(Billy Wilder is the world-famous director of Hollywood cl...)
Billy Wilder is the world-famous director of Hollywood classics such as "Some Like It Hot" and "Sunset Boulevard". Here he has collaborated with Cameron Crowe - writer/director of "Jerry Maguire" - to produce a definitive study of his films, discussing his ideas, inspirations and methods.
Cameron Bruce Crowe is an American director, producer, screenwriter, journalist, author, and actor.
Background
Crowe, Cameron was born on July 13, 1957, in Palm Springs, California, United States, in the family of James and Alice Crowe. His father, James A. Crowe, originally from Kentucky, owned a real estate and phone service business. His mother, Alice Marie, "was a teacher, activist, and all-around live wire who did skits around the house and would wear a clown suit to school on special occasions." The family moved around often but spent a lot of time in the desert town of Indio.
Education
Studied at California State University in San Diego.
Career
Cameron Crowe was writing for Rolling Stone as a child—well, technically, a young teenager—and he jumped over into movies when his novel Fast Times at Ridgemont High (82, Amy Herkerling) was made into a hit movie, with Crowe doing the screenplay. He then wrote and coproduced a Hat follow-up, The Wild Life (84, Art Linson)—but maybe the fault there was Linsons.
A few years later, Crowe was back on form writing and direct-ing Say Anything, which had a lovely John Cusack and the intriguing theme of charm meeting brains. Singles was fine, but not as deep, and no preparation for Jerry Maguire—a fanciful story about being a top sports agent and being happy, so cunning a bit of humor, romance, and whimsy that it grabbed all of America and gave Tom Cruise an unmissible role.
Almost Famous was his own start at Rolling Stone, and a lot of fun, yet maybe sanitized enough for Mom. No matter the 1999 publication of his fond yet rather superficial book Conversations with Billy Wilder. Vanilla Sky should pass as an aberration, or as a debt of friendship to Tom Cruise. That horribly far-fetched fabrication does not seem like Crowd’s kind of venture
"With ... an ambling, naturalistic style, Crowe captures the eccentric appeal of a town where espresso carts sprout on every corner and kids in ratty flannel shirts can cut records that make them millionaires."
Connections
Married Nancy Wilson, July 27, 1986 (divorced 2011). Children: William James, Curtis Wilson.