Billy Wilder im Gespräch mit H. Karasek Teil 1: "Marilyn Monroe, Hollywood und den perfekten Witz"

A special piece of film history from our archives: Billy Wilder in conversation with Hellmuth Karasek – recorded in 1987 as part of the "Berliner Unterricht" series at the Renaissance Theater in Berlin. In Part 1, Wilder speaks with dry humor and razor-sharp observation about Hollywood, Berlin, censorship, screenplays, directors, Final Cut – and, of course, Marilyn Monroe. He recounts, among other things, the difficult filming with Monroe, the famous rock scene from "The Seven Year Itch," "One, Two, Three," Coca-Cola, post-war Germany, and the art of making a joke truly work. Hellmuth Karasek guides us through an evening filled with film history, anecdotes, and instantly recognizable Wilder quotes: brilliant, wicked, elegant – and often very funny. This is Part 1 of the conversation. Part 2 will also be available on our YouTube channel, GrimmChronik. Hashtags: #BillyWilder #HellmuthKarasek #MarilynMonroe #Hollywood #FilmHistory #CinemaHistory #GrimmChronicle #BerlinLesson #RenaissanceTheater #SomeLikeItHot #TheApartment #SunsetBoulevard #OneTwoThree #FilmClassics #ContemporaryHistory #Documentary #ArchivalFind #Marilyn #FinalCut #Berlin Chapter Overview 0:00 Introduction: Hellmuth Karasek on Billy Wilder 6:49 Billy Wilder's Anecdote about "Sold Out" 8:22 Birth, Origins, and Wilder's Humor 9:25 From Molnár to "One, Two, Three" 11:30 Coca-Cola, Joan Crawford, and the Cold War 13:20 "A Foreign Affair" and Post-War Berlin 14:06 Wilder at War: Psychological Warfare 16:36 Marilyn Monroe: Difficult, but Irreplaceable 19:28 Freud, Doctors, and Psychoanalysis as Material for Comedy 21:06 Billy Wilder in Berlin: Journalist, Dancer, Screenwriter 21:51 Why Wilder Became a Director 24:22 Charles Boyer, the Cockroach, and Control Over the Film 27:48 Final Cut and the Venus de Milo 28:40 Hollywood Jokes and the Status of Screenwriters 29:21 Gigolos, Morality, and Characters with Weaknesses 31:18 Hollywood, Work Ethic, and the Casting Couch 33:16 Everyone Wants to Be a Director 34:07 "The Major and the Minor" and Censorship 36:38 Surprise, Suspense, and the Audience as Accomplice 38:02 Marilyn Monroe's Famous Rock Scene 40:30 Fans, Manhattan, and the Magic of Film 42:14 The Scene in the Studio—and Monroe's Innocence