Who was Sunset Boulevard based on?
Who was Sunset Boulevard based on?
An Unsolved Hollywood Murder The name Norma Desmond was a combination of early Hollywood’s comedy star Mabel Normand and her lover, silent film director William Desmond Taylor. Normand made movies with the likes of Charlie Chaplin and Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, and lived like life was one Wild Party.
Why is Sunset Boulevard movie famous?
Sunset Boulevard is noteworthy for being a ruthlessly accurate depiction of the way Hollywood destroys its own legacies. In addition, the film is eerily timeless. While the specifics have changed, the general ideas in Sunset Boulevard are alive and well in Hollywood today, perhaps even more than they were in 1950.
How did Sunset Boulevard end?
At the end of the film, just after Joe and Betty admit their feelings for one another, Norma calls Betty on the phone in an attempt to scare her away from Joe. Norma warns Betty about “his type,” and tells Betty that she has no idea where he really lives, or who he really is.
What happened Norma Desmond?
She lives a reclusive existence in her lavish Beverly Hills mansion on Sunset Boulevard with her servant, and former film director, Max von Mayerling and pet monkey. It is the death of her monkey that serves as a source of confusion between the main characters at the onset of the film.
Who was the original Norma Desmond?
Ria Jones
Ria Jones, who originated the role of Norma Desmond in the 1991 Sydmonton Workshop and understudied Glenn Close in the 2016 West End revival, led a new production opening at Leicester’s Curve Theatre on 16 September 2017 for a two-week run before embarking on a national tour around the United Kingdom.
Why is Sunset Boulevard considered a film noir?
Film noir literally means “dark film.” Sunset Boulevard is that, both literally and thematically. It is a picture with spooky shadows and visuals throughout its duration. At times it looks and feels like a horror picture.
What is the message of Sunset Boulevard?
In the film Sunset Boulevard many characters struggled with wishes, lies and dreams of fame and fortune. The film states the corruption in Hollywood and that people will do anything to get ahead. With hope and delusion each character tries to gain happiness, while only being self-destructive and isolating themselves.
Who was the inspiration for Norma Desmond?
The character of “Norma Desmond” is a fictional composite inspired by several real-life faded silent-film stars, such as the reclusive existence of Mary Pickford, the mental disorders of Mae Murray and Clara Bow and the grotesque, and even predatory acting style of Norma Talmadge.
Who played Norma Desmond in the West End?
Characters and original cast
| Character | West End/London (1993) | West End (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Norma Desmond | Patti LuPone | Glenn Close |
| Joe Gillis | Kevin Anderson | Michael Xavier |
| Betty Schaefer | Anita Louise Combe | Siobhan Dillon |
| Max von Mayerling | Daniel Benzali | Fred Johanson |
Is Norma Desmond a real actress?
Is Sunset Boulevard considered film noir?
Sunset Boulevard (styled in the main title on-screen as SUNSET BLVD.) is a 1950 American black comedy film noir directed and co-written by Billy Wilder, and produced and co-written by Charles Brackett. It was named after a major street that runs through Hollywood, the center of the American movie industry.
How old was Gloria Swanson when she did Sunset Boulevard?
84 years (1899–1983)Gloria Swanson / Age at death
With Sunset Boulevard, Swanson, a real-life silent-screen star, actually made a comeback, something her character is unable to achieve. Although Swanson was only 50 years old at the time, she was made to appear much older in the film.
Is Sunset Boulevard a satire?
But Billy Wilder’s incisive and disturbing Sunset Boulevard still serves as one of the best satirical commentaries on Hollywood to date.
Who is the protagonist in Sunset Boulevard?
Joseph “Joe” C. Gillis is the main protagonist of the 1950 Billy Wilder film Sunset Boulevard.
Who dies at the end of Sunset Boulevard?
In Sunset Boulevard, we end where we began—at the scene of Joe Gillis’s eerie murder. The dead man has narrated the story of his own tragic demise from beginning to end, when the cops are fishing him out of Norma Desmond’s pool. (She’s murdered him to prevent him from leaving her.)
Who has played Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard?
That’s Gloria Swanson. She’s basically playing a version of herself- she was one of the biggest stars of the silent era, but had found herself drifting away into obscurity by the time she was cast in Sunset Boulevard… and she’s amazing.
What was Gloria Swanson’s real name?
Gloria May Josephine SwansoGloria Swanson / Full name
Gloria Swanson, original name Gloria May Josephine Svensson, (born March 17, 1899, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.—died April 4, 1983, New York, New York), American motion-picture, stage, and television actress who was known primarily as a glamorous Hollywood star during the 1920s and as the fading movie queen Norma Desmond in …
Who is the antagonist in Sunset Boulevard?
Norma Desmond (Sunset BLVD)
What makes a film noir?
film noir, (French: “dark film”) style of filmmaking characterized by such elements as cynical heroes, stark lighting effects, frequent use of flashbacks, intricate plots, and an underlying existentialist philosophy. The genre was prevalent mostly in American crime dramas of the post-World War II era.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYhRQBIKCKE