Sunset Boulevard Movie Review 1950

Famed tale of Norma Desmond (Swanson), aging silent film queen, who refuses to accept that stardom has ended for her and hires young down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis (Holden) to help engineer her movie comeback. The screenwriter, who becomes the actress' kept man, assumes he can manipulate her, but finds out otherwise. Reality was almost too close for comfort, as Swanson, von Stroheim (as her major domo Max), and others very nearly play themselves. A darkly humorous look at the legacy and loss of fame with witty dialog, stellar performances, and some now-classic scenes. Based on the story "A Can of Beans" by Brackett and Wilder.

Distribution

Home Vision Cinema, c/o Image Entertainment, 20525 Nordhoff St., Ste. 200, Chatsworth, CA 91311, URL: http://www.homevision.com

Available on VHS
Running time 100 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Showbiz Dramas, Price of Fame, Film Noir, Behind the Scenes, Adapted from a Story, Femme Fatale, L.A.

Screenplay

Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, D.M. Marshman

Cast

Gloria Swanson, William Holden, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Buster Keaton, Jack Webb, Cecil B. DeMille, Fred Clark

Cinematography

John Seitz

Director

Billy Wilder

Music

Franz Waxman

Producer

Charles Brackett, Paramount Pictures

Awards

Oscars 1950: Art Dir./Set Dec., B&W, Story & Screenplay, Orig. Dramatic Score; AFI 1998: Top 100; Golden Globes 1951: Actress--Drama (Swanson), Director (Wilder), Film--Drama, Score, Natl. Film Reg. 1989.