Columbia teamed him with Lucille Ball for Miss Grant Takes Richmond (1949), and the sequel to Dear Ruth, Dear Wife (1949). To get around the restrictions of the Breen Code, the script was submitted piecemeal, several pages at a time. [16] Holden recalls their romance:.mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, Before I even met her, I had a crush on her, and after I met her, just a day later, I felt as if we were old friends, and I was rather fiercely protective of her, though not in a possessive way. This inter-positive was scanned at 2,000 lines of resolution and electronically restored for the 2002 DVD reissue. Marshman was a journalist but both Wilder and Brackett had been impressed by the critique he had given of their earlier film, The Emperor Waltz (1948). Sunset Boulevard English audio 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,. Neither did Toward the Unknown (1957), the one film Holden produced himself. #7. but at 641 S. Irving Blvd. Queen Kelly nearly ruined both of their careers after Joe Kennedy, JFKs dad who produced the film, replaced von Stroheim as director because Swanson complained about the racy material. Brackett was a New York-born novelist and screenwriter, 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 (during which time he won two screenwriting Oscarsgood news for conspiracy theorists). She declined the offer. According to the Los Angeles Times, the actor long experienced alcoholism, and though he was able to avoid drinking when with lover Stefanie Powers, it ultimately helped pave the way for his death. Warner, who appears as one of "The Waxworks", had been Gloria Swanson's leading man in Zaza (1923). It was like that old woman in Great Expectations, Miss Havisham in her rotting wedding dress and her torn veil, taking it out on the world because shed been given the go-by. 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. ", After serving with the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, he returned to Hollywood and in 1950 he got his first substantial role in Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard," per Britannica. Zach Laws, Chris Beachum. Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard took the tinsel out of Tinseltown, the gild off the golden boy, and the cover off a forgotten murder. Norma Desmond returns to the Paramount lot and is overcome with nostalgia. She looks like a mannequin of a . At the end, they stood and cheered for Gloria Swanson's return. For the first industry screening, Paramount executives invited several silent-film stars. Billy Wilder also used Sheldrake as the last name of Fred MacMurray's character in "The Apartment". Vega subsequently confirmed that this was a reference to Holden.[50]. The British author's satirical The Loved One was published in 1948, after Waugh had spent time in Hollywood observing the film industry and, of all things, the funeral industry. 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. a mean old woman who looks and acts a little like Ma Bates if she'd been dead for several years but was somehow still just as talkative and feisty. Like most old things in L.A., the house has since been replaced by an office building. His killer was never identified. In 1954, Holden was featured on the cover of Life. Paramount reunited him with Nancy Olson, one of his Sunset Boulevard costars, in Union Station (1950). Marshman Jr. Sunset Boulevard was the last time Brackett and Wilder collaborated on a film. "I'm not surprised that this could have happened.". When Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond watch one of Norma's old silent movies, they are watching a scene from Queen Kelly (1932), starring a young Gloria Swanson. (She liked it.). In those days there were no buttons on formal shirts. They had faces. For a number of years, exhibitors voted Holden among the most popular stars in the country: On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. See, Bettys a message gal, not a virgin, and there are no whores in Hollywood. For the clip of the vintage film that Norma was watching Paramount couldn't find anything suitable so Gloria provided it from her own collection. In their scene together in Artie's bathroom Gillis mentions to Betty in his dramatic flirtation about having spent "12 years in the Burmese jungle", when coincidentally, just a few years later his character, Shears, finds himself lost there in David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai. Holden, just 63 when he died, had most recently appeared in the Blake Edwards' film "S.O.B." This film was originally released in the United States as The Christmas Tree and on home video as When Wolves Cry. Cecil B. DeMille appears in the film on a studio set. "[13]:174 The interactions between Bogart, Hepburn and Holden made shooting less than pleasant, as Bogart had wanted his wife, Lauren Bacall, to play Sabrina. taste bar and kitchen missouri city. In fact, Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett even went to Pickfair to pitch the story to Pickford, but her horrified reaction as the story progressed made them stop halfway through and apologize to her. It was a big hit, as was The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), a Korean War drama with Kelly.[20][21]. Holden was reunited with Wilder in Stalag 17 (1953), for which Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor. This still goes on today. It was named after a major street that runs through Hollywood, the center of the American film industry . She felt that Wilder used her name in a past-tense context, and she was offended. You used to be big. These actors were bigger than life. ), It came out the same year as another behind-the-scenes showbiz classic, All About Eve, which took most of the Oscars. The film is included on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list. So they opened their big mouths and out came talk. 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. Since her part required her to gaze at the newsreel cameramen and "fans" (the waiting police) gathered in the foyer below, she couldn't watch where she placed her feet. He rose to prominence with his role in the movie "Sunset Boulevard" (1950), which landed him his first Best Actor Oscar nomination. Gloria Swanson worked closely with Edith Head on Norma's clothes to achieve just the right look: grandly expensive but slightly out of date. Billy Wilder quickly offered the role to Fred MacMurray, who turned it down because he didn't want to play a gigolo. According to the DVD commentary by Wilder biographer Ed Sikov, this story was most likely invented/exaggerated by Billy Wilder. Joe Gillis: You're Norma Desmond. )[19], He took third billing for The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, directed by George Seaton from a play by Clifford Odets. "We didn't need dialogue. On the last day of shooting, Swanson drove back to the house she, her mother and daughter shared during production, announcing "there were only three of us in it now, meaning that Norma Desmond had taken her leave.". Here's some backstage information to enhance your experience the next time you visit the Paramount lot.. In Billy Wilder's film, Erich von Stroheim plays the butler of Gloria Swanson's forgotten silent-film star. The ocean?' The stars read the stars. Norma Desmond: I *am* big. The Tragic 1981 Death Of Sunset Boulevard Star William Holden. Who didnt then? He loves Norma so much, he even forges thousands of pages of fan mail, just to feed her delusion. William Holden movies: 15 greatest films, ranked worst to best, include 'Sunset Boulevard,' 'Network,' 'Stalag 17'. The car with the massive chrome grill that the repo men drive is a 1948 DeSoto Custom Club Coupe. 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. He stayed true to his word. [41], Holden was married to actress Brenda Marshall from 1941 until their divorce in 1971. The next decade saw Holden's career flourish. This film is in the Official Top 250 Narrative Feature Films on Letterboxd. Free Postage. Holden was best man at the wedding of his friend Ronald Reagan to actress Nancy Davis in 1952. Someone who said they were a doctor said Taylor died of a stomach hemorrhage and then disappeared. Norma wound up sitting in Mr. DeMilles chair. His deal was considered one of the best ever for an actor at the time, with him receiving 10% of the gross, which earned him over $2.5 million, however, Holden stipulated that he should only receive a maximum of $50,000 per year from the film. Fat Man: "A husky fellow like you?" True to character, Von Stroheim refused to leave Paris to attend the Academy Awards ceremony, and declared that his nomination for best supporting actor should've been for best actor. Billy Wilder was actually friendlier with the other leading gossip columnist of the day, Louella Parsons. When filming began, William Holden was 31 and Gloria Swanson was 50, the same stated age as her character. [7], Back at Paramount, he starred with Bonita Granville in Those Were the Days! See production, box office & company info. It has to be an opera. Ready? A week later she heard the news of Holden's death on her car radio. He just didnt have what it takes. "Lux Radio Theater" broadcast a 60-minute radio adaptation of the movie on September 17, 1951, with Gloria Swanson and William Holden reprising their film roles. She reportedly told Clift shed kill herself if he made the movie. He had made Swanson a star by. A neglected house gets an unhappy look. In real life, when Swanson and DeMille had worked together, that was what they always called each other. [12] Swanson later said, "Bill Holden was a man I could have fallen in love with. All of the silent film stars mentioned by Norma, Joe, Betty and Max were either dead or no longer active in films by 1950. Wilder won the argument and privately told friends that he would not be making any more films with Brackett. Norma Desmond was the greatest of them all. William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 November 12, 1981) was an American actor and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. In 1972, Holden began a nine-year relationship with actress Stefanie Powers and sparked her interest in animal welfare. It was largely from his association with Wilder that Holden would enjoy the greatest acting successes of his career in the 1950s. After his final film S.O.B., Holden declined to star in Jason Miller's film That Championship Season.[37]. Louis B. Mayer's reaction is well documented but Mae Murray also found the film offensive. Such extravagances were so commonplace that when Wilder was planning to shoot the funeral of Normas chimpanzee, the director told the crew to just set-up the usual monkey-funeral sequence.. It was Erich von Stroheim who suggested the revelation that Max was writing all of Norma's fan mail. "I am big. Wilder and his co-writers reversed several elements, and there was no official connection between the movie and Waugh's book. The apartments, and the "Alto Nido" sign out front that is glimpsed briefly in the film, are still there. Joe insists hes not a Hollywood whore, but he accepts Normas gifts, gold cigarette cases, a platinum watch, suits, shirts, and shoes that would impress Rudy. [4] The film was made for Columbia, which negotiated a sharing agreement with Paramount for Holden's services. You see, this is my life, she promised. Sunset Boulevard is no has-been, though. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett almost came to blows over the montage depicting Norma's preparations for her comeback. (1950) in Australia? This ushered in the peak years of Holden's stardom. 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. (1950) in my head, and I'd always sort of related to that character floating in . Gloria Swanson brings sunshine into every room as silent screen idol Norma Desmond. Bogart was not especially friendly toward Hepburn, who had little Hollywood experience, while Holden's reaction was the opposite, wrote biographer Michelangelo Capua. When Norma Desmond says to the guard at the "Paramount Studio" gates, "Without me there wouldn't be any 'Paramount Studio'" the words could apply to Gloria Swanson herself, as she was the studio's top star for six years running. [44] After his death, Powers set up the William Holden Wildlife Foundation at Holden's Mount Kenya Game Ranch. At the time this movie was made, the incident was still quite recent. Sunset Boulevard mixed fiction with the realities of filmmaking. On the night of November 12, 1981, Holden consumed somewhere between eight and 10 drinks in a short amount of time, according to "William Holden: A Biography." William Haines turned down an offer to appear in the film but attended the Hollywood premiere with Joan Crawford. 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. Film News. According to a statement director King Vidor made in 1968, the Los Angeles police detective who was assigned to the case was told to lay off about a week into the investigation. Perry, George & Andrew Lloyd Webber (1993). Westmore and director Billy Wilder agreed with this so William Holden was made up to look younger than he was. There were no shortage of suspects. Holden did a sports film at Columbia, Boots Malone (1952), then returned to Paramount for The Turning Point (1952). In a scene described by director Billy Wilder as one of the best he'd ever shot, the body of Joe Gillis is rolled into the morgue to join three dozen other corpses, some of whom--in voice-over--tell Gillis how they died. Seleccionar el departamento en el que deseas buscar. This indicates that he is smoking filterless cigarettes, which was the norm for that era until filters became the standard after the mid-'50s. Erich von Stroheims Max von Mayerling is equally awestruck, still caught in the wake of Normas star dust. Paramount reunited Bracken and him in Young and Willing (1943). 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. LAS COSAS DEL QUERER", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sunset_Boulevard_(film)&oldid=1142173541, Best Overall New Extra Features Library Release. It was George Cukor who suggested Gloria Swanson for the role of Norma Desmond. . Norma telling studio guard Jonesy that without her there would be no Paramount Studios is not a far-fetched notion. But trophies or not, Sunset Boulevard has stayed near the top of the list of great movies about moviemaking. Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder retained the term of endearment for the scene in which DeMille greets Norma Desmond at the door of the sound stage. At Paramount, he did another Western, Streets of Laredo (1949). Erich von Stroheim, who directed Swanson in Queen Kelly (1932), plays Max the butler, who serves as the projectionist in the scene. His co-star Barbara Stanwyck, a screen veteran and one of the greatest actors of all time, coached and promoted Holden personally. The four films were released between August 1950 and November 1951. Reluctantly, Wilder met with William Holden, who hadn't done much after the great Hollywood innovator Rouben Mamoulian's Golden Boy (1939). Seitz had used a similar technique on Double Indemnity (1944). Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett's 17th and final screenplay collaboration. Not everyone felt the same way, however. American Beauty screenwriter Alan Ball has acknowledged that another Billy Wilder film, The Apartment (1960), influenced that screenplay. read more: The Big Sleep is Proof That Plot Doesnt Matter. There's a little dig in the scene when Cecil B. DeMille finds out that Paramount has been calling Norma Desmond because it wants to rent her car for "the Crosby picture." It would not be turned into a motion picture until: The Naked and the Dead (1958). On Joe's and Betty's night walk through the Paramount backlot, his calling the false building fronts "Washington Square" would be an accurate reference, as that neighborhood in New York was full of brownstone houses, apartments, and other turn-of-the-century architecture. 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]. Still, whatever hard feelings there may have been between Swanson and von Stroheim, they were gone by the time Sunset Boulevard came along. Holden served as a second and then a first lieutenant in the United States Army Air Force during World War II, where he acted in training films for the First Motion Picture Unit, including Reconnaissance Pilot (1943). For the record, the other 12 films to achieve a similar feat are Mrs. Miniver (1942), Johnny Belinda (1948), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Also, the house didn't have a pool, so Paramount paid to have one installed on the condition that if Mrs. Getty didn't like it, they'd remove it after filming was over. About 10 minutes later, Holden passed out and died from blood loss. De Mille, and Max von Mayerling. Beedle grew up in South Pasadena, California. Newspapers printed love letters between 19-year-old former child star and screen idol Mary Miles Minter and Taylor. Set designer Hans Dreier had in fact been the interior designer for the homes of former silent stars Bebe Daniels, Norma Shearer and Pola Negri. According to Gloria Swanson's daughter, Michelle Amon, her mother stayed in character throughout the entire shoot, even speaking like Norma Desmond when she arrived home in the evening after filming. Just us and the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark! Norma Desmond didnt need dialogue, she can say whatever she wants with her eyes. The Academy Award-winning actor William Holden, born William Beedle Jr., on April 17, 1918, in O'Fallon, Illinois, began his career with 1939s "Golden Boy," per Britannica. Film debut (uncredited) of Yvette Vickers. When Norma is telling Joe about how rich she is, she mentions a beach house and downtown real estate. William Holden, original name William Franklin Beedle, Jr., (born April 17, 1918, O'Fallon, Illinois, U.S.found dead November 16, 1981, Santa Monica, California), American film star who perfected the role of the cynic who acts heroically in spite of his scorn or pessimism. The butler stonewalls Joe from the outside world until hes rolling up twenties tight enough snort through to deal with even the shortest withdrawal from the big empty house. The movie's line "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up" was voted the #7 movie quote by the American Film Institute. His family moved to South Pasadena when he was three. It is one of the most indelible films you will ever see. But it originally began in the L.A. county morgue, with toe-tagged corpsesincluding Joe'sspeaking to each other (in voiceover) about how they died. So in that scene, William Holden is driving over the future locations of Walk of Fame stars dedicated to the two people arguably most responsible for his success in Hollywood. But Joe wouldnt have fallen so hard if he werent so shackled. Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor for the film Stalag 17 (1953) and the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for the television miniseries The Blue Knight (1973). After all, it's about a dethroned queen." [5][6], Next he starred with George Raft and Humphrey Bogart in the Warner Bros. gangster epic Invisible Stripes (1939), billed below Raft and above Bogart. Schwab's Pharmacy was filmed only 500 feet (145 meters) from where Robert "D-Fens" Foster shot out the phone booth in Falling Down (1993). It was not particularly successful. He was a genuine star. Gloria Swanson became so identified with the demanding, irascible Norma that later generations of fans were startled to discover her serene, easy-going, naturalist personality in real life. Sunset Boulevard DVD (2007) William Holden, Wilder (DIR) cert PG Amazing Value. This was the actual set of Samson and Delilah (1949), which de Mille was making at the time. We all are." She can be seen talking and giggling on the phone during the party. The movie's line "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Words are as good as sex to two writers. In 1998 the American Film Institute selected this as the 12th greatest film of the 100 Greatest American Movies of All Time. [15] Holden and Hepburn became romantically involved during the filming, unbeknownst to Wilder: "People on the set told me later that Bill and Audrey were having an affair, and everybody knew. A true Hollywood horror story. They had paired up in pictures since 1938. Salome was a wonderful part for Norma Desmonds celluloid comeback. 25 on AFI's list of all-time great leading men. Swanson supplemented many of the costumes with her own accessories and jewelry. 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. Sunset Boulevard (DVD, 2017) UK Region 2 release with extras. Holden was still an unknown actor when he made Golden Boy, while Stanwyck was already a film star. 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 Features the only Oscar-nominated performances of Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson. Getting the role was a lucky break for Holden, as Montgomery Clift was initially cast but backed out of his contract. While talking with Betty and Artie in Schwab's, Artie points out the studs in Joe's tuxedo. Free shipping for many products! The car William Holden drives is a P15 Plymouth Special DeLuxe convertible, a model that was produced from 1945-49. Swanson herself reportedly asked him to do it. So Wilder gave up, and DeMille (who was already being compensated) gave Norma his own chair.. Billy Wilder originally approached William Haines to play one of Norma's bridge partners.
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