“Sunset Boulevard” is a classic Hollywood melodrama about a struggling screenwriter who becomes involved with an aging silent movie star who refuses to acknowledge her “has-been” status. The heavy drama proceeds from there as he is drawn further and further into her dark world of unreality. Director Billy Wilder (“The Lost Weekend” 1945) created a riveting drama that has been recognized as one of the greatest films of all time, with marvelous production values, great performances, and outstanding writing. He co-wrote the movie with Charles Brackett and D. M. Marshman Jr.
William Holden and Gloria Swanson head the cast as Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond, respectively. These are textbook examples of fine dramatic performances. Co-stars include Erich von Stroheim as Norma’s major domo, Nancy Olson as Joe’s fellow screenwriter, Fred Clark as movie producer, Jack Webb as Nancy’s boyfriend, and Jack Warden as a party guest. Numerous celebrities did cameos as themselves including Cecil B. DeMille and Hedda Hopper, and Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner, and Anna Q. Nilsson playing bridge with Norma, as well as Henry Wilcoxon, Sidney Skolsky, and Ray Evans.
The very watchable “Sunset Boulevard” was popular at the box office for producer Charles Brackett and Paramount Pictures. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning three: Best Screenplay, Best Black-and-White Art Direction, and Best Musical Score (Franz Waxman). Non-winners were Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Holden), Best Actress (Swanson), Best Supporting Actor (von Stroheim), Best Supporting Actress (Olson), Best Black-and-White Cinematography (John F. Seitz), and Best Film Editing.
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
cinema
My Review
“Sunset Boulevard” is a classic Hollywood melodrama about a struggling screenwriter who becomes involved with an aging silent movie star who refuses to acknowledge her “has-been” status. The heavy drama proceeds from there as he is drawn further and further into her dark world of unreality. Director Billy Wilder (“The Lost Weekend” 1945) created a riveting drama that has been recognized as one of the greatest films of all time, with marvelous production values, great performances, and outstanding writing. He co-wrote the movie with Charles Brackett and D. M. Marshman Jr.
William Holden and Gloria Swanson head the cast as Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond, respectively. These are textbook examples of fine dramatic performances. Co-stars include Erich von Stroheim as Norma’s major domo, Nancy Olson as Joe’s fellow screenwriter, Fred Clark as movie producer, Jack Webb as Nancy’s boyfriend, and Jack Warden as a party guest. Numerous celebrities did cameos as themselves including Cecil B. DeMille and Hedda Hopper, and Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner, and Anna Q. Nilsson playing bridge with Norma, as well as Henry Wilcoxon, Sidney Skolsky, and Ray Evans.
The very watchable “Sunset Boulevard” was popular at the box office for producer Charles Brackett and Paramount Pictures. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, winning three: Best Screenplay, Best Black-and-White Art Direction, and Best Musical Score (Franz Waxman). Non-winners were Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (Holden), Best Actress (Swanson), Best Supporting Actor (von Stroheim), Best Supporting Actress (Olson), Best Black-and-White Cinematography (John F. Seitz), and Best Film Editing.