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  <title><![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]></title>
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  <description><![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
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  <published>1999</published>
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    <body><![CDATA[This book isn't perfect, Wilder comes off as something of an asshole sometimes when he decides to talk shit about the likes of Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, Fred McMurray, and Steven Spielberg (Of course if every asshole could create something like The Apartment which is possibly the loveliest movi...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/24363333">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>5</rating>
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  <date_added>Thu Jun 26 12:37:24 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jun 26 12:44:51 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is a marvelous book. Crowe was the perfect person to do this book, as he has years of experience as a journalist and as a writer/director of film. He was able to ask some tough questions of Wilder as a journalist, but also had huge insights into the realities of both writing and directing films...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/25578217">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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</review>
      <review>
  <id>41771365</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Zod]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Montebello, CA]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 03 17:32:45 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Jan 03 18:03:31 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[What I love about this style of book are the wads of info you are privileged to. Wilder comes across as one of the most candid human beings, and this I find refreshing. He discusses writing techniques, his film history, actors, EVERYTHING. I think Wilder is often overlooked as one of the greatest of...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41771365">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41771365]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/41771365]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>76329864</id>
    <user>
    <id>2055665</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jack]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Waban, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/2055665-jack-cheng]]></link>
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    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
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  <read_at>Sat Oct 31 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Oct 31 17:13:11 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Oct 31 17:16:41 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Wonderful conversation with a great filmmaker. Took a while to read because I kept putting the book down so I could watch some of the films (some for the first time, some for the nth). This is the man behind The Apartment, Double Indemnity, Witness for the Prosecution, Stalag 17, Sunset Blvd., Some ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/76329864">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2001</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jul 26 23:52:23 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Nov 25 07:39:30 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Tuesdays with Billy.  This book is a casually fascinating glimpse of two filmmakers in dialogue, with the younger visiting the retired elder to study and celebrate his life and work. Cameron Crowe was contemplating an autobiographical film at the time of these interviews, which became Almost Famous....<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28406111">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/28406111]]></url>
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      <review>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[You can hear all the same old man stories that Billy Wilder tells fellow German filmmaker in the documentary &quot;Billy Wilder Speaks&quot; or you can spend the time hearing the same stories while simulatenously learning that Cameron Crowe is sort of a pathetic turd with low self esteem and a creat...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73873407">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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      <review>
  <id>71007519</id>
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    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <average_rating>4.20</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>10</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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  <read_at>Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Sep 12 18:24:59 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sat Sep 12 18:26:29 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Persistence gave us this book as Wilder was reluctant to do it. Excellent in very department: quality of the interviews and the total production.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71007519]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71007519]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>62817407</id>
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    <name><![CDATA[Chris]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>
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    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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  <date_updated>Thu Jul 09 14:32:45 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[My all-time favorite film director in lively, penetrating, often very funny conversations with Cameron Crowe. What's not to love?]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62817407]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/62817407]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>69864790</id>
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    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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    <rating>4</rating>
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  <read_at>Sun Sep 13 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Sep 02 17:43:57 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Sep 13 10:20:42 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I'm a big fan of Wilder movies such as Some Like It Hot, The Apartment, and Sabrina, and this book provided a window into the director's philosophy of moviemaking. It was an easy, fun, and enlightening read.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/69864790]]></url>
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      <review>
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    <name><![CDATA[Michael]]></name>
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    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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  <read_at>Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Feb 21 20:37:07 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Feb 21 20:55:44 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[William Holden, Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Sunset Boulevard,Some Like it Hot, Double Indemnity... you know you love them all. Why not spend a couple evenings in the company of Billy Wilder and Cameron Crowe listening to great conversations about old Hollywood. Heavily illustrated w...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16050774">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/16050774]]></url>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <date_added>Fri Mar 28 13:13:36 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Mar 28 13:14:32 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[One of the best books about moviemaking you can find out there.  Billy Wilder is a great person and his personality really shines here.  Some really great ancedotes in here.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18865611]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18865611]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>7207375</id>
    <user>
    <id>127030</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Dan]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/127030-dan]]></link>
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  <isbn>0375709673</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375709678</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">18</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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  <read_at>Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Oct 03 11:22:30 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Oct 09 12:05:42 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I'm no fan of Cameron Crowe--his heavy-handed sentimental streak is on display here, too--but when the interviewee is Billy Wilder, what difference does it make?]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7207375]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7207375]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>29994149</id>
    <user>
    <id>1300427</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Andrew]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Memphis, TN]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1300427-andrew]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">18</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Aug 12 19:00:56 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Aug 12 19:01:41 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A wonderful interview by one of my favorite current directors and a legend of the past. If you love 50s movies, this is worth reading. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29994149]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/29994149]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2523573</id>
    <user>
    <id>144852</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jennifer]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[New York, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/144852-jennifer]]></link>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">18</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171032463m/82899.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171032463s/82899.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82899.Conversations_with_Wilder</link>
  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Crowe, Wilder fans ... which should be everyone!]]></recommended_for>
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  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jun 29 06:43:11 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jun 29 06:44:39 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This is just a fun, super-insidery, super geeky long conversation between a modern master of romantic comedy and a true master of film, period. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2523573]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2523573]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1635035</id>
    <user>
    <id>45397</id>
    <name><![CDATA[steffie]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Fort Worth, TX]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/45397-steffie]]></link>
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    <book>
  <id type="integer">82903</id>
  <isbn>0571203868</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780571203864</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Billy Wilder]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171032464m/82903.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1171032464s/82903.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82903.Conversations_with_Billy_Wilder</link>
  <average_rating>4.50</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>10</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The renowned director talks to Cameron Crowe about 30 years at the very heart of Hollywood. Wilder's distinct voice provides a fascinating insider's view of the film industry past and present.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2000</read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Jun 03 17:10:47 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 20:38:45 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Crowe has tried to emulate Wilder for years, sometimes to absolutely painful effect. But this book is fun for any film geek who worships the masters.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1635035]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1635035]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>34299051</id>
    <user>
    <id>67156</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Steven]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Grand Rapids, MI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/67156-steven]]></link>
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  <id type="integer">1292127</id>
  <isbn>0375406603</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780375406607</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">2</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182543885m/1292127.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1182543885s/1292127.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1292127.Conversations_with_Wilder</link>
  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
  <votes>0</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
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      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Oct 01 12:48:18 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Oct 01 12:49:00 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[If you want a great book about early Hollywood and the writers and directors who did the best work, pick this book up. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34299051]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34299051]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>4850045</id>
    <user>
    <id>196941</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Daniel]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Baltimore, MD]]></location>
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  <isbn>0375709673</isbn>
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  <text_reviews_count type="integer">18</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82899.Conversations_with_Wilder</link>
  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
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    <body><![CDATA[Stunning...amazing interviews.  I stayed up all night reading this.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4850045]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4850045]]></link>
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      <review>
  <id>4101943</id>
    <user>
    <id>251719</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Margali]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
  </title>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>4</rating>
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  <date_added>Sun Aug 05 08:01:47 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Aug 05 08:02:34 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Very interesting book by and about two of my favorite directors.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4101943]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4101943]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>63808152</id>
    <user>
    <id>2531489</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Guy]]></name>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
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  <date_added>Thu Jul 16 20:05:55 -0700 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Jul 16 20:06:30 -0700 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Probably my favorite film book.]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63808152]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/63808152]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>34039494</id>
    <user>
    <id>1572628</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Atousa]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
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  <title>
    <![CDATA[Conversations with Wilder]]>
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  <average_rating>4.34</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>137</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[<em>Conversations with Wilder</em>, an invaluable, photo-intensive volume, is a kind of remake of Truffaut's must-read interview book <em>Hitchcock</em>, with Cameron Crowe in the inquisitive Truffaut role and wily 93-year-old Billy Wilder as the crafty master director. Drawing on his experience interviewing the monsters of rock and his deep, shot-by-shot knowledge of Wilder's work, Crowe gently and cunningly coaxes answers from Wilder--arguably today's most influential living director--on what made his hits tick and his flops suck, along with glimpses of what might have been. Did you know Mae West and Mary Pickford spurned <em>Sunset Boulevard</em> and Wilder spurned Marilyn Monroe for <em>Irma la Douce</em>? That <em>The Apartment</em> was inspired by <em>Brief Encounter</em> and the look of <em>Double Indemnity</em> was based on <em>M</em>? The gossipy insights are great too. Bogart spat when he talked, so Wilder couldn't back-light him in <em>Sabrina</em>, and Audrey Hepburn's wardrobe woman had to towel her off after each take--discreetly! Wilder loathed Raymond Chandler (partly because Chandler disdained James M. Cain when adapting <em>Double Indemnity</em>) but gives him his due as a screenwriter: Chandler could do dialogue and descriptions, but he couldn't construct a scene. &quot;He was a mess, but he could write a beautiful sentence,&quot; says Wilder. Agatha Christie was the opposite: &quot;She had structure, but she lacked poetry.&quot;<p> Some critics scoff at Crowe (who cried while directing emotional scenes in <em>Jerry Maguire</em>) for taking on the cynic Wilder. But they're brothers under the skin. Both leaped from popular music journalism to directing. Both incorporate actual events in their films. Wilder keenly regrets not filming this scene in <em>The Spirit of St. Louis</em>, which he claims really happened: the night before his historic flight, Lindbergh's handlers talked a pretty waitress into having sex with him. They claimed he was a virgin, and likely to die on his voyage. In the hero's parade upon his return, she waves at him through the ticker-tape, but he doesn't see her. &quot;Would have been a good scene,&quot; mourns Wilder. Without this book, we'd never have known about it. <em>--Tim Appelo</em></p>]]>
  </description>
  <published>1999</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
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  <date_added>Sun Sep 28 10:27:34 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Sun Sep 28 10:27:48 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Enjoyable !]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/34039494]]></url>
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