Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Director:

Billy Wilder

Writers:

Charles Brackett (written by) &
Billy Wilder (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

25 August 1950 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Film-Noir

Tagline:

A Hollywood Story

Plot:

A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent-film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity.

Plot Keywords:

Writer | Mansion | Director | Comeback | Time

Awards:

Won 3 Oscars. Another 14 wins & 13 nominations

Cast

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)
Charles Dayton	...	2nd Finance Man
Cecil B. DeMille	...	Himself
Hedda Hopper	...	Herself
Buster Keaton	...	Himself
Anna Q. Nilsson	...	Herself
H.B. Warner	...	Himself
Ray Evans	...	Himself
Jay Livingston	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Fred Aldrich	...	Cop Who Drags Joe's Body from Pool (uncredited)
Joel Allen	...	Prop Man #2 (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor	...	Courtier (uncredited)
Ken Christy	...	Homicide Captain (uncredited)
Ruth Clifford	...	Sheldrake's Secretary (uncredited)
John Cortay	...	Mac - Young Gate Guard at Paramount Studios (uncredited)
Archie R. Dalzell	...	Camera Operator (uncredited)
Eddie Dew	...	Assistant Coroner (uncredited)
Peter Drynan	...	Tailor (uncredited)
Julia Faye	...	Hisham (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Phone Standby (uncredited)
Gerry Ganzer	...	Connie - Betty's Roommate (uncredited)
Kenneth Gibson	...	Salesman at Men's Shop (uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Sanford E. Greenwald	...	Newsreel Cameraman (uncredited)
Creighton Hale	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Grip on DeMille Set (uncredited)
James Hawley	...	Camera Assistant (uncredited)
Len Hendry	...	Police Sergeant (uncredited)
E. Mason Hopper	...	Doctor (uncredited)
Stan Johnson	...	First Assistant Director (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Little Woman outside Paramount Gate (uncredited)
Howard Joslin	...	Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Arthur Lane	...	Camera Operator (uncredited)
Perc Launders	...	Violinist at Norma's New Year's Eve Party (uncredited)
Gertrude Messinger	...	Hairdresser (uncredited)
Harold Miller	...	Man on Golf Course (uncredited)
John 'Skins' Miller	...	Hog-eye - Electrician (uncredited)
Lee Miller	...	Dancing Party Guest / Paramount Studio Employee (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Prop Man #1 (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse	...	Gordon Cole (uncredited)
Jay Morley	...	Fat Man (uncredited)
Bernice Mosk	...	Herself (uncredited)
Howard Negley	...	Police Captain (uncredited)
Ottola Nesmith	...	Undetermined Role (uncredited)
Eva Novak	...	Courtier (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Courtier (uncredited)
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Jonesy - Older Paramount Gate Guard (uncredited)
Jack Perrin	...	Detective (uncredited)
Virginia L. Randolph	...	Courtier (uncredited)
Bill Sheehan	...	Second Assistant Director (uncredited)
Sidney Skolsky	...	Himself (uncredited)
Emmett Smith	...	Black Man (uncredited)
Roy Thompson	...	Rudy - Shoeshine Boy (uncredited)
Archie Twitchell	...	Salesman at Men's Shop (uncredited)
Yvette Vickers	...	Giggling Girl on Phone at Party (uncredited)
Edward Wahrman	...	Camera Assistant (uncredited)
Henry Wilcoxon	...	Himself - Actor on DeMille's 'Samson & Delilah' Set (uncredited)

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Writing credits
Charles Brackett		(written by) &
Billy Wilder		(written by) &
D.M. Marshman Jr.		(written by)

Produced by
Charles Brackett	....	producer

Original Music by
Franz Waxman		(music score)

Cinematography by
John F. Seitz		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Doane Harrison
Arthur P. Schmidt		(as Arthur Schmidt)

Art Direction by
Hans Dreier
John Meehan

Set Decoration by
Sam Comer
Ray Moyer

Costume Design by
Edith Head		(costumes)

Makeup Department
Wally Westmore	....	makeup supervisor
Nellie Manley	....	hair (uncredited)
Karl Silvera	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Frank Thayer	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Vera Tomei	....	hair (uncredited)

Production Management
Hugh Brown	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles C. Coleman	....	assistant director (as C.C. Coleman Jr.)
Gerd Oswald	....	second assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Steve Beers	....	head carpenter (uncredited)
Jack Colconda	....	props assistant (uncredited)
Gene Lauritzen	....	construction coordinator (uncredited)
Tom Plews	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
John Cope	....	sound recordist
Harry Lindgren	....	sound recordist

Visual Effects by
Farciot Edouart	....	process photography
Gordon Jennings	....	special photographic effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Otto Pierce	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Glen E. Richardson	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Harlow Stengel	....	camera assistant (uncredited)
Walter Tayler	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Fred True	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ed Fitzharris	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Hazel Hegarty	....	wardrobe (uncredited)
Joan Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Doane Harrison	....	editorial supervisor
Frank Bracht	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Other crew
Lupe Hall	....	script clerk (uncredited)
Ronnie Lubin	....	dialogue coach (uncredited)
Norris Stensland	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (as A Paramount Picture)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1951) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Paramount Films (1951) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1965) (USA) (TV)
• CIC-Taft Home Video (2000) (Australia) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• BFI (Collections) (2002) (UK) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Facets Multimedia Distribution (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Filmes do Brasil (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (Spain) (2003) (Spain) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD) (rental)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD) (retail)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Award Winning Collection)
• Nutopia Entertainment (2011) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Paramount Home Video (2002) (Canada) (DVD)

Also Known As:

"Sunset Boulevard" - UK, USA (alternative spelling)

Runtime:

110 min | Argentina:115 min | West Germany:104 min (cut version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

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) | UK:A (original rating) (passed with cuts) | UK:PG (video rating) (1988) (2003) | Germany:12 (re-rating) | Netherlands:18 (original rating) (1951) | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Spain:18 | Sweden:11 (re-rating) (1982) | Sweden:15 (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2002) | USA:Approved (PCA #13955) | West Germany:16 (original rating)

Filming Locations:

Alto-Nido Apartments -1851 N. Ivar Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

The antique car used as Norma Desmond's limousine is an Isotta-Fraschini, and once belonged to 1920s socialite Peggy Hopkins Joyce. It was a gift from her lover, automobile magnate Walter Chrysler.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: When Joe enters his bedroom and turns on the light, a crewmember's arm (with wristwatch) is visible in the mirror next to the door.

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.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Replacements: Hollywoodn't (#3.11)" (2008)

Soundtrack:

Quotations from 'Salome'

Better Late Than Never

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.