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Studs and cufflinks were inserted into the shirt holes to secure the garment. As far as being a forgotten star, past her prime, Norma is only 50 in the movie, Swanson was 53 when she made it and was herself very busy on the then-new medium of television. She liked Holden and went out of her way to help him succeed, devoting her personal time to coaching and encouraging him, which made them into lifelong friends. Paramount reunited Bracken and him in Young and Willing (1943). Winston was one of those who discovered the Golden Boy newcomer and who renamed himin honor of his former spouse!"[3]. Wilder won the argument and privately told friends that he would not be making any more films with Brackett. But who could play the silent film diva? Norma wound up sitting in Mr. DeMilles chair. Sure she was a forgotten silent star, living in exile, screening her old movies and dreaming of a comeback. The butler stonewalls Joe from the outside world until hes rolling up twenties tight enough snort through to deal with even the shortest withdrawal from the big empty house. (1950) in my head, and I'd always sort of related to that character floating in . Schwab's Pharmacy was filmed only 500 feet (145 meters) from where Robert "D-Fens" Foster shot out the phone booth in Falling Down (1993). The movie was previewed with this opening, in Illinois, Long Island (NY) and Poughkeepsie (NY). But she fits it like a round peg in a square hole. Make-up designer Wally Westmore found that Gloria Swanson's face belied her age and wanted to make her look older. On the night of November 12, 1981, Holden consumed somewhere between eight and 10 drinks in a short amount of time, according to "William Holden: A Biography." The only Best Picture Oscar nominee of the year to be also nominated for Original Screenplay. In later interviews, Davis admitted that she thought Swanson's work in the film was absolutely outstanding. "[4], For his contribution to the film industry, Holden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1651 Vine Street. Eugene Walter was a prolific Hollywood screenwriter of the 1920s and 1930s. Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. You used to be in silent pictures. Garbo was once rumored to be engaged to the innovative Hollywood and Broadway director Rouben Mamoulian whose film Golden Boy (1939) made William Holden famous. The four films were released between August 1950 and November 1951. Holden made a fourth and final film for Wilder with Fedora (1978). "Waxwork" Buster Keaton was in reality an excellent bridge player, always in demand at Hollywood bridge parties. It was George Cukor who suggested Gloria Swanson for the role of Norma Desmond. Norma's bed originally belonged to French actress/singer Gaby Deslys. "Twin Peaks" also features characters named Chester Desmond and Norma Jennings, in reference to Norma Desmond. April 17, 2019 6:00AM. Brackett thought it was too mean while Wilder felt it was necessary. This is an old film which has been made into a musical. He rose to prominence with his role in the movie "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), which landed him his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. Getting the role was a lucky break for Holden, as Montgomery Clift was initially cast but backed out of his contract. And like the title, Holden seemed to have the looks and muscular build Hollywood craved. A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return. The antique car used as Norma Desmond's limousine is an 1929 Isotta-Fraschini Tipo 8A, a luxury car made in Italy, and once belonged to 1920s socialite Peggy Hopkins Joyce. Holden's films after that time had not impressed Wilder (in the 1940s Holden's movies were decidedly mediocre). And gossip columnist Hedda Hopper (who appears in the movie as herself) wrote that "Billy Wilder was crazy about Evelyn Waugh's book The Loved One, and the studio wanted to buy it.". Norma Desmond returns to the Paramount lot and is overcome with nostalgia. When he appeared in the innovative Hollywood director Rouben Mamoulian's Golden Boy (1939), he was hailed as exactly that, but had seen his stock fall, largely through his problems with alcohol and a string of unmemorable films in the 1940s. What is the correct title - "Blvd." In accordance with his wishes, no funeral or memorial services were conducted. Its second owner was Jean Paul Getty, who purchased it for his second wife. Gloria Swanson became so identified with the demanding, irascible Norma that later generations of fans were startled to discover her serene, easy-going, naturalist personality in real life. While in Italy in 1966, Holden was responsible for the death of another driver in a drunk-driving incident near Pisa. Technically the address was 641 S Irving Blvd but the estate lay at the corner of Irving and Wilshire Blvd. 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. Holden, who was at this point dependent on alcohol, said, "I really was in love with Audrey, but she wouldn't marry me. The general consensus was that the two titans had canceled each other out, leaving the field clear for Holliday. It opened on Broadway at the Minskoff Theater on November 17, 1994, ran for 977 performances and won the 1995 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Book and Score. Her friend George Cukor, who initially recommended her for the part, told her, "If they want you to do ten screen tests, do ten screen tests. Gloria Swanson brings sunshine into every room as silent screen idol Norma Desmond. On the basis of this film and largely due to his continuing association with director Billy Wilder, Holden would reach the zenith of his career from 1950-'57. Suratt was reportedly obsessed with the fact that she was the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, and after her career ended commissioned the leader of the U.S. Reform Bah' Movement to co-write a script on the life of Mary Magdalene. Stanwyck went to bat for Holden when he was going to be replaced in Golden Boy (1939) and Wilder's collaboration with Holden in the 50s starting with Sunset Boulevard revitalized his career (including the Best Actor Oscar for Stalag 17 (1953). As a practical joke, during the scene where William Holden and Nancy Olson kiss for the first time, Billy Wilder let them carry on for minutes without yelling "Cut!" Features the only Oscar-nominated performances of Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson. So they opened their big mouths and out came talk. In one week, she received 17,000 fan letters. [28] Columbia would not meet Holden's asking price of $750,000 and 10% of the gross for The Guns of Navarone (1961); the amount of money Holden asked exceeded the combined salaries of stars Gregory Peck, David Niven, and Anthony Quinn.[29]. It said so on the chart from her astrologer, who read DeMilles horoscope. "I'm not surprised that this could have happened.". 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. Sunset Boulevard (styled in the main title on-screen as SUNSET BLVD.) But as commentator Steve Sailer points out, more than one contemporary source mentions it as an inspiration. She offered Peavey 10 dollars to identify Taylors grave in the Hollywood Park Cemetery and had someone wait there in a white sheet to scare it out of him. After a private screening for Hollywood dignitaries, Barbara Stanwyck knelt in front of Gloria Swanson and kissed the hem of her skirt. 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. During the shopping excursion, Norma remarks that if Joe is not careful, he'll need a cutaway. Normand was the last person known to have seen Taylor alive and she was grilled by the Los Angeles Police Department as a result. Throughout Hollywood history many film stars, and/or single films, were responsible for saving ailing studios. She reads everyone and everything in Hollywood, except Joes script. Mrs. Getty's home had to be completely re-decorated to give it the oversized grandeur needed for the film. They swore each other off over the montage where Norma struggles to lose weight for her comeback. In 1973, Holden starred with Kay Lenz in a movie directed by Clint Eastwood called Breezy, which was considered a box-office flop. Sunset Boulevard DVD (2007) William Holden, Wilder (DIR) cert PG Amazing Value. The movie's line "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" was voted the #7 movie quote by the American Film Institute. Von Stroheim didnt know how to drive, and the scene where hes driving the exotic leopard-upholstered Isotta-Fraschini was shot as the car was being towed. Norma goes to visit Cecil B. DeMille, several of whose films Swanson had starred in. This was a first for Gloria Swanson, but proved a big boon in helping her develop her character's descent into madness. It's probably just as well, since the darker, more nuanced story that eventually emerged was quite different from West's wheelhouse anyway. The older actor prided himself on needling people and he needled the shit out of Holden on the first movie, and the second movie was worse because Holden started dating Audrey Hepburn during filming. 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. He earned an Oscar nomination for "Sunset Boulevard" and won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 for his role in "Stalag 17," per IMDb. 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. They had faces. A version of how he obtained his stage name "Holden" is based on a statement by George Ross of Billboard: "William Holden, the lad just signed for the coveted lead in Golden Boy, used to be Bill Beadle [sic]. She refuses to believe that she's no longer remembered and will never make another movie. The mansion belonged to the second Mrs. Jean Paul Getty, who rented it on condition that if she did not like the swimming pool the studio would have to add for the film, it would cover it over and restore the original landscaping. Marshman Jr. Stars William Holden Gloria Swanson Erich von Stroheim See production, box office & company info Add to Watchlist 701 User reviews 196 Critic reviews [7], Back at Paramount, he starred with Bonita Granville in Those Were the Days! Prior to joining the Houston Chronicle, Gonzales worked as a night cops reporter at The. Holman was 16 years older than him and was afraid people would think the movie was a parody of their relationship. Joe Gillis mentions that the painting of wild horses that covers the projection screen in Norma Desmond's mansion was given to her by "some Nevada Chamber of Commerce." At Columbia, he starred in film noirs, The Dark Past (1948), The Man from Colorado (1949) and Father Is a Bachelor (1950). Here's some backstage information to enhance your experience the next time you visit the Paramount lot.. Initially, writer-director Wilder envisioned the movie as a straightforward comedy, and the famously saucy West seemed like a perfect fit. 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. 12 Sep. WILLIAM HOLDEN: At some point, "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) played at The Silver Screen. Also, the house didn't have a pool, so Paramount paid to have one installed on the condition that if Mrs. Getty didn't like it, they'd remove it after filming was over. In the penultimate scene, as Max tells Norma that "the cameras have arrived," the high strings in composer Franz Waxman's Oscar-winning score quote a chord from Richard Strauss's "The Dance of the Seven Veils" from his opera "Salome". But along with the accolades came a dependence on alcohol that would play a major role in his tragic end. She hates all of Joes writing except for about six pages. "Variety" ran a front-page review, and this led to a belated release of Swanson's version in 1957 (the year of Stroheim's death). You used to be big. The movie opens with a shot of a dead guy floating face down in a pool, and the dead man himself tells us that its Joe Gillis getting bloated in the chlorine. 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. Warner (one of the four "Waxworks" at the bridge party) in The King of Kings (1927). Sometimes its interesting to see just how bad, bad writing can be. Holden acted in Executive Suite (1954), The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), and Picnic (1955). Warner, who appears as one of "The Waxworks", had been Gloria Swanson's leading man in Zaza (1923). And what faces. Sunset Boulevard mixed fiction with the realities of filmmaking. Every woman was in love with him. She was nominated for the first Academy Award in the Best Actress category. It made him a true front ranked star after years of being an actor slogging through a series of largely forgottable films (and performances). He just didnt have what it takes. But attempts to turn the movie into a stage musical began almost immediately, spearheaded by none other than Gloria Swanson. Even though it wasn't the last scene filmed, Billy Wilder threw a party for her as soon as the shot was finished. Read and download theDen of Geek SDCC 2019 Special Edition Magazineright here! It is also one of the most frequently misquoted movie lines, usually given as, "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Normas waxworks card sharps were Swedish-born Anna Q. Nilsson, H. B. Warner and Buster Keaton. In a case of life mirroring art, she outlived him. The investigation found that in the weeks just prior to his death, Taylor had been making some pretty delusional statements about his place in the world and some of his friends thought he had recently gone insane. That movie, however, departs from the trope by making both actress and stranger much younger. At Cecil B. DeMille's first appearance, his on-set cry of "Wilcoxon!" When Joe Gillis says, "They'll love it in Pomona," most people assume (correctly) that Pomona is intended to be representative of just about any average American town. Norma Desmond: I *am* big. Holden's first film back from the services was Blaze of Noon (1947), an aviator picture at Paramount directed by John Farrow. And so tonight, my golden boy, you got your wish". The Pharmacy was filmed only 500 feet (150 meters) from a scene in Armed and Dangerous (1986) & Falling Down (1993), The parking lot behind Rudy's Shoeshine where Joe Gillis pulls his car out of is 1751 Vine Street - about a half a block North of Hollywood Blvd (you can tell by the scene's POV of the Taft building that sits on the corner of Hollywood and Vine). 1851 Ivar Street was the address of the Alto Nido Apartments, where he lived, sometimes worked and, ultimately died in 1941. The film is openly referenced in Soapdish (1991), The Player (1992), Gods and Monsters (1998), Mulholland Drive (2001), Inland Empire (2006) and Be Cool (2005) while the closing scene of Cecil B. Demented (2000) is a direct parody of the final scene of the 1950 classic. The actor-turned-director-turned-actor-again, who had indeed been one of the great silent-filmmakers, winced at playing a character so self-referential and demeaning, but he needed the money. Fred MacMurray and Gene Kelly both turned down the role of Joe Gillis. Sondheim respectfully stopped work on the project and, on the same grounds, later declined an offer to write the score for a proposed movie remake., Additional Sources: (1940) followed by the role of George Gibbs in the film adaptation of Our Town (1940), done for Sol Lesser at United Artists.[8]. Norma telling studio guard Jonesy that without her there would be no Paramount Studios is not a far-fetched notion. Free shipping for many products! [4] He made a sex comedy with David Niven for Otto Preminger, The Moon Is Blue (1953), which was a huge hit, in part due to controversy over its content. But it was too difficult to put a camera underwater to get the shot, so Wilder and cinematographer John Seitz came up with an ingenious solution: they put a mirror on the bottom of the pool and filmed the reflection from above. William Holden had a similar trajectory as a young artist in Hollywood. Gloria Swanson played her final descent on the staircase barefoot, as she was terrified of tripping in high heels. The moment he discovers that life could be beautiful, Norma slits her wrist with Joes razor. Oddly enough, the reclusive Greta Garbo granted permission to use her name, though when she saw the film itself she was sorry she had done so. A new 4K high-definition scan was done in 2008 for the film's release on Blu-ray disc. The exteriors of Norma Desmond's home on Sunset Boulevard were filmed at 641 South Irving Boulevard. The actor's second major breakthrough occurred when Wilder cast him in the lead of the. The photos of the young Norma Desmond that decorate the house are all genuine publicity photos from Gloria Swanson's heyday. Microphones would catch the last gurgles, and Technicolor would photograph the red, swollen tongues. The footage we see is from Queen Kelly (1929), which starred Gloria Swanson and was directed by Max himself, Erich von Stroheim. Billy Wilder's terrifying valentine to Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard (1950), features one of the most indelible of all screen performances: Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. Sunset Boulevard is a noir film and like many of the post-World War II dark classics, it is covered with a thick sheen of cynicism. After working on Sunset Boulevard, Swanson remarked, Bill Holden was a man I could have fallen in love with. 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. words "Sunset Blvd." Holden had a supporting role in Ashanti (1979) and was third-billed in another disaster film, When Time Ran Out (1980), which was a flop. The studio needed an actor who the audience could believe wrote a story about Okies in the Dust Bowl that played on a torpedo boat by the time it hit the screen. William Haines turned down an offer to appear in the film but attended the Hollywood premiere with Joan Crawford. Gillis smokes unfiltered cigarettes in the film. Or shall I call my servant? The two stars had never expressed any hostility towards each other over the failure of Cecil B. DeMille and Stroheim made many recommendations to Wilder during the making of the film, including having his character write all of Norma Desmond's fan mail, and, more importantly, to use footage from "Queen Kelly" as an excerpt from one of Desmond's great silent films. He would slay, "I have no idea! Included among the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the Top 100 Greatest American Movies. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett's 17th and final screenplay collaboration. In the film Gloria is seen playing cards with three silent film stars: Buster Keaton, H.B. Born William Beedle Jr. on April 17, 1918, he was 21 when he got his first starring role as the classical fiddle playing boxer in Golden Boy in 1939. A week later she heard the news of Holden's death on her car radio. So she lands his head on a golden tray, kissing his cold, dead lips. Holdens last movie, Blake Edwardss S.O.B., was another masterpiece of Hollywood cynicism. When Norma is telling Joe about how rich she is, she mentions a beach house and downtown real estate. Suratt believed that DeMille's epic, "The King of Kings" (released in 1927) was based on her screenplay and filed a $1,000,000 plagiarism suit which was settled out of court in 1930. He was just a movie writer with a couple of B-pictures to his credit. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! is a 1950 American black comedy [1] [2] film noir [3] directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett. They reportedly began a two-year affair, which is alleged to have ended due to Holden's alcoholism. The name "Norma Desmond" was chosen from a combination of silent-film star Norma Talmadge and silent movie director William Desmond Taylor, whose still-unsolved murder is one of the great scandals of Hollywood history. 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. Rudy's shoeshine stand at the parking lot where Gillis hides his car from the creditors was inspired by Oscar Smith's shoeshine stand located just inside the Bronson Gate at the old Paramount Studios, which was a popular hangout for gossip and socializing while Billy Wilder was building his career there. Around this time he also appeared in 21 Hours at Munich (1976). But it wasn't a mistake. She worked closely with Gloria Swanson on Norma Desmond's wardrobe, as she figured Swanson would have had a better idea of what women of that time would have worn and what they would be wearing now. All I know is that she's meshuggah, that's all. The clips in Sunset Boulevard were the first American audiences had seen of it. Norma Desmond promised she would never desert her audience again. - 65th Anniversary (25) Film Noir Through the Years (3) Movies Set in Hollywood (3) Our Favorite Male-Female Duos (1) The History of Golden Globe Winners for Best Actor and Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (1) Our Favorite Stills From "The Movies" (1) Movies About Movies (1) 77 Years of Golden Globes Best Picture Winners (1) Gloria Swanson and Nancy Olson also appeared in Airport 1975. Brackett was also a frequent collaborator with Billy Wilder, co-writing and producing a dozen movies with him (including The Lost Weekend) before Sunset Boulevard proved to be their last. Paramount was more than happy to be the subject of the film, and didn't ask for the studio to be disguised. At Paramount, he did another Western, Streets of Laredo (1949). The movie begins about five oclock in the morning, left coast time. Gloria Swanson almost considered rejecting the role of Norma Desmond after Billy Wilder requested she do a screen test for the role. He was named one of the "Top 10 Stars of the Year" six times (19541958, 1961), and appeared as 25th on the American Film Institute's list of 25 greatest male stars of Classical Hollywood cinema. They are singing a parody of their song "Buttons and Bows," from The Paleface (1948), for which they won an Oscar in 1949, the year this film was made. When filming began, William Holden was 31 and Gloria Swanson was 50, the same stated age as her character. There were three young directors who showed promise in those early days of silent film, D.W. Griffith, Cecil B. She produced and starred in Sadie Thompson and The Love of Sunya. We had faces" was #13. He rejects her. Since he had classic good looks, an expressive voice, and was an excelle The next decade saw Holden's career flourish. Gillis: "No, swimming pool." But even to show a chair with her name on it, Lamarr wanted $10,000. [39][46] He dictated in his will that the Neptune Society cremate him and scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. 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. In 1998 the American Film Institute selected this as the 12th greatest film of the 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time. Who didnt then? The forensics team rolled him over and saw he had been shot at least once in the back with a small-caliber pistol. The role of Norma Desmond was initially offered to Mae West (who rejected the part), Mary Pickford (Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett realized when talking to her that her image as "America's Sweetheart" made her unsuitable for the part), and Pola Negri (Billy Wilder rejected her as her thick accent would cause too many problems) before being accepted by Gloria Swanson. +10 More . Billy Wilder was one of the ultimate Hollywood insiders and he grew with film. To help promote the film, Gloria Swanson did a three-month tour of 36 cities in America and Canada. Part of the dialogue goes: Fat Man: "Where did you drown? "I know how it's going to be," Holden said (per The Huntsville Item). "[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.