Wednesday, September 30, 2026

Interview with Paul Diamond, son of Billy Wilder’s writing partner, I. A. L. Diamond

Paul Diamond knew Billy Wilder well—his dad was Wilder’s writing partner, I. A. L. Diamond. A novelist, screenwriter, and movie producer himself, Paul spoke to Keir about meeting Marilyn Monroe, the true story behind his dad’s initials, and who wrote the line, “Nobody’s perfect.” Join our Patreon for episodes and content you won’t find anywhere else! Patreon.com/TheFilmographersPodcast Social media Instagram @thefilmographers Bluesky @thefilmographers.bsky.social Letterboxd @filmographers YouTube @TheFilmographersPodcast Website https://filmographerspodcast.com/ Credits Keir Graff & Michael Moreci, hosts Kevin Lau, producer Gompson, theme music Cosmo Graff, graphic design Time Stamps • 2:57 – A middle-class childhood • 6:34 – Growing up on set • 11:34 – Iz, not Izzy • 13:36 – Billy Wilder • 16:59 – Breaking into the business • 26:26 – “Irma,” “Kiss Me,” & “Cookie” • 31:17 – “The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes” • 36:41 – The Wilder Cinematic Universe • 37:25 – Hollywood moves on • 38:18 – “Nobody’s perfect” vs “Shut up and deal”