Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
William Holden | ... | Joe Gillis | |
Gloria Swanson | ... | Norma Desmond | |
Erich von Stroheim | ... | Max Von Mayerling | |
Nancy Olson | ... | Betty Schaefer | |
Fred Clark | ... | Sheldrake | |
Lloyd Gough | ... | Morino | |
Jack Webb | ... | Artie Green | |
Franklyn Farnum | ... | Undertaker | |
Larry J. Blake | ... | 1st Finance Man (as Larry Blake) | |
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Charles Dayton | ... | 2nd Finance Man |
Cecil B. DeMille | ... | Cecil B. DeMille | |
Hedda Hopper | ... | Hedda Hopper | |
Buster Keaton | ... | Buster Keaton | |
Anna Q. Nilsson | ... | Anna Q. Nilsson | |
H.B. Warner | ... | H. B. Warner |
In Hollywood of the 50's, the obscure screenplay writer Joe Gillis is not able to sell his work to the studios, is full of debts and is thinking in returning to his hometown to work in an office. While trying to escape from his creditors, he has a flat tire and parks his car in a decadent mansion in Sunset Boulevard. He meets the owner and former silent-movie star Norma Desmond, who lives alone with her butler and driver Max Von Mayerling. Norma is demented and believes she will return to the cinema industry, and is protected and isolated from the world by Max, who was her director and husband in the past and still loves her. Norma proposes Joe to move to the mansion and help her in writing a screenplay for her comeback to the cinema, and the small-time writer becomes her lover and gigolo. When Joe falls in love for the young aspirant writer Betty Schaefer, Norma becomes jealous and completely insane and her madness leads to a tragic end. Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Although this movie was made 8 years before I was, I saw it for the first time yesterday and I was blown away! I have spent my life missing what has just become one of my favorite movies of all time.
The acting was superb, the storyline riveting and the characters were people you could care about. Max was my personal favorite. There was a quiet, tragic dignity to him. I expected something to be revealed about him but was not prepared for the truth.
I've always liked William Holden but my experience with Gloria Swanson was limited to her brief role in "Airport 75". I will now look for more movies by her. What an expressive face.
It was fun to try to recognize some of the old time actors that were portraying themselves.
An all around excellent movie. One I truly regret having waited this long to see. But it is definitely a case of better late than never.