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First Time Watching *SUNSET BOULEVARD* (1950) my existential crisis | NOIRVEMBER
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- čas přidán 15. 08. 2024
- Hey Everybody! Today we are celebrating Noirvember with Billy Wilder's SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950). This is my first time watching this film, and I can't wait to get into it!
If you like this video, then please give it a thumbs up! Also, please subscribe to the channel and hit that bell notification to stay in the loop!
Please stay safe and healthy everyone!
XOXO,
Mia Tiffany
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FULL VIDEO RUNDOWN
00:00 Intro
00:27 Golden Oscar Patron Shoutout
00:45 Film Background
00:58 Quick Synopsis
01:12 Historical Background
01:43 Interesting Facts
02:36 Film Reaction
36:03 Final Thoughts
38:39 Outro
39:51 Bloopers & Outtakes
Original Source: Sunset Boulevard (1950). Paramount Pictures.
Copyright Disclaimer: Under section 107 of the copyright act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use.
“According to Gloria Swanson's daughter, Michelle Amon, her mother stayed in character throughout the entire shoot, even speaking like Norma Desmond when she arrived home in the evening after filming. On the last day of shooting, Swanson drove back to the house she, her mother and daughter shared during production, announcing "there were only three of us in it now, meaning that Norma Desmond had taken her leave."
A brilliant performance and incredibly gutsy considering people would forever think there was a lot of Norma Desmond in Swanson, even though Swanson was not the tragic figure Norma was.
Years later, when she had a role in a TV-movie, she did a newspaper interview, and the reporter said that she stayed in character throughout the interview (in terms of accent, mannerisms; not facts). It sounds like this was a part of acting that Swanson found delightful. A job should be fun, shouldn't it?
They call that method acting correct?
@@jeffmauldin4299 yes
The opening shot of William Holden floating in the pool was achieved by placing a mirror on the floor of the pool and a glass placed on the surface of the water. The camera shot through the glass on the water surface aimed at the mirror at the bottom of the pool.
The water had to be near freezing to make the shot clear enough.
Gloria Swanson was brilliant in this role.
Exactly! Darn, you stole my chance to post a comment! This probably my most favorite movie ever, if you know of any behind the scenes footage or videos or interviews please reply. Thanks.
@@leisastalnaker3790yes she was, but what does that have to do with a comment about a technical shot?
@@Jay26501I heard 40°F! 😮
The reporter in the Finale is a legend all by herself. Hedda Hopper, queen of Hollywood gossip.
And possibly the only gossip columnist to a) be famous for her hats and b) be literally (if I've heard correctly) kicked in the rear by someone
@@agenttheater5 sadly, most of what I know about her and Luella Parsons derived from 1985 movie "Malice in Wonderland" (not to be confused with a whole bunch of things with same title).
@@zvimur The podcast You Must Remember This did a whole season recently about Parsons and Hopper, well worth checking out.
You Must Remember This in general is awesome for anyone interested in Hollywood history.
@@katecassidy9357 will look it up.
spreading rumors and gossip about people's life 😑 that doesn't make her a queen at all 😑
Gloria Swanson so understood the Norma Desmond character that she changed the line. In the script, it was 'I'm ready for the closeup'. She viciously crossed out 'the' and put 'MY' instead, which is exactly what Norma's mindset would be.
I've always loved how Gloria Swanson's entire stature inflates as she says that famous line, " I AM big! It's the pictures that got small!" What a performance - she should have won an Oscar imho!
The line "I AM big, it's the pictures that got small" is one of my favorite moments in any movie. It says so much with so few words. We can tell she's delusional, and bitter since the change from silent movies to talkies left her out in the cold. But I also feel sympathetic because I can understand why she'd feel cheated, having her success end like that. Her entire character is encapsulated in one line of dialogue. Another great element is the way that once he meets her, her grip just slowly tightens on him. Then, when he doesn't leave, it tightens even more. She can tell that he's in a desperate position and therefore has to go along with whatever she comes up with. Flawed people meeting tragic ends while trying to exploit each other's flaws is very much in the tradition of film noir.
My friend and I use to joke that if a recording artist said the same line, it would be, "I _am_ big. It's the records that got small."
100
One of the New York Magazine contests, back in the early 2000s, called on entrants to come up with a a parody name of a classic movie character and a transposed classic line. The winner? "Enorma Desmond: 'I'm not big; it's the costumes that got small.'" Bravo.
@@johnpotter8039Elizzo Ditto?
I taught this movie in a Film Noir course last year. Hardly any of my students came to the weekly screenings. They preferred to watch at home on their laptops and smartphones. Gave a whole new meaning to the phrase: "It's the pictures that got small." 😑
I saw this at a Fathom Event and the part where Norma mentions "all those people out there in the dark" is so much more unsettling on the big screen because she's looking right at you. It's the only time a fourth wall break ever creeped me out.
This film is self-aware and tragic on many levels. Most know that Gloria Swanson was indeed a very accomplished silent film actress who was shunned by the industry once the talkies arrived. However, Erich von Stroheim, who plays her butler, was arguably the most impressive silent film director. His hard nosed reputation and constantly going over budget led to him essentially be blacklisted by the studios. For von Stroheim, it must have been very difficult to play this part and go back to the very studios where he had so much success yet so much heartbreak.
And just to add to the meta level of the film, he directed the film that we see with the young Gloria Swanson.
Gloria Swanson always had a great speaking voice. She was slated to star with Clark Gable in the early thirties, but that didn't happen. Joseph Kennedy had stolen all of her money, but as her business manager with check signing authority over her bank accounts, there was nothing she could do about it. She went to New York and sculpted ceramic busts of celebrity clients to earn a living. Probably some of her assets remained with her. Then, at about age 80, a younger con man gigolo in his late thirties took her to the cleaners again. Gloria Swanson literally lived a similar life to Norma Desmond.
@@Marcel_Audubon
Exactly! She could
act and sing. "Aging
out" is what happens
to almost all actresses.
Read her autobiography. She was distinctly NOT shunned by the industry when talkies came in, but after her misadventure with United Artists and her exposure to French culture after her marriage to a French aristocrat, she signed onto Paramount with a contract to do 4 films, all talkies- this was after 1930. It was a very lucrative contract, but she was beginning to hate Hollywood and the formula films the studios were churning out, and she quit. She spent the years afterwards bouncing around, having adventures, and engaging in a number of enterprises. She could have kept her career but the glow was gone for her. She entered TV in the late 40s, but the money was paltry relative to films, and certainly nothing compared to what she would have made at Paramount if she'd worked through that contract. She did many interesting things, like designing fine clothes for heavy-set women, to honor her mother, who was rather portly, and she was always civically engaged. When the role of Norma Desmond was offered, she jumped on it, saying that the $50,000 being offered was music to her ears, and she enjoyed playing the role and working with Holden and the other performers very much. She was a great character and real winner her whole life.
Gee, Gloria Swanson was screwed over by TWO gigolos in her life, one being a damn Kennedy. 😮
The TWILIGHT ZONE episode you were thinking of, which resembles this film, is the Season One episode, "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine" (1959), starring Ida Lupino as the "Norma Desmond"-type main character.
I was about to mention this comparsion... wonderful.
Two most famous lines in movie history,
"All right Mr DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."
"I'm a man!" "Well, nobody's perfect."
And Billy Wilder was the director behind both.
💯 Agree. The "*my* close-up" line rivals the Bette Davis line from "All About Eve":
"Fasten your seatbelts. It's gonna be a bumpy night." IMO. 🍿There's something about how each actress delivered their lines, very differently, but somehow adding to already amazing screenwriting.
Every time I've watched this movie, when she says, "I'm ready for my..." my creepy meter blows a circuit before she finishes the line! And I know it's coming 😂. - just me in Palm Springs 🌴
The film Norma Desmond runs is QUEEN KELLY, a film directed by von Stroheim and financed by Joseph P. Kennedy.
It was shot as an 8-hour film... no one would release it. It was recut shortened and it bombed! Neither Norma nor Von Stroheim really worked again. So this film shows the true cruelty of Hollywood.
I KNEW he had directed her. Jeez.
Joseph Kennedy being Gloria Swanson’s lover at the time, while Rose and his children stayed in Massachusetts
@@lindascott6902 There's the rumor of them having a love child!
I've always been amazed & impressed that Gloria Swanson took this role (& played it so perfectly). Because on the face of it, her real career mirrored that of Norma Desmond & many less secure personalities would have turned down the part for that reason. But by all accounts, Gloria (unlike Norma) was very well adjusted to "life after stardom".
Can't wait for Double Indemnity. My favorite role of Edward G Robinson. I met him in the late 60s (my distant cousin was a close friend of his) & when I said to him that he should have won an oscar for this role, he said nothing but teared up.
Ah man that would be awesome. I heard he was a class gentleman.
@@jamesmoyner7499 I only met him once, but people I knew who knew him well said he was a class act.
Oh my god! You did not disappoint!!!!!!!! You kept this a secret KNOWING 99% of us would be elated!! One of my absolute favorites!!!!!! Oh my god. On so many levels, am I excited to watch this!
Oh yay I am so happy!!
“Buster Keaton appears only in the bridge party scene and utters the word "Pass" twice.”
Keaton is one of the most astonishing performers to ever come out of Hollywood. A jaw-dropping combination of comedian, stunt man, and auteur.
@@nicholasbielik7156 he was fantastic!
I think it's interesting that the Silents were seen as being so far in the past in 1950, film changed so much between 29 and 39, and with less access to old films for the average cinema goer, it must have seemed like something ancient, yet in reality the height of Silent Cinema was only 25 to 35 years earlier, the equivalent to films from the mid-80's to mid-90's now.
90% of silent films are lost.
Yes, I've been struck by that myself. The silents are treated like ancient history, when they were really only 20 years in the past! Imagine talking about "American Beauty" or "Goodfellows" like from a completely lost civilization!
Cecil B. DeMille, on top of directing "Samson and Delilah" as shown in this film, made "The Ten Commandments" in 1956.
“All About Eve “with Bette Davis is a wonderful film with many of the same themes .
What about Born yesterday with Judy Holliday
Also had some outstanding voice overs
This is one of my favorite films. I moved to LA about 6 years ago and still find it insane that my house is 5 minutes from Paramount Studios. I pass that iconic gate every time I go to the grocery store.
Ooh I am so jealous!! I have been wanting to move to LA for a while now!
@@MoviesWithMia well next time you’re out here I’ll show you around :)
It’s crazy to be like, driving to the store or something and you’re like “oh… that’s the house from The Brady Bunch right there”. LA is littered with famous locations.
Oh man!! That would be a dream!!
Do you ever get the urge to say" I'm ready for my close up"
“To everyone's surprise, Judy Holliday won the Best Actress Oscar in 1951 for Born Yesterday (1950), beating Gloria Swanson in this film, and Bette Davis in All About Eve (1950). The general consensus was that the two titans had canceled each other out, leaving the field clear for Holliday. In later interviews, Davis admitted that she thought Swanson's work in the film was absolutely outstanding.”
Oscar history is filled with stories of the popular or political choices at the time versus the choices which stand the test of time .
@@JJJBRICE that's for sure. I stopped watching the Academy Awards after 1993 when Best Supporting Actor went to Tommy Lee Jones for playing Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive instead of to newcomer Leonardo di Caprio for the autistic/developmentally disabled younger brother in What's Eating Gilbert Grape. DiCaprio did such an amazing job, I thought they had actually gotten a developmentally disabled boy to play the part (and I used to work with kids like that).
I don’t know who deserved the Oscar for best actress that year but Born Yesterday is an excellent film costarring William Holden and Broderick Crawford along side Judy Holliday. It is a very funny performance by Judy, but also some intense drama in the domestic violence scenes
What I always marveled at is though Gloria Swanson is playing a washed-up, long-forgotten star of yesteryear, there isn’t a line or wrinkle on her face, as you can see at 34:33 . Today, she’d be just entering her prime.
A testament to her acting talents!
I think it's more a testament to changed sensibilities of what certain ages look like. Back then 50, I suppose, was thought as "old", while today, that's not true. Think of Maude. Maude was in her 40s, while looking like today's 60-year-old. People just don't look like that anymore. Also, today, older female actors aren't wholly thrown away, particularly in British productions.
When Mary Pickford
(@ 4' 10") was 30 she
played a young girl.
GS was only about 50 at the time and her skin and body were flawless.
gloria swanson is indeed a queen. her whole life was wow
@violamateo that bast*** took her money
JFK's dad financed a lot of her films.
One of my all-time favourite movies, and probably my favourite ending of all time. The way she stares right through the 4th wall to address us, "those wonderful people out there in the dark", always gives me chills.
There is an episode of Twilight Zone in which Ida Lupino plays an aging movie queen from a bygone era. She was so desperate to return to those golden days that she literally stepped into her movie up on the screen and became forever entombed there.
Double Indemnity is another classic. Stalag 17 with Holden/Wilder again is another must-see.
Have you ever seen the movie "The Witness for the Prosecution"? also directed by Billy Wilder. The movie featured Marlene Dietrich and Charles Laughton. I would include this film in your list.
"I'm ready for my close-up Miss Tiffany."
"Face down in Gloria swansons swimming pool." By Harlan Ellison. The reason why I first sought out and watched this movie. SO glad I did.
Love love love this film. The atmosphere set right from the get go. Doesn't really feel like a noirish tale on paper, but man does it work in motion.
Joe's ending is one that still sparks some debate in film circles. There are those who think his is one of tragedy due to his death. Then there are those who think his redemption at the end led to a virtuous ending.
I think this is also the screenplay that really did away with the glitz and glamour of Hollywood and showed audiences the real seedy side to the business.
“After a private screening for Hollywood dignitaries, Barbara Stanwyck knelt in front of Gloria Swanson and kissed the hem of her skirt. The veteran actress particularly wanted to see what Mary Pickford felt and was disappointed to see that she had left. Swanson was told "She can't show herself, Gloria, she's too overcome. We all are." Not everyone felt the same way, however. Louis B. Mayer's reaction is well documented but Mae Murray also found the film offensive.”
Struck a bit too close to home, I think.
I love that story about barbara Stanwyck honoring Ms Swanson so
Oh my god YES, I've been trying to find a reactor who does more classic films! I love the extra research you do and your commentary is so insightful! You deserve so many more subscribers, your channel is fantastic!
Aww thank you so much 😁 and welcome to the channel!
Exactly!
According to the calculator a Wolfram-Alpha $18,000 in 1920 is $234934.35 in 2021 dollars.
One of the finest films von Stroheim was in is Jean Renoir's great, 1937, WWI drama "La Grande Illusion." This is one that should definitely be on your list for great foreign films.
Yes, "Grand Illusion" was first rate.
Hooray for Noirvember! I am so excited you are watching Sunset Blvd, one of my favorites. Thank you for your continued enthusiastic reactions to great classic films.
You talked over one of the best lines in the movie- "I am big. It's the pictures that got small."
From the very beginning, when William Holden started telling the story, you knew this film was going to be a masterpiece.
An absolute masterpiece! One of my favourite movies. I loved your reaction. A lot of good films have been recommend in the comment section so let me chip in as well. "A Face in the Crowd" by Elia Kazan, not widely known but nonetheless remarkable movie with great performance from Andy Griffith.
From the moment the score kicks in and the camera pulls away from the curb, the chase is on. As sirens blare and cop cars speed by, this film immediately has us holding it by its tail.
For the next hour and fifty-five minutes, an audience will watch certain events unfold and by the end will have viewed a very nifty, original film noir.
Many will walk away having also realized they’ve seen one of the finest American films ever produced.
While still others will linger in their seats a little bit longer, with the understanding that they have just had a transformative experience.
Some movies entertain and enthrall. Others aspire to and, at times, achieve a kind of artistic expression.
This movie humbles me in my tracks. It flattens me cold… with its wit… its wiliness… and its wisdom.
Sometimes the stars line up and we, “those wonderful people out there in the dark,” are gifted with the glittery sprinkles of its dust.
The first time I saw Sunset Blvd, it was the spoken words that wafted over me like the sweet aroma of a freshly baked pie. From the opening voice-over narration, I was hooked. I had heard voice-over before but this was different. These words weren’t only witty - they were sardonic and, dare I say, sassy. Like jazz. It was music to my ears.
And on top of that, how could I not love the conceit of a screenwriter narrating the story? Normally, it would be a hard-boiled gumshoe or a reporter doing the honors, but not in this case. This was a different kind of film noir. And if that wasn’t enough, how about the audacity of a corpse doing the storytelling. And that line about always wanting a pool? Well, that’s Billy Wilder for you: Clever, daring, provocative, imaginative. He’s about to scandalize the whole industry with this insider exposé on the dark, twisted side of Hollywood - and he’s going to do it with tongue firmly in cheek, and wielding his signature dark wit as a scalpel.
So my 20 year-old self was in heaven taking all of this in - this was my very first time on this ride. And by the time William Holden smiled and let loose with “You say the cutest things,” I knew right then that this was my guy… and this was my film…(which is why it was cool to see that this part got your attention as well).
And to my absolute delight, as the minutes ticked by, this story only got odder and more demented as it went along. At a certain point we might as well be taking a detour with Alice into Wonderland because - sinister large mansions, monkey burials, and wheezy organs aside - I thought this was a film noir.
Or is this some kind of gothic horror show? Well, yes. Yes it is - among other things. Because Billy Wilder’s masterpiece is a many-splendored thing.
So here we are - honoring its rightful place during Noirvember. And as you pointed out, Mia, this film bears all of the tropes and trappings that the genre has to offer while still remaining true to itself.
In fact, it’s soo truthful that it ceases to be just a film noir and manages to transcend itself in a very powerful way. Yeah, this sly dog has more ambitious things on its mind.
On the one hand, it is a wildly engrossing and entertaining yarn. For the average schmo who wants to while a couple hours away with a terrific movie, it is time well spent.
On the other hand, for those who wish to take a closer look, its themes run deep. So very deep.
So what is this thing?
Is it a darkly humorous, self-reflective satire of the entertainment industry and the poor souls it tosses aside like so much collateral damage? Absolutely.
But it is also a twisted psychological drama between vulnerable sorts who enable each other to the point that their union becomes mutually parasitic.
It’s also a sobering treatise on aging and Hollywood’s cruel, uncompromising attitude towards the natural order - cue the “wax works”(played by actual legends) to drive that point home.
But, ultimately for me, Sunset Blvd. is an unblinking examination of the fragile personalities who are drawn to the mecca of Hollywood, only to be seduced and poisoned by what it has to offer.
And what of these fragile personalities?
My heart goes out to all of them: Norma, Joe, Max, and Betty.
All are on a personal quest, each fueled by their own thirsts, desires, and insecurities. Each is talented, passionate, and determined - but also deeply flawed.
In true noir fashion, someone will suffer for our sins… and so enter first, Mr. Joe Gillis - if you please. His career and his future are on the line here and, well, suffice to say, it doesn’t end rosy.
Joe loses his car, his independence, his dignity & self-respect, and eventually his life.
Or maybe this is the script’s way of kindly putting him out of his misery; Hollywood’s version of euthanasia ("The poor dope… in the end, he got himself a pool.").
But there are plenty of party favors to go around; no one leaves this shindig intact.
Betty Shaffer, perhaps, gets the cleanest break. However, make no mistake: her youthful idealism has been ruptured and she’ll be tending to a bruised heart, for a little while at least.
And then there is Max, Norma’s servant and ex-husband - utterly devoted to the bitter end, having sacrificed absolutely everything on her behalf, left with only a lump in his throat and eyes full of tears (some 401(k) package that turned out to be - but I suppose he knew what he was signing up for).
But the true tragic figure at the center of all of this is Norma Desmond, played so brilliantly by Gloria Swanson, clinging desperately to what remains of her identity and her sanity.
Mia, at one point during your reaction you stated something to the effect of “I’m having an existential crisis!” Yeah, these characters will do that to you. :)
But as for Norma, she’s not going down without a battle. Norma is fierce and strong, a titan of a lady, and she puts up a hell of a fight. Yet, over time the cracks in her armor will yield more than she can bear.
For one, pride is a factor and hers will not allow her to suffer the indignity of being jilted (“Nobody leaves a star - that’s what makes one a star!”).
Or maybe she was doomed all along. Because the film also makes a point about gender inequality: For while Norma Desmond has been put out to pasture, a much older Cecil B. DeMille and his career are still thriving.
The film is also savvy about the chemistry of attraction. Joe’s appeal to Norma is purely utilitarian until her sentimentality gets the better of her (Joe and Betty, on the other hand, seem fated from the start - Betty’s idealism rubs up against Joe’s cynicism until it creates an inevitable spark).
As screenplays go, this one is a friggin’ doozy: a triumph on every level. Sure, it’s got its share of iconic lines:
“I am big. It's the pictures that got small!”
“We didn’t need dialogue. We had faces!”
“There's nothing tragic about being 50, not unless you try to be 25.”
“All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up.”
“Writing words, words, more words! Well, you'll make a rope of words and strangle this business! With a microphone there to catch the last gurgles, and Technicolor to photograph the red, swollen tongues!”
But, of course, Sunset Blvd. is so much more than a collection of its most famous quotes.
The storytelling is rich and razor-sharp - it cuts deep and wide. Wilder and Charles Brackett endow these characters with very real human, relatable emotions. And if we’re honest, we can recognize parts of ourselves in each of them.
The tones of this film shift effortlessly between sarcasm, tenderness, gothic humor, and extreme melodrama. Billy Wilder is conducting a symphony of moods here.
Which begs the question: Has the genius of Billy Wilder ever shone brighter than in this film?Because what he accomplishes here is next level. He’s juggling so many elements. And nobody, before or since, has been able to do it quite as well.
He’s mashing together so many different themes and tones - and doing it so seamlessly and organically. And if that isn’t enough, he’s pulling it all off with such “grand style.”
But where most style is surface level, his is marinated in gritty experience (he is an industry professional after all). If anyone was born to tell this tale, it was he.
This film is his dissertation on showbiz, art, commerce, politics, romance, hope, dreams, love, betrayal, heartbreak, success, failure, regrets - in short, the human experience.
This is a feast filled with endless insights - each repeated viewing jolts me awake to some new nugget of truth.
Few films attain such a level of greatness.
And fewer still do so with such uncommon grace. Or cleverness. Or style. Or humor.
Witty, wiley, wise... That’s Wilder.
Thank you for your very enthusiastic and insightful review of Sunset Boulevard. I read that Louis B. Mayer, the head of MGM in 1950 attended the premier of Sunset Blvd. and was not pleased to put it lightly. After the film concluded, Mr. Mayer turned to Billy Wilder and angrily asked him how he could sully the name of Hollywod by making such a film. As Mr. Mayer continued to angrily rant, Mr. Wilder responded by telling Mr. Mayer to go "F" himself and walked away. Mr. Mayer shouted that Mr. Wilder would never work in this town again as Wilder walked away. Well Mr. Wilder did work plenty after that. The only missing component of Sunset Blvd. is that the film never really explains what happened to Norma Desmond's career. The film makes it point to show that Norma was once a big star but then it really never explains how and at what point did she decided to isolate herself in her mansion and never work again. Was it a particular incident that drove her away from films? The transition from movie star to has been is never fully flushed out in the movie.
I think it was pretty well covered by her dislike of talking pictures. She (Norma) was a silent star and considered that type of film-making to be perfection and that adding sound only ruined things. Like I was tempted to say in another comment stream on this video: Acting does not require dialogue.
If you haven't seen it, you might try The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), which also stars William Holden.
I' think she'll love the main characters ..... "Be Happy In Your Work!"
And Alec Guinness and directed by David Lean
Also try the business drama "Executive Suite" with Holden, Frederic March, Shelly Winters, Stanwyck, Paul Douglas and Louis Calhern at his slimiest!
Great reaction! Norma Desmond is one of the most complicated characters in film history. Part pitiful tragic figure, part black widow destroyer, part glamorous diva. It's a film i can watch over and over.
This film is one of my favorite noirs! The music is so masterful! The quote "I'm ready for my close up" is indeed iconic as well as the entire ending scene. Two of her bridge playing friends were Buster Keaton (a king of the silent film era) and H.B. Warner (Mr. Gower from It's a Wonderful Life"). Also mentioned in the comments, Hedda Hopper, who was one of the top gossip columnists to the stars and was huge in the 30s and 40s appeared as herself. Great reaction. Looking forward to the next one!
H.B Warner was also a silent movie star. He played Jesus in the silent movie version of King of Kings made in the 20's then later remade in 1961.
This is a film I probably never would have watched given my druthers. However, I do like your analyses of films; your comments are so spot on. Erich von Stroheim was fantastic as Max, and being a director himself made the last bit all the more devastating. Yes, the DeMille/close-up line is iconic, and has been parodied countless times.
Oh man, fantastic reaction to a killer movie! I knew you'd love this one. You nailed so much about being down and out in Hollywood. Amazing for 1950! 20:39 - This melted my heart when you said this, you nailed a real bittersweet, and sometimes tragic, thing about most of the silent stars. World famous pioneers of film, the architects of what we all know and enjoy: all but forgotten. And mocked! Their work dismissed! "The silents". Heartbreaking. Some committed suicide, like Florence Lawrence. Others, like the great Mary Pickford, ended up living a life not unlike Norma Desmond's. She'd show up to Paramount - the studio that was built on her success - and just sit on an empty soundstage at night, drinking. Lived like a hermit in what had been Hollywood/American royalty, her mansion, Pickfair./ $18,000 a week in 1920 would be about $249,000 a week today!/The Twilight Zone was "The Sixteen-Milimeter Shrine" with Ida Lupino. Definitely influenced by this. THANK YOU, MIA!!!!! This was a dream come true! And "Double Indemnity" next, great great great! :D :D :D xxxxxxxx
One word: "Laura". Released in 1944, and I think you'd love it.
Also has one of the great first lines in film.
Soooo happy you reviewed this masterpiece. So much "greatness" to bestow on this film.
Willam Holden at his most handsome.
Note the actual silent film stars playing the "wax works" at bridge games. Also the reporter / gossip columnist at the end, I believe is Louella Parsons.
Atmosphere and cinematography are so on point!!
Keep on keeping on!! Nice work!!
The actor, Jack Webb, who played Artie later created a number of television series, most notably, "Dragnet," which he also starred in. "Dragnet" was huge when it was on and was often quoted and satirized in other entertainment.
Especially the satire that Jack Webb did with Johnny Carson.
@@billolsen4360 The Clapper Caper.
The Twilight Zone episode you are probably thinking about is called 16mm Shrine. Also, I always felt that Joe sent Betty away because he was trying to do the right thing. He then tells Norma the truth to clean the slate and possibly return to Ohio.
Love that episode. Ida Lupino is fantastic in it.
Directed by Mitchell Leisen, an underrated guy. Billy Wilder became a director to protect his scripts from Mitchell Leisen. But he made some terrific movies.
@@MrDavidcairns so underrated. Some of his romantic comedies are just as great as Wilder’s best. Remember the Night and Midnight are my personal favorites.
At the time, Ida Lupino didn't have to play a washed-up anything. She acted, but mostly direct a boatload of movies & TV productions into her 70's.
Great reaction to a great movie! One little bit of "business" I've always loved is when Betty makes coffee for Joe in that strange glass coffee maker!
“On the advice of Libby Holman, Montgomery Clift, who had signed to play the part of Joe Gillis, broke his contract just two weeks prior to the start of shooting. Billy Wilder quickly offered the role to Fred MacMurray, who turned it down because he didn't want to play a gigolo. Marlon Brando was considered, but the producers thought he was too much of an unknown as a film actor. Gene Kelly was then approached, but MGM refused to loan him out. Reluctantly, Wilder met with William Holden, who hadn't done much after the great Hollywood innovator Rouben Mamoulian's Golden Boy (1939). Holden's films after that time had not impressed Wilder (in the 1940s Holden's movies were decidedly mediocre). They eventually worked together on several films and became close friends. It was largely from his association with Wilder that Holden would enjoy the greatest acting successes of his career in the 1950s.”
For some reason, women movie goers flipped over Holden.
@@billolsen4360 flipped over?
I believe Gloria Swanson's last film role was in the disaster movie Airport '75 in which she actually plays herself. Her assistant was played by Linda Harrison who was famously Nova in Planet of the Apes. Airport '75 also featured a sick young girl played by Linda Blair who was comforted by a song from a guitar-playing nun played by pop-star Helen Reddy. This was famously spoofed in the comedy classic Airplane! Another great modern-noire film about the dark side of Hollywood is The Player (1992).
Ironically(?) IMDb puts Nancy Olson above Gloria Swanson in AP75.
@@zvimur That's right! Nancy Olson played the wife of Dana Andrew's character who collided his plane with the 747 after a heart attack. Good catch!
@@Zebred2001 I liked Nancy best in this and in Disney's Absent Minded Professor and Son of Flubber films opposite Fred MacMurray. She was always so cute and wholesome.
33:40 *Mia:* "Also, _who let her buy a gun?!"_
I dunno -- she's pretty good with it: three shots, three hits....
The Twilight Zone which your thought this movie reminds you of is called "the sixteen millimeter shrine" about an aging actress who still lives in the past. Rod Serling wrote it and probably got some inspiration from the success of this movie.
Do you know what season of TZ it’s in?
@@MoviesWithMia S01E04, sorry to barge in.
Season 1......episode 4
I was popping in to say the same. It stars Ida Lupino and Martin Balsam. Balsam was in 12 Angry Men and Psycho.
By the way, Ida Lupino from that episode was famous for being a successful director as well as a major film star, just like Erich Von Stroheim who played "Max" in this movie.
When I started to get into this generation of movies, this movie and a few others, made me fall in love with movies once again.
Love it.
One of the best 'descent into madness' scenes ever filmed.
Oooh, I love that you're doing this one! It's dark and glamorous and tragic and stylish. And it's so, so great!
Touch of Evil another Classic.
Staring Marion Cr....uh, no, Janet Leigh.
An Absolute classic, brilliantly written, performed, directed. Great choice, Mia. Gloria was fantastic. Amazing start to your Noirvember.
You gave me the chills with your commentary! So enjoyed your review and engagement with this incredible movie.
Just discovered your channel via an article at the American Spectator. I’ve seen nearly all of these films many times, but your commentary is wonderful and so insightful. It’s a pleasure to watch along with you. Great stuff. Cheers!
Wow! That is amazing!! Thank you so much for watching!!
The Carol Burnett show did a wonderful send-up of this scene with Harvey Korman playing Max and Carol as Norma. It went over so well they used the character in a few other sketches. This is such a great movie it could easily support a parody of it. Gloria Swanson proved she was more than just a silent star.
A genuine film classic. Time and technology and it's effect on the individual. The film ironically gets better with time.
William Holden and Gloria Swanson. What a nice surprise!
Also, I really appreciate this critique of films. It's like watching it with a friend! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for watching 😁
William Holden is great, he deserved the Oscar already for this Role 😍
Agree
“The name "Norma Desmond" was chosen from a combination of silent-film star Norma Talmadge and silent movie director William Desmond Taylor, whose still-unsolved murder is one of the great scandals of Hollywood history. On the morning of February 1, 1922, Taylor--who had been romantically involved with her-- was shot and killed in his Hollywood bungalow. His killer was never identified.”
Oh yes! I heard a whole podcast about William Desmond Taylor
I always thought the name was based Mabel Normand, not Norma Talmadge, since Ms. Normand was the last person to see W.D. Taylor alive; he walked her to her car, iirc.
@@toriamansfield2999I just read that a locket with her picture in it was also found on the body.
Fabulous Reaction! Great to see somebody finally reacting to this all time Classic. For me the most intriguing part of this movie is that Erich Von Stronheim, the butler, was in real life an acclaimed autuer silent director (also dramtic actor was known as the 'actor you loved to hate' - in one famous role as a Prussian Officer throwing a baby out the window because it's crying distubed him raping it's mother) and HE was her real life director in her silent movie shown 'Queen Kelly' AND it was Swanson who got him fired from that movie because of his enacting of orgies on set & her dislike of his interpretation of her role (she was a madame in a brothel). She had the power to do that because she was in a relationship with the movie's backer Joeseph Kennedy (father of the future president JFK).
“As a practical joke, during the scene where William Holden and Nancy Olson kiss for the first time, Billy Wilder let them carry on for minutes without yelling "Cut!" (he'd already gotten the shot he needed on the first take). Eventually it wasn't Wilder who shouted "Cut!" but Holden's wife, Ardis (Brenda Marshall), who happened to be on set that day.”
Hahaha! That is hilarious 😂
Nancy Olson said years later she learned a poll placed this scene as the most romantic scene of all time. It deserves the accolade. The scene is wonderfully constructed. She's vulnerable and is afraid of revealing her love. He's vulnerable and is afraid he has been revealed. Then she reveals her love and then he reciprocates. They kiss. It is a spectacular scene.
“In the scene where Norma is showing Joe her silent movies, one of them is Queen Kelly (1932), which was filmed at Paramount's Astoria Studios in Astoria, Queens, NY. Paramount always labeled that studio as its Long Island Studios.”
FYI: it was directed by Erich von Stroheim
My old neighborhood!
I love these movies and I get a kick out of watching people experience them for the first time. So this was a lot of fun.
That reporter in the last scene was Hedda Hopper the infamous Hollywood gossip columnist, playing herself.
Thank you for covering this iconic film. Gloria Swanson was amazing. As a massive Valentino fan, I really appreciated her references to Rudy as they were good friends before he became a massive star!
I wrote a paper on this film for my film history class and this film is sooo richly layered with meanings and easter eggs and subtext I could go on for days but I won't. Please watch Auntie Mame (1958). You will love it.
Sunset Boulevard is a masterpiece and Wilder's best film, imo. I think this is the best film ever made about Hollywood. It's in my top 10 movies of all time. It was nominated for a ton of Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director (Billy Wilder), Best Actor (William Holden), Best Actress (Gloria Swanson), Best Supporting Actor (Erich Von Stroheim), and Best Supporting Actress (Nancy Olson). Swanson was flat out robbed of the Oscar for Best Actress. Easily one of the most iconic performances in history.
Hi Mia,another great choice.What was interesting was Gloria Swanson was a real life silent era screen star - who played silent star Norma Desmond.The other interesting part is you get to see a cameo from the legendary film director Cecil.B.DeMille.This,ofc,was the film that really launched the career of William Holden.
May I suggest you review another Bill Holden film - "Picnic".Interesting film,and quite controversial when it was released.
My first-viewing was underwhelming because my expectations were mistaken. Within two more quick rewatchings, it took it's proper place and I regard it as a favorite film.
One of my favorite lines is when Joe talks about the great piece of dialogue that will be drowned out by the backing music. Another classic is "It's the pictures that got small!" In the '50s studios had to sell off their theater chains and they were competing with television, times got tough.
The change to sound pictures dealt a blow to many actors who didn't speak English or had a funny voice like John Gilbert. It was a big deal the first time Greta Garbo spoke, the ads for that film were 2 words: GARBO SPEAKS! Later for her first comedy "Ninotchka" they changed it to GARBO LAUGHS!
Have you seen the other iconic industry picture of 1950, "All About Eve"? It stars Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders and Celeste Holm (Marilyn Monroe has a cameo, only her 7th film role and the 3rd of 5 films she'd appear in this year), screenplay and direction by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. You've probably seen it since it won 6 Oscars including Best Picture.
Meanwhile Joan Crawford was working on the film noir with the best title EVER, "The Damned Don't Cry".
When can we expect to see "The Maltese Falcon" on your channel? A few years ago I got to see it on the big screen thanks to TCM, it was magnificent, especially the climax.
*Sorry Wrong Number* is another great noir classic starring Barbara Stanwyck.
One of my favorite films! It's so good! So glad you get it!
The silent film they show is Queen Kelly. An unfinished film she made directed by Eric Von Stroheim. He was fired off the picture. (Produced by her boyfriend Joseph Kennedy)
thank you for this classic! another fantastic Billy Wilder film also with William Holden was Stalag 17… a WW2 POW film but a comedy.. stellar acting all around..
When my friend Lucretia moved into L.A. in 1989 she moved into the building where the narrator lives (the writer). I did not know that it was in Sunset Boulevard until 5 minutes ago. It was too expensive to maintain for more than a few weeks. By the way the Seinfeld apartment is about two blocks from the Ivar apartment. Friggin Hollywood.
Wow! That is amazing!!
I grew up in Hollywood, so when it saw this film the first time, I was like, "OMG"!
@@etherealtb6021 I was born in Echo Park in 1953. West Hollywood kicked all of the poor people out in the eighties. Well, not all, they told me that if I had aids I qualified for rent and medical care. So I moved into Hollywood in 1992. What a ride.
@@dennismason3740 Oh, boy! So you remember Hollywood Blvd in the 70's too? Lol. People think it is bad now! 😳
@@etherealtb6021 - Hollywood Boulevard is magic if you focus on the stars embedded in the sidewalk - suss people? Have a conniption over the star at your feet. "David Bowie? In front of the CVC? Wow-weee!" and the suss people just melt away. Magic.
The film highlights the juxtaposition between the silent era and the talkies/modern filmmaking. Norma Desmond was left behind after her success in silent movies, like so many silent stars unable to make the transition. Her frustration manifested an inability to leave the melodramatic acting (so appropriate to the silent age) in which she excelled.
Consequently, we see her trundling on, unable to leave her glory days behind and with her whole persona, her very life, becoming an epic melodramatic performance.
In my film class, this was paired with 'Singin' in the Rain' (both films explore the same theme of the difficult transition from Silent to Sound, though obviously with different takes). :-)
@@Dimultica
Yes, good point. 👍🏻
One of my all time favorite movies!!! Such a ride! So glad you enjoyed it!
Love the symmetry in this movie. Shows people on their way up, and on their way down. Like a staircase!
99 percent of the people who go to Hollywood to have a career, eventually have to go back home, without their dreams having been fulfilled. Getting into Hollywood is much more about who you know, not what you know. It is a closed industry.
Who you know can open a door but only once or twice. You've got to work hard and open it yourself. Trust me- do come true In "Hollywood". No one gives you anything in the industry and 99% that work began cleaning up dirty sets or in mail rooms at agencies or studios. Those that are truly smart and/or creative and are willing to pay their dues rise to the top. If you respect and want to learn from those with experience and truly love the art of film you will succeed. In the long run it doesn't matter who you know or who your parents are unless you bring talent to the table. Far from "closed" you've got to want to work and learn. From someone who came to Hollywood and lived close to those Alta Nido apartments on Ivar and now has the House North of Sunset with The Pool. (Which isn't success- but thats another story...)We all go from Joe Gilis and Betty Shaefer to Norma Desmond and Max Von Meyerlink.
@@josephhewes3923 That's called privilege. And it's bigger than just Hollywood. It's America.
Thanks for reviewing this film, Mia. Wilder is one of my favourite directors who brought his cinematic skills , acid wit and cynical view to so many classic films. Have you seen The Big Carnival , also known as Ace in the Hole. A very black film still very relevant these days !
If you're on a noir kick definitely need to see "Double Indemnity". You could add "Night of the Hunter" as well.
You definitely have a wide exposure to pop culture, which leads to interesting reactions to old movies, because you are seeing something for the first time, but it is somehow familiar.
Another good Noir is "Notorious" (Alfred Hitchcock does a hunt for South American Nazis). So good, the Clone Wars TV show remade it.
I could talk about this film forever, and I am thrilled that you were able to be on point in your analysis of it. Thank you! Btw, many top people in Hollywood tried to smear and derail this film because it exposed the uglier side of Hollywood. And this was 1950 ! I could go on, but I’ll give others a chance, lol
PS Gloria Swanson was making $7,000 a week in the early 1920’s and was nominated for three Oscars , including one for this film. She was as big, if not bigger, than “ Norma Desmond”; a true original and ultimate “ movie star”. Oh, can you believe they wanted Mae West for the part of Norma? She turned it down and Gloria got the role, of which I could never think of anyone but her for this part. Thank you for your video.
“When filming began, William Holden was 31 (born 17 April 1918) and Gloria Swanson was 50 (born 27 March 1899)- the same stated age as her character. Principal photography took place from 11 April to 18 June 1949. Despite the 19 year gap in their ages, Holden and Swanson died just 2 years apart from each other- Holden in 1981 at age 63 and Swanson in 1983 at age 84. In a case of life mirroring art, she outlived him.”
Holden’s alcoholism did him in.
I’m a classic film lover and this is my number one favorite of all time. It was a pleasure to watch you watch my very favorite.
14:12 I love Buster Keaton and I love his cameo in this movie, and the fact that THAT was the moment you covered the screen _kills me,_ it's hilarious
Great Pick Mia!! Can I suggest some of my go to classics “Wuthering Heights” with Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier and “That Hamilton Woman” also with Laurence and Vivien Leigh.
"That Hamilton Woman" is so sad and so good!
@@a.paulafernandes it's Churchill's favorite film 🙂
What a great start I'm looking g forward to watch some Christmas movies next Month and white christmas look forward too in the meantime I'm looking too watch great film noir mouth
Gloria Swanson was mesmerizing in her silent films and even her early talkies.
Max ( Eric Von Strohiem) was a great director in his own right. You should check out his movie"Greed". Originally 9 hours long, the studio cut it to less than 2 hours. Still a masterpiece...
Hedda Hopper was THE Hollywood reporter.
Thank you for helping to bring these wonderful films to a new generation. Sunset Boulevard is one of my favorites. The integration of silent film with contemporary film was remarkable, as were the performances of Swanson and Holden and Von Stroheim.
Two suggestions for you.
The Miracle Of Morgan's Creek. Preston Sturges (Sullivan's Travels, Hail The Conquering Hero) wrote this film basically as an F-U to the Hayes office, never thinking it would be allowed to actually be made. However, because of the sly way he couched the topics at hand, it somehow made it through. You will see what I mean. How this movie made it onto film in the early 1940's is still a mystery. Was Paramount's highest grossing film of 1944 and was named #54 in AFI's 100 funniest films of all time.
Night of the Hunter. A haunting noir from 1955. Charles Laughton's only instance of film direction. He takes influences from the best of silent film and German expressionist film to create a haunting and sometimes frightening movie. Add to that one of the most amazing film villains in cinema history - Robert Mitchum at his absolute best, and an understated powerful performance from the immortal Lillian Gish, and there is no wonder this movie is on so many "best of" lists. Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 95%. Top ten of BFI's 50 films to see by age 14. #2 in the top 100 most beautiful films by Cahiers du cinema. Be sure to pay attention to Robert Mitchum's knuckles. Images of him and those knuckles will haunt you after you see this movie!
“Rudy's shoeshine stand at the parking lot where Gillis hides his car from the creditors was inspired by Oscar Smith's shoeshine stand located just inside the Bronson Gate at the old Paramount Studios, which was a popular hangout for gossip and socializing while Billy Wilder was building his career there.”
You are so great in discussing this movie. Now I am answering you and nodding my head! Thank you for your hard work.
Classic movie! 1950 was a fierce battle for Best Picture, and although I love this, I love 'All about Eve' more. You must react to it, Bette Davis and all the others are all phenomenal.
Norma’s boat shaped bed was also used in the Carole Lombard film “Twentieth Century” in 1934.
Such a good reaction/commentary on this film. I had forgoten how much I loved this, your commentary brough it all back. 20 Years ago I bought a script for this film at a shop here in Sydney back then called The Cinestore. Weird thing was in the version of the script I bought the beginning was differed from the final film in that it started with Joes body being brought into the morgue and the voice over we hear is him telling another dead body laying prone near him how he came to be there. I guess someone decided this earlier version was just too grim for the audience. This creepy earlier version was even more Twilightzone like. Thanks so Much Mia you are bloody brilliant! Andrew