Official Synopsis:
Rediscover four timeless films from legendary writer/director Samuel "Billy" Wilder! No DVD library is complete without this 4 disc collection of his most beloved comedies from Hollywood’s golden age: The Apartment (winner of the Best Picture, Directing, Art Direction, Film Editing and Original Screenplay Academy Awards, 1960), The Fortune Cookie (1966 Oscar winner for Supporting Actor, Walter Matthau), Kiss Me, Stupid and Some Like It Hot (1959 Oscar nominee for Directing, Adapted Screenplay and Actor for Jack Lemmon). With a career that spanned more then 50 years and a legacy of over 60 films, Billy Wilder remains a true motion picture icon with an indelible place in movie making history.

Some Like It Hot -
When Chicago musicians Joe (Tony Curtis) and Jerry (Jack Lemmon) accidentally witness a gangland shooting; they quickly board a southbound train to Florida, disguised as Josephine and Daphne, the two newest - and homeliest - members of an all-girl jazz band. Their cover is perfect until a lovelorn singer (Marilyn Monroe) falls for "Josephine," an ancient playboy (Joe E. Brown) falls for "Daphne," and a mob boss (George Raft) refuses to fall for their hoax!

The Apartment -
C.C. Bud Baxter (Lemmon) knows the way to success in business...it’s though the door of his apartment! By providing a perfect hideaway for philandering bosses, the ambitious young employee reaps a series of underserved promotions. But when Bed lends the key to the big boss J.D. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurry), he not only advances his career, but his own love life as well. For Sheldrake's mistress is the lovely Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), elevator girl and angel of Bud's dreams. Convinced that he is the only man for Fran, Bud must make the most important executive decision of his career: lose the girl....or his job.

Kiss Me, Stupid -
When the world-renowned singer "Dino" (Martin in a hilarious self-parody) passes through Climax, Nevada, he doesn't count on meeting two would-be songwriters with a plan to trap him there and serenade him with their songs. But then again, they weren't counting on Dino's insatiable appetite... for wine and women! And when one of the men learns that his own wife was once president of Dino's fan club, he hires a replacement wife (Kim Novak) to help lure the carousing star into a song-buying mood!

The Fortune Cookie -
Harry Hinkle (Jack Lemmon) is one lucky guy! When he's accidentally clobbered by a 220-pound halfback, all Harry suffers is a slight concussion. All, that is, until Whiplash Willie (Matthau) -- a legal scoundrel of the first order -- arrives on the scene! For if Harry follows shyster Willie's advice and feigns a crippling injury, the two charlatans can split a cool million in phony insurance claims. But can Willie's world-class finagling dispel those ominous words that lie within the fortune cookie on Harry's hospital plate  

Our Take:
Billy Wilder Film Collection is one of many re-packagings of Billy Wilder’s films. Perhaps it is a testament to the greatness of Billy Wilder that his films are so often bundled and re-bundled together trying to lure fans to re-buy their old favorites.  In this, the most recent box set, we get four previously available films packaged together in slim cases.  Kiss Me, Stupid and The Fortune Cookie are the same versions as have always been available either separately or in MGM’s more expensive and comprehensive Billy Wilder Collection.  The Apartment, the probable reason for this box set, is the recently reviewed collector’s edition.  For my thoughts on this amazing film, please refer to my review of its stand-alone release.  The fourth film in the set is everyone’s favorite cross-dressing gangster film send-up Some Like it Hot.  Unfortunately, unlike with The Apartment, we are not treated to the most comprehensive edition of the film, the 2007-released collector’s edition, but instead we get the single-disc bare 2001 special edition. 

The films themselves are all excellent.  For me the real treats are Kiss Me, Stupid and The Fortune Cookie as they made up the half of the set that I had never seen/owned before.  Kiss Me, Stupid is a smart funny film starring Dean Martin as himself, or at least his Rat Pack persona.  Martin’s self-confidence is on full display as many of the laughs come at his own expense.  We also get some classic Martin crooning that is a plus regardless of the context.  The Fortune Cookie is a fun Lemmon-Matthau film that does not rely on an Odd Couple dynamic.  Matthau plays an ambulance-chasing lawyer to perfection and Lemmon’s trademark balance of comedy and tragedy carries the film down the stretch.

Billy Wilder Film Collection is best purchased by fans that already own the more complete edition of Some Like it Hot and do not already own the three other films.  If, like me, you already own the newly released version of The Apartment and would rather have the definitive edition of Some Like it Hot, then I would stay away.  Based on the quality of the films alone, this should get a “Highly Recommended” stamp, but given the odd double-dipping nature of this release, I will have to forego such praise.

Overall Picture:
Movies (average):  A
DVD: C (for double-dipping/re-packaging silliness)

- Matthew Orlando
Staff Writer