It was this astonishing footage that rekindled interest in the film. Mrs. Getty divorced her millionaire husband and received custody of the house; it was she who rented it to Paramount for the filming. Part of the dialogue goes: Fat Man: "Where did you drown? Sunset Boulevard DVD (2007) William Holden, Wilder (DIR) cert PG Amazing Value. She burst into tears upon completion of the scene. The murder made it to the late editions, radio, and television because one of the biggest old-time stars was involved. Wilder and Brackett told everyone at Paramount and the Production code that the screenplay was based on the story A Can of Beans by Wilder, Brackett, and D.M. Next image (0) (0) 4.99. Marion Davies owned a famous ocean-front mansion in Santa Monica. 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. The actor-turned-director bitched about that goddamned butler role for the rest his life. When crew members asked Billy Wilder how he was going to shoot the burial of Norma's monkey, one of the film's most bizarre scenes, he just said, "You know, the usual monkey-funeral sequence.". With the help of his partners, he created the Mount Kenya Game Ranch and inspired the creation of the William Holden Wildlife Foundation. The name was then changed to Millman and finally to Sheldrake and was played by Fred Clark. Darryl F. Zanuck, Olivia de Havilland, Tyrone Power and Samuel Goldwyn all refused to allow their names to be used in the film, but Billy Wilder decided to use Zanuck's and Power's names anyway. The look of pain sustained two fine films 'The Wild Bunch' and 'Network' so that we rubbed our eyes to recall the fresh-faced enthusiast from Golden Boy. [2] He had two younger brothers, Robert Westfield Beedle and Richard Porter Beedle. When Joe and Betty stroll around the studio back lot they pass through the Washington Square set that was used in The Heiress (1949). 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. This was the last major Hollywood feature film to be shot on nitrate stock. The first of four films in which William Holden and Nancy Olson appeared. Other actresses considered for Norma Desmond were Mae West (who wanted to rewrite the dialogue), Mae Murray, and Mary Pickford. They had faces. This still goes on today. 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. Location scenes at Norma Desmond's mansion were shot not on Sunset Boulevard but on Wilshire Boulevard. Erich von Stroheim dismissed his participation in this film, referring to it as "that butler role.". One of the few showy bits of camerawork in the film is near the beginning, when the corpse floating in Norma Desmond's pool is seen from underneath. Marlon Brando was considered, but the producers thought he was too much of an unknown as a film actor. Neither did Toward the Unknown (1957), the one film Holden produced himself. All of the silent film stars mentioned by Norma, Joe, Betty and Max were either dead or no longer active in films by 1950. It was Erich von Stroheim who suggested the revelation that Max was writing all of Norma's fan mail. (1950) Full Cast & Crew See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Directed by Billy Wilder Writing Credits Cast (in credits order) verified as complete Produced by Charles Brackett . 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 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. The others were Union Station (1950), Force of Arms (1951), and Submarine Command (1951). Without Norma Desmond, there wouldnt be any Paramount Pictures. He was perfection on and off-screen. Holden was a bit of an anti-hero, or at least a very flawed hero. 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. The much sought after but highly finicky leading man accepted the role, then backed out. She can sense the hot spot of every light and has never lost the wonderment of movies. The veteran actress particularly wanted to see what Mary Pickford felt and was disappointed to see that she had left. The mansion was torn down in 1957, and a large office building for Getty Oil built on the site still stands on the spot. 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. Holden met French actress Capucine in the early 1960s. Paramount was more than happy to be the subject of the film, and didn't ask for the studio to be disguised. For this Lamarr wanted $25,000 (which would be about $250,000 in 2015 dollars). The Tragic 1981 Death Of Sunset Boulevard Star William Holden Grunge 2.14M subscribers Subscribe 486 18K views 3 weeks ago #Actor #Hollywood #SunsetBoulevard While Actor William Holden. Although it can get chilly by the ocean, a light jacket or sweater would be plenty. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider. . 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. The two actors never worked together in another film. Gloria Swanson does a famous impression of Charles Chaplin as the "Little Tramp," but Chaplin's name is never mentioned. Holden, just 63 when he died, had most recently appeared in the Blake Edwards' film "S.O.B." He was also one of many stars in Feldman's Casino Royale (1967). 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. According to both versions of the morgue prologue script, Gillis' body is admitted on 5/17/49 (as indicated by a toe tag). Fred MacMurray and Gene Kelly both turned down the role of Joe Gillis. 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. . Co-writer D.M. over the spiraling budget. Previous image. It's not possible to shoot through water and get a clear image beyond. The stars read the stars. An ending for the film was cobbled together, but the movie was never shown in the U.S. It was built in 1924 by William Jenkins, at a cost of $250,000. 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. 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. 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). Paramount reunited him with Nancy Olson, one of his Sunset Boulevard costars, in Union Station (1950). 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. At the time this movie was made, the incident was still quite recent. Sunset Boulevard is also a reflection of Hollywood through a glass, darkly. Gloria Swanson worked closely with Edith Head on Norma's clothes to achieve just the right look: grandly expensive but slightly out of date. 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. His killer was never identified. 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. [49], His death was noted by singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, whose 1987 song "Tom's Diner", about a sequence of events one morning in 1981, included a mention of reading a newspaper article about "an actor who had died while he was drinking". This was the actual set of Samson and Delilah (1949), which de Mille was making at the time. It was only natural that he should film several sequences on the studio's backlots. Holden, who was at this point dependent on alcohol, said, "I really was in love with Audrey, but she wouldn't marry me. When Gloria Swanson finished Norma's final scene, the mad staircase descent, she burst into tears and the crew applauded. Features the only Oscar-nominated performances of Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson. 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 the end of her acceptance speech, she paid him a personal tribute: "I loved him very much, and I miss him. Taylor had $78 in his wallet, a silver cigarette case, a Waltham pocket watch, and a two-carat diamond ring on his finger when his body was found, so cops quickly ruled out robbery as the motive. 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. But it's also a love story, and the love keeps it from becoming simply a waxworks or a freak show. Holden never lost his stride as cinema changed. He had made Swanson a star by. Fat Man: "A husky fellow like you?" but Holden's wife, Ardis (Brenda Marshall), who happened to be on set that day. The script (which was to be a vehicle for her comeback) was submitted to Cecil B. DeMille who sent it back. 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. Holman was 16 years older than him and was afraid people would think the movie was a parody of their relationship. (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). on the corner of Crenshaw and Irving. 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: The finest things in the world have been written on an empty stomach, and Wilder and Brackett rewrote the story as adrama. The forensics team rolled him over and saw he had been shot at least once in the back with a small-caliber pistol. While talking with Betty and Artie in Schwab's, Artie points out the studs in Joe's tuxedo. Around this time he also appeared in 21 Hours at Munich (1976). 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. Swanson was told "She can't show herself, Gloria, she's too overcome. But it wasn't a mistake. He starred in the 1953 . His body was found four days later. They reportedly began a two-year affair, which is alleged to have ended due to Holden's alcoholism. [44] After his death, Powers set up the William Holden Wildlife Foundation at Holden's Mount Kenya Game Ranch. Gene Kelly was then approached, but MGM refused to loan him out. Gloria Swanson's career was not revitalized by this film. Normand made movies with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle, and lived like life was one Wild Party. He starred in Sam Peckinpahs masterwork Western The Wild Bunch. Hollywood was known for its excesses long before Michael Jackson hit town. Joe could have slept with Norma and loved Betty, and owned the pool that would be his final resting place. The truth of the matter was that Bing Crosby was one of the very few actors to whom Billy Wilder had borne a grudge, mainly because Crosby had done the unthinkable during filming of The Emperor Waltz (1948), and ad-libbed dialog, something he and Bob Hope had done for years as standard operating procedure in their breezy "Road" pictures. 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. 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. Included among the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the Top 100 Greatest American Movies. 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). Its second owner was Jean Paul Getty, who purchased it for his second wife. When Norma is telling Joe about how rich she is, she mentions a beach house and downtown real estate. [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's the pictures that got small" was #91. 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. See, Bettys a message gal, not a virgin, and there are no whores in Hollywood. Buster Keaton appears only in the bridge party scene and utters the word "Pass" twice. "Lonely, alone, without dignity.". Billy Wilder wanted Hedy Lamarr to appear in a cameo in the scene where Norma and Joe visit Cecil B. DeMille at Paramount. Holden made a fourth and final film for Wilder with Fedora (1978). When the movie first dropped, Louis B. Mayer, the Mayer in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, told everyone who would listen that Wilder disgraced the industry that made him and fed him, and urged that he be tarred and feathered, and run out of Hollywood. Wilder, who had been feeding himself for quite some time, told Meyer to go fuck himself. Jay Livingston, Ray Evans: The Paramount songwriting duo is seen at the piano at Artie Green's New Year's Eve party. See production, box office & company info. The structure in the film required a tennis court, or rather the ghost of a tennis court, with faded markings and a sagging net. So she lands his head on a golden tray, kissing his cold, dead lips. The magnifying glass in Normas beauty makeover scene shows the skin of a young ingnue, not an aging crone. Yes, this is Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. Later in the film Max tells Gillis that he was the silent-movie director who discovered Norma and put her in films. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett met with Greta Garbo and tried to convince her to make a comeback in the role of Norma Desmond. Marshman was a journalist but both Wilder and Brackett had been impressed by the critique he had given of their earlier film, The Emperor Waltz (1948). [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. The silent comedian had a reputation as one of Hollywoods best bridge players. or "Boulevard"? Vega subsequently confirmed that this was a reference to Holden.[50]. This can be deduced from the fact that when he pulls one out of the pack he turns the bottom end up to his mouth. Men bribed her hairdresser to get a lock of her hair. Neither was The Revengers (1972), another Western. They eventually worked together on several films and became close friends. He rose to prominence with his role in the movie "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), which landed him his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. Both Mary Astor and Miriam Hopkins starred in TV versions of the film in 1955 and 1956, respectively.

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