Comedy in any medium depends a great deal upon the mixing up of mes­sages, the deliberate switching of a communication context, and the swapping of labels on statements. Billy Wilder’s comedies generally avoid slapstick switches …

When Columbia first announced its purchase of Clifford Odets’ Group Theatre play Golden Boy, it seemed a strange choice, because that studio had never favored dramas of strong social significance. Odets was not hired to …

In Sunset Boulevard, writer-director Billy Wilder provides us with a “behind the scenes” investigation into Hollywood. While Wilder’s caustic wit is apparent throughout, the investigation is a serious one. As such, Sunset Boulevard can be …

By Richard von Busack
The first and last thing we see in 1957’s The Bridge on the River Kwai is a flight of vultures. The epic, digitally restored and now playing Sept 10-16 at a long …