Sunset Boulevard (1950) Revisit ft. Frank Mandosa

Original Episode: #81 Sunset Boulevard (1950) (released September 8, 2021)

New Episode: #277 Sunset Boulevard (1950) Revisit ft. Frank Mandosa (released September 3, 2025)

Guest:

• Frank Mandosa

  • Host of Reels of Cinema podcast, co-host of Movies across the Pod

  • https://linktr.ee/reelsofcinema; www.frankmandosa.weebly.com

  • Previously on The Sixth Sense

Cast:

• Billy Wilder, Director

• Charles Brackett and DM Marshman, Jr, Writers

• John F. Seitz, Cinematography

• Franz Waxman, Music

• William Holden as Joe Gillis

• Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond

• Erich von Stroheim as Max von Mayerling

• Nancy Olson as Betty Schaefer

• Fred Clark as Sheldrake, film producer

• Lloyd Gough as Morino, Joe's agent

• Jack Webb as Artie Green

• Cecil B. DeMille as himself

• Hedda Hopper as herself

• Sidney Skolsky as himself

• Buster Keaton as himself

• Anna Q. Nilsson as herself

• H. B. Warner as himself

Background:

• Sunset Boulevard was released on August 10th, 1950 making this its 75th Anniversary.

• On a budget of $1.75 million it is estimated to have grossed $5 million during its run but finishing outside the Top 10 grossing films of the year.

• Despite that, the film has been a critical darling since the moment of its release and Sunset Boulevard was nominated for Best Picture, Director (Wilder), Actor (Holden), Actress (Swanson), Supporting Actor (von Stroheim), Supporting Actress (Olson), Film Editing, and Cinematography while winning for Screenplay, Art Direction in Black and White, and Score (Waxman).

• At the time, its eleven Oscar nominations were exceeded only by the fourteen received by All About Eve, which won six awards, including Best Picture and Best Director.

• Since its release, Sunset Boulevard has often been cited as one of the greatest films ever made. AFI has recognized it on the following lists:

  • #12 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (1998)

  • AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movie Quotes in 2005 "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." – #7 and "I am big, it's the pictures that got small!" – #24

  • #16 on AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores (2005)

  • #16 on AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) (2007)

• The Village Voice ranked the film at No. 43 in its Top 250 "Best Films of the Century" list in 1999, based on a poll of critics. The film was included in "The New York Times Guide to the Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made" in 2002.

• In January 2002, the film was voted at No. 87 on the list of the "Top 100 Essential Films of All Time" by the National Society of Film Critics.

• Sunset Boulevard received 33 votes in the British Film Institute's 2012 Sight & Sound polls, making it the 63rd greatest film of all time in the critics’ poll and 67th in the directors' poll. In the earlier 2002 Sight & Sound polls the film ranked 12th among directors.

• The Writers Guild of America ranked the film's screenplay the 7th greatest ever. In a 2015 poll by BBC Culture, film critics ranked Sunset Boulevard the 54th greatest American film of all time.

• Sunset Boulevard was inducted into the Library of Congress in 1989 as one of the original 25 film first class of inductees.

• Sunset Boulevard currently holds a 98% among critics on RT, a 94 score on Metacritic, and a 4.4/5 on Letterboxd.

Plot Summary: Sunset Boulevard is a dark Hollywood drama directed by Billy Wilder. The story follows Joe Gillis (William Holden), a struggling screenwriter who can’t sell his scripts. By chance, he meets Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a once-famous silent film actress who now lives in isolation in her decaying mansion on Sunset Boulevard. Norma dreams of making a comeback and convinces Joe to help rewrite a script she believes will return her to stardom.

As Joe becomes financially dependent on Norma, he finds himself trapped in her world of fading glory and denial. Their relationship grows tense and unhealthy, especially as Joe develops feelings for another young writer. Norma’s desperation and inability to accept reality lead to a shocking and tragic ending. The film is a powerful look at obsession, fame, and the dark side of Hollywood.

Did You Know?:

• When Gloria Swanson finished Norma's final scene, the mad staircase descent, she burst into tears and the crew applauded. Even though it wasn't the last scene filmed, Billy Wilder threw a party for her as soon as the shot was finished.

• When Norma Desmond says to the guard at the "Paramount Studio" gates, "Without me there wouldn't be any 'Paramount Studio'" the words could apply to Gloria Swanson herself, as she was the studio's top star for six years running.

• The character of Norma Desmond is modeled on the fate of several leading actresses of the silent era. Mary Pickford lived in seclusion, away from the public eye, while both Mae Murray and Clara Bow had well-documented struggles with mental illness.

• For the first industry screening, Paramount executives invited several silent-film stars. At the end, they stood and cheered for Gloria Swanson's return.

• Billy Wilder went into production with only 61 pages of script finished, so he had to shoot more or less in chronological order. This was a first for Gloria Swanson, but proved a big boon in helping her develop her character's descent into madness.

• The name "Norma Desmond" was 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 Talmadge -- was shot and killed in his Hollywood bungalow. His killer was never identified.

• For some scenes, cinematographer John F. Seitz would sprinkle dust into the air so it could be caught by the lights and create a moody effect. Seitz had used a similar technique on Double Indemnity (1944).

• Cecil B. DeMille agreed to do his cameo for a $10,000 fee and a brand-new Cadillac. When Billy Wilder went back to him later to secure a close-up, DeMille charged him another $10,000.

The Stanley Rubric:

Original Legacy Score: 7.25

New Legacy Score: 9

Original Impact/Significance Score: 6.75

New Impact/Significance Score: 8.5

Original Novelty Score: 10

New Novelty Score: 10

Original Classicness Score: 9

New Classicness Score: 9.5

Original Rewatchability Score: 6.25

New Rewatchability Score: 6.83

Original Audience Score: 9.2 (89% Google, 95% RT)

New Audience Score: 8.7 (82% Google, 92% RT)

Original Total Score: 48.45 (#94 currently)

New Total Score: 52.53

In Memorium:

• Jerry Adler, 96, American actor (The Sopranos, Rescue Me, The Good Wife).