Gloria Swanson, a silent era mega star, playing a mad, aging, obsolete silent film star who hates the advent of talking pictures. She uses the wild looks and huge gestures that silent film actors had to use to communicate emotions. Hers is a brilliant performance that possibly no one else could have done so well because going from super stardom to obscurity actually happened to her in real life. The scenes in the movie they watched with the beautiful young woman beside the candles was her in her heyday. The actor playing her butler/first husband was played by Eric Von Stroheim, one of the most famous directors of the silent era who actually directed some of the biggest hits Gloria Swanson starred in. This film caused lots of problems in Hollywood because it showed what the star machine could do to young actors just to make money. One of the best, and darkest film noir movies ever made, narrated by a dead man.
I think you really put into words what this movie was about on two different levels: The obvious story that the public saw in the theater and the opinion piece on what Hollywood is really like and how it uses disposable people in their prime to make a buck.
One of my very favorite movies, from the narration from the murder victim to the appearances by famous Hollywood personalities. Gloria Swanson is magnetic as Norma. An unforgettable performance.
The character of Norma Desmond was a silent movie star. That's why she's so animated with her body, hands, and eyes. The woman who played the part, Gloria Swanson, really starred in silent films. That's why she said that, I can say everything I want with my eyes.
Cameras use to use flashbulbs to light a photo subject. Flashbulbs were one-time-use little bulbs in the center of a parabolic bowl on top of the camera. The very hot flashbulb was allowed to cool before pulling it from the camera and replacing it with a fresh bulb.
There were flashcubes and bars with 4-10 flashbulbs in 1960s and 70s , and then 1930s invention , electric flash , started to be so cheap that non professional had money to buy those .
Going back before that, portrait photos had to have people stand very still for a minute or two, which seems longer when you have to do it. It was easier to hold a frown than a smile, which is why Victorian photos, the people look so solemn. When it wasn't practical to stand still - like say for the photos for newspapers, they used flash powder. They held the dry powder mix in a V-shaped holder up high to snap the photo. This was cheaper than the bulbs at first but produced smoke, so after a few shots, the room was filled with smoke.
@@pete_lind Film also got "faster" over time, which meant it didn't need as much light until today, particular with digital photos, you don't need any extra lights.
The famous quote from the movie You're Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big. Norma Desmond : I *am* big. It's the *pictures* that got small.
"The thing I remember so vividly about Gloria was not only her friendliness and welcoming attitude but also her excitement and belief in this film. Of all the people involved in Sunset Boulevard, Gloria knew that this film could be a great one, and it was an opportunity for her never to be forgotten again. Most people don’t realize that at this time she was only in her early fifties and still very beautiful. But she was more than willing to be photographed harshly, knowing that it was important for Norma Desmond to be “over the hill.” " -Nancy Olson who played Betty Schaefer from her book A Front Row Seat...
I really enjoy how much you appreciate the old classics. The lead in this one, William Holden, was one of the best actors of that era. If you want to see a great war film that stars him I'd recommend "Bridge on the River Kwai." It won a bunch of Academy Awards in 1957, including Best Picture.
This is one of my favorite movies. I was 20 and used to work at a video store in Los Angeles back in the 80s and had never seen those old black and white movies because.... they were old for old people. One time a regular customer, who was a producer, came in and was talking to one of the other clerks about movies when one told him that I didn't like old movies and had never seen them. He started to talk to me and teach me some things about those old movies like the use of shadows and how they wore colors that didn't match but looked good in black and white and how they had specialists whose job it was to know how everything looked in black in white and so on. Anyways, he gave me a list of 5 movies to watch and Sunset Blvd was #1 on the list. He said I would probably like it. I wasn't so sure, but that night I checked it out and OMG... I absolutely loved it. The next one was Casablanca and I loved that one. The next one was To Kill a Mockingbird and I loved that one. A week later, that producer was back and I gushed over how great those movies were and thanking him for teaching me all about them. I've loved those old movies ever since and have watched a lot of them. I think that was my favorite job because I learned a lot about movies, including the new ones, that I didn't know. It's really amazing how a random encounter with someone can change your whole perspective about things. Because of that man, I've read book that I normally wouldn't have. I've listened to music, including that old Jazz and Big Band but also different music, that I normally wouldn't have. He really enriched my life. I wish I remembered that producer's name. I would send him a proper thank you gift, but he's probably dead now. Gloria Swanson should have received the Academy Award for this role. She was nominated for it but didn't win.
The fact that you love classics shows what good taste you have ! Some more great ones to check out are All about Eve with Betty Davis, The Heiress with Olivia de Havilland and Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman.
Nancy Olson, who you wanted to switch out of her role as Betty, was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. She was great and worked with William Holden in several other films. She's still alive and a very nice lady, there are interesting interviews of her on YT.
Max was played by Eric Von Stroheim. He was a giant of silent film directors. Gloria Swanson was a giant of silent films. Cecil B DeMille played himself. He was one of the biggest directors of all time.
They absolutely did "sexual things" 😂 you innocent girl! That's what the fade-to-black as they start to kiss implies. Several bits of dialogue reinforce that as well. William Holden was quite a dish, and great actor. This movie was scandalous, tip-toeing around the Hayes Code.
Maybe it was because she had it fixed in her head that Norma was about 80 and the thought was just too much to contemplate. One's thoughts on this kind of appropriateness change as one gets older, I find . . . ☺
The movies were severely restricted at that point by the infamous Hays Code, 1930's to 1968, so the film had to hint at a full love affair between two unmarried people. (At the time, the code required even married couples to be shown sleeping in separate beds.) So the audiences understood full well what the implications of the little bit of "romance" between the two as a full-blown love affair. The code also required that any character indicated to be doing bad stuff (by the moral standards of the day) HAD to be shown to getting sufficiently punished in the end - like three bullets or being arrested for murder. The code was also the reason we don't see a cloud of blood in the pool coming from his body.
If you love the movies of that time, I might as well tell you now. A slow saxophone is also code for sexual intentions. In this movie we got an embrace, a saxophone and a fade to black. In the next scene we see Norma casually drying of Joe's chest like she's used to touching him. So clearly they did quite a lot of "sexual things" between those scenes, that you couldn't show on screen then.
It's nice that you were able to recognize Chaplin, but the movie has cameo of one of Hollywood's biggest silent comedy stars, Buster Keaton. He's one of the old actors at the card game. You need to see some of his silent films, too.
This is one of my all time favorite movies…great reaction by the way😊. The actress who played Norma Desmond is Gloria Swanson. Gloria was a HUGE star during the silent film era. Actors and Actresses of that era had to really project their emotions through their body movements (wide eyes, grand gestures, etc…) because there was no actual dialogue, just printed words on the screen.
This film is in the genre called Film Noir, and is one of the greatest of them. Gloria Swanson (Norma Desmond) was one of the greatest and most successful actresses of the silent era. While her appeal to the public declined somewhat after the advent of sound movies, she continued to make films through the 30s and 40s, and then segued into television in the 50s, after _Sunset Blvd._ The card player of whom you said, "I know him," was H.B. Warner. He played Mr. Gower, the chemist, in _It's a Wonderful Life._ Cecil B. DeMille, who played himself, was one of the most successful directors of American film, particularly known for spectacular epics. The phrase "with a cast of thousands" was invented for advertising his movies. In the U.S. the income tax was only instituted in 1913, with the ratification of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. Before that income tax had only been levied to finance particular war efforts.
With regard to the card-playing "waxworks" quartet, don't leave out Buster Keaton - perhaps the greatest film comedian of all time, and huge silent screen star Anna Q. Nilsson (right up there with Gloria Swanson). Brilliant film.
@@jnagarya519 I agree. She did other post-silent era films, and even many of her silents, in which she wasn't creepy at all. She's definitely focusing on the character's evil insanity and using techniques that one sees in films such as _Nosferatu_ (especially the malevolent eyes and how she uses her hands like claws) - this really shows off her acting expertise.
Billy Wilder is one of the very best and actually most FAMOUS directors of all-time. Yes, he is! A few of his black and white movies to check if you haven't already are, The Apartment, Witness for the Prosecution, Some Like It Hot, and Double Indemnity. Billy Wilder was one of only 8 people to ever win 3 Oscars for the same movie, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture for The Apartment in 1960. Billy Wilder was one of the all-time great directors!
Thank you for watching this! It is perhaps my favourite movie of all time (tied with Duck Soup). I've seen it many times. I dressed up as Max on Halloween one year, back in the 80's, bald head wig and all, and got lots of comments. We got in a cab at one point, and someone said, "I guess you get lots of weird folks tonight," and the cab driver said, "Yeah, but not like him!" looking straight at me (Max). No one has mentioned that the film Norma and Joe were watching was Queen Kelly, a silent movie that was directed by - you guessed it - Erich von Stroheim. The picture ran way over budget and was shut down by the producer Joe Kennedy (yes, John and Robert's father) who was Swanson's lover at the time. Part of the film was re-shot and salvaged somewhat, but never released in the States. Erich von Stroheim never directed another film, though he continued to have a distinguished career as an actor. One of the reasons this film has such resonance is because there are so many eerie echoes between the characters in the film and the real lives of the stars. Gloria Swanson really was a huge star. A book, Four Fabulous Faces, was one of my prized possessions - it included loads of great photos of Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, and of course, Gloria Swanson. I think the title was inspired by one of the lines in this movie - "We didn't need words, we had faces!" She was also a lovely person in real life, definitely not Norma Desmond. I saw her once at a book signing - she wrote an autobiography late in life. She was into health foods and clean living and lived an active life into her 80's. But she is mainly known these days for her role in this film. It really is an absolutely stunning performance, there is nothing else like it, one of the greatest EVER in the history of movies. She was nominated for an academy award, but 1950 was an incredible year for great performances. Bette Davis was also nominated for All About Eve, another of one the best performances EVER in the history of movies, as was Anne Baxter, her co-star. The award was won by Judy Holliday for her performance in Born Yesterday, which was a fine performance, sure, but not on the absolutely legendary level of Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson. Those two performances continue to blow people away today, and for good reason, as you have found out. By the way, Judy Holliday's co-star in Born Yesterday was - ta da - William Holden. As has been mentioned by others, one of the waxworks was Buster Keaton (he keeps saying "Pass," all downcast). I know you would absolutely love The General, considered not only one of the greatest comedies of all time, but one of the greatest movies of all time.
Wow! Great comment! Gloria Swanson IS amazing in this movie, to the point where you begin thinking there really was a star called Norma Desmond. She doesn't seem to be acting at all - it is the lady! It's a great movie but not one I can watch often as I feel the claustrophobia in it so intensely. While it is both sad and funny I'm always amazed at how low key frightening and tense it is. I was born in the 80s and got into old movies through a sort of religious experience when I saw James Cagney in White Heat when I was a teenager. Since then I've worked myself backwards and forwards from that film but I've always known that when I see the names Brackett and Wilder in the credits, I'm in for something good. Anyway, thanks again for your fascinating comment.
I always found it super creepy how he kept walking even after he was shot. It was so realistic because people don’t always recognize they’ve been hurt, and he was so focused on showing her he was done that it kept him going, and it just made it so disturbing. But as sad and annoying as Norma was, Gloria Swanson was so much more down to Earth, because she was fine with playing this character. Some actresses couldn’t deal with losing their youth, just like Norma. She didn’t care about still being glamorous, she knew a good role when she found it, and she absolutely nailed it.
I'm pretty certain that the song, "The Memory Remains" by Metallica, was inspired by this movie. The lyrics line up really well and James Hetfield made a reference to the movie title when talking about the song in an interview. Fortune, fame / Mirror vain / Gone insane / But the memory remains Heavy rings on fingers wave / Another star denies the grave See the nowhere crowd, cry the nowhere tears of honor Like twisted vines that grow / Hide and swallow mansions whole Dim the light of an already faded primadonna Fortune, fame / Mirror vain / Gone insane / But the memory remains Heavy rings hold cigarettes / Up to lips that time forgets While the Hollywood sun sets behind your back And can't the band play on? / Just listen, they play my song Ash to ash Dust to dust Fade to black Fortune, fame / Mirror vain / Gone insane Fortune, fame / Mirror vain / Gone insane Dance little tin goddess
The actor you recognized at the card game scene is H.B. Warner. You recognize him from "It's a Wonderful Life". He was Mr. Gower who owned the drug store where the young Jimmy Stewart character worked.
I know others have already said this,, but Gloria Swanson is incredible in this. She's also a very beautiful woman, who manages to convey so many emotions with ease.
Gloria Swanson actually was 50 when this came out. Another great William Holden movie is “Network” (‘76). Can’t wait for you to react to “The Apartment”.
"I know him! I know him!... Do I know him?" 🤣🤣🤣 He looked like Mr. Gower, the pharmacist from "It's a Wonderful Life"🤔 And "I wouldn't care if I lived with a crazy lady as long as I could have cake everyday" was hilarious AND profound!! "Stop it! You have a boyfriend & you have an old lady!" I'm dyin!😂 Wait until you see "Harold & Maude"!🤣
Billy Wilder had a great ability to mix dialogue, storytelling, and social commentary while entertaining the audience. His stories were simple, but he made them seem fresh and new. He conquered almost all of the movie genres; Double Indemnity was one of the greatest Film Noir's. Lost Weekend was the first major movie the address alcoholism. Sabrina was a perfect Cinderella story, Witness For The prosecution a great murder mystery, The Seven Year Itch made Marilyn Monroe an icon.... you can go on with another 10 great movies. Thank you for selecting Billy Wilder and get ready to enjoy the next 2 films. They are two of the best American Movies made.
I've always thought of this and "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962 Bette Davis & Joan Crawford) as sort of companion pieces. They're both magnificient, both wonderful performances. Both inhabiting the same sort of cultural territory in their own way. So many great quotes...
One of the actors she was playing bridge with was Buster Keaton an absolute genus from the silent movie days. He is one actor you should check out, he was hilarious, and stunts he created still get used in movies today
These old movies are driven by great dialog, story and acting, no CGI or car chases. This movie is a classic. I'm glad you, as a young person, enjoyed it. That makes me happy.
Weird and wonderful little movie. I remember being surprised at the end even though he told us what happened at the beginning. Brilliant script and direction.
Gloria Swanson in her last great role. What a magnificent performance, surely one of the most beloved of all time. She didn't get the Oscar only because there were so many great actresses, including Bette Davis, who were nominated. The line, "I'm ready for my close up, Mr. Demille", is surely one of the top ten movie ending lines ever, and gives me chills to this day. Your reactions to classics are classic, Dawn. You should have come of age in the 40's!
The Butler is played by Eric Von Stroheim a very famous and influential writer / director of the silent days of film. He Directed the movie "Greed", possibly the greatest lost film of all time. Or should I say mostly lost. There are still lessor versions around, but the original was 9+ hours long, and only studio insiders ever saw the directors 9 hour cut. The studio heads ordered it to be recut for release to public and after 5 re-edit attempts they massacred it down to 2+ hours. There is a semi restored version that is over 4 hours. As for the old guy playing cards that you recognized... that was the man who played the Pharmacist, that George worked for as a kid, in "It's a Wonderful Life"
Also from 1950: Strangers On A Train, All About Eve, Rashomon, Cinderella, The Asphalt Jungle Some of the greatest movies EVER MADE released in one year. Pretty crazy how consistent cinema was in those days!
It's interesting how they shot the opening scene of the dead actor in the pool. They didn't have waterproof film cameras in the day so the director put a large mirror on the pool floor and shot William Holden's reflection in it. Brilliant and if you look at that scene it has an off-putting feel to it. I think that's why. Film directors find a way!
Loved your reaction on finding out she was 50. She was nominated for an oscar but it clashed with an even better movie, All About Eve, which had 2 actresses nominated, including Bette Davis who was playing an ageing actress, who was 40! No wonder stars were insecure.
"I'm not 20ish; I'm not 30ish. Three months ago I turned 40 years old. 40! FOUR - O. Um, that slipped out - I hadn't quite made up my mind to admit it. Now I suddenly feel like I've taken all my clothes off [...] Bill. Bill's 32. He looks 32. He looked it 5 years ago; he'll look it 20 years from now... I hate men." _All_ _About_ _Eve_ is certainly another essential film from a top-tier writer-director and contains some of the most sizzling dialogue ever put to paper.
@@torontomame ...and with that username, I'm thinking Rosalind Russell's _Auntie_ _Mame_ is also on your watch rotation 😉 Another of a hatful of older films that managed to couple great dialogue writing with wonderful performances.
Swanson had a cute guest part on _The Beverly Hillbiliies_ (a sitcom) in 1966 where they get her to make another silent film. She guest starred in TV shows in the '60s, and '70s and even did her Charlie Chaplin impression on _The Carol Burnett Show._ Burnett also did a recurring parody of her Norma Desmond character, called Nora Desmond. You can probably find that on RUclips if you're curious.
(30:56) This reminds me of a story Burt Reynolds told. He and Clint Eastwood were young contract players who were laid-off from MGM. Each received an exit appraisal, pointing out their flaws. Clint told Burt, His smile was crooked, chin abrasive, and he squinted too much. Burt laughed and said, I was just told that needed to learn how to act.
You might have noticed the guy who played William Holden's buddy Artie Green. That was Jack Webb, who produced, directed and starred in "The DI," and also produced TV shows I used to watch as kid in the 1960s and 70s, like "Dragnet" and "Adam 12."
Since I discovered your channel, I have been enjoying a kind of Dawn Marie Binge Party! And as a result, I now walk around my apartment saying, in my best Scottish Accent - "Oh No!" "There's a boob!" and other movie reaction quotes - it makes life livable! Keep up the "gooud werk"
You definitely need to watch "What ever happened to baby jane " with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford ! Thrilling, creepy and great great fun. A stone cold classic !
In my opinion, this is the greatest movie every made about Hollywood, primarily because it's a tragedy. We're seeing a Norma Desmond (played by Gloria Swanson) that's entitled, egotistical, bitter, nostalgic, and above all, delusional. But it's the industry that drove her into madness. As DeMille said, "A dozen press agents working overtime can do terrible things to the human spirit." This woman reached the peak of stardom, was cozied up to by everyone in the world, and then was discarded like a piece of trash. It's an excellent commentary about how Hollywood views aging actresses that you assumed she must be in her 70s, when in actuality she was only 50 years old but still considered ancient, and well past her expiration date. And to answer your question, William Holden (who played Joe) was 31 when the movie was made. The other aspect which makes this film so impeccable is how enmeshed it is in real Hollywood. Cecil B. DeMille was one of the greatest directors of the era, and his name is synonymous with grand epics after he filmed The Ten Commandments (1956). Norma mentions that the only true actress still around was Greta Garbo, who was universally respected by contemporaries as the greatest star of the 1930s (she'd been retired a decade before Sunset Boulevard, further cementing how out of touch Norma was with the industry). As other commenters have pointed out, Norma was playing cards with other famous figures of the Silent Era, including H.B. Warner and Buster Keaton. And the woman sitting on the bed at the end of the movie reporting events on the phone, was the real Hedda Hopper, the legendary gossip columnist. Sunset Boulevard was meant to seem like a real part of the Hollywood mythos, and all these decades later, it very much is. I don't think any other film has come close to capturing the human wreckage that stardom and adulation can do to a person. It's a word of self-referential art. Side note, you should add Gone with the Wind (1939) to your watch list. The joke that the producer passed on it ("Who wants to see a Civil War picture?") is funny because Gone with the Wind, adjusted for inflation, is the most successful movie in history. The entire world watched it. It's an epic in every sense of the word, and an enticing story that remains captivating for modern audiences. It's long (almost 4 hours) but so, so worth it Dawn!
ABSOLUTELY. I'd love to see a reaction to "Gone with the Wind". People nowadays like talking about "strong women" in movies... well that movie had FIVE strong women in it... all different.
It's wonderful to spend some quality time with you as you react to these great classic movies. I live in the Los Angeles area and there really is a Sunset Boulevard and there are some very nice houses you can see as you drive along. I wish you'd do, It Happened One Night. It's an oldie (1934), but it has held up so well. I think you'd really get a kick out of it. Also and finally, another Billy Wilder film I really like is Stalag 17, a WWII prisoner of war film. William Holden is in it. He won an Academy Award for his acting in it.
I know the feeling you describe of how good you feel after watching the movie. I loved discovering B&W movies in the 80’s, I found so many favs that I played over and over. I recorded many off of AMC channel before they had commercials and only broadcast the old movies. I hope you will rewatch your favs on your own time.
Gloria Swanson (1899-1983) was actually fifty during filming and 51 at the time of the movie’s release. Today, actresses can work into their seventies or eighties and still look relatively young. Not so in 1950.
I love it when you do these classics. You can do one a week for the next 10 years and still have quality films to choose from. Forget the new movies. Film making as a art form is done. Dead. Gone with the wind. Kuput.
The film they watch is called Queen Kelly. It was directed by Eric Von Stroheim (Max). It was never finished. Plug was pulled by Gloria Swanson's boyfriend who produced it, Joseph Kennedy -- father of President Kennedy.
I am in awe of the genius of this film, and of Billy Wilder. Your reaction is brilliant. Thank you. I love The Apartment is great too. Billy Wilder was a freak. Thanks again. Your are exactly right. Geoff from Fremantle, Western Australia 🇦🇺
Voted for this one in the poll and quietly freaked out when it popped up today. Well done Dawn, and you even found a few things I missed. Well, gotta get ready for my closeup. Looking forward to The Apartment.
William Holden's buddy at the New Years party was Jack Webb, who several years later was Sergeant Joe Friday on the TV show "Dragnet". And that was the real Cecil B. DeMille, who Directed "The Ten Commandments". Of course, Norma Desmond was played by real Hollywood royalty in the person of Gloria Swanson, a true Silent Movie star. A real fun reaction.
I once found myself in a similar situation when I was in my mid 20s and directionless and penniless and I managed to hook up with this older wealthy woman whose husband had passed away and left her a night club and a couple million and a falling down mansion. She was an alcoholic, a nice lady, an immigrant originally, she was still mourning the loss of her husband. It would have been easy to take advantage of but honestly, for me it was more about the sex. And after a while that wasn't even doing it for me anymore so I broke it off after only a month. Not long after that I saw this movie for the first time one afternoon it was on TV. It freaked me right the fuck out. That was back in the mid 80s good times
The thing is, when Gloria was doing her early silent films, she made Paramount so much money that they gave in to her every wish because they didn't want to lose her. By the way Gloria was not really a washed up has been actress in real life. Her film career faded away in the 1930s and 40s but she was a very busy woman doing Television and opened her own invention patent company as well as won awards for her clothing designs. Some more trivia, she was the first nominee for an Academy Award in the Best Actress category and produced her own films. She appeared in one of Joe Kennedy's (JFK's father) early film producing efforts in a Talkie called "The Trespasser (1929). She was a business partner with Kennedy and had a long affair with him until he split with her. In her early films and photographs from the 20s and 30s she was a stunningly beautiful young woman. There's a short video on RUclips about the restoration of the lost 1922 film, "Beyond The Rocks" that was by the Netherlands Film Museum in which a very young Gloria stars. It's a pretty amazing video to watch.
Saw this movie in the 60s , was home sick from school and we only had 3 channels so I Watched it and really enjoyed, William Holden an all time favorite, always the antihero, thanks again!
The light bulbs coming out of cameras are called "flack bulbs. Before iPhones and digital cameras, the old film cameras sometimes used flash bulbs to make the subject show up better in the photo that's printed. Especially at night or indoors, natural light from the sun wasn't available. Wow, I didn't feel so old until I started witnessing just how much younger generations don't know. , lol. (I had to explain to a girl how to tell time on an old style wrist watch or wall clock the other day because she only knew how to read digital clocks, Go figure!). But that's ok. That's why us old folks are here to educate you young people on past culture and equipment used back in the old days. We're glad to help. 🙂
Gloria was a magnificent actress. She played those parts so well. And she was quite a beautiful young actress during the silent film era. That was the real Producer Cecil B. DeMille at the studio scene. It was rumored that she and Cecil had a real-life affair back in her younger days as an actress.
Wow, what a great reaction!!!! This is a movie you can always return to because the more you learn about the history of silent movies (and Hollywood in general), you will notice more and more stuff. As I've said before in other "Sunset Boulevard" reactions, there had never been celebrity and fame on the level of movie stars, and those early silent actors experienced a love and adulation that could only be compared to, like, The Beatles in more modern times. And virtually overnight, like the dinosaurs, they were wiped out and forgotten....and laughed at! People treated silent movies like they were embarrassments as opposed to the great works of art that we now know them as. So.....Norma Desmond is definitely a tragic character! When she says "I built Paramount", she's not wrong! (Paramount wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the silent film star Mary Pickford, who built the fortunes of Adolph Zukor and the Lasky Brothers....who formed Paramount.) (Pickford was originally offered the role of Norma Desmond). Gloria Swanson is pretty much the original Hollywood glamour girl.....and indeed became famous working with Cecil B. Demille. Max is played by one of the greatest of all silent directors (and actors) Erich Von Stroheim. When you see them watching her old movies, they're watching Gloria Swanson directed by Erich Von Stroheim in "Queen Kelly".....a notorious (yet brilliant) disaster that ended pretty much both of their careers. Anyways, great reaction......and CAN'T WAIT FOR "SOME LIKE IT HOT"!!!!!!!! Excellent choice for your next Billy Wilder! He has so many good ones, but the three you are watching are all great super classics that no one could argue with.
This is a great classic. Gloria Swanson was excellent as the faded star still living in her own world. Brilliant to see you enjoying the classics of the B&W era, and watching you work things out. "You're her new chimp" - astute observation! In real life, the change from silent films to "talkies" really did kill off a lot of careers, because many of the actors and actresses couldn't perform in the 'new' way and their voices were not considered suitable. The change from silent films was more than just the arrival of sound - you've seen some silent movies: the whole way of acting was different, more physically expressive, depending more on close-up facial expressions, etc. Many of the old stars couldn't (or wouldn't) adjust.
Gloria Swanson was one of the all time great silent film actresses and the butler is Eric Von Stroheim who was one of the great all time silent film directors. And that was Cecil B. DeMille. Swanson was 50 or 51 when this was made.
Everyone knew it was William Holden (Omen 2. Network, The Wild Bunch, etc) from the very beginning. He was a big star so audiences recognized him immediately. Another movie youd love is ALL ABOUT EVE with Bette Davis. Youve probably heard lines from it, like "Hang on, its going to be a bumpy ride." Writers/directors used to be formally educated, or at least read books. They were smarter than those today. Being literate, they knew how to tell literary stories. Todays moviemakers have no experience shooting film. Their experience is only other movies and they all shoot digital, not film. I never call them filmmakers or films today. They are moviemakers making movies and computers are the stars. Example: the train sequence in the new Mission Impossible looks almost like a cartoon. Same with BULLET TRAIN. Lots of razzle dazzle but no soul. There was more humanity in INDIANA JONE DIAL OF DESTINY then MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. Ill see OPPENHEIMER because its shot on 70mm film by one of our few remaining filmmakers. Otherwise, i wait for the bluray and watch on my big screen at home.
Love your reactions to classic Hollywood movies, Dawn Marie. For more of the wonderful William Holden, please check out the prisoner of war movie Stalag 17 and the romantic comedy movie ( original version ) Sabrina.
Love your reactions. Would love to see you react to some old, b&w gangster films. Especially of the 1930s and 40s. Maybe some Jimmy/James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G Robinson, etc. I really think you'd enjoy them. They keep you on the edge of your seat like the Indiana Jones movies. Please consider it. Thanks! 😊😊
Her eyebrows and lipstick were styled they were in the 20s and 30s. Thin eyebrows and dark red lipstick. Without dialogue, it was the actors faces that told the story especially the eyes. BTW, she hadn't made a movie in years before this one and she was nominated for an Academy Award for this.
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Gloria Swanson, a silent era mega star, playing a mad, aging, obsolete silent film star who hates the advent of talking pictures. She uses the wild looks and huge gestures that silent film actors had to use to communicate emotions. Hers is a brilliant performance that possibly no one else could have done so well because going from super stardom to obscurity actually happened to her in real life. The scenes in the movie they watched with the beautiful young woman beside the candles was her in her heyday. The actor playing her butler/first husband was played by Eric Von Stroheim, one of the most famous directors of the silent era who actually directed some of the biggest hits Gloria Swanson starred in. This film caused lots of problems in Hollywood because it showed what the star machine could do to young actors just to make money. One of the best, and darkest film noir movies ever made, narrated by a dead man.
Wasn't Gloria Swanson the star that Poppa Kennedy had a fling with?
@@stevengulley8950 Yes
@@stevengulley8950 I think you are right Steven. I do recall something about those two.
Nicely said.
I think you really put into words what this movie was about on two different levels: The obvious story that the public saw in the theater and the opinion piece on what Hollywood is really like and how it uses disposable people in their prime to make a buck.
One of my very favorite movies, from the narration from the murder victim to the appearances by famous Hollywood personalities.
Gloria Swanson is magnetic as Norma. An unforgettable performance.
The character of Norma Desmond was a silent movie star. That's why she's so animated with her body, hands, and eyes. The woman who played the part, Gloria Swanson, really starred in silent films. That's why she said that, I can say everything I want with my eyes.
Cameras use to use flashbulbs to light a photo subject. Flashbulbs were one-time-use little bulbs in the center of a parabolic bowl on top of the camera. The very hot flashbulb was allowed to cool before pulling it from the camera and replacing it with a fresh bulb.
There were flashcubes and bars with 4-10 flashbulbs in 1960s and 70s , and then 1930s invention , electric flash , started to be so cheap that non professional had money to buy those .
Going back before that, portrait photos had to have people stand very still for a minute or two, which seems longer when you have to do it. It was easier to hold a frown than a smile, which is why Victorian photos, the people look so solemn. When it wasn't practical to stand still - like say for the photos for newspapers, they used flash powder. They held the dry powder mix in a V-shaped holder up high to snap the photo. This was cheaper than the bulbs at first but produced smoke, so after a few shots, the room was filled with smoke.
@@pete_lind Film also got "faster" over time, which meant it didn't need as much light until today, particular with digital photos, you don't need any extra lights.
This was Eric Von Stroheims last moment as a "director". That's why he looks so emotional at the end.
He was wonderful in The Great Gabbo.
The famous quote from the movie
You're Norma Desmond. You used to be in silent pictures. You used to be big.
Norma Desmond : I *am* big. It's the *pictures* that got small.
"The thing I remember so vividly about Gloria was not only her friendliness and welcoming attitude but also her excitement and belief in this film. Of all the people involved in Sunset Boulevard, Gloria knew that this film could be a great one, and it was an opportunity for her never to be forgotten again. Most people don’t realize that at this time she was only in her early fifties and still very beautiful. But she was more than willing to be photographed harshly, knowing that it was important for Norma Desmond to be “over the hill.” "
-Nancy Olson who played Betty Schaefer from her book A Front Row Seat...
I adore Dawn, but I adore her even more when she reacts to the classics. Best reactor ever!
Yes - my favourite source of pure innocent joy 😀
Yes, I am glad that Dawn is back with the classics!
She’s very good, edits the films well and reacts without taking over
@@KevDaly That is the perfect description!
She's definitely a nuclear reactor.
I really enjoy how much you appreciate the old classics. The lead in this one, William Holden, was one of the best actors of that era. If you want to see a great war film that stars him I'd recommend "Bridge on the River Kwai." It won a bunch of Academy Awards in 1957, including Best Picture.
Don't forget that other actor (whom Dawn would recognize), the future Obi Wan Kenobi!
Another good one with William Holden is Born Yesterday.
William Holden has a few great movies. The Horse Soldiers, The Bridges of Toko Ri, The Wild Bunch, Stalag 17.
@@terryd757Also Network!
@@terryd757..."The World of Suzie Wong"
This is one of my favorite movies. I was 20 and used to work at a video store in Los Angeles back in the 80s and had never seen those old black and white movies because.... they were old for old people. One time a regular customer, who was a producer, came in and was talking to one of the other clerks about movies when one told him that I didn't like old movies and had never seen them. He started to talk to me and teach me some things about those old movies like the use of shadows and how they wore colors that didn't match but looked good in black and white and how they had specialists whose job it was to know how everything looked in black in white and so on.
Anyways, he gave me a list of 5 movies to watch and Sunset Blvd was #1 on the list. He said I would probably like it. I wasn't so sure, but that night I checked it out and OMG... I absolutely loved it. The next one was Casablanca and I loved that one. The next one was To Kill a Mockingbird and I loved that one. A week later, that producer was back and I gushed over how great those movies were and thanking him for teaching me all about them. I've loved those old movies ever since and have watched a lot of them. I think that was my favorite job because I learned a lot about movies, including the new ones, that I didn't know.
It's really amazing how a random encounter with someone can change your whole perspective about things. Because of that man, I've read book that I normally wouldn't have. I've listened to music, including that old Jazz and Big Band but also different music, that I normally wouldn't have. He really enriched my life. I wish I remembered that producer's name. I would send him a proper thank you gift, but he's probably dead now.
Gloria Swanson should have received the Academy Award for this role. She was nominated for it but didn't win.
I like personal anecdotes like yours about the producer in the video store. Thank you.
Those three are some of the best films! All of them are amazing.
Gloria Swanson was 51 when this was released
William Holden was 32. She still outlived him by 2 years.
well, he could have lived longer
he kinda died prematurely
The fact that you love classics shows what good taste you have ! Some more great ones to check out are All about Eve with Betty Davis, The Heiress with Olivia de Havilland and Gaslight with Ingrid Bergman.
Oh yeah, All About Eve's a good one alright. Fasten your seat belts, it's gonna be a bumpy ride!
Nancy Olson, who you wanted to switch out of her role as Betty, was nominated for an Oscar for her performance. She was great and worked with William Holden in several other films. She's still alive and a very nice lady, there are interesting interviews of her on YT.
"You're her new chimp". PERFECT.
Max was played by Eric Von Stroheim. He was a giant of silent film directors.
Gloria Swanson was a giant of silent films.
Cecil B DeMille played himself. He was one of the biggest directors of all time.
"musta killed more men than Cecil Demille"
- Jim
“She’s the kind of lady that would grope you in your sleep.” 💛💛💛😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
They absolutely did "sexual things" 😂 you innocent girl! That's what the fade-to-black as they start to kiss implies. Several bits of dialogue reinforce that as well. William Holden was quite a dish, and great actor. This movie was scandalous, tip-toeing around the Hayes Code.
Maybe it was because she had it fixed in her head that Norma was about 80 and the thought was just too much to contemplate. One's thoughts on this kind of appropriateness change as one gets older, I find . . . ☺
Maybe it's the 60 year old me speaking but a 51 year old (rich) Gloria Swanson would do for me ? 😊
The movies were severely restricted at that point by the infamous Hays Code, 1930's to 1968, so the film had to hint at a full love affair between two unmarried people. (At the time, the code required even married couples to be shown sleeping in separate beds.) So the audiences understood full well what the implications of the little bit of "romance" between the two as a full-blown love affair.
The code also required that any character indicated to be doing bad stuff (by the moral standards of the day) HAD to be shown to getting sufficiently punished in the end - like three bullets or being arrested for murder.
The code was also the reason we don't see a cloud of blood in the pool coming from his body.
I was smiling at that part, too. Ah, the production code.
If you love the movies of that time, I might as well tell you now. A slow saxophone is also code for sexual intentions.
In this movie we got an embrace, a saxophone and a fade to black. In the next scene we see Norma casually drying of Joe's chest like she's used to touching him. So clearly they did quite a lot of "sexual things" between those scenes, that you couldn't show on screen then.
I actually met Gloria Swanson in the early 80’s. She looked great . Beautiful skin and as far removed from Norma Desmond as one could get.
It's nice that you were able to recognize Chaplin, but the movie has cameo of one of Hollywood's biggest silent comedy stars, Buster Keaton. He's one of the old actors at the card game. You need to see some of his silent films, too.
"Pass."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Nancy "Betty Schaefer" Olson.
Happy 95.
Thank you--- from all us wonderful people out here in the dark.
“You’re her new chimp”. I seen this movie a lot and I never thought of it that way.
This is one of my all time favorite movies…great reaction by the way😊.
The actress who played Norma Desmond is Gloria Swanson. Gloria was a HUGE star during the silent film era. Actors and Actresses of that era had to really project their emotions through their body movements (wide eyes, grand gestures, etc…) because there was no actual dialogue, just printed words on the screen.
This film is in the genre called Film Noir, and is one of the greatest of them.
Gloria Swanson (Norma Desmond) was one of the greatest and most successful actresses of the silent era. While her appeal to the public declined somewhat after the advent of sound movies, she continued to make films through the 30s and 40s, and then segued into television in the 50s, after _Sunset Blvd._
The card player of whom you said, "I know him," was H.B. Warner. He played Mr. Gower, the chemist, in _It's a Wonderful Life._
Cecil B. DeMille, who played himself, was one of the most successful directors of American film, particularly known for spectacular epics. The phrase "with a cast of thousands" was invented for advertising his movies.
In the U.S. the income tax was only instituted in 1913, with the ratification of the 16th Amendment to the Constitution. Before that income tax had only been levied to finance particular war efforts.
Cecil B. DeMille was the "master" of overblown bombast.
With regard to the card-playing "waxworks" quartet, don't leave out Buster Keaton - perhaps the greatest film comedian of all time, and huge silent screen star Anna Q. Nilsson (right up there with Gloria Swanson). Brilliant film.
@@kevind4850 Watch Swanson's use of her hands -- she is playing the role as a vampire.
@@jnagarya519 I agree. She did other post-silent era films, and even many of her silents, in which she wasn't creepy at all. She's definitely focusing on the character's evil insanity and using techniques that one sees in films such as _Nosferatu_ (especially the malevolent eyes and how she uses her hands like claws) - this really shows off her acting expertise.
You forgot Buster Keaton . . .
Billy Wilder is one of the very best and actually most FAMOUS directors of all-time. Yes, he is! A few of his black and white movies to check if you haven't already are, The Apartment, Witness for the Prosecution, Some Like It Hot, and Double Indemnity. Billy Wilder was one of only 8 people to ever win 3 Oscars for the same movie, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture for The Apartment in 1960. Billy Wilder was one of the all-time great directors!
I'd say nearly anything from Billy Wilder is well worth seeing, especially from the '40s and '50s. Plus The Apartment (1960).
Thank you for watching this! It is perhaps my favourite movie of all time (tied with Duck Soup). I've seen it many times. I dressed up as Max on Halloween one year, back in the 80's, bald head wig and all, and got lots of comments. We got in a cab at one point, and someone said, "I guess you get lots of weird folks tonight," and the cab driver said, "Yeah, but not like him!" looking straight at me (Max). No one has mentioned that the film Norma and Joe were watching was Queen Kelly, a silent movie that was directed by - you guessed it - Erich von Stroheim. The picture ran way over budget and was shut down by the producer Joe Kennedy (yes, John and Robert's father) who was Swanson's lover at the time. Part of the film was re-shot and salvaged somewhat, but never released in the States. Erich von Stroheim never directed another film, though he continued to have a distinguished career as an actor. One of the reasons this film has such resonance is because there are so many eerie echoes between the characters in the film and the real lives of the stars.
Gloria Swanson really was a huge star. A book, Four Fabulous Faces, was one of my prized possessions - it included loads of great photos of Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford, and of course, Gloria Swanson. I think the title was inspired by one of the lines in this movie - "We didn't need words, we had faces!" She was also a lovely person in real life, definitely not Norma Desmond. I saw her once at a book signing - she wrote an autobiography late in life. She was into health foods and clean living and lived an active life into her 80's.
But she is mainly known these days for her role in this film. It really is an absolutely stunning performance, there is nothing else like it, one of the greatest EVER in the history of movies. She was nominated for an academy award, but 1950 was an incredible year for great performances. Bette Davis was also nominated for All About Eve, another of one the best performances EVER in the history of movies, as was Anne Baxter, her co-star. The award was won by Judy Holliday for her performance in Born Yesterday, which was a fine performance, sure, but not on the absolutely legendary level of Bette Davis and Gloria Swanson. Those two performances continue to blow people away today, and for good reason, as you have found out. By the way, Judy Holliday's co-star in Born Yesterday was - ta da - William Holden.
As has been mentioned by others, one of the waxworks was Buster Keaton (he keeps saying "Pass," all downcast). I know you would absolutely love The General, considered not only one of the greatest comedies of all time, but one of the greatest movies of all time.
I agree with everything in this brilliant comment. 👏 😊
Wow! Great comment! Gloria Swanson IS amazing in this movie, to the point where you begin thinking there really was a star called Norma Desmond. She doesn't seem to be acting at all - it is the lady! It's a great movie but not one I can watch often as I feel the claustrophobia in it so intensely. While it is both sad and funny I'm always amazed at how low key frightening and tense it is. I was born in the 80s and got into old movies through a sort of religious experience when I saw James Cagney in White Heat when I was a teenager. Since then I've worked myself backwards and forwards from that film but I've always known that when I see the names Brackett and Wilder in the credits, I'm in for something good. Anyway, thanks again for your fascinating comment.
I always found it super creepy how he kept walking even after he was shot. It was so realistic because people don’t always recognize they’ve been hurt, and he was so focused on showing her he was done that it kept him going, and it just made it so disturbing.
But as sad and annoying as Norma was, Gloria Swanson was so much more down to Earth, because she was fine with playing this character. Some actresses couldn’t deal with losing their youth, just like Norma. She didn’t care about still being glamorous, she knew a good role when she found it, and she absolutely nailed it.
When you look like Gloria Swanson age hardly matters, you're going to be stunning until you're 80.
It’s amazing how truly great movies transcend generations because there is a timeless truth to what they say.
I'm pretty certain that the song, "The Memory Remains" by Metallica, was inspired by this movie. The lyrics line up really well and James Hetfield made a reference to the movie title when talking about the song in an interview.
Fortune, fame / Mirror vain / Gone insane / But the memory remains
Heavy rings on fingers wave / Another star denies the grave
See the nowhere crowd, cry the nowhere tears of honor
Like twisted vines that grow / Hide and swallow mansions whole
Dim the light of an already faded primadonna
Fortune, fame / Mirror vain / Gone insane / But the memory remains
Heavy rings hold cigarettes / Up to lips that time forgets
While the Hollywood sun sets behind your back
And can't the band play on? / Just listen, they play my song
Ash to ash
Dust to dust
Fade to black
Fortune, fame / Mirror vain / Gone insane
Fortune, fame / Mirror vain / Gone insane
Dance little tin goddess
The actor you recognized at the card game scene is H.B. Warner. You recognize him from "It's a Wonderful Life". He was Mr. Gower who owned the drug store where the young Jimmy Stewart character worked.
Sitting next to him was the Great silent movie director -comedian clown - Buster Keaton who movie THE GENERAL Dawn Marie really needs to see.
I know others have already said this,, but Gloria Swanson is incredible in this. She's also a very beautiful woman, who manages to convey so many emotions with ease.
Gloria Swanson actually was 50 when this came out. Another great William Holden movie is “Network” (‘76). Can’t wait for you to react to “The Apartment”.
Actually she was 50 when this was shot and 51 when it came out
The Wild Bunch and Picnic.
"I know him! I know him!... Do I know him?" 🤣🤣🤣 He looked like Mr. Gower, the pharmacist from "It's a Wonderful Life"🤔 And "I wouldn't care if I lived with a crazy lady as long as I could have cake everyday" was hilarious AND profound!! "Stop it! You have a boyfriend & you have an old lady!" I'm dyin!😂 Wait until you see "Harold & Maude"!🤣
Billy Wilder had a great ability to mix dialogue, storytelling, and social commentary while entertaining the audience. His stories were simple, but he made them seem fresh and new. He conquered almost all of the movie genres; Double Indemnity was one of the greatest Film Noir's. Lost Weekend was the first major movie the address alcoholism. Sabrina was a perfect Cinderella story, Witness For The prosecution a great murder mystery, The Seven Year Itch made Marilyn Monroe an icon.... you can go on with another 10 great movies. Thank you for selecting Billy Wilder and get ready to enjoy the next 2 films. They are two of the best American Movies made.
I've always thought of this and "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962 Bette Davis & Joan Crawford) as sort of companion pieces. They're both magnificient, both wonderful performances. Both inhabiting the same sort of cultural territory in their own way. So many great quotes...
One of the actors she was playing bridge with was Buster Keaton an absolute genus from the silent movie days. He is one actor you should check out, he was hilarious, and stunts he created still get used in movies today
So very happy you chose this fabulous movie!!!!!❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
One of the all-time best classics! It's very meta and once you know the backstory of the cast it only becomes more amazing.
These old movies are driven by great dialog, story and acting, no CGI or car chases. This movie is a classic. I'm glad you, as a young person, enjoyed it. That makes me happy.
When you rewatch this film, you'll appreciate it even more.
Weird and wonderful little movie. I remember being surprised at the end even though he told us what happened at the beginning. Brilliant script and direction.
Gloria Swanson in her last great role. What a magnificent performance, surely one of the most beloved of all time. She didn't get the Oscar only because there were so many great actresses, including Bette Davis, who were nominated. The line, "I'm ready for my close up, Mr. Demille", is surely one of the top ten movie ending lines ever, and gives me chills to this day. Your reactions to classics are classic, Dawn. You should have come of age in the 40's!
The Butler is played by Eric Von Stroheim a very famous and influential writer / director of the silent days of film. He Directed the movie "Greed", possibly the greatest lost film of all time. Or should I say mostly lost. There are still lessor versions around, but the original was 9+ hours long, and only studio insiders ever saw the directors 9 hour cut. The studio heads ordered it to be recut for release to public and after 5 re-edit attempts they massacred it down to 2+ hours. There is a semi restored version that is over 4 hours. As for the old guy playing cards that you recognized... that was the man who played the Pharmacist, that George worked for as a kid, in "It's a Wonderful Life"
In a way it's a tragedy that Eric Von Stroheim was born way, way, way before prestige TV series. He could have really gone to town then!
Also from 1950:
Strangers On A Train,
All About Eve,
Rashomon,
Cinderella,
The Asphalt Jungle
Some of the greatest movies EVER MADE released in one year. Pretty crazy how consistent cinema was in those days!
It's interesting how they shot the opening scene of the dead actor in the pool. They didn't have waterproof film cameras in the day so the director put a large mirror on the pool floor and shot William Holden's reflection in it. Brilliant and if you look at that scene it has an off-putting feel to it. I think that's why. Film directors find a way!
Loved your reaction on finding out she was 50. She was nominated for an oscar but it clashed with an even better movie, All About Eve, which had 2 actresses nominated, including Bette Davis who was playing an ageing actress, who was 40! No wonder stars were insecure.
"I'm not 20ish; I'm not 30ish. Three months ago I turned 40 years old. 40! FOUR - O. Um, that slipped out - I hadn't quite made up my mind to admit it. Now I suddenly feel like I've taken all my clothes off [...] Bill. Bill's 32. He looks 32. He looked it 5 years ago; he'll look it 20 years from now... I hate men." _All_ _About_ _Eve_ is certainly another essential film from a top-tier writer-director and contains some of the most sizzling dialogue ever put to paper.
@@kevind4850I absolutely agree. I can watch All About Eve over and over.
@@torontomame ...and with that username, I'm thinking Rosalind Russell's _Auntie_ _Mame_ is also on your watch rotation 😉 Another of a hatful of older films that managed to couple great dialogue writing with wonderful performances.
Swanson had a cute guest part on _The Beverly Hillbiliies_ (a sitcom) in 1966 where they get her to make another silent film. She guest starred in TV shows in the '60s, and '70s and even did her Charlie Chaplin impression on _The Carol Burnett Show._ Burnett also did a recurring parody of her Norma Desmond character, called Nora Desmond. You can probably find that on RUclips if you're curious.
(30:56) This reminds me of a story Burt Reynolds told.
He and Clint Eastwood were young contract players who were laid-off from MGM. Each received an exit appraisal, pointing out their flaws.
Clint told Burt, His smile was crooked, chin abrasive, and he squinted too much.
Burt laughed and said, I was just told that needed to learn how to act.
You might have noticed the guy who played William Holden's buddy Artie Green. That was Jack Webb, who produced, directed and starred in "The DI," and also produced TV shows I used to watch as kid in the 1960s and 70s, like "Dragnet" and "Adam 12."
"Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" is another great 'crazy old woman' movie.
Since I discovered your channel, I have been enjoying a kind of Dawn Marie Binge Party! And as a result, I now walk around my apartment saying, in my best Scottish Accent - "Oh No!" "There's a boob!" and other movie reaction quotes - it makes life livable! Keep up the "gooud werk"
My theory about this movie, this freaking amazing movie, is that it's not a drama but a Vampire movie, and sometimes as terrifying as any horror movie
"I miss the black and whites." :) Both your reaction and your observations about classic film at the end really made me smile. Thank you, Dawn!
You definitely need to watch "What ever happened to baby jane " with Bette Davis and Joan Crawford ! Thrilling, creepy and great great fun. A stone cold classic !
In my opinion, this is the greatest movie every made about Hollywood, primarily because it's a tragedy.
We're seeing a Norma Desmond (played by Gloria Swanson) that's entitled, egotistical, bitter, nostalgic, and above all, delusional. But it's the industry that drove her into madness. As DeMille said, "A dozen press agents working overtime can do terrible things to the human spirit." This woman reached the peak of stardom, was cozied up to by everyone in the world, and then was discarded like a piece of trash. It's an excellent commentary about how Hollywood views aging actresses that you assumed she must be in her 70s, when in actuality she was only 50 years old but still considered ancient, and well past her expiration date. And to answer your question, William Holden (who played Joe) was 31 when the movie was made.
The other aspect which makes this film so impeccable is how enmeshed it is in real Hollywood. Cecil B. DeMille was one of the greatest directors of the era, and his name is synonymous with grand epics after he filmed The Ten Commandments (1956). Norma mentions that the only true actress still around was Greta Garbo, who was universally respected by contemporaries as the greatest star of the 1930s (she'd been retired a decade before Sunset Boulevard, further cementing how out of touch Norma was with the industry). As other commenters have pointed out, Norma was playing cards with other famous figures of the Silent Era, including H.B. Warner and Buster Keaton. And the woman sitting on the bed at the end of the movie reporting events on the phone, was the real Hedda Hopper, the legendary gossip columnist.
Sunset Boulevard was meant to seem like a real part of the Hollywood mythos, and all these decades later, it very much is. I don't think any other film has come close to capturing the human wreckage that stardom and adulation can do to a person. It's a word of self-referential art.
Side note, you should add Gone with the Wind (1939) to your watch list. The joke that the producer passed on it ("Who wants to see a Civil War picture?") is funny because Gone with the Wind, adjusted for inflation, is the most successful movie in history. The entire world watched it. It's an epic in every sense of the word, and an enticing story that remains captivating for modern audiences. It's long (almost 4 hours) but so, so worth it Dawn!
William Holden was also in possibly the greatest movie about TV of all time - _Network._ It was also a tragedy.
ABSOLUTELY. I'd love to see a reaction to "Gone with the Wind". People nowadays like talking about "strong women" in movies... well that movie had FIVE strong women in it... all different.
It's wonderful to spend some quality time with you as you react to these great classic movies. I live in the Los Angeles area and there really is a Sunset Boulevard and there are some very nice houses you can see as you drive along. I wish you'd do, It Happened One Night. It's an oldie (1934), but it has held up so well. I think you'd really get a kick out of it.
Also and finally, another Billy Wilder film I really like is Stalag 17, a WWII prisoner of war film. William Holden is in it. He won an Academy Award for his acting in it.
I know the feeling you describe of how good you feel after watching the movie. I loved discovering B&W movies in the 80’s, I found so many favs that I played over and over. I recorded many off of AMC channel before they had commercials and only broadcast the old movies. I hope you will rewatch your favs on your own time.
William Holden. A screen legend and this is just the start of his list of great roles.
I knew this was supposed to be an amazing film but I liked it even more than I thought i would.
Such a great reaction to this classic film, Dawn.
Billy Wilder was a great Director and I know that you'll love the other films of his too.
Gloria Swanson (1899-1983) was actually fifty during filming and 51 at the time of the movie’s release. Today, actresses can work into their seventies or eighties and still look relatively young. Not so in 1950.
A lot of silent movie stars found it very difficult transitioning to talkies .
Swanson was nominated for an Oscar for best actress for Sunset Boulevard
Hence the birth of the line, "I'm ready for my closeup."
OMG... when you're so young you don't remember that old cameras needed flashbulbs to illuminate photographs...
Billy Wilder's drily sadistic humor is still unique. Norma is both a tragic maniac and hilarious.
I love it when you do these classics. You can do one a week for the next 10 years and still have quality films to choose from. Forget the new movies. Film making as a art form is done. Dead. Gone with the wind. Kuput.
The film they watch is called Queen Kelly. It was directed by Eric Von Stroheim (Max). It was never finished. Plug was pulled by Gloria Swanson's boyfriend who produced it, Joseph Kennedy -- father of President Kennedy.
One of the best years ever for Best Actress nominees - Sunset Boulevard, Born Yesterday and All About Eve...
One of my favorites. That ending is superb.
I am in awe of the genius of this film, and of Billy Wilder. Your reaction is brilliant. Thank you. I love The Apartment is great too. Billy Wilder was a freak. Thanks again. Your are exactly right. Geoff from Fremantle, Western Australia 🇦🇺
Voted for this one in the poll and quietly freaked out when it popped up today. Well done Dawn, and you even found a few things I missed. Well, gotta get ready for my closeup. Looking forward to The Apartment.
William Holden's buddy at the New Years party was Jack Webb, who several years later was Sergeant Joe Friday on the TV show "Dragnet". And that was the real Cecil B. DeMille, who Directed "The Ten Commandments". Of course, Norma Desmond was played by real Hollywood royalty in the person of Gloria Swanson, a true Silent Movie star. A real fun reaction.
I once found myself in a similar situation when I was in my mid 20s and directionless and penniless and I managed to hook up with this older wealthy woman whose husband had passed away and left her a night club and a couple million and a falling down mansion. She was an alcoholic, a nice lady, an immigrant originally, she was still mourning the loss of her husband. It would have been easy to take advantage of but honestly, for me it was more about the sex. And after a while that wasn't even doing it for me anymore so I broke it off after only a month.
Not long after that I saw this movie for the first time one afternoon it was on TV. It freaked me right the fuck out.
That was back in the mid 80s
good times
The thing is, when Gloria was doing her early silent films, she made Paramount so much money that they gave in to her every wish because they didn't want to lose her. By the way Gloria was not really a washed up has been actress in real life. Her film career faded away in the 1930s and 40s but she was a very busy woman doing Television and opened her own invention patent company as well as won awards for her clothing designs. Some more trivia, she was the first nominee for an Academy Award in the Best Actress category and produced her own films. She appeared in one of Joe Kennedy's (JFK's father) early film producing efforts in a Talkie called "The Trespasser (1929). She was a business partner with Kennedy and had a long affair with him until he split with her. In her early films and photographs from the 20s and 30s she was a stunningly beautiful young woman. There's a short video on RUclips about the restoration of the lost 1922 film, "Beyond The Rocks" that was by the Netherlands Film Museum in which a very young Gloria stars. It's a pretty amazing video to watch.
Another great Billy Wilder film is “Double Indemnity”. A masterpiece!
You should have included when you said
“You’re her new chimp”
in the intro. 😂
Saw this movie in the 60s , was home sick from school and we only had 3 channels so I
Watched it and really enjoyed, William Holden an all time favorite, always the antihero, thanks again!
This movie is so insane, you won't see anything like it nowadays. Great reaction!!
It's always great to see you do a black and white movie. You have such fresh observations.
Billy Wilder, king of the last line. I’m ready for my close up. Nobody’s perfect. Guy was a genius.
The light bulbs coming out of cameras are called "flack bulbs. Before iPhones and digital cameras, the old film cameras sometimes used flash bulbs to make the subject show up better in the photo that's printed. Especially at night or indoors, natural light from the sun wasn't available. Wow, I didn't feel so old until I started witnessing just how much younger generations don't know. , lol. (I had to explain to a girl how to tell time on an old style wrist watch or wall clock the other day because she only knew how to read digital clocks, Go figure!). But that's ok. That's why us old folks are here to educate you young people on past culture and equipment used back in the old days. We're glad to help. 🙂
1) "The General" Buster Keaton, and 2) "Safety Last!" Harold Lloyd. All silent pictures. It's very GOOD!
_The_ _General_ is simply amazing - no stunt doubles and 100% no special effects.
Gloria was a magnificent actress. She played those parts so well. And she was quite a beautiful young actress during the silent film era. That was the real Producer Cecil B. DeMille at the studio scene. It was rumored that she and Cecil had a real-life affair back in her younger days as an actress.
Wow, what a great reaction!!!! This is a movie you can always return to because the more you learn about the history of silent movies (and Hollywood in general), you will notice more and more stuff. As I've said before in other "Sunset Boulevard" reactions, there had never been celebrity and fame on the level of movie stars, and those early silent actors experienced a love and adulation that could only be compared to, like, The Beatles in more modern times. And virtually overnight, like the dinosaurs, they were wiped out and forgotten....and laughed at! People treated silent movies like they were embarrassments as opposed to the great works of art that we now know them as. So.....Norma Desmond is definitely a tragic character! When she says "I built Paramount", she's not wrong! (Paramount wouldn't exist if it wasn't for the silent film star Mary Pickford, who built the fortunes of Adolph Zukor and the Lasky Brothers....who formed Paramount.) (Pickford was originally offered the role of Norma Desmond). Gloria Swanson is pretty much the original Hollywood glamour girl.....and indeed became famous working with Cecil B. Demille. Max is played by one of the greatest of all silent directors (and actors) Erich Von Stroheim. When you see them watching her old movies, they're watching Gloria Swanson directed by Erich Von Stroheim in "Queen Kelly".....a notorious (yet brilliant) disaster that ended pretty much both of their careers. Anyways, great reaction......and CAN'T WAIT FOR "SOME LIKE IT HOT"!!!!!!!! Excellent choice for your next Billy Wilder! He has so many good ones, but the three you are watching are all great super classics that no one could argue with.
It honestly never occurred to me before that William Holden was a replacement for the dead chimp. Well done, Dawn!
Cecil B. DeMille made 70 feature films in his 40-year career
which is insane
This is a great classic. Gloria Swanson was excellent as the faded star still living in her own world. Brilliant to see you enjoying the classics of the B&W era, and watching you work things out. "You're her new chimp" - astute observation!
In real life, the change from silent films to "talkies" really did kill off a lot of careers, because many of the actors and actresses couldn't perform in the 'new' way and their voices were not considered suitable. The change from silent films was more than just the arrival of sound - you've seen some silent movies: the whole way of acting was different, more physically expressive, depending more on close-up facial expressions, etc. Many of the old stars couldn't (or wouldn't) adjust.
Gloria Swanson was one of the all time great silent film actresses and the butler is Eric Von Stroheim who was one of the great all time silent film directors. And that was Cecil B. DeMille. Swanson was 50 or 51 when this was made.
"He was her new chimp." This is a great observation.
"Your her new chimp" Well said!
Cecil B Demille was a real director too-who directed Gloria Swanson in real life in the silents
Everyone knew it was William Holden (Omen 2. Network, The Wild Bunch, etc) from the very beginning. He was a big star so audiences recognized him immediately. Another movie youd love is ALL ABOUT EVE with Bette Davis. Youve probably heard lines from it, like "Hang on, its going to be a bumpy ride."
Writers/directors used to be formally educated, or at least read books. They were smarter than those today. Being literate, they knew how to tell literary stories. Todays moviemakers have no experience shooting film. Their experience is only other movies and they all shoot digital, not film. I never call them filmmakers or films today. They are moviemakers making movies and computers are the stars. Example: the train sequence in the new Mission Impossible looks almost like a cartoon. Same with BULLET TRAIN. Lots of razzle dazzle but no soul. There was more humanity in INDIANA JONE DIAL OF DESTINY then MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. Ill see OPPENHEIMER because its shot on 70mm film by one of our few remaining filmmakers. Otherwise, i wait for the bluray and watch on my big screen at home.
Love your reactions to classic Hollywood movies, Dawn Marie.
For more of the wonderful William Holden, please check out the prisoner of war movie Stalag 17 and the romantic comedy movie ( original version ) Sabrina.
Both of them coincidentally also directed by Billy Wilder.
Glad you like it. It's a classic. Another great black and white is Voyager, Now! With Bette Davis and Marty with Ernest Borgnine is great too.
I never made the association before, but watching this makes me want Dawn to see "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?"
A brilliant movie that still holds up well today. An accurate look at how Hollywood chews people up and spits them out
Love your reactions. Would love to see you react to some old, b&w gangster films. Especially of the 1930s and 40s. Maybe some Jimmy/James Cagney, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G Robinson, etc. I really think you'd enjoy them. They keep you on the edge of your seat like the Indiana Jones movies. Please consider it. Thanks! 😊😊
Her eyebrows and lipstick were styled they were in the 20s and 30s. Thin eyebrows and dark red lipstick. Without dialogue, it was the actors faces that told the story especially the eyes. BTW, she hadn't made a movie in years before this one and she was nominated for an Academy Award for this.
No Sunset Blvd is now a lined with Tall buildings. It is the other major road in LA along with Wilshire.
The companion to this is What Ever Happened to Baby Jane