What do you say about a longtime friend a sense of personal loss, a fine man. Holden's first starring role was in Golden Boy (1939), costarring Barbara Stanwyck, in which he played a violinist-turned-boxer. The photos of the young Norma Desmond that decorate the house are all genuine publicity photos from Gloria Swanson's heyday. Co-writer D.M. In 1973, Holden starred with Kay Lenz in a movie directed by Clint Eastwood called Breezy, which was considered a box-office flop. The film is included on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list. The script (which was to be a vehicle for her comeback) was submitted to Cecil B. DeMille who sent it back. So speaking of funerals, heres the great real life murder mystery we teased in the opening. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . Getty always wanted a pool, the poor dope. 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. William Holdens Joe Gillis helps a timid soul named Norma Desmond cross a crowded street on Paramounts back lot. [47], President Ronald Reagan released a statement: "I have a great feeling of grief. Holden was still an unknown actor when he made Golden Boy, while Stanwyck was already a film star. In the film Gloria is seen playing cards with three silent film stars: Buster Keaton, H.B. Rudy's shoeshine stand at the parking lot where Gillis hides his car from the creditors was inspired by Oscar Smith's shoeshine stand located just inside the Bronson Gate at the old Paramount Studios, which was a popular hangout for gossip and socializing while Billy Wilder was building his career there. Sunset Blvd. (1950) - Photo Gallery - IMDb Well, not everybody! The footage we see is from Queen Kelly (1929), which starred Gloria Swanson and was directed by Max himself, Erich von Stroheim. Or shall I call my servant? [4] They had two sons, Peter and Scott. 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. But before you hear it all distorted and blown out of proportion, before those Hollywood columnists get their hands on it, maybe youd like to hear the facts, the whole truth. "Sometimes he'd just get in his car and drive," the director told the AP. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett met with Greta Garbo and tried to convince her to make a comeback in the role of Norma Desmond. Joe Gillis is seen reading the book "The Young Lions" by Irwin Shaw, a best-selling World War Two novel of the time, Montgomery Clift, who was originally offered the part of Joe Gillis, later played one of the leads in the film adaptation of that book The Young Lions (1958), though it was not directed by Billy Wilder. 10060 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA. The film and actors was excellent and lived up to our expectations. . When Norma visits DeMille at Paramount, he's in the midst of shooting Samson and Delilah, which really is what he was up to at the time. Highly unusual at the time, Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder had Joe Gillis narrate, from beyond the grave, the sad tale of the final months of his life, while the film simultaneously depicts the still living Gillis experiencing those events unaware of the fate his dead self already knows. Marlon Brando was considered, but the producers thought he was too much of an unknown as a film actor. When two more test audiences reacted the same way, Wilder cut the scene and the movie was saved. When Max picks up the discarded headpiece during the tango scene, his expression hints at concern for the mental issues Norma suffers from. He walked into his bedroom and tripped over a throw rug and slammed his head so hard into the corner of a teak nightstand, the piece of furniture flew into the wall causing an indentation, per "William Holden." There were no shortage of suspects. read more: The Big Sleep is Proof That Plot Doesnt Matter. but Holden's wife, Ardis (Brenda Marshall), who happened to be on set that day. Among the many past associations embedded in Sunset Blvd. The princess in love with a holy man, she dances the dance of the seven veils. Cecil B. DeMille: at the studio during Norma's visit. Gloria Swanson played her final descent on the staircase barefoot, as she was terrified of tripping in high heels. Billy Wilder's 1978 Flop Fedora is less a worthy follow up to Sunset Boulevard than a sorry footnote. The clips in Sunset Boulevard were the first American audiences had seen of it. Norma goes to visit Cecil B. DeMille, several of whose films Swanson had starred in. The pool was used in its empty condition in Rebel Without a Cause (1955). 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. 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. In accordance with his wishes, no funeral or memorial services were conducted. The movie begins about five oclock in the morning, left coast time. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). 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 mixed fiction with the realities of filmmaking. 12 Sep. WILLIAM HOLDEN: At some point, "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) played at The Silver Screen. When Norma is telling Joe about how rich she is, she mentions a beach house and downtown real estate. 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. Jay Livingston, Ray Evans: The Paramount songwriting duo is seen at the piano at Artie Green's New Year's Eve party. At one point, Norma decides the time is right to send Gillis script to DeMille because is a Leo. She was disappointed to see that all the parts she was offered subsequently were watered-down versions of Norma Desmond. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett almost came to blows over the montage depicting Norma's preparations for her comeback. Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die," edited by Steven Schneider. [14], Holden made a third film with Wilder, Sabrina (1954), billed beneath Audrey Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. But attempts to turn the movie into a stage musical began almost immediately, spearheaded by none other than Gloria Swanson. In 1954, Holden was featured on the cover of Life. White, pink, or maybe bright flaming red. Please, don't let it be true, it must be some mistake," per her memoir. The two starred in the films The Lion (1962) and The 7th Dawn (1964). 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. On the Columbia lot is an assistant director and scout named Harold Winston. The writers feared that Hollywood would react unfavorably to such a damning portrait of the film industry, so the film was code-named "A Can of Beans" while in production. Cinematographer John Seitz put a mirror on the bottom of the pool and filmed the reflection. Normand was the last person known to have seen Taylor alive and she was grilled by the Los Angeles Police Department as a result. New York-born novelist and screenwriter Brackett was head of the Screen Actors Guild in the late 1930s, and president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences from 1949 to 1955. The same musical quote from "Salome" is used again as she descends the stairs, where Waxman segues into his own original musical statement of "The Dance of the Seven Veils". (1950) in Australia? For purposes of authenticity Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson wore their own clothes in the film. This was a first for Gloria Swanson, but proved a big boon in helping her develop her character's descent into madness. An out of work writer in Hollywood (Holden) randomly pulls into the driveway of a silent film star (Swanson) who can use the assistance of his writing talent. The general consensus was that the two titans had canceled each other out, leaving the field clear for Holliday. [48] He also has a star on the St. Louis Walk of Fame. Unlike the character she played, Gloria Swanson had accepted the fact that the movies didn't want her anymore and had moved to New York, where she worked on radio and, later, television. Director Cecil B. DeMille, a pioneer of silent Hollywood who was still a top director when "Sunset Boulevard" was shot in 1949, also famously played himself. Make-up designer Wally Westmore found that Gloria Swanson's face belied her age and wanted to make her look older. Billy Wilder was actually friendlier with the other leading gossip columnist of the day, Louella Parsons. She reportedly told Clift shed kill herself if he made the movie. Gloria Swanson does a famous impression of Charles Chaplin as the "Little Tramp," but Chaplin's name is never mentioned. When Peavey heard the moans I am the ghost of William Desmond Taylor. (1950), as a way of "art imitating life." 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 address of Norma Desmond's house is given as 10086 Sunset Boulevard. Wilder asked how much shed charge just to shoot the chair and Lamarr said $10,000. In those days there were no buttons on formal shirts. The killing and the media circus that followed it hurt the industry. Hedda Hopper: at the top of the stairwell as Norma descends toward the cameras. 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." 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 The actor-turned-director bitched about that goddamned butler role for the rest his life. [2] He had two younger brothers, Robert Westfield Beedle and Richard Porter Beedle. Gloria Swanson and Nancy Olson also co-starred in Airport 1975 together. A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return. But along with the accolades came a dependence on alcohol that would play a major role in his tragic end. Billy Wilder went into production with only 61 pages of script finished, so he had to shoot more or less in chronological order. taste bar and kitchen missouri city. She is still waving proudly to a parade which had long since passed her by. Beedle grew up in South Pasadena, California. It is also one of the most frequently misquoted movie lines, usually given as, "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. No one wants to get caught by surprise anymore. It was George Cukor who suggested Gloria Swanson for the role of Norma Desmond. 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. 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). "[18] Rumors at the time had it that Hepburn wanted a family, but when Holden told her that he had had a vasectomy and having children was impossible, she moved on. 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 audience left 20 years ago. And if you find it a little odd to hear dead men telling their own tales via narration, it is less strange than hearing it from a bunch of corpses with toe-tags talking it over in the LA county morgue, which was the way the movie was originally shot. Every character is jaded, except the oldest players. 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. Oh, and while were at it, Wilder didnt submerge any cameras to get that underwater shot. He just didnt have what it takes. Test audiences at the time couldnt let go of the joke, which was why it was re-edited this way. The mundane accident that took the Hollywood actor's life was made even worse by the fact that nobody found his body for a week afterward, according to the Associated Press. The only Best Picture Oscar nominee of the year to be also nominated for Original Screenplay. I know your face. After the completion of his film, Wilder shocked his longtime collaborator by announcing that he wished to dissolve their partnership; this was the result of a fierce quarrel over a montage scene in the film. It was the same technique he had used to shoot Rudolph Valentino's tango in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921). The finest things in the world have been written on an empty stomach, and Wilder and Brackett rewrote the story as adrama. The home was built in 1923 for businessman William O. Jenkins. It opened on Broadway at the Minskoff Theater on November 17, 1994, ran for 977 performances and won the 1995 Tony Awards for Best Musical, Book and Score. "We didn't need dialogue. The next decade saw Holden's career flourish. A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return.A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return. There are several references to Gloria Swanson's actual career in the film. "I knew he was off the wagon," she recalled in her memoir "One from the Hart." [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". Sad as this may sound, to the day he died, Holden insisted Bogart was a bastard. They had paired up in pictures since 1938. Paramount reunited Bracken and him in Young and Willing (1943). For television roles in 1974, Holden won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for his portrayal of a cynical, tough veteran LAPD street cop in the television film The Blue Knight, based upon the best-selling Joseph Wambaugh novel of the same name.[31][4]. 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). Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! [7], Back at Paramount, he starred with Bonita Granville in Those Were the Days! Her Stockholm Syndrome is positively infectious. Paramount always labeled that studio as its Long Island Studios. Her character's age was 22 but she was 21 at the time of filming. 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. Here's some backstage information to enhance your experience the next time you visit the Paramount lot.. When Billy Wilder went back to him later to secure a close-up, DeMille charged him another $10,000. Sunset Boulevard now begins with police cars racing to Norma Desmond's house, where a dead body is floating in the pool. Norma Desmond promised she would never desert her audience again. About 28:00 in, when Max is playing the organ, it is the same chords that Captain Nemo (James Mason) plays on his organ aboard the Nautilus in "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea." William Holden: Golden Boy of Hollywood Starred in 'Sunset Boulevard X. They had faces. It's the *pictures* that got small. (She liked it.). 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. And here is how he obtained his new movie tag. She was nominated for the first Academy Award in the Best Actress category. If anything, its observations on the greedy machinations of Tinseltown are truer now than they were in 1950. Louis B. Mayer's reaction is well documented but Mae Murray also found the film offensive. 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. The whole place seemed to have been stricken with the kind of creeping paralysis, out of beat with the rest of the world, crumbling apart in slow motion. Gloria Swanson was paid $50,000 plus $5,000 per week for any time over schedule. At one point Norma mentions working with Mabel Normand and Marie Prevost. He followed it with Damien: Omen II (1978) and had a cameo in Escape to Athena (1978), which co-starred his real-life love interest Stefanie Powers. . However, DeMille insisted that Lamarr be paid $25,000 for the privilege, so the idea was quickly dropped. So funny that it took away from the rest of the picture. You see, this is my life, she promised. Sunset Boulevard Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images This indicates that he is smoking filterless cigarettes, which was the norm for that era until filters became the standard after the mid-'50s. Throughout Hollywood history many film stars, and/or single films, were responsible for saving ailing studios. 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. (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 . Her friend George Cukor, who initially recommended her for the part, told her, "If they want you to do ten screen tests, do ten screen tests. Not long ago, he was divorced from the actress, Gloria Holden, but carried the torch after the marital rift. (Gloria Swanson's TV star - she has one for TV and one for film - is very near by at 6301 Hollywood Blvd). He was perfection on and off-screen. Holden was a bit of an anti-hero, or at least a very flawed hero. Sunset Boulevard (1950) 1950, 1h 50min - Drama 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, created two of the screen's most memorable characters in "Sunset Boulevard."
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