The others were Union Station (1950), Force of Arms (1951), and Submarine Command (1951). Fat Man: "A husky fellow like you?" The black studs on Joe's shirt front were probably onyx, black opals, or even black pearls. So Wilder gave up, and DeMille (who was already being compensated) gave Norma his own chair.. Besides Tyrone Power, other stars mentioned when Joe Gillis is pitching his "baseball" picture to the producer are Alan Ladd, William Demarest and Betty Hutton. Although they don't have a scene together in this film, Hedda Hopper and Buster Keaton had worked together in the 1932 comedy Speak Easily (1932), both were among the many stars appearing in the 1931 two-reeler The Stolen Jools (1931), and they both appeared in a 1958 episode of The Garry Moore Show (1958) that also featured Carol Burnett, who years later would spoof the Norma Desmond character regularly on her own variety show. Florabel Muir, the New York Daily News Hollywood correspondent, thought Peavey was the murderer and tried to ambush him into a confession. Brackett was a New York-born novelist and screenwriter, head of the Screen Actors Guild in the late 1930s, and president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1949 to 1955 (during which time he won two screenwriting Oscarsgood news for conspiracy theorists). After graduating from South Pasadena High School, Holden attended Pasadena Junior College, where he became involved in local radio plays. Wilder, ever the merry prankster, told Holden and Olson to keep kissing until he called "cut": he was going to fade out at the end of the scene, and he needed to make sure the kiss didn't end prematurely. One of only 13 films to be nominated for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress and Best Director. A Western at MGM, Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) did much better, and the all-star Executive Suite (1954) was a notable success. Cinematographer John Seitz put a mirror on the bottom of the pool and filmed the reflection. Norma Desmond was the greatest of them all. (1966), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967), Network (1976), Coming Home (1978), Reds (1981), Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and American Hustle (2013). The silent comedian had a reputation as one of Hollywoods best bridge players. Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. The Academy Award-winning actor William Holden, born William Beedle Jr., on April 17, 1918, in O'Fallon, Illinois, began his career with 1939s "Golden Boy," per Britannica. Holden was still an unknown actor when he made Golden Boy, while Stanwyck was already a film star. He followed it with Damien: Omen II (1978) and had a cameo in Escape to Athena (1978), which co-starred his real-life love interest Stefanie Powers. Norma Desmond returns to the Paramount lot and is overcome with nostalgia. Billy Wilder was frustrated with people assuming that the ending was meant to be ambiguous and asking him what happens to Norma after the final dissolve. But also much funnier. Norma's butler, Max, who used to be one of her directors is played by Erich von Stroheim, who directed Swanson in the movie Queen Kelly (1932), clips from which are used in the scene where Norma and Joe watch one of her old films. 3.48. director of photography Film Editing by Arthur P. Schmidt . The clips in Sunset Boulevard were the first time American audiences saw it. Cecil B. DeMille agreed to do his cameo for a $10,000 fee and a brand-new Cadillac. Culture Editor Tony Sokol cut his teeth on the wire services and also wrote and produced New York CitysVampyr Theatreand the rock operaAssassiNation: We Killed JFK. Normands career never recovered after word of her addiction leaked out and she died of tuberculosis on Feb. 23, 1930. London Boulevard (2010) was based on the Ken Bruen novel that was inspired by Sunset Boulevard and features the same trope of an aging actress as the stranger caught in her web. [16] Holden recalls their romance:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, Before I even met her, I had a crush on her, and after I met her, just a day later, I felt as if we were old friends, and I was rather fiercely protective of her, though not in a possessive way. Not everyone felt the same way, however. Gloria Swanson does a famous impression of Charles Chaplin as the "Little Tramp," but Chaplin's name is never mentioned. on the corner of Crenshaw and Irving. In fact,Bob Thomas, Holden's biographer, said that the actor's addiction counselor predicted his demise. She is ever the star. In 1973, Holden starred with Kay Lenz in a movie directed by Clint Eastwood called Breezy, which was considered a box-office flop. The first draft of the film was a straightforward comedy about a has-been actress making a comeback, and Wilder saw Mae West in the role. Or shall I call my servant? [14], Holden made a third film with Wilder, Sabrina (1954), billed beneath Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. He was Judy Hollidays tutor in Born Yesterday (1950) and played a war correspondent in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955). At one point Norma mistakes Joe for a funeral director and asks for her coffin to be white, as well as specially lined with satin. Sometimes hetinkles the wheezing gothic ivories like Lurch in the original TV series The Addams Family, playing the recognizable strains of The Phantom of the Opera. They stayed that way even if the pictures got small. This film was originally released in the United States as The Christmas Tree and on home video as When Wolves Cry. It's the *pictures* that got small. For added meta-truthfulness, Wilder wanted to have that film's lead actress, Hedy Lamarr, be there too, so that DeMille could ask her to let Norma sit in her chair (you know, those behind-the-scenes chairs that have the star's name on them). He contributed to Altvariety, Chiseler, Smashpipe, and other magazines. In 1986 Nancy Olson became the last surviving member of the cast. [47], President Ronald Reagan released a statement: "I have a great feeling of grief. Gloria Swanson almost considered rejecting the role of Norma Desmond after Billy Wilder requested she do a screen test for the role. The building manager found the body of the legendary actor who starred in 70 films and was a good friend of President Ronald Reagan nearly a week later, per The Washington Post. Normas waxworks card sharps were Swedish-born Anna Q. Nilsson, H. B. Warner and Buster Keaton. Joe Gillis is seen reading the book "The Young Lions" by Irwin Shaw, a best-selling World War Two novel of the time, Montgomery Clift, who was originally offered the part of Joe Gillis, later played one of the leads in the film adaptation of that book The Young Lions (1958), though it was not directed by Billy Wilder. a mean old woman who looks and acts a little like Ma Bates if she'd been dead for several years but was somehow still just as talkative and feisty. (1954). It made him a true front ranked star after years of being an actor slogging through a series of largely forgottable films (and performances). A new 4K high-definition scan was done in 2008 for the film's release on Blu-ray disc. Holden, who was at this point dependent on alcohol, said, "I really was in love with Audrey, but she wouldn't marry me. . On the Columbia lot is an assistant director and scout named Harold Winston. H.B. Betty is engaged to be married to Jack Webbs character, Arthur Artie Green, who is such a good buddy to Joe that he offers to put him up on the couch for a few weeks. It's kind of sweet, actually. At Columbia, he starred in film noirs, The Dark Past (1948), The Man from Colorado (1949) and Father Is a Bachelor (1950). Features the only Oscar-nominated performances of Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson. I didn't know. Holden's films continued to struggle at the box office, however: Paris When It Sizzles (1964) with Hepburn was shot in 1962 but given a much delayed release, The 7th Dawn (1964) with Capucine and Susannah York, a romantic adventure set during the Malayan Emergency produced by Charles K. Feldman, Alvarez Kelly (1966), a Western, and The Devil's Brigade (1968). If anything, its observations on the greedy machinations of Tinseltown are truer now than they were in 1950. Both Mary Astor and Miriam Hopkins starred in TV versions of the film in 1955 and 1956, respectively. It was a the kind of a place crazy movie people built in the crazy 20s. The movie featured the famed director Erich von Stroheim, who made photographs of Gloria Swanson move so beautifully the world was enthralled, as Max Von Mayerling, the director who made, married, and divorced the enthralling Norma Desmondand then gave up his career in film to be her slave in butlers clothing. The first name of the Joe Gillis character was Dan in an early draft of the screenplay, then altered to Dick, and finally to Joe just before filming began. About 28:00 in, when Max is playing the organ, it is the same chords that Captain Nemo (James Mason) plays on his organ aboard the Nautilus in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea." ), and he calls her "young fellow." The veteran actress particularly wanted to see what Mary Pickford felt and was disappointed to see that she had left. Marlon Brando was considered, but the producers thought he was too much of an unknown as a film actor. He followed it with a romantic comedy, Dear Ruth (1947) and he was one of many cameos in Variety Girl (1947). When she received her Honorary Oscar at the 1982 Academy Award ceremony, Holden had died in an accident just a few months prior. Wilder was no fan of improvisation and was very protective of his words. Brenda Marshall, Holden's wife since 1941, was visiting the set when Holden and Nancy Olson had their kissing scene. The Paramount logo appears as a transparency over the opening shot. Wilder won the argument and privately told friends that he would not be making any more films with Brackett. According to Gloria Swanson's daughter, Michelle Amon, her mother stayed in character throughout the entire shoot, even speaking like Norma Desmond when she arrived home in the evening after filming. Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider. Holden continued to work steadily for the next decade, but Hollywood often had no idea what to do with him. On the advice of Libby Holman, Montgomery Clift, who had signed to play the part of Joe Gillis, broke his contract just two weeks prior to the start of shooting. Norma is at the edge of insanity through the whole movie, but that doesnt mean shes not fun. was voted #6 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by "Premiere" magazine in 2007. Erich von Stroheims Max von Mayerling is equally awestruck, still caught in the wake of Normas star dust. Perhaps one of the reasons Swanson got the job was because director George Cukor mentioned that the actress once lived in a mansion on Sunset Boulevard. [30] Holden made a Western with Ryan O'Neal and Blake Edwards, Wild Rovers (1971). Sunset Boulevard (styled in the main title on-screen as SUNSET BLVD.) Set designer Hans Dreier had in fact been the interior designer for the homes of former silent stars Bebe Daniels, Norma Shearer and Pola Negri. He received an eight-month suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter. Minters mother Charlotte Shelby was a manipulative stage mother who owned a rare .38 caliber pistol that fired unusual bullets very similar to ones found inside Taylor. There's a little dig in the scene when Cecil B. DeMille finds out that Paramount has been calling Norma Desmond because it wants to rent her car for "the Crosby picture." They had paired up in pictures since 1938. Idealists can screw for fun and for power, because sex is good for business but love is a luxury Hollywood gals cant live without. They had faces. in West Hollywood. Sunset Boulevard is no. Clift's biographers say it was because he had a strong following among older women, who wrote him letters describing how they'd like to mother him, and he didn't want to encourage such behavior. I think that Sunset Boulevard was the most important film of William Holden's career. For a number of years, exhibitors voted Holden among the most popular stars in the country: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. But she fits it like a round peg in a square hole. Norma telling studio guard Jonesy that without her there would be no Paramount Studios is not a far-fetched notion. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Sunset Boulevard DVD Special Collector's Edition William Holden Gloria Swanson at the best online prices at eBay! It was George Cukor who suggested Gloria Swanson for the role of Norma Desmond. In Billy Wilder's film, Erich von Stroheim plays the butler of Gloria Swanson's forgotten silent-film star. Sunset Boulevard, one of Hollywood's most cruelly accurate depictions of itself, is now 65 years oldolder, even, than its main character, who's washed up at 50. He directed classic films like Double Indemnity, Ace in the Hole, The Apartment, The Lost Weekend, Stalag 17, Witness for the Prosecution, Sabrina, and Some Like It Hot. While Hollywood Blvd. It was the same technique he had used to shoot Rudolph Valentino's tango in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921). But attempts to turn the movie into a stage musical began almost immediately, spearheaded by none other than Gloria Swanson. Oh, wake up, Norma. 4.99. So funny that it took away from the rest of the picture. An inventory of his prospects added up to exactly zero. But like so many of the female actors of the era, Holden soon realized it was his physical attributes and not his acting ability that the studio cared about. The British author's satirical The Loved One was published in 1948, after Waugh had spent time in Hollywood observing the film industry and, of all things, the funeral industry. West wanted to rewrite her dialogue. Read and download theDen of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazineright here! While in Italy in 1966, Holden was responsible for the death of another driver in a drunk-driving incident near Pisa. He walked into his bedroom and tripped over a throw rug and slammed his head so hard into the corner of a teak nightstand, the piece of furniture flew into the wall causing an indentation, per "William Holden." Beedle grew up in South Pasadena, California. American actress Gloria Swanson in a promotional portrait for 'Sunset Boulevard', directed by Billy Wilder, 1950. This dynamic served them well for years, each man's extreme tendencies being balanced by the other's, but during Sunset Boulevard it finally became unworkable. Reluctantly, Wilder met with William Holden, who hadn't done much after the great Hollywood innovator Rouben Mamoulian's Golden Boy (1939). The same musical quote from "Salome" is used again as she descends the stairs, where Waxman segues into his own original musical statement of "The Dance of the Seven Veils". That movie, however, departs from the trope by making both actress and stranger much younger. Holden did a sports film at Columbia, Boots Malone (1952), then returned to Paramount for The Turning Point (1952). Seleccionar el departamento en el que deseas buscar. Gloria Swanson, meanwhile, was born on March 27, 1899. While in Italy in 1966, Holden was responsible for the death of another driver in a drunk-driving incident near Pisa. For the opening shot of Joe Gillis floating face-down in the swimming pool, Billy Wilder wanted a shot from below that would show both the body and the police and photographers standing at the pool's edge looking down. Wilder almost hired Broadway star Marlon Brando, who would make his screen debut in The Men in 1950. words "Sunset Blvd." . The only film to be nominated for Best Actor and Actress Oscars that year. ), It came out the same year as another behind-the-scenes showbiz classic, All About Eve, which took most of the Oscars. [39] On a trip to Africa, he fell in love with the wildlife and became increasingly concerned with the animal species that were beginning to decrease in population. The name Norma Desmond was a combination of early Hollywoods comedy star Mabel Normand and her lover, silent film director William Desmond Taylor. The ocean?' Salome was a wonderful part for Norma Desmonds celluloid comeback. Joe insists hes not a Hollywood whore, but he accepts Normas gifts, gold cigarette cases, a platinum watch, suits, shirts, and shoes that would impress Rudy. The mundane accident that took the Hollywood actor's life was made even worse by the fact that nobody found his body for a week afterward, according to the Associated Press. This is absolutely true, Nancy Reagan continued consulting her astrologer long after she stopped parking at studio lots. "[13]:174 The interactions between Bogart, Hepburn and Holden made shooting less than pleasant, as Bogart had wanted his wife, Lauren Bacall, to play Sabrina. When Joe and Norma sit down to watch one of her old movies, Joe pulls out a cigarette and places the bottom end in his mouth. But even to show a chair with her name on it, Lamarr wanted $10,000. His deal was considered one of the best ever for an actor at the time, with him receiving 10% of the gross, which earned him over $2.5 million, however, Holden stipulated that he should only receive a maximum of $50,000 per year from the film. Initially, writer-director Wilder envisioned the movie as a straightforward comedy, and the famously saucy West seemed like a perfect fit. Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard is one of his three or four masterpieces, a seminal Hollywood black comedy-satire, which unlike most films keeps improving with the passage of time.. Benfiting from a glorious and iconic cast, the film concerns a faded silent film star, played by Gloria Swanson (in a variation of her own onscreen persona), who lives in the past with her butler (and former . Also in 1969, Holden starred in director Terence Young's family film L'Arbre de Nol, co-starring Italian actress Virna Lisi and French actor Bourvil, based on the novel of the same name by Michel Bataille. On Joe's and Betty's night walk through the Paramount backlot, his calling the false building fronts "Washington Square" would be an accurate reference, as that neighborhood in New York was full of brownstone houses, apartments, and other turn-of-the-century architecture. The movie premiered in the days of restricted language, not so long after Rhett Butler controversially told Scarlett OHara he didnt give a damn what happened to her in Gone With the Wind, a classic Paramount passed on because who wanted to see Civil War picture? But the old guard thought Wilder and his co-writer Charles Brackett fashioned a rope that could strangle this business of show by writing words, words, and more words. He was perfection on- and off-screen. In 1989 the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress selected this as one of 25 landmark films of all time. William Holden returns to find that Gloria Swanson has tried to slash her wrists in 'Sunset Boulevard', directed by Billy Wilder. The next decade saw Holden's career flourish. Clift was also wary of appearing in the film because he, like the character of Joe, was having an affair with a wealthy older former actress, Libby Holman. At Cecil B. DeMille's first appearance, his on-set cry of "Wilcoxon!" [4] They had two sons, Peter and Scott. Sunset Blvd. In the opening scene of the 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard," the cynical screenwriter turned gigolo Joe Gillis lies floating in a swimming pool, blood seeping from his lifeless body. During the shopping excursion, Norma remarks that if Joe is not careful, he'll need a cutaway. Holden's career took off again in 1950 when Billy Wilder tapped him to play a down-at-heel screenwriter taken in by a faded silent film actress (Gloria Swanson) in Sunset Boulevard. Words are as good as sex to two writers. The footage we see is from Queen Kelly (1929), which starred Gloria Swanson and was directed by Max himself, Erich von Stroheim. In their scene together in Artie's bathroom Gillis mentions to Betty in his dramatic flirtation about having spent "12 years in the Burmese jungle", when coincidentally, just a few years later his character, Shears, finds himself lost there in David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai.