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Please, don't let it be true, it must be some mistake," per her memoir. 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). H.B. Some speculated it was because he was dating an older woman at the time (actress Libby Holman, 16 years his senior) and didn't want people to think the movie was a parody of that relationship. The actor-turned-director bitched about that goddamned butler role for the rest his life. read more: Can The Biblical Epic be Resurrected? The California license plate on Gillis' Plymouth, 4D R 116, appears to be a legal and current registration for 1949. In accordance with his wishes, no funeral or memorial services were conducted. In her private screening room, with butler Max running the projector, Norma cuddles up with Joe to watch one of her own films. 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). He did another Western at Columbia, Texas (1941) with Glenn Ford, and a musical comedy at Paramount, The Fleet's In (1942) with Eddie Bracken, Dorothy Lamour, and Betty Hutton.[9]. (A few months later, Hepburn met Mel Ferrer, whom she later married and with whom she had a son Sean Hepburn Ferrer. In fact, Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett even went to Pickfair to pitch the story to Pickford, but her horrified reaction as the story progressed made them stop halfway through and apologize to her. The murder made it to the late editions, radio, and television because one of the biggest old-time stars was involved. He played Rafts kid brother, who was following in his gangster footsteps and needed to be set straight. Norma Desmond promised she would never desert her audience again. Principal photography took place from 11 April to 18 June 1949. While Hollywood Blvd. The film is included on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list. Originally Billy Wilder wanted both of Hollywood's top gossip columnists--Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons--reporting from Norma's mansion at the end and fighting over the phone. He received an eight-month suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter. Florabel Muir, the New York Daily News Hollywood correspondent, thought Peavey was the murderer and tried to ambush him into a confession. Fred MacMurray and Gene Kelly both turned down the role of Joe Gillis. 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. Swanson made the transition to talkies with The Trespasser in 1929. He received an eight-month suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter.[1]. 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. Talk! Normands career never recovered after word of her addiction leaked out and she died of tuberculosis on Feb. 23, 1930. Was Oscar-nominated in all the major categories--Best Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress and Screenplay--but only won in the last category. He became bitter about the throwaway roles Hollywood kept giving him. They reportedly began a two-year affair, which is alleged to have ended due to Holden's alcoholism. Confess, Peavey, he laughed in the ghosts face. 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. Principal photography took place from 11 April to 18 June 1949. director of photography Film Editing by Arthur P. Schmidt . They stayed that way even if the pictures got small. Cecil B. DeMille appears in the film on a studio set. 10 films that began filming without a finished script, Donald Trumps Bad Romance with Hollywood Began Before Parasite, Shazam! In fact,Bob Thomas, Holden's biographer, said that the actor's addiction counselor predicted his demise. Gloria Swanson and Nancy Olson also co-starred in Airport 1975 together. In reality, Gloria Swanson never worked with Normand and worked only once with Prevost in a 1916 short. The film and actors was excellent and lived up to our expectations. This promised to go the limit. 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. 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.". 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. It always will be! 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. Gene Kelly was then approached, but MGM refused to loan him out. His height was 1.8 m tall and weighed 89 kg. After his final film S.O.B., Holden declined to star in Jason Miller's film That Championship Season.[37]. and was "a loner," according to Edwards, who wasn't surprised that Holden's body went so long without being discovered. 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. Beedle grew up in South Pasadena, California. 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. When filming began, William Holden was 31 and Gloria Swanson was 50, the same stated age as her character. West wanted to rewrite her dialogue. 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). When Max picks up the discarded headpiece during the tango scene, his expression hints at concern for the mental issues Norma suffers from. 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!" In 1972, Holden began a nine-year relationship with actress Stefanie Powers and sparked her interest in animal welfare. Microphones would catch the last gurgles, and Technicolor would photograph the red, swollen tongues. When Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond watch one of Norma's old silent movies, they are watching a scene from Queen Kelly (1932), starring a young Gloria Swanson. 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. Universal bought it on her death in 1920 and it was used in several movies, most notably in The Phantom of the Opera (1925). Perry, George & Andrew Lloyd Webber (1993). At Cecil B. DeMille's first appearance, his on-set cry of "Wilcoxon!" The apartments, and the "Alto Nido" sign out front that is glimpsed briefly in the film, are still there. Mary Pickford, Pola Negri, and Greta Garbo turned down the role. Ready? If Gillis is accurate in stating that his meeting with Norma occurred some six months prior, the action of the film takes place between mid-November 1948 and mid- May 1949. It has to be an opera. Zach Laws, Chris Beachum. [10] RKO borrowed him for Rachel and the Stranger (1948) with Robert Mitchum and Loretta Young. [42][citation needed]. Among the many past associations embedded in Sunset Blvd. Throughout Hollywood history many film stars, and/or single films, were responsible for saving ailing studios. Swanson supplemented many of the costumes with her own accessories and jewelry. Gloria Swanson almost considered rejecting the role of Norma Desmond after Billy Wilder requested she do a screen test for the role. If you don't, I will personally shoot you." Around this time he also appeared in 21 Hours at Munich (1976). A neglected house gets an unhappy look. on the corner of Crenshaw and Irving. Features the only Oscar-nominated performances of Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson. Despite the 19 year gap in their ages, Holden and Swanson died just 2 years apart from each other- Holden in 1981 at age 63 and Swanson in 1983 at age 84. Holden met French actress Capucine in the early 1960s. When Artie Green introduces Joe to other guests at his New Year's Eve party, he jokingly refers to him as "the well-known screenwriter, uranium smuggler and Black Dahlia suspect", a reference to the infamous unsolved L.A. murder case in 1947 of an aspiring actress known as The Black Dahlia, who was found murdered and dismembered on a street in Los Angeles. But as commentator Steve Sailer points out, more than one contemporary source mentions it as an inspiration. producer Music by Franz Waxman Cinematography by John F. Seitz . It was largely from his association with Wilder that Holden would enjoy the greatest acting successes of his career in the 1950s. Later in the film Max tells Gillis that he was the silent-movie director who discovered Norma and put her in films. In a case of life mirroring art, she outlived him. She was disappointed to see that all the parts she was offered subsequently were watered-down versions of Norma Desmond. Norma goes to visit Cecil B. DeMille, several of whose films Swanson had starred in. For the clip of the vintage film that Norma was watching Paramount couldn't find anything suitable so Gloria provided it from her own collection. Erich von Stroheim, who directed Swanson in Queen Kelly (1932), plays Max the butler, who serves as the projectionist in the scene. . 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). "Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60-minute radio adaptation of the movie on September 17, 1951, with Gloria Swanson and William Holden reprising their film roles. [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]. His killer was never identified. Previous image. Mrs. Getty divorced her millionaire husband and received custody of the house; it was she who rented it to Paramount for the filming. De Mille at Paramount, the director is shooting the film Samson and Delilah, which he was actually shooting at the time. Haines declined and fellow screen veteran H.B. William Holden movies: 15 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include 'Sunset Boulevard,' 'Network,' 'Stalag 17'. (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). "Lonely, alone, without dignity.". 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. Normand was the last person known to have seen Taylor alive and she was grilled by the Los Angeles Police Department as a result. Cecil B. DeMille had a pet name for Gloria Swanson: "Young Fellow". Movie audiences in the nave early days of film sometimes didnt know that somebody had to sit down and write a movie. Marlon Brando was considered, but the producers thought he was too much of an unknown as a film actor. If it were to come to auction in 2021, it would be valued at well over $1M. To get around the restrictions of the Breen Code, the script was submitted piecemeal, several pages at a time. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). in 1911 when the Nestor Film Company moved from New. Sunset Boulevard English audio Gloria Swanson, as Norma Desmond, an aging silent-film queen, and William Holden, as the struggling young screenwriter who is held in thrall by her madness,. 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. For the first industry screening, Paramount executives invited several silent-film stars. But also much funnier. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 22:44. This still goes on today. The two actors never worked together in another film. She can sense the hot spot of every light and has never lost the wonderment of movies. Initially, writer-director Wilder envisioned the movie as a straightforward comedy, and the famously saucy West seemed like a perfect fit. Sunset Boulevards cinematographer John Seitz said Wilder had wanted to do The Loved One, but couldnt obtain the rights. British author Evelyn Waughs satirical 1948 novel was about a failed screenwriter who lives with a silent film star and works in a cemetery. The silent comedian had a reputation as one of Hollywoods best bridge players. ), and he calls her "young fellow." Sands disappeared after the murder. She is ever the star. The character of Norma Desmond is modeled on the fate of several leading actresses of the silent era. He made two more films with Olson: Force of Arms (1951) at Warner Bros. and Submarine Command (1951) at Paramount. 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. 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. 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! Despite that, von Stroheim "still managed to hit the gates, he had no co-ordination", said Billy Wilder in an interview for the book "Sunset Boulevard: From Movie to Musical". The exteriors of Norma Desmond's home on Sunset Boulevard were filmed at 641 South Irving Boulevard. The stars read the stars. The clips in Sunset Boulevard were the first American audiences had seen of it. When Joe tells Betty that next time he will write "The Naked and the Dead", he is referring to the best-seller written by Norman Mailer and published in 1948. He was Judy Hollidays tutor in Born Yesterday (1950) and played a war correspondent in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955). 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. Gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, who plays herself in the movie, wrote that Billy Wilder was crazy about Evelyn Waughs book The Loved One, and the studio wanted to buy it.. Location scenes at Norma Desmond's mansion were shot not on Sunset Boulevard but on Wilshire Boulevard. Norma's buying Joe a fine woolen topcoat would be mostly an affectation in sunny Los Angeles. The interiors of Norma's decaying mansion were actually a set at Paramount Studios. Normand made movies with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle, and lived like life was one Wild Party. [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. 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 . According to the DVD commentary by Wilder biographer Ed Sikov, this story was most likely invented/exaggerated by Billy Wilder. 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.