Billy Wilder was a director and author.
Samuel `` Billy '' Wilder [ ˈwaɪldər ] [ ˈvɪldɐ ] ( June 22 , 1906March 27 , 2002 ) was an Austrian-born Jewish-American filmmaker , screenwriter , producer , artist , and journalist whose career spanned more than five decades . William Lee Wilder ( August 22 , 1904 in Sucha , Galicia , Austria-Hungary -- February 14 , 1982 in Los Angeles , California ) was an Austrian-born American screenwriter , film producer and director .