This is an old film which has been made into a musical. Florabel Muir, the New York Daily News Hollywood correspondent, thought Peavey was the murderer and tried to ambush him into a confession. They had to have the ears of the old place, too. To everyone's surprise, Judy Holliday won the Best Actress Oscar in 1951 for Born Yesterday (1950), beating Gloria Swanson in this film, and Bette Davis in All About Eve (1950). He followed it with a romantic comedy, Dear Ruth (1947) and he was one of many cameos in Variety Girl (1947). He rejects her. According to the DVD commentary by Wilder biographer Ed Sikov, this story was most likely invented/exaggerated by Billy Wilder. 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. Because all three audiences inappropriately found the morgue scene hilarious, the film's release was delayed six months so that a new beginning could be shot. In reality, Gloria Swanson never worked with Normand and worked only once with Prevost in a 1916 short. However, he knew that her arch-rival Hedda Hopper had trained as an actress and would therefore be more convincing onscreen. "[13] Paramount reunited him with Nancy Olson, one of his Sunset Boulevard costars, in Union Station (1950). Gloria Swanson's career was not revitalized by this film. The two actors never worked together in another film. 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. What is the correct title - "Blvd." (1950), Cecil B. DeMille, who plays himself in the film, directed H.B. According to the Los Angeles Times, the actor long experienced alcoholism, and though he was able to avoid drinking when with lover Stefanie Powers, it ultimately helped pave the way for his death. 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: Billy Wilder's sixth film in a row for Paramount Pictures. Cecil B. DeMille: at the studio during Norma's visit. Holden paid it forward, becoming Hepburns guardian angel.. Holden was still an unknown actor when he made Golden Boy, while Stanwyck was already a film star. Wilder wanted Hedy Lamarr to sit in for a cameo, but she wanted $25,000. [32] Also in 1974, Holden starred with Paul Newman and Steve McQueen in the critically acclaimed disaster film The Towering Inferno,[33] which became a box-office smash and one of the highest-grossing films of Holden's career. Getting the role was a lucky break for Holden, as Montgomery Clift was initially cast but backed out of his contract. So in that scene, William Holden is driving over the future locations of Walk of Fame stars dedicated to the two people arguably most responsible for his success in Hollywood. White, pink, or maybe bright flaming red. Gillis: "Yes I was murdered." 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. 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. Louis B. Mayer's reaction is well documented but Mae Murray also found the film offensive. This is absolutely true, Nancy Reagan continued consulting her astrologer long after she stopped parking at studio lots. Technically the address was 641 S Irving Blvd but the estate lay at the corner of Irving and Wilshire Blvd. The young actor also got to work with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart in the gangsters on parole movie,Invisible Stripes. The part was only Nancy Olson's third film appearance. Joe Gillis: Wait a minute, haven't I seen you before? That should make the young blond Paramount actress-turned-script reader Betty Schaefer (Nancy Olson) the virgin in the virgin/whore dynamic that film noir so often (and happily) deals in. [17], Their relationship did not last much beyond the completion of the film. It was only natural that he should film several sequences on the studio's backlots. 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. Holman was reportedly worried the film would parody their relationship and told Clift she would commit suicide if he played the role. Before he became a kept man for Norma Desmond, he was thinking of wrapping up the whole Hollywood deal and trying to get his old job back as a newspaperman in Dayton, Ohio. But also much funnier. Montgomery Clift was originally cast as the writer but dropped out two weeks before the shoot. The address of Norma Desmond's house is given as 10086 Sunset Boulevard. 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. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett's 17th and final screenplay collaboration. William Haines, along with fellow silent screen veterans Buster Keaton and Anna Q. Nilsson, was approached to play one of Gloria Swanson's bridge partners. With unofficial permission from Paramount, she worked for a few years with writer Dickson Hughes and actor Richard Stapley developing a show called Starring Norma Desmond (later changed to Boulevard). Norma Desmond says that she paid $28,000 for the Isotta-Fraschini car in 1929. Mary Pickford lived in seclusion, away from the public eye, while both Mae Murray and Clara Bow had well documented struggles with mental illness. In the fall of 1981, the television actor Stefanie Powers, who was dating William Holden, was in Hawaii filming the ABC show "Hart to Hart" when Holden stopped answering his phone. Joes voice even starts to take on more and more of her theatrical flourish after too much exposure. And so tonight, my golden boy, you got your wish". It is also one of the most frequently misquoted movie lines, usually given as, "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. 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. 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. 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. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. William Holden had a similar trajectory as a young artist in Hollywood. Blu-ray features and commentary The plot element of Norma Desmond's obsession with writing a screenplay based on Salome as a vehicle for her comeback was obviously influenced by eccentric, aging actress Valeska Suratt, who had a brief film career (1915-1917) playing mostly vamp roles. Seleccionar el departamento en el que deseas buscar. 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. William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 - November 12, 1981) was an American actor and murderer, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. William Holden says his birthday is December 21st. 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. Wilder told the actors to kibbutz and let him shuffle. So they opened their big mouths and out came talk. In 1989 the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress selected this as one of 25 landmark films of all time. 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. Marion Davies owned a famous ocean-front mansion in Santa Monica. A disagreement over the montage where Norma puts herself through hell getting thinner and younger for her comeback nearly resulted in physical violence: Brackett thought it was too mean, while Wilder felt it was necessary to show what lengths a desperate actor would go to in Hollywood. Norma Desmond: I *am* big. Taylor had a British accent and the imposter sounded like he came out of Chicagos south side. Swanson argued that a woman like Norma would have been obsessed with her appearance and would have done her utmost not to look old. 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. Editorial Reviews. But she wanted to rewrite her dialogue (as was her custom)a nonstarter for Wilder, who seldom let his actors change their lines even slightly from what was on the page. This ushered in the peak years of Holden's stardom. Less popular was Satan Never Sleeps (1961), the last film of Clifton Webb and Leo McCarey; The Counterfeit Traitor (1962), his third film with Seaton; or The Lion (1962), with Trevor Howard and Capucine. Cinematographer John Seitz put a mirror on the bottom of the pool and filmed the reflection. It was built in 1924 by William Jenkins, at a cost of $250,000. Sometimes its interesting to see just how bad, bad writing can be. 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. He received an eight-month suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter.[1]. Glenn Close, who portrayed Norma Desmond on stage, also played a character who dramatically cut her wrists over a man she was in love with in the film "Fatal Attraction. This parallel narrative--two perspectives from the same character, one omniscient, the other blissfully ignorant--that converge at the moment of Joe's death, are a major reason the film retains such dramatic and emotional power. Norma is Scorpio, and Mars had been transiting Jupiter for weeks and that was the day of greatest conjunction. Buster Keaton appears only in the bridge party scene and utters the word "Pass" twice. He stayed true to his word. This film was originally released in the United States as The Christmas Tree and on home video as When Wolves Cry. If you or anyone you know needs help with addiction issues, help is available. In fact, a pivotal plot point in the Showtime limited series of Twin Peaks (2017) includes a scene from "Sunset Boulevard" in which the character's name is mentioned. Everyone had a good laugh, though the record doesn't reflect whether Marshall joined in. Billy Wilder also used Sheldrake as the last name of Fred MacMurray's character in "The Apartment". Film News. Please, don't let it be true, it must be some mistake," per her memoir. Ballard, who used to impersonate Norma descending the stairs. His family moved to South Pasadena when he was three. The one on the Paramount studio soundstage; the one whose driveway William Holden ducks into at 10060 Sunset Blvd; and the one used for the exteriors, which is the one shown here. Sunset Boulevard now begins with police cars racing to Norma Desmond's house, where a dead body is floating in the pool. When Joe and Betty stroll around the studio back lot they pass through the Washington Square set that was used in The Heiress (1949). Paramount always labeled that studio as its Long Island Studios. Someone who said they were a doctor said Taylor died of a stomach hemorrhage and then disappeared. At one point Norma mentions working with Mabel Normand and Marie Prevost. 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 mansion was torn down in 1957, and a large office building for Getty Oil built on the site still stands on the spot. A new 4K high-definition scan was done in 2008 for the film's release on Blu-ray disc. The pool was used in its empty condition in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). was better known as the seat of the film industry in 1950, the Los Angeles film industry actually began on Sunset Blvd. Norma Shearer turned down the role of Norma Desmond as she didn't want to come out of retirement and also found the part to be highly distasteful. Their relationship makes the film as much a love story as it is a noir film, because if ever there is a femme fatale, it is Norma Desmond. F. Scott Fitzgerald suffered a heart attack while in Schwab's in 1940 (contrary to legend, Lana Turner was not discovered by a talent agent in Schwab's but, rather in a drugstore across from Hollywood High School, about three miles to the east). Montgomery Clift was originally cast as Joe Gillis but quit the production two weeks before filming began because he had already played the kept man of a wealthy older woman in The Heiress (1949). When filming began, William Holden was 31 and Gloria Swanson was 50, the same stated age as her character. Prior to joining the Houston Chronicle, Gonzales worked as a night cops reporter at The. This indicates that he is smoking filterless cigarettes, which was the norm for that era until filters became the standard after the mid-'50s. So speaking of funerals, heres the great real life murder mystery we teased in the opening. +10 More . He played Bogarts kid brother in Sabrina, Holdens third film with director Billy Wilder, in 1954. [38], Holden maintained a home in Switzerland and also spent much of his time working for wildlife conservation as a managing partner in an animal preserve in Africa. Previous image. And like the title, Holden seemed to have the looks and muscular build Hollywood craved. Ultimately she retired completely from films, making only sporadic appearances, notably in Airport 1975 (1974). See production, box office & company info. West wanted to rewrite her dialogue. David Lynch is an avid fan of the movie, having referenced it in films such as Inland Empire (2006), Mulholland Drive (2001)--which has a similar title and theme about the misfortunes of aspiring artists in Hollywood--and the television show Twin Peaks (1990), where Lynch himself played an FBI Bureau Chief named Gordon Cole. In the film Gloria is seen playing cards with three silent film stars: Buster Keaton, H.B. [46] Rumors existed that he was suffering from lung cancer, which Holden had denied at a 1980 press conference. Well, in the end, he got himself a poolonly the price turned out to be a little high, so Paramount paid to have one installed on the condition that if Mrs. Getty didnt like it, theyd remove it after filming was over. Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie, New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actor, Venice Film Festival Special Award for Ensemble Acting, Laurel Award for Top Male Dramatic Performance, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actor, Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, "When Alcoholics drink themselves to death", "William Holden Dead at 63; Won Oscar for 'Stalag 17', "Barbara Stanwyck's Honorary Award: 1982 Oscars", "The Screen Strand Shows 'Invisible Stripes', "30 Days, 30 Classics Day 17: Sabrina (1954) starring Audrey Hepburn, William Holden and Humphrey Bogart", "Screen: Crosby Acts in 'Country Girl'; Film Based on Odets Drama Makes Bow", "The Screen in Review; 'Bridges at Toko-ri' Is Fine Film of War", "Han Suyin dies at 95; wrote 'Many-Splendored Thing', "13 Fascinating Facts About 'The Bridge on the River Kwai', "Columbia Earns as It Holds Coin Due Bill Holden on 10% of 'Kwai', "The Towering Inferno Movie Review (1974)", "Network Movie Review & Film Summary (1976)", "William Holden Gave His All Even "When Time Ran Out", "William Holden's Unscripted Fall From Grace", The William Holden Wildlife Education Center, "West Holden: More than just the son of William Holden", Image of William Holden and Brenda Marshall, Academy Awards, Los Angeles, 1951, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Holden&oldid=1142631715, Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners, United Service Organizations entertainers, Articles with dead external links from December 2019, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Pages using infobox person with multiple partners, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2022, TCMDb name template using numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, episode: "William Holden/Frances Bergen Show", This page was last edited on 3 March 2023, at 14:28. The only film to be nominated for Best Actor and Actress Oscars that year. (1950) was plagiarized from other scripts. And that young man who was found floating in the pool of her mansion, with two shots in his back and one in his stomach, was nobody important, really. The statuette on the telephone table at Artie Green's new years party is a model of the Philistine god, Dagon. I know your face. William Holden returns to find that Gloria Swanson has tried to slash her wrists in 'Sunset Boulevard', directed by Billy Wilder. William Haines turned down an offer to appear in the film but attended the Hollywood premiere with Joan Crawford. Schwab's was torn down in 1988 to make way for a movie theater and a shopping center. words "Sunset Blvd." Holden was reunited with Wilder in Stalag 17 (1953), for which Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor. De Mille, and Max von Mayerling. This is a nod to retired silent-movie star Clara Bow, whose husband Rex Bell, a former star of "B" westerns, was the president of the Nevada Chamber of Commerce, and later Lieutenant Governor of Nevada. On the last day of shooting, Swanson drove back to the house she, her mother and daughter shared during production, announcing "there were only three of us in it now, meaning that Norma Desmond had taken her leave.". For scenes in which he drove, the car was towed by another car. Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard" is the portrait of a forgotten silent star, living in exile in her grotesque mansion, screening her old films, dreaming of a comeback. As day breaks. The 49-year-old film directors body was found on the morning of Feb. 2, 1922, inside his bungalow at the Alvarado Court Apartments in Westlake, Los Angeles. Betty and Joe fall in love after they sneak off to the studio backlot by moonlight to collaborate on a screenplay. but at 641 S. Irving Blvd. [48] He also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Holden never lost his stride as cinema changed. Not everyone felt the same way, however. 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).
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