IMDb > Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Sunset Blvd.
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Sunset Blvd. (1950) More at IMDbPro »

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Sunset Blvd. (1950) -- MattTrailer.com - Trailer (Flash)
Sunset Blvd. (1950) -- Clip: I am big, it's the pictures that got small

Overview

User Rating:
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Charles Brackett (written by) &
Billy Wilder (written by) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for Sunset Blvd. on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
25 August 1950 (Australia) more
Genre:
Tagline:
A Hollywood Story more
Plot:
A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent-film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Won 3 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 13 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(69 articles)
Interview: Tony Curtis is the Original Fantastic Mr. Fox
 (From HollywoodChicago.com. 5 December 2009, 7:22 AM, PST)

In Loving Memory of Moviedrome
 (From t5m.com. 30 November 2009, 8:39 AM, PST)

User Comments:
weird, bizarre, fascinating, great more (306 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

William Holden ... Joseph C. '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 - Chimp's Funeral
Larry J. Blake ... First Finance Man (as Larry Blake)
Charles Dayton ... Second Finance Man
Cecil B. DeMille ... Himself
Hedda Hopper ... Herself

Buster Keaton ... Himself - Bridge Player
Anna Q. Nilsson ... Herself - Bridge Player
H.B. Warner ... Himself - Bridge Player
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Sunset Boulevard (UK) (USA) (alternative spelling)
A Can of Beans (USA) (fake working title)
more
Runtime:
110 min | Argentina:115 min
Country:
Language:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Certification:
Canada:A (Nova Scotia) | Canada:G (Quebec) | Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Portugal:M/12 (DVD rating) | Hungary:14 | Brazil:Livre | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 (re-rating) (1982) | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #13955) | West Germany:16

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The script planned by Joe and Betty (the story of a couple, which is never together because of jobs with incompatible working time) exists: it was written by Billy Wilder and Max Kolpé for Das Blaue vom Himmel (1932/I). more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: In the scene when Joe Gillis awakes in bed, two of Norma Desmond's supposedly hand-penned script pages are exact mechanically-reproduced duplicates. more
Quotes:
[first lines]
Joe Gillis: Yes, this is Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, California. It's about 5 0'clock in the morning. That's the homicide squad, complete with detectives and newspaper men.
more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Dance of the Seven Veils more

FAQ

Who are Norma's card-playing partners?
A NOTE REGARDING SPOILERS
What is the correct title - "Blvd." or "Boulevard"?
more
30 out of 50 people found the following comment useful.
weird, bizarre, fascinating, great, 26 March 2001
8/10

This movie deserves all the accolades it has gotten here, as well as "Maltin's" four stars. It certainly ranks up there as one of Hollywood's greatest achievements. Seeing it again only reinforces my opinion that William Holden was one of the truly great actors of the last [!] century. Gloria Swanson, however, steals every scene she's in; you can't turn away from watching her, even though she makes you really uncomfortable - it's like watching a train wreck. I don't know if the black & white was an economic or an artistic choice, but the film would never have been as effective in color. The opening shot - the floating, dead body of Joe Gillis, eyes wide open, shot looking up from the bottom of the pool - is one of the great shots, and an unforgettable opener, matched perfectly by the unforgettable closing closeup of Norma Desmond. To have Cecil B. deMille actually play himself was an inspired touch. Throw in Eric von Stroheim and you have an unbeatable combination. Truly one the all-time must-see films, although I don't know how to classify it - film noir? black comedy? Hollywood fable ? horror story? psychodrama? Who cares; just see it.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Sunset Blvd. (1950)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Bill Holden's Voiceover - Necessary? fireseeker4him
To you who work in Hollywood...Is it really that tough? dennis-281
Gloria Swanson Looks Fabulous!! suel41452
'One of those car phones'....? Loff24
a recurring noir theme mheckman-1
Things 'Sunset Blvd.' Characters Would NEVER Say... Chesterfield_Invincible
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