A modern-girl Jiminy Cricket, Betty asks, Dont you sometimes hate yourself? and Joe corrects her, Constantly.. 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. 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, Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard' at the Metropolitan While Hollywood Blvd. . A true Hollywood horror story. Sunset Boulevard: The Original Hollywood Expose | Den of Geek 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. 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. Sunset Boulevard is also a reflection of Hollywood through a glass, darkly. Wilder and his co-writers reversed several elements, and there was no official connection between the movie and Waugh's book. "I knew he was off the wagon," she recalled in her memoir "One from the Hart." The actor's second major breakthrough occurred when Wilder cast him in the lead of the. The address of Norma Desmond's house is given as 10086 Sunset Boulevard. 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). Im not giving anything away here. 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. Carol Burnett spoofed the film several times on her TV variety show. Just us and the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark! Norma Desmond didnt need dialogue, she can say whatever she wants with her eyes. [44] After his death, Powers set up the William Holden Wildlife Foundation at Holden's Mount Kenya Game Ranch. Seitz had used a similar technique on Double Indemnity (1944). Sunset Boulevard Ending Explained: Hollywood Is Always Hungry For The Brenda Marshall, Holden's wife since 1941, was visiting the set when Holden and Nancy Olson had their kissing scene. It was only natural that he should film several sequences on the studio's backlots. 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. Holdens last movie, Blake Edwardss S.O.B., was another masterpiece of Hollywood cynicism. 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. This promised to go the limit. William Holden - Wikipedia William Holden movies: 15 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include 'Sunset Boulevard,' 'Network,' 'Stalag 17'. See, Bettys a message gal, not a virgin, and there are no whores in Hollywood. [10] RKO borrowed him for Rachel and the Stranger (1948) with Robert Mitchum and Loretta Young. Sunset Boulevard - Paramount Originals (includes Limited Edition 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. [48] He also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. The murder made it to the late editions, radio, and television because one of the biggest old-time stars was involved. 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. In addition to starring in "Queen Kelly", Swanson also produced it, and fired von Stroheim when he had already gone over the budget by more than double, and with no end to filming in sight. When Norma Desmond visits her old friend at Paramount, she affectionately calls him "Mr. DeMille" (not Cecil or C.B. - 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) Sure she was a forgotten silent star, living in exile, screening her old movies and dreaming of a comeback. It also alludes to the fact that Pomona was one of three towns in California's Inland Empire region (Riverside and San Bernardino were the others) that were frequently used during Hollywood's Golden Age for testing preview audiences' reactions to unreleased films. 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 . After all, it's about a dethroned queen." Eventually it wasn't Wilder who shouted "Cut!" Studs and cufflinks were inserted into the shirt holes to secure the garment. cynical Hollywood survivor played by William Holden. Holden had another hit with The World of Suzie Wong (1960) with Nancy Kwan, which was shot in Hong Kong. William Holden: The Golden Boy of Vintage Hollywood - Variety But when Sondheim pitched the idea to Billy Wilder at a party, Wilder said, "You can't write a musical about Sunset Boulevard. Gloria Swanson almost considered rejecting the role of Norma Desmond after Billy Wilder requested she do a screen test for the role. Neither was The Revengers (1972), another Western. In fact, such was the buzz about the film during production that the viewing of the dailies became one of the hottest tickets on the lot. Sunset Boulevard Review (1950) Classic Film | William Holden | Gloria 3.48. Although Gloria Swanson correctly states he is a Sagittarius, it is actually on the Sagittarius-Capricorn cusp. The movie was previewed with this opening, in Illinois, Long Island (NY) and Poughkeepsie (NY). Strange? 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. 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. She reads everyone and everything in Hollywood, except Joes script. Winston was one of those who discovered the Golden Boy newcomer and who renamed himin honor of his former spouse!"[3]. When Norma Desmond says to the guard at the "Paramount Studio" gates, "Without me there wouldn't be any 'Paramount Studio'" the words could apply to Gloria Swanson herself, as she was the studio's top star for six years running. An iconic sequence in that earlier film sees the character of Diane ascending a long staircase to a seventh-story apartment (hence the film's title). 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]. The only Best Picture Oscar nominee of the year to be also nominated for Original Screenplay. He rose to prominence with his role in the movie "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), which landed him his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. However, he knew that her arch-rival Hedda Hopper had trained as an actress and would therefore be more convincing onscreen. The audience left 20 years ago. Now I had two favorite movies - aside from "Gone With The Wind" of course - both from 1950, "Sunset Boulevard" and "All . Director Billy Wilder Writers Charles Brackett Billy Wilder D.M. Included among the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the Top 100 Greatest American Movies. GLAMOROUS MEN: WILLIAM HOLDEN: At some point, "Sunset Boulevard" In the scene where Norma is showing Joe her silent movies, one of them is Queen Kelly (1932), which was filmed at Paramount's Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens, NY. Holden appeared uncredited in Prison Farm (1939) and Million Dollar Legs (1939) at Paramount. Principal photography took place from 11 April to 18 June 1949. Taylor had a British accent and the imposter sounded like he came out of Chicagos south side. His family moved to South Pasadena when he was three. 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. Sunset Blvd. (1950) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb Peavey died in a San Francisco asylum, where he was being treated for syphilis-related dementia, in 1931. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). De Mille at Paramount, the director is shooting the film Samson and Delilah, which he was actually shooting at the time. Billy Wilder had worked on a script for a Swanson picture years earlier called "Music in the Air (1934)" and had forgotten about it. She produced and starred in Sadie Thompson and The Love of Sunya. He contributed to Altvariety, Chiseler, Smashpipe, and other magazines. Mrs. Getty divorced her millionaire husband and received custody of the house; it was she who rented it to Paramount for the filming. Holden, who was at this point dependent on alcohol, said, "I really was in love with Audrey, but she wouldn't marry me. To help promote the film, Gloria Swanson did a three-month tour of 36 cities in America and Canada. In accordance with his wishes, no funeral or memorial services were conducted. Gloria Swanson worked closely with Edith Head on Norma's clothes to achieve just the right look: grandly expensive but slightly out of date. He played Bogarts kid brother in Sabrina, Holdens third film with director Billy Wilder, in 1954. Gene Kelly was then approached, but MGM refused to loan him out. Sunset Boulevard (styled in the main title on-screen as SUNSET BLVD.) The home was built in 1923 for businessman William O. Jenkins. It is also one of the most frequently misquoted movie lines, usually given as, "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. As day breaks. Zach Laws, Chris Beachum. Joe Gillis: Wait a minute, haven't I seen you before? 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.". So Wilder gave up, and DeMille (who was already being compensated) gave Norma his own chair.. Billy Wilder's sixth film in a row for Paramount Pictures. 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 footage we see is from Queen Kelly (1929), which starred Gloria Swanson and was directed by Max himself, Erich von Stroheim. The photos of the young Norma Desmond that decorate the house are all genuine publicity photos from Gloria Swanson's heyday. Her Stockholm Syndrome is positively infectious. 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. 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. When Billy Wilder went back to him later to secure a close-up, DeMille charged him another $10,000. Wilder told the actors to kibbutz and let him shuffle. But even to show a chair with her name on it, Lamarr wanted $10,000. Warner (one of the four "Waxworks" at the bridge party) in The King of Kings (1927). Wilder won the argument and privately told friends that he would not be making any more films with Brackett. The silent comedian had a reputation as one of Hollywoods best bridge players. In subsequent years, two lawsuits have been filed against Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett, claiming that Sunset Blvd. "[13] And Wilder commented "Bill was a complex guy, a totally honorable friend. "I'm not surprised that this could have happened.". The interiors of Norma's decaying mansion were actually a set at Paramount Studios. This was the last major Hollywood feature film to be shot on nitrate stock. In the movie when a cop tries to call in to the coroners office, he cant get an open line because Hedda Hopper is on the phone in Normas room, talking to the Times City Desk and that is more important. Men bribed her hairdresser to get a lock of her hair. He said it was because she was braver than any man. Holman was reportedly worried the film would parody their relationship and told Clift she would commit suicide if he played the role. 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. In his place, Wilder hired Buster Keaton. X. About 10 minutes later, Holden passed out and died from blood loss. So speaking of funerals, heres the great real life murder mystery we teased in the opening. But that wasnt good enough for Hollywood. A week later she heard the news of Holden's death on her car radio. (as Arthur Schmidt) Holden's first film back from the services was Blaze of Noon (1947), an aviator picture at Paramount directed by John Farrow. She was disappointed to see that all the parts she was offered subsequently were watered-down versions of Norma Desmond. Realizing that former actress Hopper would easily dominate the scene, Parsons declined, even though she and Wilder were friends. Holden continued to work steadily for the next decade, but Hollywood often had no idea what to do with him. William Holden, original name William Franklin Beedle, Jr., (born April 17, 1918, O'Fallon, Illinois, U.S.found dead November 16, 1981, Santa Monica, California), American film star who perfected the role of the cynic who acts heroically in spite of his scorn or pessimism. 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 finest things in the world have been written on an empty stomach, and Wilder and Brackett rewrote the story as adrama. "I am big. The forensics team rolled him over and saw he had been shot at least once in the back with a small-caliber pistol. 12 Sep. WILLIAM HOLDEN: At some point, "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) played at The Silver Screen. Talk! Holden had another good break when he was cast as Judy Holliday's love interest in the big-screen adaptation of the Broadway hit Born Yesterday (1950). (Norma Desmond would be quick to point out that, thanks to computers and iPads, the pictures have gotten even smaller. Norma is at the edge of insanity through the whole movie, but that doesnt mean shes not fun. Normand was the last person known to have seen Taylor alive and she was grilled by the Los Angeles Police Department as a result. 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. Every time I go to L.A., which isn't too often, I look at these palm-bemused, once smart stucco facades, and wonder if a Norma Desmond from a later era might be hiding from the world inside them, buttressed by cable TV (AMC or TCM, no doubt), a poodle named FiFi or Sir Francis, walk-in closets full of leopard-print Capri pants that haven't fit in decades, and a world class liquor cabinet that has seen heads of state under the table on a good night. 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. Who didnt then? Movie audiences in the nave early days of film sometimes didnt know that somebody had to sit down and write a movie. But who could play the silent film diva? The drugstore where Joe Gillis meets up with his old movie industry friends is Schwab's Pharmacy, then a real pharmacy/soda fountain at the intersection of Sunset Blvd. [4] They had two sons, Peter and Scott. Her character's age was 22 but she was 21 at the time of filming.
Roger Chapman Obituary, Articles H
Roger Chapman Obituary, Articles H