He had made Swanson a star by. The clips in Sunset Boulevard were the first American audiences had seen of it. . Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett met with Greta Garbo and tried to convince her to make a comeback in the role of Norma Desmond. These towns were favored because they were on the way to Palm Springs where, after collecting the audience reaction cards, studio personnel would then go to relax and determine what changes should be made to the previewed films. [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. Billy Wilder also used Sheldrake as the last name of Fred MacMurray's character in "The Apartment". The only Best Picture Oscar nominee of the year to be also nominated for Original Screenplay. He directed classic films like Double Indemnity, Ace in the Hole, The Apartment, The Lost Weekend, Stalag 17, Witness for the Prosecution, Sabrina, and Some Like It Hot. [7], Back at Paramount, he starred with Bonita Granville in Those Were the Days! She can be seen talking and giggling on the phone during the party. The apartments, and the "Alto Nido" sign out front that is glimpsed briefly in the film, are still there. Gillis: "Well, I had a few extra holes in me, two in the chest and one in the stomach." Holden acted in Executive Suite (1954), The Country Girl (1954) with Bing Crosby and Grace Kelly, The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954), and Picnic (1955). She offered Peavey 10 dollars to identify Taylors grave in the Hollywood Park Cemetery and had someone wait there in a white sheet to scare it out of him. Normand made movies with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe Fatty Arbuckle, and lived like life was one Wild Party. The murder made it to the late editions, radio, and television because one of the biggest old-time stars was involved. Words are as good as sex to two writers. 1751 Vine is still a parking lot across the street from the landmark, Capitol Records building and is the address of both Billy's Wilder's and Barbara Stanwyck's "Hollywood Walk of Fame" stars that were dedicated in 1960. Joe Gillis: Wait a minute, haven't I seen you before? In the penultimate scene, as Max tells Norma that "the cameras have arrived," the high strings in composer Franz Waxman's Oscar-winning score quote a chord from Richard Strauss's "The Dance of the Seven Veils" from his opera "Salome". Holden starred in some of Hollywood's most popular and critically acclaimed films, including Sunset Boulevard (1950), Sabrina (1954), Picnic (1955), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), The Wild Bunch (1969) and Network (1976). Sunset Boulevard, one of Hollywood's most cruelly accurate depictions of itself, is now 65 years oldolder, even, than its main character, who's washed up at 50. The character of Max Von Mayerling as a washed up silent film director was an homage paid by Wilder to Erich von Stroheim, who was an inspiration to Billy in his glory days as a notorious silent film director himself. Oh, wake up, Norma. The drugstore where Joe Gillis meets up with his old movie industry friends is Schwab's Pharmacy, then a real pharmacy/soda fountain at the intersection of Sunset Blvd. Erich von Stroheim could not drive in real life. Both Mary Astor and Miriam Hopkins starred in TV versions of the film in 1955 and 1956, respectively. [27] He played an American Civil War military surgeon in John Ford's The Horse Soldiers (1959) opposite John Wayne, which was a box-office disappointment. Billy Wilder originally approached William Haines to play one of Norma's bridge partners. She burst into tears upon completion of the scene. Make-up designer Wally Westmore found that Gloria Swanson's face belied her age and wanted to make her look older. She lives in a crumbling old mansion with her butler Max (Erich von Stroheim). This is absolutely true, Nancy Reagan continued consulting her astrologer long after she stopped parking at studio lots. The name Norma Desmond was a combination of early Hollywoods comedy star Mabel Normand and her lover, silent film director William Desmond Taylor. Every character is jaded, except the oldest players. The movie's line "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." Free Postage. ), a woman who trades on charms that have . +10 More . He was perfection on and off-screen. Holden was a bit of an anti-hero, or at least a very flawed hero. The much sought after but highly finicky leading man accepted the role, then backed out. [41], Holden was married to actress Brenda Marshall from 1941 until their divorce in 1971. "Lonely, alone, without dignity.". Warner took the part. But Joe wouldnt have fallen so hard if he werent so shackled. [39] On a trip to Africa, he fell in love with the wildlife and became increasingly concerned with the animal species that were beginning to decrease in population. De Mille, and Max von Mayerling. Gillis smokes unfiltered cigarettes in the film. 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. Im not giving anything away here. 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. The forensics team rolled him over and saw he had been shot at least once in the back with a small-caliber pistol. This page was last edited on 28 February 2023, at 22:44. [4] They had two sons, Peter and Scott. Reluctantly, Wilder met with William Holden, who hadn't done much after the great Hollywood innovator Rouben Mamoulian's Golden Boy (1939). Norma is at the edge of insanity through the whole movie, but that doesnt mean shes not fun. [39][46] He dictated in his will that the Neptune Society cremate him and scatter his ashes in the Pacific Ocean. #7. Being born on 17 April 1918, William Holden was 63 years old at the time of his death. Billy Wilder was actually friendlier with the other leading gossip columnist of the day, Louella Parsons. [45], According to the Los Angeles County Coroner's autopsy report, Holden bled to death in his apartment in Santa Monica, California, on November 12, 1981, after lacerating his forehead from slipping on a rug while intoxicated and hitting a bedside table. Although it can get chilly by the ocean, a light jacket or sweater would be plenty. The footage we see is from Queen Kelly (1929), which starred Gloria Swanson and was directed by Max himself, Erich von Stroheim. Neither was The Revengers (1972), another Western. (She liked it.). You see, this is my life, she promised. Old whores dont fuck for fun, as the old saying goes. Sometimes hetinkles the wheezing gothic ivories like Lurch in the original TV series The Addams Family, playing the recognizable strains of The Phantom of the Opera. The movie featured the famed director Erich von Stroheim, who made photographs of Gloria Swanson move so beautifully the world was enthralled, as Max Von Mayerling, the director who made, married, and divorced the enthralling Norma Desmondand then gave up his career in film to be her slave in butlers clothing. Sunset Boulevard is also a reflection of Hollywood through a glass, darkly. He did another Western at Columbia, Texas (1941) with Glenn Ford, and a musical comedy at Paramount, The Fleet's In (1942) with Eddie Bracken, Dorothy Lamour, and Betty Hutton.[9]. He received an eight-month suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter. Gloria Swanson was paid $50,000 plus $5,000 per week for any time over schedule. Clift's biographers say it was because he had a strong following among older women, who wrote him letters describing how they'd like to mother him, and he didn't want to encourage such behavior. 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 While in Italy in 1966, Holden was responsible for the death of another driver in a drunk-driving incident near Pisa. If you don't, I will personally shoot you." Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. Sands disappeared after the murder. The movie begins about five oclock in the morning, left coast time. 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. He earned an Oscar nomination for "Sunset Boulevard" and won an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1954 for his role in "Stalag 17," per IMDb. Without Norma Desmond, there wouldnt be any Paramount Pictures. The truth of the matter was that Bing Crosby was one of the very few actors to whom Billy Wilder had borne a grudge, mainly because Crosby had done the unthinkable during filming of The Emperor Waltz (1948), and ad-libbed dialog, something he and Bob Hope had done for years as standard operating procedure in their breezy "Road" pictures. "We didn't need dialogue. Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder and D. M. Marshman Jr. Online Film & Television Association Awards, "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." The clips in Sunset Boulevard were the first time American audiences saw it. Bogart was not especially friendly toward Hepburn, who had little Hollywood experience, while Holden's reaction was the opposite, wrote biographer Michelangelo Capua. Thirty-one years later, the actor who played Gillis, William Holden, met his end. Sunset Boulevard's cinematographer, John Seitz, said Wilder "had wanted to do The Loved One, but couldn't obtain the rights." That's the end.". The latter was shot in Africa and sparked Holden's fascination with the continent that was to last for the rest of his life. 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. The character of Joe Gillis was very much in tune with William Holden's standing at the time. As this film opens, William Holden's character Joe Gillis describes himself as a Hollywood screenwriter "living in an apartment house above Ivar Street." Norma telling studio guard Jonesy that without her there would be no Paramount Studios is not a far-fetched notion. was voted #6 of "The 100 Greatest Movie Lines" by "Premiere" magazine in 2007. Well, they kissed, and kissed, and kept kissing, and the crew began to snicker, and finally Marshall's voice rang out: "Cut, dammit!" According to reports, Taylor went to the feds for help filing charges against Normands cocaine suppliers. Getting the role was a lucky break for Holden, as Montgomery Clift was initially cast but backed out of his contract. The older actor prided himself on needling people and he needled the shit out of Holden on the first movie, and the second movie was worse because Holden started dating Audrey Hepburn during filming. The mansion belonged to the second Mrs. Jean Paul Getty, who rented it on condition that if she did not like the swimming pool the studio would have to add for the film, it would cover it over and restore the original landscaping. He worked on dramas like The Key (1958), Westerns like John Fords The Horse Soldiers (1959) opposite John Wayne, and comedies like The Moon is Blue which so famously challenged the Production Code in 1953 that Hawkeye and BJ insisted it get shown at M*A*S*H 4077 to break the monotony of the Korean War. After all, it's about a dethroned queen." Not long ago, he was divorced from the actress, Gloria Holden, but carried the torch after the marital rift. The magnifying glass in Normas beauty makeover scene shows the skin of a young ingnue, not an aging crone. 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. But it wasn't a mistake. There was a maharajah who came all the way from India to beg one of her silk stockings. For purposes of authenticity Erich von Stroheim and Nancy Olson wore their own clothes in the film. Norma's buying Joe a fine woolen topcoat would be mostly an affectation in sunny Los Angeles. 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. [2] He had two younger brothers, Robert Westfield Beedle and Richard Porter Beedle. 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). It was largely from his association with Wilder that Holden would enjoy the greatest acting successes of his career in the 1950s. Swanson and von Stroheim are playing themselves in that scene. When Max picks up the discarded headpiece during the tango scene, his expression hints at concern for the mental issues Norma suffers from. - 65th Anniversary (25) Film Noir Through the Years (3) Movies Set in Hollywood (3) Our Favorite Male-Female Duos (1) The History of Golden Globe Winners for Best Actor and Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama (1) Our Favorite Stills From "The Movies" (1) Movies About Movies (1) 77 Years of Golden Globes Best Picture Winners (1) of quiet desperation at the end of a relationship when nothing's really making sense and I sort of had the image of William Holden at the beginning of Sunset Blvd. Sunset Boulevard is no has-been, though. But it could just as well have been Joes headquarters, Schwabs Drug Store, a kind of combination office, coffee clutch, and waiting room where actors and writers wait for the gravy train. After the. The four films were released between August 1950 and November 1951. Normas waxworks card sharps were Swedish-born Anna Q. Nilsson, H. B. Warner and Buster Keaton. Billy Wilder's Sunset Boulevard is one of his three or four masterpieces, a seminal Hollywood black comedy-satire, which unlike most films keeps improving with the passage of time.. Benfiting from a glorious and iconic cast, the film concerns a faded silent film star, played by Gloria Swanson (in a variation of her own onscreen persona), who lives in the past with her butler (and former . And what faces. There are several references to Gloria Swanson's actual career in the film. Wilder was no fan of improvisation and was very protective of his words. and Crescent Heights Blvd. 10060 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA. "[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. Holden was born William Franklin Beedle, Jr., on April 17, 1918, in O'Fallon, Illinois, son of Mary Blanche Beedle (ne Ball), a schoolteacher, and her husband William Franklin Beedle, an industrial chemist. They stayed that way even if the pictures got small. [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. Around this time he also appeared in 21 Hours at Munich (1976). The actor got up and tried to staunch the blood pouring from his forehead but never called 911, which might have saved his life, per the biography. 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. ), It came out the same year as another behind-the-scenes showbiz classic, All About Eve, which took most of the Oscars. "[4], For his contribution to the film industry, Holden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1651 Vine Street. 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. Our friendship never waned. 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). Gene Kelly was then approached, but MGM refused to loan him out. The film's narrative structure bears a marked resemblance to that of American Beauty (1999). are shown stenciled on the curb of that street. She reportedly told Clift shed kill herself if he made the movie. He said it was because she was braver than any man. But along with the accolades came a dependence on alcohol that would play a major role in his tragic end. A modern-girl Jiminy Cricket, Betty asks, Dont you sometimes hate yourself? and Joe corrects her, Constantly..