[7], According to Brackett, Wilder and he never considered anyone except Gloria Swanson for the role of Norma Desmond. [5] Thomas M. Pryor wrote for The New York Times that the plot device of using the dead Joe Gillis as narrator was "completely unworthy of Brackett and Wilder, but happily it does not interfere with the success of Sunset Boulevard". Initially, writer-director Wilder envisioned … With the advent of the star system, luxurious homes noted for their often incongruous grandeur were built in the area. Joe returns to Norma. Sunset Boulevard is a truly great film with a wealth of fascinating ideas, which remains one of the greatest films ever made about Hollywood. MAE WEST WAS BILLY WILDER'S FIRST CHOICE TO STAR. is a 1950 American dark comedy film noir[1] directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett. Wilder and Brackett then visited Mary Pickford, but before even discussing the plot with her, Wilder realized she would consider a role involving an affair with a man half her age an insult, so they departed. "[42] When Wilder died in 2002, obituaries singled out Sunset Boulevard for comment, describing it as one of his most significant works, along with Double Indemnity (1944) and Some Like It Hot (1959). It is a major thoroughfare in the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood (including a portion known as the Sunset Strip), as well as several districts in Los Angeles. "[38] James Agee, writing for Sight & Sound, praised the film and said Wilder and Brackett were "beautifully equipped to do the cold, exact, adroit, sardonic job they have done." It was named after the thoroughfare with the same name that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California. Wilder also made use of authentic locales. The similarities ended there; Swanson made a handful of talking pictures. Script reader Betty Schaefer harshly critiques it, unaware that Joe is listening. Frame-by-frame digital restoration by Prasad Corporation removed dirt, tears, scratches and other defects. [15][16], Forced to consider the available Paramount contract players, Wilder and Brackett focused on William Holden, who had made an impressive debut a decade earlier in Golden Boy (1939). [39], In 1999, Roger Ebert praised the acting of Holden and von Stroheim and has described Swanson's as "one of the all time greatest performances." Joe, overhearing, invites Betty to see for herself. The exterior scenes of the Desmond house were filmed at a house on Wilshire Boulevard built during the 1920s by the millionaire William O. Jenkins. Sleeping up to 8 guests, Sunset Boulevard has 4 bedrooms – king, queen, queen, queen. Six months earlier, down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe tries selling Paramount Pictures producer Sheldrake on a story he submitted. Although Paramount gave verbal permission to proceed with the musical, there was no formal legal option. [9], According to Wilder, he asked George Cukor for advice, and he suggested Swanson, one of the most fêted actresses of the silent-screen era, known for her beauty, talent, and extravagant lifestyle. As Joe walks out of the house, Norma shoots him three times, and he falls into the pool. A film adaptation of the musical, with Close and Lloyd Weber producing, and Close playing Norma, is in development at Paramount Pictures, with Rob Ashford directing and Tom MacRae writing. Billy Wilder was one of the most accomplished filmmakers of his time and his 1950 noir crime drama, Sunset Boulevard is often regarded as his finest work. By the late 1990s, most Sunset Boulevard prints were in poor condition, and as the film was shot using cellulose nitrate filmstock, much of the original negative had perished. DeMille, often credited as the person most responsible for making Swanson a star, plays himself, and was filmed on the set of Samson and Delilah at Paramount Studios. Flights: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 1 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045 (tel: 424.646.5252), Take: the Paramount Pictures Studio Tour, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, CA 90038 (tel: 323.956.1777), Please send any corrections or additions to info@movie-locations.com. The plot revolves around Norma Desmond, a faded star of the silent screen era, living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street. The studio, built in 1917 as the Peralta Studios, became Brunton Studios in 1920, then United Studios in 1921, before being bought by Paramount in 1926. The older studio employees recognize her and warmly greet her. [10] Bette Davis believed that her and Swanson's comparable characters effectively "cancelled each other out", allowing Holliday to win. He won the Best Actor Oscar for Stalag 17 (1953), also directed by Wilder, and by 1956 he was the top box-office attraction in the United States. Gloria Swanson & Billy Wilder - ca. [5], The fusion of writer-director Billy Wilder's biting humor and the classic elements of film noir make for a strange kind of comedy, as well as a strange kind of film noir. Norma, having lost touch with reality, believes the newsreel cameras are there to film Salome. ", "Glenn Close Offers an Update on the Upcoming Sunset Boulevard Movie Musical", "Disaster Artist: An Interview With The Room's Greg Sestero", Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, National Board of Review Award for Best Film. [51] In a 2015 poll by BBC Culture, film critics ranked Sunset Boulevard the 54th greatest American film of all time.[52]. Holden starred in some of Hollywood's most popular and critically acclaimed films, including Sunset Boulevard, Sabrina, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Bunch, Picnic, and Network. With Glenn Close. They parted amicably and respected their long-term partnership by not airing any grievance publicly. Seitz recalled asking Wilder what he required for the pet chimpanzee's funeral scene. Norma's friends who come to play bridge with her, described in the script as "the waxworks", were Swanson's contemporaries Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H. B. Warner, who like DeMille, played themselves. "[12], Wilder harks back to Swanson's silent film career when Norma shows Joe the film Queen Kelly, an earlier Gloria Swanson film directed by Erich Von Stroheim. Wilder contacted Pola Negri by telephone, but had a difficult time understanding her heavy Polish accent. [55][56] In 2012, the film was digitally restored by Paramount Pictures for Blu-ray Disc debut. Joe finds her script abysmal but flatters her into hiring him as a script doctor. Sunset Boulevard (film) is a former featured article.Please see the links under Article milestones below for its original nomination page (for older articles, check the nomination archive) and why it was removed. is a 1950 American black comedy/drama film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett.It was named after the boulevard that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California.. You should be tarred and feathered and run out of Hollywood!" In an interview, Sestero states, "I saw a lot of similarities with my story, especially when Tommy lived in a place that had a pool and wanted to make his own vanity project. How glorious it will be to see her walk up on the Oscar ceremony stage in 2021 to collect her long deserved Oscar – as of this year, she has been nominated 7 times and lost all seven times – for a role she has won the Tony for.

The Forecast In The Shadow Of Two Gunmen, Honor 5x Price In Bangladesh, Sources Of Contract In Business Law, Pierre Cardin Shoes Company, A Little Piece Of Heaven, John Galliano Sneaker Low Schwarz,