Film Weakest Link: Billy Wilder - Round Four

"Lost Weekend" departed last round, so we're down to 5. Pick the ONE weakest link!

Discussion: did I omit any movies from the initial 12 that I should've included?

THE RULE: if you pick a movie I should've included, you must pick one that I shouldn't have included!

 

Stalag.

Could have added these, debatable if they are better than your original choices though, so I didn't do that.

Spirit of St Louis
One Two Free
Kiss Me, Stupid
The Fortune Cookie
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
Avanti!

 

Stalag 17. Should have gone last time around.

 

The Apartment - Lemmon playing the perpetual stooge grows tiresome. That and it’s not a funny film.

 

Not really trying to be funny most of the time, though, is it?

 

Exactly, it's a drama (with comedic moments), and Lemmon and (especially) MacLaine play it brilliantly.

 

One to include: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes
One not to: Avanti!

Out this time - Stalag, finally.

 

I like Avanti! It is overlong, but has some great moments and Juliet Mills is delightful.

 

It's frequently referred to as a comedy though, which makes the initial viewing a tad jarring. Not a bad film in any event, but certainly...overrated.

 

STALAG is the weakest of the lot. Holden was a wonderful actor, but Montgomery Clift should have won best actor for FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. It’s not even close. Whoever nominated Clift and Lancaster for the same film having them up against one another wasn’t very bright, either.

 

Yeah, I get that it's a hybrid. But however it's sold, it's still more of a drama than a comedy, especially in the 2nd half!

 

And The Apartment has one of the greatest scripts ever, just genius. Not overrated in the slightest.

 

I'm lukewarm about "Some Like It Hot", so time to turn off the tap.

I would have replaced "The Front Page" with "A Foreign Affair". Far from his best, but it gets extra points for Jean Arthur.

 

Okay by me to include that too. As someone upthread said, it's difficult with someone as good as Wilder. I can't believe Ace in the Hole is gone so soon!

 

With the proposed cast of Peter O'Toole & Peter Sellers it might have flown. Double Indemnity will probably win but I can't get past My Three Sons. My loss I agree.

 

Nah. Everyone knows "Double Indemnity" is totally overrated!