"Life which can be so minuscule had taken pity on Norma Desmond. The dream she had clung to so desperately had enfolded her."

Movie script writer Joe Gillis found him self in the sunset of his career. While escaping auto preprocessors, by accident or fait he turns into a driveway on Sunset Boulevard and begins a new chapter with a mysterious actress who is in the sunset of her career.

This play in three acts is packed with stars of the time. Many of the Stars and the writer reflect their real lives in the story. I am not going to bring up a list because they are fun to discover as they show up on the screen.

Even though the movie can hold its own and is worth re-watching, be sure to get a DVD with the audio commentary. The commentary helps you see what you are watching; it also covers the original beginning of the movie.

I have been tented before viewing this movie by watching then Carol Burnet version.

Film Noir is juxtaposed against a post-war optimism (Film Noir 1994, Sklar 269-285). As if Hollywood and its audience were not convinced that everything was peaches and cream, Hollywood would revert to a darker mood culminating, for our discussion, in a form of self-reflexivity and foreboding about the coming of television and nostalgia for the golden age of silent movies in a film like Sunset Boulevard (1950). According to the writers of the documentary Film Noir (1994), movies such as Samuel Goldwyn's The Best Years of Our Lives (1946) and the musical Ziegfeld Follies (1946) where released alongside Film Noir seminal piece Detour (1945). Unlike the two big budget films, Film Noir offerings such as Detour were "B" movies made on the cheap allowing them break all the rules. Film Noir, it could be argued is an example of the Production Code forcing directors to be creative vis-à-vis sex, violence, and even subversive themes.

Film noir in general and Sunset Boulevard (1950) in particular inhabit that liminal time and space of a pre-television era (as we see with the final scene of Sunset Boulevard). Hollywood as self-reflective is evidence in the movie-within-a-movie scene where Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) and Joe Gillis (William Holden) watch one of Swanson's old silent movies: Queen Kelly (1929) a movie directed by Erich Von Stroheim - who plays Max Von Mayerling. Details of this change in subjectivity, which outlines one of many moves that display Billy Wilder's range, complexity, and genius, will be discussed below.

According to Michael Walker, "Film noir is not simply a certain type of crime movie, but also a generic field: a set of elements and features which may be found in a range of different sorts of films. The generic labeling of films adopted by Hollywood studios for their own purposes (casting, production, marketing, etc.) does not do justice to the complex interaction of determinants - including generic elements - in any given film" (Cameron 8). Simply put, in the 40s/50s cycle - the films made a break with the 30s cycle that included various distinct elements (listed above in the "Summary"). Although tied in with gangster flicks film noir say in its use of a, "lone, often introverted hero" (Cameron 8). Walker adds that this hero is a, "victim of a hostile world" (Cameron 8) and the movies usually tackle a problem of a political nature set in a personal struggle. The mood set is often somber and cynical and the mode de emploi usually voice over. In Film Noir 1994, Film Noir is seen not as a genre but, "... a look, a tone, or a feel" (Film Noir 1994). Narrative style and character type/development - one of deep psychological angst - are two of the more distinctive elements spoken of above. More specifically, I will discuss the creative and varied uses of flashback and the notion of the femme fatale as destroyer (Cameron 12).

A film like Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Double Indemnity (1944) use flashback (Spicer 76). One cannot escape two of the more profound contributions of Billy Wilder to this genre Double Indemnity (1944) and Wilder's crowning achievement Ace in the Hole (1951) which marked the peak of noir era. According to Spicer, "Sunset Boulevard (1950) uses the flashback narrative of a man already dead. Although the protagonist appears to be in control of the retelling of the story, it is really the past events that are still controlling him, which he would love to alter if he could" (Spicer 76). Double Indemnity (1944) is the perfect segue to talk about the second element the femme fatale. Spicer writes "Thus Neff's flashbacks have a double purpose: to try to exorcise the malign influence of the femme fatale Phyllis Dietrichson (Barbara Stanwyck), and to renew a bond of loyalty with Keyes (Edward G. Robinson) which offers some form of redemption" (Spicer 76). Both of these elements are used very skillfully by Jacques Tourneur in the Film Noir masterpiece Out of the Past (1947). Tourneur deftly uses flashback to bring back the main character Jeff Bailey's (Robert Mitchum) past. Bailey narrates his sordid past with Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer) - the film's femme fatale - to his pastoral country girlfriend Ann Miller (Virginia Huston). Marie Windsor, in the documentary Film Noir (1994), argues that, "Classic femme fatales are the kind of woman who after gets the man into bed and then gets him into trouble" (Film Noir 1994). Intimating from her experience as the femme fatale in Forces of Evil (1948), Windsor further intimates that femme fatales like Barbara Stanwyck (Double Indemnity 1944) and Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard 1950) are the ones most often remembered (Film Noir 1994).

Silver et al. write that, "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. There are no belly laughs here, but there are certainly strangled giggles: at the pet chimp's funeral, at Joe's discomfited acquiescence to the role of gigolo; at Norma's Mack Sennett-style "entertainment" for her uneasy lover; at the ritualized solemnity of Norma's "waxworks" card parties, which feature such former luminaries as Buster Keaton as Norma's has been cronies" (Silver 276). Riffing along Silver et al it is clear that this is not your conventional film noir. Billy Wilder in Sunset Boulevard maintains the elements selected above - the femme fatale as destroyer and flashback narrative - but adds a strong dose of Hollywood self-reflexivity and calls to question its excesses, its corruption, its unreality, and its transition to television - all of which add to but also departs from the classic film noir.

Miguel Llora

I watched it again today-for about the 50th time-and again it grabbed me and held me.
And again I was struck by the fact that of all the lines quoted from it the very best isn't quoted much and isn't delivered by Norma or Joe. It's delivered by C.B. de Mille when Norma visits him on the set of Sampson And Delilah, "A dozen press agents working overtime can do terrible things to the human spirit."
It just gets more true every year.
Phil Brown

The eerie opening of the movie, sets the tone. William Holden is speaking, telling of his experince and you realize that he is the dead man floating in the pool and it is a post-mortem spiel. This is the one film that I remember Gloria Swanson for--her playing of the dusty movie relic who has an over-exaggerated sense of self-importance in Hollywood. In fact she is long forgotten. William Holden had the unfortunate luck to get mixed up with her, and as the authorities are coming to take her away, she delivers her classic line, "Mr. DeMille, I am ready for my close-up." Thinking that the members of the press are the production company of a new movie that she will star in. Dementia rears its ugly head. What a great classic movie. Swanson and Holden are fabulous.

Billy Wilder gives us another great film, combining an interesting if not weird story. More great screenwritting, and brilliant acting. Guaranteed to keep to rivited to your seat..

WHEN I WAS A CHILD I USE TO LAUGH AT THE ANTICS OF HARVEY CARMEN AND CAROL BURNETTS VERSION OF GLORIA AND HOLDENS MOVIE NOT KNOWING IT WAS AN ACTUAL MOVIE,WHEN I LEARNED BY MY AUNT WHO ALWAYS WATCHED THE OLD MOVIE CHANNEL THAT IT WAS A REAL MOVIE I HAD TO WATCH,MAN IT WAS A BRILLIANT WRITTEN MOVIE,THESE TWO BROUGHT THE CURTAINS DOWN IF U ASK ME AND I PLAN TO BUY IT SOON FOR MY AUNT WHO LOVES TO WATCH AN OL GOOD BLACK AND WHITE AND SHE WILL MARVEL OVER THIS ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1000 STARS ,GET POP CORN,A DRING,HOT DOG AND SIT STILL UR IN FOR A TREAT!!!!

To put it simply: Sunset Boulevard is one of my favorite films of all time and a true classic.

I just watched "Sunset Boulevard" for the first time. I absolutley loved it. I usually stay away from "black and white" movies, considering they are not from my generation. The only other old movies I've seen are "To Kill A Mockingbird", and parts of "It's a Wonderful Life". This one interested me because I work in the entertainment industry and I like movies about Hollywood. "Sunset Boulevard" puts new movies to shame. The acting and writing back then were so different. This film was written so perfectly and beautifully. The scenes with Gloria Swanson were just what I like, bizarre and surreal. The characters were unforgetable, especially Gloria Swanson. She is my new hero, I absolutley loved her, she's my new favourite diva extrodinaire. I loved this movie so much I stopped it half way through so I can watch the rest of it when I buy it. It's on my new all time favourite films.

I've heard so much about this classic film and I really don't know why it's taken me this long to watch it. Gloria Swanson is my new idol. She absolutely owned every scene she was in. The fact that this film still hold true to this day is a testament to the genius that was Billy Wilder. Great script, wonderful, wonderful acting and direction. Today we watch fading stars of the past, try to cling on to an audience-any audience by means of reality television-all still ready for their close-ups. Brilliant film.

Fantastic movie. I fall in love with it more and more each time I watch it. The writing is well-done as is the acting. Powerful..and William Holden--what a voice! Def. worth the time invested to watch it--over and over.

This movie came not too long after another great film noir offering by Wilder: "Double Indemnity" and as much as I liked that movie, I find myself preferring this his other film noir masterpiece. The casting on this film was inspired and there are so many layers of brilliance on this film that it's like peeling an onion and discovering more and more potent layers each time you watch this film.

Gloria Swanson was brilliant and would have won the best actress award had this film been released either a year earlier or later instead of having to contend with another brilliant film that year:"All About Eve". There are so many brilliant moments in this film that some of the dialogue has been immortalized over the years e.g. "I'm ready for my close up now Mr. DeMille" and "I AM big, it's the pictures that got small" etc There are many special scenes that you have to see to enjoy for yourself which show the striking differences between the old and the new, the twisted and the sane etc that makes this not just any film but as close as it comes to film fine art as they come. A scathing attack on Hollywood and how people use each other at any price which must be close to the truth to have generated such anger from the movie moguls at the time.

This DVD version is also a treat as it has very good bonus features such as "The Music of Sunset Boulevard", "The Making of Sunset Boulevard" and my favourite "Edith Head - The Paramount Years" Edith was parodied so well by the way in that Disney cartoon "The Invincibles" as the costume lady. The picture quality is also very good with only a few frames of imperfection but not enough to get too upset about. The only thing that should have been done was for Dolby 5.1 or DTS THX surround options to be provided in addition to the Dolby Mono version here. Hopefully a Blu-Ray release is imminent which will offer these improvements in sound quality for the film.

This is one movie that I'm actually proud to have in my library and I can see myself viewing this over and over again over the years just to peel yet another brilliant layer from this glorious onion each time I watch.

This is movie-making at it's best and comes highly recommended.

This film is a great classic, with wonderful characters, a terrific script, and top-notch actors and acting. It is a film that can be enjoyed time and time again.

Gloria Swanson is the best and I like the movie, but the quality is not the best...it should has been remastered.

I'm really not sure why I'm writing a review of a true classic that thousands of others have taken on.I first saw this film circa 1961 (13 years old) and was totally fascinated by it (and probably always will be). However, there is definitely a disconnect point- no young teenager would be drawn towards it today; certainly none would be reading this review. So, I'm really just wasting time, unless one notices the effectiveness of the first person dialogue that really helps buoy the film. Or, perhaps, it's the here today, gone tomorrow ethic of the world, not only Hollywood, that really stands out, almost in biblical proportions; something that Swanson was never able to acknowledge. Holden, in my opinion gets a bad rap. He's trying to eke out a living using Swanson,just as Swanson is trying to use DeMille, just as Max is using Swanson, albeit in polite ways. Recognizing his errors, Holden is on his way back to Dayton,just a couple of minutes too late to take the plunge. Anyway, no matter how good it is, it's only a movie. Right!?

Billy Wilder's career as a writer-director reads like a Best Films list: Ninotchka (1939), Arise My Love (1940), Ball Of Fire (1941), The Major And The Minor (1942), Five Graves To Cairo (1943), Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), The Bishop's Wife (1947), A Foreign Affair (1948), Sunset Boulevard (1950), Ace In The Hole (1951), Stalag 17 (1953), Sabrina (1954), The Seven Year Itch (1955), Witness For The Prosecution (1957), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), One, Two, Three (1961) and The Fortune Cookie (1966), among others.

He was nominated for 21 Academy Awards, he won 7 (including the prestigious Irving G Thalberg Memorial Award in 1988), and one of those Oscars was for the screenplay of Sunset Boulevard. Sunset Boulevard is considered by many to be his finest work, and one of the great, great films of Hollywood. It is also the classic example of Film Noir, a style of film that was popular in the late 40's and early 50's, known for its edginess, among other things. Because it examines the underbelly of Hollywood at the time, it is a film buff's delight.

It is the story of a failing young Hollywood screenwriter named Joe Gillis, who inadvertently finds himself at the dilapidated house of a washed-up silent movie star, Norma Desmond. She talks him into becoming the editor of her "comeback" script; but he gets so comfortable with the lush lifestyle she offers, that he agrees to much more than that. It turns into a weird, one-sided, Spring-Autumn romance - codependency gone wild. Joe is trapped and sees no easy way out because he doesn't want to go back to the penniless existence he had before. Then, a young female writer comes along that needs his help. In their secret working relationship, and in her fresh innocence, he rediscovers what he has lost. But has he got the courage to leave Norma?

William Holden is his best-looking, and perfect as Joe Gillis, whose cynical humor pervades the film, and who also acts as its narrator. But Holden was not Wilder's first choice. The director wanted Montgomery Clift, which would have given the film a whole different flavor. But, luckily, Clift turned it down. The actor playing Joe Gillis needed to be an all-American type that seemingly has been corrupted by the Hollywood system, and no one could have filled that role better than Holden. At the time, the athletic actor's career was somewhat on the wane. But his performance in this film, along with subsequent Billy Wilder films - Stalag 17 (1953) and Sabrina (1954) - established him as a top performer and star, who would go on to make Executive Suite (1954), The Country Girl (1954), Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing (1955), Picnic (1955), The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957), The Wild Bunch (1969) and Network (1976), among others. He was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for Sunset Boulevard and Network, and won for Stalag 17.

Gloria Swanson, who was a big star in the Silent days, but hadn't had a role to speak of since then, was also not a first choice for Wilder - but what would Sunset Boulevard be without her. She was perfect as the threateningly creepy, self-obsessed and self-deluded Norma Desmond. Amazingly, Swanson's own career mirrored that of the tarnished star's. It ended, partly as a result of her association with one of the other actors in Sunset Boulevard - Eric von Stroheim, who plays her butler, Max. Von Stroheim - who, like Max, had once been a director - is best known for directing one of the longest films ever made. At four hours long, Greed (1924) was, unsurprisingly, a box-office disaster. After that, he directed Swanson in the film that became for both of them something of a swan song - Queen Kelly (1929). Interestingly, the film appears in Sunset Boulevard as the movie that Norma and Joe are watching when she stands up, backlit by the projector, and vows to make a comeback, which she calls a "return."

Rounding out the cast is Nancy Olson as young writer Betty Schaefer, who also becomes the love-interest for Gillis. Her fresh, innocent, upbeat character is the only one that doesn't show Hollywood in a bad light. The only other character that could possibly be said of is Cecil B. DeMille, who plays himself. Having done many previous films together, Norma is hoping he will direct her "return." Their meeting on the Paramount lot is a poignant, bitter-sweet reunion, and an indication of just how deluded Norma has become, and how cruel Hollywood can be to the stars they have cast aside. There are other famous people who play themselves: gossip columnist Hedda Hopper, along with silent stars Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson and HB Warner. All three of these silent stars went on to very lucrative careers in sound pictures - hardly the has-beens they plays in Sunset Boulevard.

The opening of Sunset Boulevard is probably the most famous in film history: a body floating face down in a pool, shot from below, acts as the narrator the story. This was an extremely difficult shot, as the necessary underwater cameras had not yet been invented, requiring that it be shot instead using a mirror. It is powerful. All the camerawork in this film is outstanding. But what is most remarkable is the script, by Billy Wilder. This is one of the few films ever shot that does not depart from the script, with one exception: the opening scene originally takes place in a morgue, with the dead bodies mentally discussing Gillis' death. While it worked in the script, it didn't work on film. And once it was showed to an test audience - with inappropriately hilarious response - it was changed. Other than that, the script was perfect.

Sunset Boulevard is full of juicy lines, but probably the most famous is, "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille." Norma utters this at the end of the film, having just descended her staircase - filled with reporters, photographers and newsreel cameramen - as she is being taken off to jail for shooting Gillis. Another famous line is Norma's response to Joe when he first meets her and says, "You're Norma Desmond - you used to be big." She quips, "I am big. It's the pictures that got small."

Sunset Boulevard has held up remarkably well through the years. It is still just as powerful as it was when it opened in 1950 to respectable but not overly enthusiastic audiences. (Perhaps it was a bit too cynical for 1950. Louis B. Meyer, on the other hand, is said to have gone berserk because of its negative but honest portrayal of Hollywood.) Since then, it has become one of the great classics, near the top of every critic's and historian's Best Film list, and a popular favorite of film buffs.

Waitsel Smith

She's ready, but are you ready for her? In this magnificent film, Billy Wilder bites the hands that feeds him. Gloria Swanson dazzles as desperate, faded silent movie star Norma Desmond, who is trying to claw her way back to the top after years of seclusion in her Hollywood mansion on Sunset Boulvard. However, her time has been and gone, and at fifty years old, this seems impossible. When Joe Gillis (Holden), an equally desperate screenwriter, happens upon her mansion while fleeing some debt collectors, he finds the perfect way to make some money by using Norma. However, will he be able to escape her wrath when she discovers the truth? After all, in the immortal words of Desmond, "No-one ever leaves a star, that's what makes one a star....."

A very good movies - one of those that makes for an excellent evening in - with friends or alone. Be entertained by an excellent show.

I am really fed up with buying really great movies that are not formatted for widescreen....I wish people would be more curteous and let serious movie collectors know what they are buying.

This is, hands down, my favorite movie. It's gripping, dark, and beautiful-so rare nowadays.
A look at the flip side of fame, Joe Gillis narrates his descent into Norma Desmonds twisted fantasy world. A true gem of a film, its script beautiful and its acting superb(Gloria Swanson's use of her eyes is breathtaking), plus the added bonus of cameos by old silent film stars and Cecil B Demile!
Buy this movie, and I guarantee you will be shocked, sickened, and awed by it.

This is the stuff of legends. I watched it last night with my wife who had never seen it before, I had seen it once and it is even a more powerful movie experience then I remember. We were glued to the tv screen by this intriguing screen classic. Norma Desmond(Gloria Swanson) is a screen icon from the days of silent movies who now lives in the past unable to face a present where the movies no longer need her, she waits for the call from Paramount Studios that will turn her back into a star. Gloria Swanson gives one of the most memorable screen performances you will ever see. Her Norma Desmond scares you, moves you and enthralls you as you wait for this train wreck to happen. Joe Gillis(William Holden) is from a small town in Ohio who is possibly a day or so away from returning to the copy desk at the small Ohio newspaper that he came from. His dreams of striking it big in Hollywood now a frazzled scorn of cynical delusions. The Hollywood sharks have worn him out. Norma's fate and his are intertwined forever when Joe gets a flat as he tries to elude the repo men who are trying to take his car. He's so broke and unable to sell any of his stories or screenplays that he hasn't paid rent in three months. He ends up at Norma's mansion on Sunset Blvd. that has all the appearances of being abandoned. Norma seemingly has found a new lease on life as she hires Joe to edit and finish her "masterpiece" of a screenplay eventually falling in love with him. Joe takes advantage of Norma at first strictly for the money but eventually the attraction grows not so much because of the physical attraction of the two but Joe realizes no matter how crazy this whole setup is and how much he dislikes being Norma's "boytoy", Norma has treated him better then anyone else in Hollywood that he's run across. Max (Erich von Stroheim) is the glue holding it all together as he devotes himself to giving Norma what she needs to keep her illusions alive while holding his own secrets. A masterful performance. A masterful legendary film. We lived in Hollywood for a few years and I think that's what made this film so much more poignant for me the second time because Hollywood is full of Norma Desomnds drowning in quiet desperation who should've packed up and found a different life years ago. But how can one let go of being a star? Not that easy.

Another classic black and white Billy Wilder take on the foibles of human nature. This time it is an aging silent screen actress, played to a tee by Gloria Swanson, sitting alone out on the Boulevard still in disbelief that they added sound to the movies. She is still waiting for her big comeback. Enter one young aspiring Hollywood screen writer a little down on his luck, played here by a young William Holden (who also acts as narrator) in need of a big break or at least a little room rent. One knows with this improbable mix this tale cannot end well. Add in a superb performance by Eric Von Stroheim as the long suffering but devoted servant (and former husband) of the old silent screen queen and you know why this is one of the all time movie hits. One of the few films worth seeing more than once.

This is a great film noir about has-been silent film actress Norma Desmond and never-will-be screenwriter Joe Gillis and the tragedy that occurs when both confuse mutual opportunism with romance set against the backdrop of an unforgiving and quick-to-forget Hollywood that has chewed up both characters. So many other people have analyzed this film and its extras, but let me just say that the most surprising thing about this particular DVD edition of this film was its superb treatment including the well-done commentary and three featurettes - "The Making of Sunset Boulevard", "Edith Head - The Paramount Years", and "The Music of Sunset Boulevard". Paramount has done such a poor job with its classics on DVD over the years this took me totally by surprise. I guess I can lump Universal in with Paramount on this one since Universal owns much of Paramount's pre-1948 catalog and usually just releases bare-bones DVDs of Paramount's films with no extras. If you like noir, and even if you've seen the film many times already as I did before I purchased the DVD, I highly recommend this edition since you'll get much interesting information such as insight into why this was a difficult film for Billy Wilder to make at the time. Apparently the Hollywood moguls and studio executives didn't want the general public seeing the callous nature of the business from the inside. Then there is the information on what the prologue to the film originally was and why it was changed after it was previewed by audiences and evoked howls of laughter. Highly recommended.

Gloria Swanson makes `Sunset Boulevard' worth every second. Her performance is brilliant, rich and iconic and so well fleshed out and poignant. As Norma Desmond, Swanson sizzles with pure splendid charisma and commanding presence. Swanson truly is the biggest draw to this film. I have heard much about her Oscar nominated performance but seeing it for the first time is really beyond all expectations. It is controlled and brilliantly constructed to steal the limelight from everyone else in the cast, which ironically was just what she needed to do. Her character, the washed up actress Norma Desmond, is the only star in Hollywood in her own eyes and so playing her over the top and eccentric was just what Swanson needed to do, and she succeeded beautifully.

The performances of William Holden, Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson are all fine as well, but this is Swanson's film and no one elses!

The film follows equally washed up screenwriter Joe Gillis as he strives to make a living. He's overdue on payments for his apartment and his car and the film opens with some men arriving to repossess his car. Joe lies to get out of handing over the keys and in an attempt to conceal his car he parks it in what appears to be an abandoned garage. The garage though belongs to screen-star Norma Desmond, an actress on the verge of her comeback (although she hates the term). In fact she has written the screenplay that is going to bring her back to the top of the entertainment world and so she asks (or forces) Gillis to look it over, polish it up if you will. Joe winds up living in her home, being her companion and in effect losing the life he had before all of this. His newfound lifestyle is threatened when he sparks a relationship with the beautiful Betty Schaefer much to Norma's disapproval. She wants Joe all to herself and she's willing to do everything in her power to make that happen.

`Sunset Boulevard' beautifully exposes the ugly side of fame, the descent there of. It captures the hysterical feeling of knowing you are no longer loved yet that unwillingness to let go of what you once felt. Norma is obsessed with her past, relishing every moment she was Hollywood's `it' girl. Her home, cluttered with pictures of her in her prime, her video library consisting of only her pictures, all of this a constant reminder of what she used to be. The climax, especially the final frames, are just brilliantly done, for it's there we can see just how affected by her fall from grace Norma really was.

Now, maybe it's because I just recently rewatched `Misery', or maybe it's because I am currently reading Stephen King's novel of the same name, but there is something about `Sunset Boulevard' that strikes me as very similar. Norma Desmond's character is a far cry from Annie Wilkes but she is mentally unstable and demandingly selfish. She may not use force but she elicits mental abuse in order to keep Joe confined to her company and her company alone and in the end it's her obsession with the man that drives her to harsh actions. I know they are in no way the same but in some ways they are complementary.

In the end `Sunset Boulevard' is a classic production, a brilliantly orchestrated masterclass of entertainment. I would recommend this to just about anyone for, although it is an older film its values and message are still so common place today. Just substitute the name `Norma Desmond' with any of today's `it' celebrities and you have a classic example of tomorrow's headlines.

This is the story of a demented old silent film actress who decides her day is not over. Through a comedy of errors, a happy-go-lucky and handsome young screenwriter stumbles into her realm and she latches on to him like a spider on a fly. He's broke and she's filthy rich -- she commissions him to live-in and write her Pinnacle role which she intends for Cecil B. DeMille, her friend of the good old days, to produce. She also intends for the young man to be her gigilo, a role that he's unwilling to fulfil.

DeMille actually makes a cameo appearance in this fine old black and white production and the story is just a great one.

I particularly recommend this movie to anyone interested in the doings of old Hollywood; however, almost anyone would enjoy this picture of love, hate, hope, revenge, and ultimately, murder!

Sunset Boulevard is a classic but you truly have to see for yourself why it is. Gloria Swanson was at her finest and William Holden is one extraordinary and handsome actor. Holden is such an under-rated talent, every movie and role he played was great, he really gives it his all, even in that I Love Lucy episode. Swanson was a popular silent film actress in her day and there is irony in this film since her character was also in the prime of her life as a silent star. This is one film you have to see to believe, this film borders on campy but it's genius filmmaking, plain and simple. Get this today!

This is truly a classic. William Holden was one of the
great actors of Hollywood. He played each roll he had with
what appeared to be little effort.
I highly recommend this movie!!!!!!!!!!!!

XXXXX

"The body of a young man was found floating in the pool of her mansion [on Sunset Blvd.]...The poor dope. He always wanted a pool."

This is how this bizarre movie begins, a movie that contains elements of drama, horror, and black comedy. The title is named after the famous boulevard that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills. Also, the full title of this movie is "Sunset Boulevard: A Hollywood Story."

The movie is about a down-on-his-luck screenwriter named Joe Gillis (William Holden, 1918 to 1981) who narrates the story (the above quotation is by Gillis) and his accidental encounter with a fading silent screen movie star and femme fatale named Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson, 1899 to 1983). She involves the unsuspecting Gillis in her fantasy world of making a comeback to the movie screen. Norma has a somewhat strange butler named Max (Erich Von Stroheim, 1885 to 1957) who tries to protect her from sinking to far into a depression with regard to her fading career.

There are also famous people in the past that have bit parts in this movie. I identified the director Cecil B. DeMille (who plays himself), Jack Webb (of "Dragnet" fame), and Buster Keaton (silent screen comedian who has a cameo).

The entire movie has witty, well-written dialogue. Besides the quotation above by Gillis, here are two more of my favorite quotations:

(1) Gillis: "You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big." Norma: "I am big. It's the pictures that got small."

(2) This is the last line of this movie given by Norma: "All right Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."

The acting is superb! Gloria Swanson gives an unforgettable performance as Norma Desmond (that somewhat parallels Swanson's own life since she at one time was a top silent screen actress). I also enjoyed the performance of Erich Von Stroheim who plays Norma's butler.

The background music heightens the tension of each scene. I was also impressed with the photography throughout this entire movie.

This movie was nominated for 11 Academy Awards. It won 3.

Finally, the DVD itself (the special collector's edition released in 2002) is perfect in picture and sound quality. It has some interesting extras.

In conclusion, this is an unforgettable movie. See for yourself why it was rated #16 on the 2007 American Film Institute's list of the 100 best American films!!

(1950; 1 hr, 50 min; black and white; full screen; 19 scenes)

<>

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This is a favorite of mine. Billy Wilder made a perfect movie. One that is entertaining and has some of the best acting I've ever seen. William Holden plays his part perfectly and Gloria Swanson is just magic in her role. The entire cast is wonderful. A movie like this makes me proud, this was long before actors required millions just to do a movie and gave subpar performances.

This movie details Hollywood before Hollywood was the Hollywood we know of now. Yet the message rings true to this day. A wonderful movie to say the least. Highly recommeded. Actually, I recommend any and every Billy Wilder movie. A true genius.

Be sure you definitely check out:
Some Like It Hot (Collector's Edition)
The Apartment
The Lost Weekend

I truly enjoyed this movie especially since it is decades old and in black and white.Gloria Swainson was absolutely brillant.

The plot may sound like a cliche, but the characters and their choices are very well developed. There are perfect touches at every turn, from the scene of collection agents hounding William Holden while "Putting on The Ritz" plays in the background to the closing scene as Gloria Swanson descends the staricase down into the hell of the pack of wolves-reporters- "ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille". The old silent movie of herself that Gloria Swanson watches one evening is Queen Kelly, which the actor playing her butler had in fact directed, and which did not get released because (for among other reasons) sound had arrived in full force during its shooting. Everything about this movie just works beautifully.

I think I've watched this movie in astonishing awe hundreds of times as Miss Gloria Swanson pours her ALL into the role of Norma Desmond, a washed-up silent film icon who can't let go of her once Queen-of-the-Golden-Screen status. Norma's EVERY emotion becomes your's throughout the movie as she invites you into her world of lost stardom and right into her mysterious mind in a way that only Miss Swanson can portray. Norma Desmond leaves nothing to the imagination as you live every DARK minute with her there in her 1920's Moorish-style palace complete with EVERYTHING imaginable of its time, including a movie theatre with its own pipe organ to watch ALL of those silent movies in which she once starred, forever keeping her Queen-of-the-Golden-Screen, but only on Sunset Boulevard. The climactic ending made this unforgetable movie go down in history as one of Hollywood's Classics as well as earning its position as true Americana! "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille!"

There was a murder at one of the big houses out on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles. A body is in the pool, shot twice in the back and once in the front. It all started with a screen writer in Hollywood was down on his luck and hoped to make money on a script. [There are shots of sparse traffic in those days.] Fleeing from the car repossessors Joe Gillis ducks into the driveway of a big mansion, seemingly deserted. The owner mistakes him for someone else. A lucky break? An elderly woman expected an undertaker for her pet chimp. Norma Desmond used to be big in silent pictures; but the pictures got smaller. Norma commands Gillis to read her script, a melodrama about "Salome" ( beautiful young woman who asked a high price for dancing). [Gloria Swanson plays the demented actress as if she was born for the part. Erich Von Stroheim plays an old retainer, her sole servant. Why can't Norma have other servants?]

Gillis works on the script, Norma's commands must be obeyed. Old silent movies are shown for entertainment. The classic Isotta-Fraschini automobile is revived for touring, another relic of a by-gone era. [Is Joe the replacement for Norma's pet chimp?] The New Year's party shows how upset Norma can get when her whims are disregarded. Gillis flees to a friend's place for a change of atmosphere. A phone call from Max brings bad news, so Joe returns to the mansion. [Does money buy happiness? Not for the discontented.] Gillis is content to continue to work for Norma. A visit to a film studio shows the workings of film production in Hollywood. C.B. De Mille shows his appreciation, others are impressed in meeting the famous Norma Desmond. But the reason for the call to Norma is not for what she expected.

Joe Gillis visits another writer to work on a script. They see the sets that are made to look real for the camera. [The camera never lies?] Max Von Mayerling explains why he is so protective of Madame [guilt complex?]. There is a complication in working with Betty Shaffer. Norma calls Betty to warn her about Joe, and this leads to the dramatic crisis. Joe chooses wealth over poverty and love (a change from the usual Hollywood stories). Did Joe choose wisely? Is it wise to challenge the illusions of a deranged mind? And so this film has an unhappy ending. Fade to black.

There is unconscious symbolism in this film. The rise of television was followed by a decline in the movie audience and the wealth of Hollywood studios. Television provided new opportunities for actors, writers, and producers. Truly, the pictures got smaller. Are there fewer parts of older actresses or actors today? What will happen when the jobs get sent offshore to cartoon studios?

Number 12 on the AFI list of top movies of all times, there are many reasons why this 1950 movie about a fading silent-screen starlet still has the power to move people in modern times. First, with the basics - the actors are superb, the plot is fascinating, and the sets are stunning. You really do believe you're in the decaying remnants of a movie star's mansion.

In many ways, this movie plays out as an autobiography. The lead actress is in fact a famous silent screen heroine. Max is played by a director who worked with her on several movies. Many famous individuals from that era - Cecil B. DeMille, Buster Keaton, and others - play themselves. There's a reason the story is so poignant. Actresses really DO get passed over once they age. Even half a century later, in modern times, fantastic actresses get fewer and fewer parts once they cross a certain line.

You only have to look at modern day tabloids to see how this exact same situation - an older actress taking up with a younger man - is treated with derision and laughter. The actresses are supposed to accept their situation - give up on any good parts, forget about any appreciation, and retire to a quiet farm somewhere.

The movie hints constantly at what a fine actress the main character was. Directors speak fondly of her. Other actors and actresses swarm around to talk with her. The photos and film clips of her show how beautiful and unique she was. One has to wonder how she might have turned out if she had been allowed to continue to play fantastic roles, appropriate to her age, as she went from 20 to 30 to 40.

Highly recommended, not only as a look at what Hollywood was like back in its formative years, but also as an interesting commentary on how Hollywood in general treats its female stars.

One of the all-time great Tinseltown satires, Wilder's noirish tale of an opportunistic, down-and-out young writer and the nostalgic, delusional film luminary who ensnares him takes a harsh look at an industry that eats its own. Holden, whose character narrates from beyond the grave, is impeccable as the sardonic Gillis, but the show belongs to real-life silent star Swanson, an ideal choice to play the creepy, twisted Norma. Great support from Nancy Olson (playing Joe's appalled girlfriend) and Erich Von Stroheim (as Norma's protective chauffeur) round out this shocking, sordid gem.

This haunting, magnificent movie has never looked so good. The archivists at Paramount did a fantastic job remastering the film, and the "extras" are very informative. Highly recommended.