultery, there is a lightness in this comedy that is able to transcend the dark themes and bring light into the main character’s lives.

Six years later, Wilder’s final original screenplay, The Fortune Cookie (1966), was co- written with I.A.L. Diamond. The film deals with Harry, who is injured while covering a football game, his shyster brother-in-law Willie, who sees this as a way to bilk the insurance company of a lot of money, Harry’s estranged wife Sandy, and Boom-Boom, the football player responsible for the accident. The other characters include lawyers, thugs who bug Harry’s apartment, and Swiss physicians, employed by the insurance company, who thoroughly test

Harry to ensure he is not faking his injuries for personal gain. It also draws in another good man,

Boom-Boom, the penitent football player who can cook delicious Hungarian food. The lies told to move the insurance fraud forward eventually reach their logical end with Harry’s dramatic exhibition of their lack of truth. Harry’s dramatic gymnastic moves are not only done once, but twice to ensure that the insurance man filming him has a usable file, recalling Wilder’s articles on the Tiller Girls (Wilder, 1926 in Aurich et al 2006, 92-93) and visiting athletes (Wilder, 1925 in Aurich et al 2006, 68-70). Wilder returns to his own past as a reporter to feature Harry, a television reporter. Wilder and Diamond restore the social order and allow good to triumph against the many crooked lawyers, doctors and even brothers-in-law and ex-wives..

The structure of this screenplay is not a formal 3-act format Wilder used nearly exclusively, but is experimental, composed of 16 titled sections, each providing a succinct

81 summary of the content in the same manner as a Medieval faceplate with its title, pictura and res.

The title summaries the action for the screen, the opening scene further emphasizes this, and the dialog completes the action. The sections are:

1. The Accident

2. The Brother-in-Law

3. The Caper

4. The Legal Eagles

5. The Chinese Lunch

6. The Snake Pit

7. The Gemini Plan

8. The Torch

9. The Goldfish Bowl

10. The Return of Tinker Bell

11. The Longest Night

12. The Other Blonde

13. The Indian Givers

14. The Taste of Money

15. The Better Mousetrap

16. The Final Score

While it is difficult to discern underlying 3-act structure, where the acts are more or less equal in length, it can be said that the first five sections function as Act I and constitute an introduction to the characters and the problem from the deceivers’ points of view. The next ten scenes function as Act II and provide an intensification of the problem of the lie and the effects it

82 has not only on Harry and Luther, but how opportunists attempt to influence Harry. This leaves only the final scene to function as Act III, namely for resolution and repair of the relationship between Harry and Boom-Boom and restoration of order and truth from the upside down world engineered by the shyster brother-in-law. This structure is nothing like Wilder’s previous films, and is not found in any of his writings, leading to the conclusion that he and his co-writer have created new insights into the structure of a film based on past experimentation. This would indicate that Wilder was engaged in the cyclical nature of the experiential learning model. The level of experimentation is more apparent than in any of his other films. In this structure, it was the second act that is larger than the first, and the third is brief, existing only to tie up loose ends and express the happy ending. Vincent Canby (1966), reviewing the film in the New York

Times, writes that the film is a “dark, gag-filled hallucination, people by dropouts from the Great

Society” and that it is “an explosively funny live-action cartoon about petty chiselers who regard the economic system as a giant pinball machine, ready to pay off to anyone who tilts it properly”

(52). At this point in his career, nearly any film he made would have been taken seriously, and indeed Walter Matthau received an Oscar for his performance, along with three nominations, including Best Writing, Story and Screenplay.

In conclusion, Wilder used previous journalistic writing to inform experimentation in original screenplays and characters. Writing with two main co-writers, he adhered nearly exclusively to a 3-act structure, even when only as an underlying suggestion as observed in The

Fortune Cookie. The major themes and characters all share a tie to Wilder’s past experiences and journalistic reflection.

83 Chapter 5 Conclusion

I have provided a rationale for researching Wilder’s education in the film industry, underlying influences, as well as a theoretical background for establishing how this education developed. I have shown how Wilder’s humble beginnings, his experiences with and around people such as common working folk, famous actors, millionaires, people with unusual talents, royalty, scoundrels, and literary figures gave him a foundational base of knowledge of people and their behavior. He attended and reviewed plays, coffee houses and athletic events. It was then his reflective journalistic writing in Vienna, and later Berlin, that put him on the path to a deep analysis of the information. It was also during these days that he had the most opportunity for experiences and reflection to allow for him to use the knowledge gained and experiment with dramatic structure in his original screenplays.

It was his experiences as a child and young adult in Galicia, Vienna, and Berlin that formed the basis for his experiential education. He examined and analyzed people, observed, analyzed and created effective mise-en-scene, and reported on and finally constructed dramatic structure. These activities, when taken in their totality, adhere to the requirements as outlined in

Kolb’s experiential learning model. These experiences were then internalized by an during

Wilder’s work as a journalist, which required him to reflect on them to be able to write articles that would relate information in a way that would hold the reader’s attention to advance his career. His personal desire to be in the film industry provided the opportunity to test the results of his previous reflection and apply them in a new and unique setting, namely in screenplays for

UFA. Character development and mise-en-scene, both of which he had practiced during his work in Vienna and Berlin, were augmented with the need for understanding screenplay

84 structure. While this had begun to come into his awareness in Vienna, it was Berlin, with UFA and film environment that allowed him to begin to experiment with dramatic structures best suited to his style. His journalistic writing began to incorporate the components of a film, albeit on a smaller scale, allowing him to test his new knowledge. He sought out work as a ghostwriter, uncredited writing, His activities as a ghostwriter provided additional experiences, followed by a cycle of reflection to write the next, and the next. By 1929, he had had sufficient experiential learning to write a screenplay by himself, Der Teufelsreporter. I showed that while not necessarily a critical success, it was his first application of all he had learned, and had components from his earlier experiences and reflection, as well as elements of humor, irony, and social critique that would be developed for later films. The following year, Menschen am

Sonntag was a critical success, a forerunner of the Nouvelle Vague. Wilder’s work at UFA progressed from ghostwriter to credited writer, with credits in screenplay writing for the next three years providing the additional application and experimentation. A stopover in Paris gave him not only screenplay experience outside of the UFA system, but also directorial experience.

Upon his arrival in Hollywood, he worked with co-writers both before and after achieving proficiency in English. While most of his scripts are adaptations, I have shown how his early experiences found their way into his original screenplays and are recognizable in choice of topic, characters, settings and commonality of all men.

While his journalistic writings offer evidence of Wilder’s development in character design, mise-en-scene and dialogue, once in Hollywood, his original screenplays offer evidence of his experimentation with dramatic structure. His preferred model was the 3-act structure, but he was known to experiment with variations. I discussed the 3-act structure of his original screenplays, citing instances where he offered misbalanced acts, such as in Der Teufelsreporter

85 and The Emperor Waltz. I also discussed the novel approach to title scenes in his final original screenplay, The Fortune Cookie, but noted that a 3-act structure could be inferred in terms of content and action.

Wilder observed the people and events in the world around him, especially the more salacious aspects of his observations such that the many thoughts formed a cache he would draw on for future reference. He knew what aspects of society of human nature he wished to criticize or highlight. While he may have overstepped the boundaries of polite society or the sensibilities of studio executives at times and enraged some with his themes and social satire, he did so in a carefully considered manner, and rarely offended outright, showing the high level of critical thinking he applied to his work. In summary, experiential learning theory models can be used to explain how Billy Wilder obtained the education necessary to learn screenplay writing, including character development, mise-en-scene and structure to create successful film projects.

86 Appendix 1

Der Teufelsreporter: Zwischentitel

I am grateful to the Deutsche Kinemathek Archiv and the Filmarchiv Austria for the opportunity to view the video so that the intertitles may be available to future researchers. There are two version of the intertitles, German and French. The German intertitles are presented here in the order in which they appear in the film, including capitalization and punctuation, along with a brief description of the accompanying action. Obvious signs with print are also included.

Intertitle text Corresponding Action

Opening credits

Buch: Billie Wilder

Kamera: Charles Stumar

Bauten: Gustav Knauer, Willy Schiller

Regie: Ernst Laemmle

Darsteller

Eddie Polo: Reporter vom ‚Rapid Journal’

Gritta Ley: Bessie Ralston

Maria Forescu: Madame Lourdier

Robert Garrison: Jonas

Fred Grosser: Max, der Junge

87

„Beeilen Sie sich, meine Herren, sonst komme ich Busy office scene, one man being zu spät zu meiner Hochzeit.“ shaved; Chefredakteur enters in a top

hat, ready to leave for his wedding.

„Da wir im Büro bleiben müssen, erlauben Sie uns,

Ihnen zu gratulieren.“

„Ich nutze die Gelegenheit, Sie daran zu erinnern, Reporter, Eddie Polo. daß Sie mir bei Ihrer letzten Hochzeit versprochen hatten ...“

„...aus Ihnen einen Reporter zu machen... In der Tat, Chefredakteur completes the sentence, aber im Moment habe ich kaum Zeit, mich um so then leaves. etwas zu kümmern!“

„Mach Dir keine Sorgen, Eddie, ... vielleicht hast Max consoles Eddie.

Du mehr Glück bei der nächsten Hochzeit.“

„HBL### Hamburg Pensionat Lourdier aus New Tickertape is shown being printed.

York mit 13 Millionaerstoechtern auf Europareise heute hier gelandet. Fahren D-Zug Berlin weiter.

###

„Miss Bessie, würden Sie bitte diese jungen Mme Lourdier, with a sour face asks

Mädchen beaufsichtigen, während ich mit Berlin one of the girls for help. telefoniere...“

Lip reading reply: Tu ich Bessie’s reply.

88 „Geben Sie mir ... Berlin Kupfergraben 1546...“ Mme Lourdier asks the conductor to get

her a telephone connection.

Kupfergraben 1546 The conductor goes to the telephone

board worker, moves dials and speaks,

then the human and technological path

for the connection is shown via women

at switchboards with connection plugs

and cables.

„Hallo! Jonas! Hier Madame Lourdier am Apparat Mme Lourider connects to Jonas, who

...“ is in the company of four other men,

Billy Wilder one of them.

„Fahrkarten bitte ...“ Cross cut to the train compartment,

where the conductor asks for the

tickets, and eyes the young girls

lasciviously.

„Ist alles vorbereitet?“ Bessie goes to find Mme Lourdier, who

has the tickets, and hears her say this as

(Bessie) opens the door

„Seien Sie unbesorgt: Wir haben einen idealen Platz Bessie eavesdropping gefunden...“

„Die Hauptsache ist ..., diese Mädchen ohne Bessie eavesdropping and becoming

Verzögerung ‚unterzubringen’! ...“ concerned.

89 „Was tun Sie hier? ...“ Mme Lourdier angry; returns to the

compartment to show the conductor the

tickers.

„Erstens – um wieviel Uhr kommt der D-Zug aus Back in the newsroom, Eddie is on the

Hamburg an?“ trail of the story.

„Gerade jetzt muß er im Bahnhof einfahren ...“ Max

Cross cut to the train station, where the

train arrives, and everyone disembarks.

See: Palais am Zoo and Café am Zoo. First view of Berlin. In the background

a car with Jonas and the four men (Billy

Wilder is an extra in the car)

„Erlauben Sie ...ich bin Herrick Polnar, Redakteur A reporter dashes up to interview the beim ’Weltecho’.“ group. Mme Lourdier answer questions

politely, then herds the girls into the

open bus Jonas has procured.

„Zu spät, lieber Kollege!“ Eddie arrives late, and Herr Polnar lets

admonishes him.

„Armer Kerl! Ich muß sagen, im ‚Rapid Journal’ Herr Polnar. wir man den Schnelligkeitsrekord niemals halten!“ Eddie begins to run after the car with

the girls. The route takes them

throughout the center of Berlin, down

the Unter den Linden.

See a passing car: GREILING Eddie continues to run.

90 See a double decker bus: Chlorodont advertisement and number 21.

„Erlauben Sie ... Eddie Polo ... vom ‚Rapid Journal’ Eddie catches up and hops on the

... sideboard; speaks with Bessie.

The Bode Museum and Berliner Dom

come into view.

Eddie directed to Mme Loudrier for

questions; Bessie write a note, which

she passes to Eddie; they gaze at each

other, as the car drives along the Spree,

then Eddie jumps off and reads the

note.

„Vorsicht. Passen Sie auf uns auf! Gefahr!“ Eddie is concerned about the note,

begins to run again.

Mme Lourdier stands and gives a signal

to Jonas; Eddie continues to run after

them until exhausted. He goes into a

bar, and uses the phone to call Max.

Jonas and goons enter the bar, hit Eddie

over the head and take him out to the

car.

„Was ist los?“ Office worker asks Max.

91 “ IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES!!“ Max’s response, then he return to

reading the paper and smoking a cigar.

„Wir werden diesen lästigen Journalisten ... an In Jonas’s car. Eddie pleads to Jonas. einem sicheren Ort absetzen! ...“

Sign: Psychiatrische Klinik Jonas talks with the doctors,

Besuchszeit:

Dienstag

Donnerstag: 3-5 Uhr.

Sonntag

„Dieser unglückselige Bursche leidet an Eddie dragged out of car by the four

Verfolgungswahn ... Soeben hat er einen goons (Billy Wilder one of them), and schrecklichen Anfall gehabt...“ left there after he uses his head to hit

Jonas.

Eddie is led into a padded cell and

restrained with a straight jacket.

The girls continue their Berlin tour on

the Kurfürstendamm Kaiser Wilhelm

Gedächtniskirche.

„Aha! Sie sind der König der Journalisten? Und Doctor’s comment. ich, ich bin der Kaiser des Schweigens...

Wir werden bestens miteinander auskommen!...“ Doctor pats Eddie’s head to calm him.

92 Girls still touring, but no longer in the

city center; Bessie looking quite

concerned.

„WOHIN zum Teufel fährt man uns!“ Stop at a lake, a Chinese man and boat

captain talk.

„Meine jungen Damen, ich habe eine schöne kleine Mme Lourdier to the girls

Überraschung für Sie geplant!“

„Was bedeutet das alles? Wir werden uns nicht Bessie. vom Fleck rühren!“ Chaos breaks out among the girls;

Jonas arrives and the men force the

girls on and onto a boar.

„Haben Sie keine Angst ..., Jonas reassures Mme Lourdier. der Journalist ist in guten Händen!“ The boat leaves, with struggles

continuing.

„Sind Sie etwas ruhiger geworden, Herr CHEF In the clinic. Doctor enters the padded

Redakteur!“ cell and takes Eddie out.

Cross cut to the girls in the boat on the

lake.

„Ja ..., ich weiß ..., ein ‚Reporter’ ..., eine Doctor to Eddie, who is led in with verdächtige Frau ..., ein schräger Typ ..., 13 attendants.

Amerikanerinnen ..., dieser Unglückselige ist total bekloppt!“

93 „Ihr Name?“

...

„Komischer Name!“

„Möchten Sie, daß ich ihn für Sie schreibe?“ Eddie to doctor; asking to have

straightjacket removed. As soon as this

happens, Eddie jumps through the

window, jumps to a neighboring

balcony and shimmies down to the

ground.

„Hallo! ... Ist das Internat Lourdier bei Ihnen Eddie phoning to find the girls. A abgestiegen?“ series of hotels, Hotel Adlon, Hotel

Brid----, Hotel Esplanade; all reply

“no.”

„Schreiben Sie ...“ Eddie dictates information the office

staff to publish.

RAPID JOURNAL Newspapers roll

Brusque Disparition des treize jeunes filles millionaires arrivées à Hambourg accompannés d’une dame...mure?

94 Notre Reporter Eddie Polo est sur leurs traces. (all caps)

-0-

RAPID JOURNAL

--eheimzinnige Verdwijning der

-ertien jonge miljionnairs van

-et Lourdier Gestickt!

Rapid Journal

Plötzliches Verschwinden der

13 jungen Millionärinnen, die in Hamburg in Begleitung einer reiferen

Dame eintrafen? Unser Reporter Eddie Polo

Ist ihnen auf der Spur.

See sign: Telegrammannahme

N e w Y o r k Scenes of New York, including the

Empire State Building.

See the door:

268

JOE N. HARRIS

„Dieses Telegramm müßte schon raus sein ...“ Two men in a skyscraper office. One

man reads it and laughs, then shares it

with the other man.

Joe N. Harris

95 1730 Broadway

New York. USA

Puppen angekommen – Verkauf beginnt.

Jonas.

„Wenn die 13 Herren Papas über die Men in the office with letters to be

Geschichte unterrichtet sind, werden sie forwarded to the girls’ fathers; other

Ihr Scheckbuch zücken!“ man takes the letters and leaves.

RAPID JOURNAL Newspapers roll

Les treize americaines du pensionnat Lourdier capturées par des bandits leur autocar retrouvé en pleine foret.

-0-

RAPID JOURNAL

De dertien americaansche van het gestickt Lourdier werden door bandieten opgelicht. Men vond hun autocar in een bosch.

Rapid Journal

Die 13 Amerikanerinnen des Internats

Lourdier von Banditen gefangengenommen.

Ihr Wagen mitten im Wald gefunden. Eddie and Max, along with other found

the car. Herr Polnar examines the tires,

leading to Max spitting a nut at his

ample behind.

96 „Scherz beiseite! ... Wir werden schon sehen, Herr Polnar upset. wer den Rekord brechen wird ...

‚Echo“ oder ‚Rapid’!“

See: Öffentliche Fernsprechstelle Eddie by the phone booth.

„Kümmern Sie sich um Ihre eigenen Sachen ... Jonas telephones Eddie to warn him.

Das ist ein guter Rat!“

„Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten!“ Cross cut to Eddie. lip read: Hallo? Hallo? Jonas hangs up on Eddie, who tries to

see if Jonas is still on the line.

„Verdammt! ... Eddie upset.

Jetzt will es genau wissen!“

See sign on train: Altona=Hamburg Train station

Wittenberge

Berlin L

„Erinnern Sie sich? Gestern sind 13 junge Eddie investigating and questioning the

Amerikanerinnen in Begleitung einer reiferen conductor.

Dame aus Hamburg eingetroffen?“

„Genau! Ich habe sogar für sie Conductor remembers, and gives him ein Ferngespräch vermittelt...“ information about the call placed.

„mit Berlin ... Kupfergraben 1546.“

„Geben Sie dringend Eddie telephones the number.

Kupfergraben 1546...“

97 „Hallo! Wer ist am Apparat?“ Eddie tries to find out which number he

called.

„Jonas & Co. ...“

„Entschuldigen Sie, das ist ein Irrtum ...“

See in phone book: With this information, he shows Max

Jonas, Wilhelm, Schrankwirt, Char- how to use the phone book to find the

Lottenburgerstr. 19 Weißensee 758 address.

Jonas & Co., Friedrichsgracht 7 Eddie and Max find the location and

Kupfergraben 1546 use a ruse to get into the building, and

Jonas & Co., Versand-Geschäft Jonas & Co. office.

Jonas comes in and recognizes Eddie, a

fist fight ensues. Eddie and Max

escape via a rope on a crane while the

goons try to get in.

„Schnell ... zur Pfaueninsel.“ Jonas and his goons.

Name on delivery van: Eddie lowered onto a bridge, changes

Schumann Glas – Porzellan – Kücheneinrichtungen clothes, and hops onto a bus, then a

Leipzigerstr. 109 delivery van. On top he sees a

mechanical turn signal, surfing atop a

car. He hops from one car to another,

hiding from Jonas, and ends up

jumping onto Jonas’s car, hiding from

them on the back bumper.

98 „Das ‚Echo’ wird schäumen, wenn es unsere Max has returned to the office to share sensationelle Artikelserie liest!“ the good news.

Cross cut to Eddie as he continues to be

driven unknowingly by Jonas to the

girls.

„Ich weiß wo man sich zur Insel einschifft ... The newspaper office works to get the ich gehe schnell die Polizei verständigen.“ information to the police.

RAPID JOURNAL Newspapers roll.

Les treize americaines

-isonnieres dans une ile

Eddie Polo dans le repaire

--es bandits.

-0-

Some letters on the left are hidden:

RAPID JOURNAL

Dertien amerikaansche

Een Eiland gevangen.

Eddie Polo in het verbllie

Rapid Journal

Die 13 Amerikanerinnen auf einer Insel

Gefangen gehalten.

99 Eddie Polo im Versteck der Banditen. Eddie continues to sit and hide on the

back bumper. As the car enters a gate,

Eddie gets ready to jump off.

Vorsicht, Schritt fahren! Eddie appropriates a small sports car.

„Sperren Sie sofort die Straße The police are been called, and jump auf der Südseite...“ into action.

Car chase ensues. Eddie chases Jonas

(with 4 men, Billy Wilder included)

See car number: IA 26962 The sports car’s license plate.

Approach: CONTINENTAL BALLON Eddie avoids the closed doors, Jonas

crashes through, then Eddie enter using

the hold made by Jonas’s car.

See sign: AVUS AUSFAHRT

„In 3 Stunden wird das verlangte Lösegeld Cross cut to the island: Mme Lourdier in New York hinterlegt...“ plays cards with two men, happy to say

„...Und wir können sicher sein, daß unsere Gänschen vorher nicht davonfliegen werden!“

„...Vor allem bekleidet wie sie sind!“ Chinese man adds this, then pan to a

pile of clothing, indicating the girls are

in their underwear.

100 The car chase continues; Eddie gets to

the motorboat first, and after a brief

fight, leaves for the island.

Jonas finds a row boat for himself and

the goons (Billy Wilder included). All

in suits, Wilder as the coxswain, does

not row, but the others do.

Cross cut to people pacing in the

newsroom.

Cross cut to the police station, where

they leave on motorbikes.

See Billy Wilder calling for the other three to row. Eddie arrives, with no sign of the

rowers; climbs to the roof of the house

and enters; distracts Mme Lourdier and

the two men, then gets into the room

and fortifies it closed.

„Hallo ... Hier spricht Polo: Eddie calls the office and relates the

Bereiten Sie eine Sonderausgabe vor ...“ story.

The rowers arrive, try to get in the

room, but Eddie continues with his

story. Eddie pulls out a small handgun

and shoots toward the door two times.

101 „Man muß diese jungen Mädchen sofort Eddie finishes his story, and shoots befreien ... Haben Sie die Polizei verständigt?“ again 4 times.

„ ... Noch zwei Kugeln ...“

See boat’s name on front left: Grimmnitz Police cross the bridge and get on a on back: Schmökwitz goat to go to the island.

The goons are breaking down the door

to Eddie; Eddie shoots one more time;

one of the goons shoots the phone out

of Eddie hand, ending the connection.

Eddie tries to shoot, but is out of

bullets; Jonas shoots, Eddie falls, and as

they come close to examine him, Eddie

starts slugging. Fist fighting ensure

(though Wilder is not present), with a

6-1 disadvantage.

Cross cut to the police speeding on the

boat and the fist fight.

Police arrive, stop the fight, take away

Mme Lourdier, and open the door to the

room where the girls are held; Eddie

covers the policeman’s eyes and winks

at the girls, closing the door.

102 „Eddie Polo ist in der Tat Max tells the police this once they are ein famoser Reporter!“ all outside.

„Miss Bessie, Sie hatten mich gebeten, Eddie to Bessie, flirting with her. auf sie aufzupassen ...“

„Was würden Sie dazu sagen, wenn ich meine Cross cut to Max, which has put a nut

Rolle weiter zu spielen wünschte ... in his mouth.

Unser ganzes Leben lang!“

„Na endlich!“ Bessie.

Max spits the nut at Eddie, moving him

forward to a kiss.

Eddie and the girls ride together back to

Berlin in the boat.

ENDE

103 Appendix 2

Billy Wilder’s Journalistic Writing in Vienna

This compilation includes the following publications attributed to Wilder when he worked at Die Stunde and Die Bühne in Vienna. They can be found in:

Aurich Rolf, Andreas Hutter, Wolfgang Jacobsen and Günter Krenn (Eds). Billie: Billy

Wilders Wiener journalistische Arbeiten. Vienna, Austria: Verlag Filmarchiv

Austria. 2006.

Item/Article Title Page Original Signature Opening sentence

[note on contents] Publication

Information

Antwort auf Wilders 55 Die Bühne, Nr. 7, Billie S.

Leserbrief 18.12.1924 Wilder,

Wien XIX

Eintragung Billie 56 Die Bühne, Nr. 9, Billy

Wilders im 8.1.1925 Wilder

“Briefkasten”

Antonia – die Fedák in 57 Die Bühne Nr. 11, Billie Die nächste große

Wien 22. Jänner 1925, S. Novität des

15 Raimund-Theaters,

Lengyels Antonia,

wird bereits fleißig

104 geprobt, und

natürlich dreht sich

alles um die

Trägerin der

Titelrolle, welche

auf besonderen

Wunsch des Autors

von Ungarns größter

Schauspielerin, der

in beiden

Kontinenten

bekannten, beliebten

und berühmsten Sári

Fedák, dargestellt

wird.

Wie und was tanzt man 58- Die Bühne Nr. 12, Billie Der Laie: heuer? Ein Frage- und 59 29. Janner 1925, S. Verzeihung,

Antwortspiel über die 32 verehrter Meister! mondänen Trotts

Buchstabenrätsel 61 Die Bühne, Nr. 13, Billie

5. Februar 1925, S. Wilder

59

105 Arithmegriph 62 Die Bühne, Nr. 15, Billie

19. Februar 1925, Wilder

S. 67

Theatervereinigung 64 Die Bühne, Nr. 18, Billie Eine schwache

„Die Bühne“ 12. März 1925, s. Vorstellung: ein

58 alles eher den

geschickt gewähltes

Programm,

schlechte Akteure,

ein halbleeres Haus

… Herz, was willst

du noch mehr?

Fräulein Josette – 65 Die Bühne, Nr. 20, Billie Fräulein Josette meine Frau. Lustspiel 26. März 1925, S. Wilder liebt Jöe Jackson, O in 4 Akten von Paul 42 yes!

Gavault und Robert

Charbey, aufgeführt durch die Kainz-Bühne am 4. Marz im Post-

Saal

Eine Operetten- 66 Die Bühne, Nr. 21, Billie Eine reizende

Uraufführung. Der 2. April 1925, S. Wilder Angelegenheit!

Vetter aus 52

106 Hinterindien. Operette in einem Akt von W.

Kraus und E. Reif –

Musik von Ernst

Mayer, uraufgeführt durch den

„Kristallklub“ in den

Pan-Kunstspielen

Schloß Schwarzau – 67 Die Bühne Nr.36, b.w. Hast Du, Leser, das Dorado des 16. Juli 1925, S. schon von einem

Sportmannes 53-54 „Herrgott in

Frankreich“ gehört?

Rund um die 68- Die Bühne, Nr. 37, Billie Die Leichtathletik ist

Leichtathletikmeistersc 70 23. Juli 1925, S. seit jeher das haften. Neue Talente – 48-49 Schmerzenskind neue Rekords unseres

Körpersports.

„Heiße, Heiße!“ Der 71- Die Bühne, Nr. 43, Billie Es gibt im

Würstelkönig am 72 3. September nächtlichen Wien

Stephansplatz 1925, S. 18 noch lukrative

Unternehmen.

107 Ludwig Fulda über 73- Die Bühne Nr. 51, Billie Ludwig Fulda wohnt sich selbst. Zur 74 29. Oktober 1925, im alten Hotel

Erstaufführung des S. 15 Bristol.

Vulkan am

Akademietheater

Kann Bronnen tanzen? 75 Die Bühne, Nr. 53, Billie Ich gebe die

(Reply to Ludwig 12. November Möglichkeit zu, daß

Fulda’s response to the 1925, S. 14 von den vielen previous article) geistvollen und

treffenden

Mitteilungen, die Sie

machten, mir gerade

ein paar beiläufige,

unwesentliche

Bemerkungen im

Ohr blieben.

Wien hat ein neues 76- Die Bühne, Nr. 54, Billie Ein neues Theater in

Operetten-Theater 77 19. November Wien? In Wien?

1925, S. 18

Unsere Weltmeister. 78- Die Bühne, Nr. 61, Billie Auf dem Platze des

Kurze Interviews bei 79 7. Jänner 1926, S. Wiener

12 Grad unter Null 15-16 Eislaufvereines wird

108 vom frühen Morgen

an trainiert.

Cafe Nielsens 80- Die Bühne, Nr. 65, Billie Das Raimund- theatralische Sendung. 82 4. Februar 1926, S. Wilder Theater ist hell

Ein Interview 6-8 erleuchtet.

Mein „Prince of 83- Die Bühne, Nr. 66, Ich wollte eigentlich

Wales“. Von Billie 88 11. Februar 1926, den Prinzen von

Wilder S. 55-56 Wales interviewen.

Rekord im 85- Die Bühne, Nr. 67, Billie Der brave Knicks an

Rollenlernen. Hannie 86 18. Februar 1926, der Türe hat dem

Hoessrich (Lady S. 6 Bleistift in meiner

Windermere) – 60 Brusttasche die feine

Minuten, 6 Sekunden Spitze gekostet.

Lubitsch entdeckt. 87 Die Bühne, Nr. 67, Billie Daisy will unbedingt

18. February 1926, zum Film

S. 44

Die Requisiten des 90 Die Bühne, Nr. 68, Billie a. japanisch amerikanischen Films 25. Februar 1926, 1 Fudschijama -7

S. 42 Kirschblüten-bäume

-11 Lotus-blumen -1

Jasmin-duft -1

amerikanisches

Konsulat – 1

109 amerikanischer

Konsul – 1 Sohn des

amerikanischen

Konsuls – 1 Tee-

plantagenbe-

sitzerstochter -1

schielender Japaner

– 8 japanische Kulis

-1 Dschunke -1

Motorboot -1

Schwimmring -8

ausgeschlagene

Zähne – 1 nach

Amerika abgehender

Dampfer – 1

Mondlicht auf dem

Ozean.

Im Taumel der 91 Die Bühne, Nr. 74, -ie Broken Barriers

Begierden. Ein neuer 8. April 1926, S. heißt eigentlich der

Shearer-Menjou-Film 38 Film,

„Durchbrochene

Schranken“ etwa.

110 Pensionat Tiller im 92- Die Bühne, Nr. 75, Berufen Die 16 Mädchen, die

Prater 93 15. April 1926, S. Sie sich an einem sonnigen

12-13 auf Billie. Frühlingstag, vor

einer Woche

ungefähr, dem

Wiener Prater einen

Besuch abstatteten

und, soigniert und

englisch sprechend,

in Zweierreihen dort

sich ergingen,

wurden von den

meister Passanten

für die Schülerinnen

eines vornehmen

Pensionats gehalten,

und zwar um so

mehr, als eine ältere

Dame sie auf Schritt

und Tritt bewachte

und befehligte.

111 In Wien wird Polo 94- Die Bühne, Nr. 79, Vor nicht langer Zeit gespielt. 96 13. Mai 1926, S. fand man in Indien

14-15 eine recht

interessante

Urkunde, die nicht

weniger als

viertausend Jahre

alt ist: ein

Maharadscha

beschreibt seinem

Sohne die Regel

eines Gallspieles,

das zu Pferd

betrieben wird.

Schwarze Girls. Im 97- Die Bühne, Nr. 90, Billie Der Vorhang fiel.

Berliner Metropol- 99 29. Juli 1926, S. Wilder

Theater gastiert 17-18 zurzeit eine

Negerrevue „Black

People“ (Schwarzes

Volk)

112 Visitenkartenrätsel 100 Die Bühne, Nr. Billie Was ist die Dame?

101, 14. Oktober Wilder

1926, S. 59

Visitenkartenrätsel 101 Die Bühne, Nr. Billy Was ist der Mann

111, 23. Dezember Wilder beim Theater?

1926, S. 68

An der Côte d’Azur. 102- Die Bühne, Nr. Wenn Monsieur

Saison in Monte 104 121, 3. März 1927, Roger Dutron lacht,

Carlo. S. 20-21; 48 schieben sich einzig

Von Billie Wilder die Hälften seines

liebevoll gepflegten

schwarzen

Schnurrbarts

millimeterweit

auseinander: er hat

keine Zeit, Jovialität

aufkommen zu

lassen.

Visitenkartenrätsel 105 Die Bühne, Nr. Billy Der Herr ist

121, 3. März 1927, Wilder Industrieller!

S. 57

113 „Herr Ober, bitte 107- Die Bühne, Nr. Ein Leitwort zuerst einen Tänzer!“ 112 134, 2. Juni 1927, aus einem Brief:

Erlegnisse eines S. 33-37 Lieber B.W. –

Eintänzers. Schreiben Sie Ihre

Von Billie Wilder Memoiren eines

(I, II, III) Eintänzers.

„Herr Ober, bitte 113- Die Bühne, Nr. Der neben mir: einen Tänzer!“ 120 135, 9. Juni 1927, Kurt, netter Junge,

Erlegnisse eines S. 35-38 guter Leute Sohn,

Eintänzers. mit

Von Billie Wilder geschmackvoller,

(IV) schiefgestreifter

Krawatte und

kranken Magen.

Der Bau des 125 Die Stunde, Nr. -ie –er. Die Kinder des

Marienquellen-Bades 656, 16. Mai 1925, Hausmeisters in Baden gefährdet. S. 4 Richard Henenstreit,

Die Familie Smolcic der in dem Hause protestiert gegen die Baden,

Ausnutzung der Braitnergasse 3,

Marienquelle bedienstet ist,

bemerkten vor

einigen Jahren, daß

114 die Schwechat, die

unmittelbar vor

ihrem Hause

vorbeifließt, einige

sehr warme Stellen

aufweise.

Herr Abel reitet um 126- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Der exzentrischen den Erdball. Der 127 655, 29. Mai 1925, Wilder Weltreisenden wird

Wiener Aufenthalt des S. 6 immer mehr.

Weltreisenden.

Beim Papst der 128- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Seit undenklichen

Mazdaznaner. Zum 129 715, 29 Juli 1925, Wilder Zeiten steht im Tibet

Wiener Aufenthalt Dr. S. 5 der Tempel einer

Otoman Zaradusht Sekte, deren Lehren

Ha’nish. Jahrtausende lang

der Menscheit

vorenthalten

blieben.

Der Rosenkavalier am 130 Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. In den Vita-Ateliers

Rosenhügel 718, 1. August am Rosenhügel

1925, S. 6 herrscht Leben.

115 Leo Blech in Wien. Ein 133- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. 10 Uhr vormittags.

Gespräch während der 134 740, 28. August

Meistersinger-Probe. 1925, S. 6

Das Dorotheum steigt! 135 Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Die Größe des

741, 29. August Versatzamtes einer

1925, S. 5 Stadt läßt mit einer

Berechtigung auf die

pekuniären

Verhältnisse ihrer

Bürger schließen.

Das Radiobett. O. 136 Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Zwei

Friedmanns und F. 742, 30. August Schwankdichter

Lunzers neue 1925, S. 7 kommen eines Tages

Erfindung, vorgeführt auf den fatalen in der Rolandbühne Einfall, ein

Radiobett zu

erfinden.

Ein Spazierflug mit 137- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Das Flugzeug also,

Dorniers „Komet III“. 138 750, 9. September Wilder. das elegant und

Im Rolls Royce der 1925, S. 4 schnittig, ein

Lüfte Kavalier bis in die

minutiös

ausgearbeiteten,

116 ellyptischen

Flügelspitzen, den

mächtigen Aspener

Hangar einnimmt,

ist eines der

berühmten Dornier-

Aeroplane, ist der

französische Name

des Erzeugnisses

einer deutschen

Flugzeugfabrik,

derselben, die

Amundsens

„Nordpol-Wal“

herstellte

Promenaden-Café 139 Die Stunde, Nr. -ie. In Stockholm und in

757, 17. Singapur weiß man

September 1925, ebenso gut wie in

S. 5 Kairo und

Montevideo: In Wien

muß man vier Dinge

gesehen haben: Die

Mädchen, den

117 Stephansdom, den

Kobenzl und die

Kaffeehäuser.

Das Glück des 140- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Es war einmal eine

Gerngroß-Mädchens. 141 815, 25. November schlanke, blonde

Ein reicher Türke 1925, S. 6 Verkäuferin, die verliebt sich in ein Rosa hieß.

Fräulein von

Gerngroß und heiratet sie.

Henry Barbusse in 143- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Henry Barbusse ist

Wien. Ein Gespräch 144 827, 10. Dezember heute Morgen in mit dem Dichter in der 1925, S. 4 Wien eingetroffen.

Ankunftshalle

Mit dem Kaffee im 145 Die Stunde, Nr. B. [Titel], den ich vor

Ostbahnrestaurant, 828, 12. Dezember der Ankunft

1925, S. 6 Barbusses am

Mittwoch um sechs

Uhr morgens

getrunken habe,

verhält sich wie

folgt: Die Köchin

und der Kellner

118 behaupten, er sei

heiß gewesen (und

nicht, wich ich

geschrieben habe,

kalt).

„Passende 146 Die Stunde, Nr. Bil. Gestern habe ich

Weihnachtsgeschenke 832, 16. Dezember etwas entdeckt, ich für 12- bis 14jährige 1925, S. 4 muß es euch sagen:

Knaben“ Unter dem

Stadtbahnviadukt

Nussdorferstraße-

Döblinger

Hauptstraße gibt es

eine lange

Plakatwand.

Die Kunst, sich 147 Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Die Zeiten sind trist, umsonst anzuziehen. 836, 20. Dezember sehr trist.

Erschwindelter Luxus 1925, S. 5-6

– Wie Modelle unbemerkt kopiert werden – Reichtum für einen Abend.

(I, II, III, IV)

119 Das Kreuzworträtsel – 149- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Daß die Freude am

Championat der 152 840, 25. Dezember Wilder. Kreuzworträtsel

„Stunde“ und der 1925, S. 7 hüben wie drüben

„Bühne“ Millionen ergriffen

Champion: Viktor hat, daß sie mit der

Svajda, Wien, III. Geschwindigkeit

Erdbergerstraße 45, einer geometrischen gewinnt 20 Millionen Progression

Zweiter: Edmund unaufhaltsam

Neusser – Dritter: Dr. wächst, ganze

Siegmund Hirschhorn Familien nüchterner

Menschen befällt, da

sie neue Industrien

schafft und Berufe:

das Championat der

„Stunde“ und der

„Bühne“, das

gestern im Mittleren

Konzerthaussaal

ausgefochten wurde,

bewies das zu

Genüge.

120 Bei Götz von 153- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. (Personalnachricht)

Berlichingen. Im Hotel 154 854, 15. Jänner Hier ist eingetroffen

Oesterreichischer Hof. 1926, S. 5 Fidelkommissherr

Götz Freiherr v.

Berlichingen auf

Jagsthausen

(Österreichischer

Hof).

Im Laden des neuen 155- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Das kleine Geschäft

Finanzministers. Ein 156 855, 16. Jänner in der schmalen

Besuch in Baden 1926, S. 5 Pfarrgasse, ganz

Johann Jonkes nahe beim Badener

Nachfolger Karlsplatz, ist nicht

Josef Kollmann schwer zu finden.

Wäsche und

Wirkwaren

Der Faschine hat 157- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Der erste Akt des begonnen ... Auf der 158 857, 19. Jänner Wiener Faschings,

Alland-Redoute 1926, S. 7 die Alland-Redoute,

[Entree, Blick vom ist vorüber.

Balkon, In den Sälen,

Wer nennt die

Namen?]

121 Eine Burg aus 10.000 159- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Was machen Sie mit

Zündholzschachteln. 160 868, 31. Jänner leeren Zündholz-

Das Lebenswerk eines 1926, S. 6 schachteln?

Sonderlings

Der Ball der Köche. 161- Die Stunde, Nr. B-ie. Die Köche, diese

Eine Revue des Wiener 162 870, 3 Februar Braven, die man nie

Kochkunst. 1926, S. 6 zu Gesicht bekommt,

denen man nie in

Bewunderung und

Dankbarkeit die

Hand drücken kann,

die sich aus ihrem

Allerheiligsten nicht

hinaustrauen, nie

wissen, ob es auch

geschmeckt hat –

sofern sie eben nicht

das Schmatzen aus

dem Speisesaal

hören.

Helene Odilons 163- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. In der Ankunftshalle

Rückkehr nach Wien. 164 890, 26. Februar des Westbahnhofes.

1926, S. 6

122 Ihre Ankunft auf dem

Westbahnhof

Bei der japanischen 165- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Der Portier im

Butterfly. Madame 166 892, 28. Februar neuen Bristol

Teiko Kiwa aus 1926, S. 6 schnappt nach Luft:

Yokohama wird die „Frau Keito ...Tokio

Butterfly in der ... Yoko ... Kiwo ...

Volksoper singen. Sie läßt den Herrn

ins Musikzimmer

bitten!“

Der Riviera-Expreß. 167 Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Wo sieht man in

Im Südbahnhof 893, 2. März 1926, Wien noch elegante

S. 6 Leute?

Momentanaufnahmen 168- Die Stunde, Nr. Bil. Batiar kommt aus vom Bezirksgericht 169 897, 6. März 1926, dem polnischen

[„Batiar“, Eine Dusche S. 5 „batiarz“ und heißt im Winter] Landstreicher,

Vagabund,

Nichtsnutz.

Das ist das der 171 Die Stunde, Nr. bil. Das war eine

Frühling in Wien. 912, 24. März Frühlingspremière,

Beim Wiener 1926, S. 4 daß Gott erbarme!

Wettergott

123 Geboren: Wien, II., 172- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. In Wien waren

Zirkusgasse 11. Das 123 919, 1. April 1926, dieser Tage illustre berühmte Tanzpaar S. 5 Gäste: Lola Menzeli

„Lola und Senia“ in und Senia

Wien Solomonoff.

In Wien verschwinden 175- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Erschrecken Sie täglich sechs 176 920, 2 April 1926, nicht: In Wien

Menschen. Neunzig S. 5 verschwinden

Prozent der täglich sechs

Verschwundenen Menschen. kehren allerdings wieder zurück

Die Tiller-Girls sind 177- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Dem Berliner D- da! Sie sind heute 179 921, 3. April, Zug, der heute

Vormittag auf dem 1926, S. 7 Vormittag in die

Westbahnhof Halle des angekommen. Westbahnhofes

einfuhr, entstiegen

vierunddreißig der

reizendsten Beine.

Der Hungerkünstler 180- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Der Berliner

Nicky beginnt heute in 181 922, 4 April 1926, Hungerkünstler Jolly

Wien zu fasten. Er S. 9 stieg am Montag,

124 will den Weltrekord zum Skelett

Jollys schlagen. abgemagert, mit

knurrendem Magen,

langem Bart und mit

dem Bewußtsein, den

Weltrekord des

Italieners Mulatti

geschlagen zu

haben, aus dem

Glaskasten:

vierundvierzig Tage

hatte er in ihm

gesessen,

vierundzwanzig

Stunden länger als

Mulatti.

Fünfundzwanzig Jahre 182 Die Stunde, Nr. -ie. Fünfundzwanzig

Portier der Oper 940, 27. April Jahre sind es her,

1926, S. 7 daß Franz Nusterer

die Portierloge der

Wiener Oper bezog,

dieselbe historische

Loge mit der

125 Aussicht auf die

Opernkreuzung und

den Glasschalter auf

den Bühneneingang,

an der die Großen

der Oper vorbei

mußten.

Girardis Sohn spielt 183 Die Stunde, Nr. 183 Während der Vater

Jazz in der Mary-Bar 960, 22. Mai 1926, gerade Jubiläum

S. 6 begeht und Plakate

auf den Straßen um

Denkmalspenden für

diesen – neben

Lueger –

populärsten Wiener

werben, währen ein

Theater allabendlich

sein Leben spielt und

eine eigene-

Ausstellung den

Wienern seine

Reliquien zeigt,

126 spielt Toni Jazz in

der Mary-Bar.

Kohlenhändler Josef 184- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Im Festsaal des

Steiniger gewinnt das 185 961, 23. Mai 1926, Gewerbevereins in

Auto der „Stunde“ S. 7 der Eschenbach- und „Bühne“. Ein gasse ist ein halbes nächtlicher Besuch in Tausend Menschen.

Gießhübl beim

Gewinner unserer letzten

Kreuzworträtselserie.

Der Unterricht im 186- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. Acht Uhr früh, von

Ferien. Mit den 187 976, 12. Juni 1926, einer Volksschule im

Kindern auf den S. 4 vierten Bezirk.

Kahlenberg

Paul Whiteman, sein 189- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Die Chicago-

Schnurrbart, der 191 977, 13. Juni 1926, Wilder. Tribune brachte im

Cobenzl und der S. 7 Jänner d. J. eine

Heurige. Ein Statistik der

Nachmittag mit amerikanischen

Amerikas Popularitäten. zweitberühmstestem

Mann

127 [1, 2, 3, 4]

Prince of Wales 192- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie. „ ... und in drei grassiert in Wien oder 193 984, 22. Juni 1926, Wochen fahre ich

Die mißverstandene S. 6 nach Baden. ...“

Herrenmode

Whiteman feiert in 194- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Samstag abends um

Berlin Triumphe. 195 990, 29 Juni 1926, Wilder. ¼ 9 Uhr beginnt das

Viertausend Zuhörer S. 4 Konzert. bei der Premiere im

Großen

Schauspielhaus.

Spezialbericht der

„Stunde“

Berlin 27. Juni

Ich interviewe Mr. 196- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie „Das ist er!“

Vanderbilt. Ein 198 999, 10 Juli 1926, Wilder.

Gespräch mit dem S. 5 amerikanischen

Multimillionär – Er trägt nur 250 Mark bei sich – Auch hat er keine Zeit, einen

128 Zahnarzt zu konsultieren.

Berlin, 7. Juli

[Dialog]

Berliner Spaziergänge. 199 Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Gestern saß ich im

Berlin, Anfang Juli, 1001, 13, Juli Wilder. Herzen Europas;

Moka Efti-Beine 1926, S. 4 Kaffeehaus, Ecke

Friedrichstraße-

Leipzigerstraße.

Das ist eine Kälte – in 200- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Venedig, Ende

Venedig! 202 1194, 3. März Wilder. Februar. Der

1927, S. 5 Flugzeugpassagier,

der über die Alpen

vor dem Winter

flieht, stellt bei

Udine die Heizung

auf Halb, drückt

seine Wange gegen

die Fensterscheibe,

schließt die Augen

ein wenig und läßt

sich die volle Sonne

auf die Nase

129 scheinen; er streckt

Arme und Beine weit

aus, daß es in den

Gelenken knackt,

dehnt sich wie unter

einer warmen

Steppdecke und

schweigt so in süßer

Schwüle, bis ihm der

italienische Pilot zur

Kenntnis bringt: das

himmelblaue Ding

links wäre die Adria;

und der Fluß unten

die Piave.

Hier kam Christoph 203- Die Stunde, Nr. NULLA DOMUS

Columbus zur Alten 205 1202, 12. März TITULO DIGNIOR

Welt! 1927, S. 5 HEIC

Von Billie Wilder. PATERNIS IN

Genua, im März AEDIBUS

CHRISTOPHORUS

COLUMBUS

PUERITIAN

130 PRIMAQUE

IUVENTAM

TRANSEGIT.

Das ist die Inschrift

der Marmortafel, die

über zwei Fenster

angebracht ist, in

denen vor rund

vierhundertachtzig

Jahren die Windeln

Christoph

Columbus’ zum

Trocknen hingen.

Wie Tilden das Match 206- Die Stunde, Nr. Billie Die Dame drüben

Kozeluh – Najuch 207 1247, 5. Mai 1927, Wilder auf dem reservierten schiedsrichterte. Karel S. 8. Korbsessel scheint in Hochform – Er Tschechin zu sein, nimmt an Najuch glatt denn als Kozeluh in

6:4, 6:4, 6:1 Revanche die Arena hüpft, in

Berlin, 1. Mai seinem krebsroten

Jäckchen,

braungebrannt,

grinsend und ein

131 Racket mit grünen

Saiten balancierend,

da schreit sie ein so

lautes „Maucta!“,

daß die Viertausend

wie aus einem Mund

auflachen.

132 Works Cited

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