[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. Erich von Stroheim dismissed his participation in this film, referring to it as "that butler role.". The great big white elephant of a mansion on Sunset Boulevard was actually on Wilshire Boulevard and would be used again as the abandoned mansion in the film Rebel Without a Cause. Darryl F. Zanuck, Olivia de Havilland, Tyrone Power and Samuel Goldwyn all refused to allow their names to be used in the film, but Billy Wilder decided to use Zanuck's and Power's names anyway. Not everyone felt the same way, however. He was Judy Hollidays tutor in Born Yesterday (1950) and played a war correspondent in Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing (1955). She liked Holden and went out of her way to help him succeed, devoting her personal time to coaching and encouraging him, which made them into lifelong friends. She said it was a blackmail scheme gone wrong. Taylor had a British accent and the imposter sounded like he came out of Chicagos south side. Im not giving anything away here. The movie was previewed with this opening, in Illinois, Long Island (NY) and Poughkeepsie (NY). He followed it with Damien: Omen II (1978) and had a cameo in Escape to Athena (1978), which co-starred his real-life love interest Stefanie Powers. The larger version is seen at the temple that Samson brings down in the movie Samson and Delilah (1949), which Cecil B. DeMille was shooting when Norma visits him at Paramount. 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. Garbo was once rumored to be engaged to the innovative Hollywood and Broadway director Rouben Mamoulian whose film Golden Boy (1939) made William Holden famous. The two men never worked together again. Holden's films after that time had not impressed Wilder (in the 1940s Holden's movies were decidedly mediocre). Hola, identifcate . While in Italy in 1966, Holden was responsible for the death of another driver in a drunk-driving incident near Pisa. 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. X. Gloria Swanson, meanwhile, was born on March 27, 1899. Minters mother Charlotte Shelby was a manipulative stage mother who owned a rare .38 caliber pistol that fired unusual bullets very similar to ones found inside Taylor. Holden turned the tables on Lucille Ball when he appeared as a guest star on I Love Lucy at The Brown Derby. But who could play the silent film diva? There once was a time in this business when they had the eyes of the whole world. Still, whatever hard feelings there may have been between Swanson and von Stroheim, they were gone by the time Sunset Boulevard came along. At Columbia, he starred in film noirs, The Dark Past (1948), The Man from Colorado (1949) and Father Is a Bachelor (1950). "[4], For his contribution to the film industry, Holden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1651 Vine Street. Billy Wilder went into production with only 61 pages of script finished, so he had to shoot more or less in chronological order. The Tragic 1981 Death Of Sunset Boulevard Star William Holden. Jay Livingston, Ray Evans: The Paramount songwriting duo is seen at the piano at Artie Green's New Year's Eve party. De Mille at Paramount, the director is shooting the film Samson and Delilah, which he was actually shooting at the time. 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. The first name of the Joe Gillis character was Dan in an early draft of the screenplay, then altered to Dick, and finally to Joe just before filming began. (1949), and "Father Is a Bachelor" (1950). Holden had a supporting role in Ashanti (1979) and was third-billed in another disaster film, When Time Ran Out (1980), which was a flop. The actor-turned-director-turned-actor-again, who had indeed been one of the great silent-filmmakers, winced at playing a character so self-referential and demeaning, but he needed the money. Wilder asked how much shed charge just to shoot the chair and Lamarr said $10,000. (Norma Desmond would be quick to point out that, thanks to computers and iPads, the pictures have gotten even smaller. It was George Cukor who suggested Gloria Swanson for the role of Norma Desmond. His body was found four days later. Gloria Swanson almost considered rejecting the role of Norma Desmond after Billy Wilder requested she do a screen test for the role. are shown stenciled on the curb of that street. She is ever the star. You used to be in silent pictures. "I am big. Holden was still an unknown actor when he made Golden Boy, while Stanwyck was already a film star. Clift was also wary of appearing in the film because he, like the character of Joe, was having an affair with a wealthy older former actress, Libby Holman. 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". )[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. Montgomery Clift was originally cast as Joe Gillis but quit the production two weeks before filming began because he had already played the kept man of a wealthy older woman in The Heiress (1949). Her Stockholm Syndrome is positively infectious. For some scenes, cinematographer John F. Seitz would sprinkle dust into the air so it could be caught by the lights and create a moody effect. in 1911 when the Nestor Film Company moved from New. New York-born novelist and screenwriter Brackett was 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. 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. [46] Rumors existed that he was suffering from lung cancer, which Holden had denied at a 1980 press conference. [41], Holden was married to actress Brenda Marshall from 1941 until their divorce in 1971. Both suits were dismissed. [43] Capucine and Holden remained friends until his death in 1981. Norma is Scorpio, and Mars had been transiting Jupiter for weeks and that was the day of greatest conjunction. The exteriors of Norma Desmond's home on Sunset Boulevard were filmed at 641 South Irving Boulevard. [26], He made another war film for a British director, The Key (1958) with Trevor Howard and Sophia Loren for director Carol Reed. The [2] His brother Robert ("Bobbie") became a U.S. Navy fighter pilot and was killed in action in World War II, over New Ireland, a Japanese-occupied island in the South Pacific. The Den of Geek quarterly magazine is packed with exclusive features, interviews, previews and deep dives into geek culture. F. Scott Fitzgerald suffered a heart attack while in Schwab's in 1940 (contrary to legend, Lana Turner was not discovered by a talent agent in Schwab's but, rather in a drugstore across from Hollywood High School, about three miles to the east). A screenwriter develops a dangerous relationship with a faded film star determined to make a triumphant return. 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. Sunset Boulevard's cinematographer, John Seitz, said Wilder "had wanted to do The Loved One, but couldn't obtain the rights." Billy Wilder's terrifying valentine to Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard (1950), features one of the most indelible of all screen performances: Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. Upon telephoning her, however, Wilder found that Negri's Polish accent, which had killed her career, was still too thick for such a dialog-heavy film. The next decade saw Holden's career flourish. Mary Pickford lived in seclusion, away from the public eye, while both Mae Murray and Clara Bow had well documented struggles with mental illness. American actress Gloria Swanson in a promotional portrait for 'Sunset Boulevard', directed by Billy Wilder, 1950. He would slay, "I have no idea! Gillis smokes unfiltered cigarettes in the film. Her friend George Cukor, who initially recommended her for the part, told her, "If they want you to do ten screen tests, do ten screen tests. 12 Sep. WILLIAM HOLDEN: At some point, "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) played at The Silver Screen. I know your face. William Holden says his birthday is December 21st. We'll hear two of his visits to Suspense, beginning with the New Orleans jazz . 4.99. So they opened their big mouths and out came talk. Whether he was the washed up screenwriter of Sunset Boulevard or the reluctant hero of The Bridge on the River Kwai, Holden kept audiences engrossed. He said it was because she was braver than any man. A second film with Seaton did not do as well, The Proud and Profane (1956), where Holden played the role with a moustache. When Norma Desmond visits her old friend at Paramount, she affectionately calls him "Mr. DeMille" (not Cecil or C.B. Erich von Stroheim, who made the masterpiece Greed in 1924, directed Swanson in Queen Kelly (1928), the flick Holdens character cuddles up with Norma to watch in the dark screening room of the dark mansion. But Joe wouldnt have fallen so hard if he werent so shackled. In later interviews, Davis admitted that she thought Swanson's work in the film was absolutely outstanding. The film originally opened and closed the story at the Los Angeles County Morgue. His characters were always angling for something, whether it was silk stockings in a POW Camp in Stalag 17 from 1953, which won him a Best Actor Oscar, or to clear impersonation charges in in The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) with Alec Guinness. The body was found by Henry Peavey, who took over for convicted embezzler Edward F. Sands as Taylors valet. Holden's first film back from the services was Blaze of Noon (1947), an aviator picture at Paramount directed by John Farrow. In 1989 the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress selected this as one of 25 landmark films of all time. DeMille." 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. Holden starred in the 20th Century Fox film Apartment for Peggy (1948). His co-star Barbara Stanwyck, a screen. In fact, a pivotal plot point in the Showtime limited series of Twin Peaks (2017) includes a scene from "Sunset Boulevard" in which the character's name is mentioned. Because all three audiences inappropriately found the morgue scene hilarious, the film's release was delayed six months so that a new beginning could be shot. 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. Holden paid it forward, becoming Hepburns guardian angel.. Taylor had $78 in his wallet, a silver cigarette case, a Waltham pocket watch, and a two-carat diamond ring on his finger when his body was found, so cops quickly ruled out robbery as the motive. The musical version of the movie opened in London on July 12, 1993, and ran 1529 performances. You murdered me. What is the streaming release date of Sunset Blvd. Sunset Boulevard mixed fiction with the realities of filmmaking. The look of pain sustained two fine films 'The Wild Bunch' and 'Network' so that we rubbed our eyes to recall the fresh-faced enthusiast from Golden Boy. The structure in the film required a tennis court, or rather the ghost of a tennis court, with faded markings and a sagging net. When Joe tells Betty that next time he will write "The Naked and the Dead", he is referring to the best-seller written by Norman Mailer and published in 1948. Oh, and while were at it, Wilder didnt submerge any cameras to get that underwater shot. Sunset Boulevard is no. The movie opens with a shot of a dead guy floating face down in a pool, and the dead man himself tells us that its Joe Gillis getting bloated in the chlorine. director of photography Film Editing by Arthur P. Schmidt . 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. Principal photography took place from 11 April to 18 June 1949. Schwab's was torn down in 1988 to make way for a movie theater and a shopping center. "I'm not surprised that this could have happened.". This parallel narrative--two perspectives from the same character, one omniscient, the other blissfully ignorant--that converge at the moment of Joe's death, are a major reason the film retains such dramatic and emotional power. You probably know about the Andrew Lloyd Webber version of Sunset Boulevard that premiered in London in 1993 and headed to Broadway in 1994 with Glenn Close in the lead role. He received an eight-month suspended sentence for vehicular manslaughter. The writer was almost all washed up, one step ahead of the finance company, parking his car in a lot behind the shoeshine parlor run by Rudy, a guy who never asked any questions about finances because he could just look at the peoplesr heels and know the score. Words are as good as sex to two writers. In addition to starring in "Queen Kelly", Swanson also produced it, and fired von Stroheim when he had already gone over the budget by more than double, and with no end to filming in sight. During the shopping excursion, Norma remarks that if Joe is not careful, he'll need a cutaway. Norma Shearer turned down the role of Norma Desmond as she didn't want to come out of retirement and also found the part to be highly distasteful. Sunset Boulevard, the 1950 film noir classic directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, did a lot to change that and other myths of old Hollywoodlike the real-life murder at the heart of the story. - 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) 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). 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 Although it can get chilly by the ocean, a light jacket or sweater would be plenty. Columbia put Holden in a Western with Jean Arthur, Arizona (1940), then at Paramount he was in a hugely popular war film, I Wanted Wings (1941) with Ray Milland and Veronica Lake. However, he knew that her arch-rival Hedda Hopper had trained as an actress and would therefore be more convincing onscreen. Oh, wake up, Norma. Oddly enough, the reclusive Greta Garbo granted permission to use her name, though when she saw the film itself she was sorry she had done so. Gillis: "Yes I was murdered." The actor-turned-director bitched about that goddamned butler role for the rest his life.
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