In the vaults of nostalgia, Hollywood holds the key to reels of filmland treasures. Classics that defy definition from Citizen Kane to The Grapes of Wrath. One film however is not only a jewel of "denial" but a frighteningly real mirror image of the tarnished Golden Age of Hollywood and it's star system. A time of silent films that made stars the size of mountains, and then along came talkies, and some celluloid careers went careening into the pop culture dumpster. The silent era disappeared, slapstick comedy and exagerated facial expressions were no longer enough. Now the star had to be able to remember lines, enunciate and vocalize in order to make the transition.
Many failed in that attempt and one of them was the silent screen queen, Norma Talmadge whose career was loosely paraodied in the film, "Sunset Boulevard" starring Gloria Swanson and William Holden which won three Academy Awards. Swanson takes on the role of a silent era star herself who also suffered a career derailment when talkies came along. Sunset Boulevard is the story of the rise and fall of the Studio/Star Empire, and the Golden Era of Hollywood.
The film starts with a bizarre narration by William Holden who plays the role of Joe Gillis, a Hollywood hack writer who is having trouble getting studio's to buy his screenplays. This of course means his cash flow is getting low and the repo company is out to reposses his car which Gillis manages to hide in parking lots downtown and eventually he ends up on Sunset Boulevard at Norma Desmonds mansion and hides the car there.
Let the film noir labyrinth begin. In a highly unusual opening scene, dialogue is uttered by Gillis who is face down shot dead in Desmond's swimming pool by Norma herself. Turns out as we shall see, hell hath no fury like a Desmond scorned! The story begins with Gillis meeting Norma in the mansion that first day and she mistakenly takes him for the animal funeral director to bury her dearly departed dead dormant Desmond monkey all laid out in the bedroom ready for the last rights and a proper funeral and burial. Needless to say Gillis is put a little on edge, but helps to bury the monkey in the backyard with full Sunset Boulevard Military Honors. From here the story descends into Desmond dimentia. He's a writer, and she wants a Hollywood comeback. Gillis see's a chance to make a buck and agrees, for money, to work with her on a script for her triumphant return to the big screen. In the end, Gillis is shot by a distraught Desmond as he is running from the house to end the charade, only to find a very real bullet in his back and he lurches into the swimming pool. The film has cameo rolls by silent era stars all playing cards in Norma's house, including Buster Keaton, one of the kings of slapstick. Also Jack Webb destined to play Sgt. Joe Friday on the Dragnet television show is a hipster friend of Gillis who is also a writer and loves to party. Nancy Olson plays Holdens love interest and her performance is absolutely remarkable and gives balance to the whole shebang. Hedda Hopper, Hollywood gossip columnist plays herself in the film as dies Cecil B. Demille.
In the end, Norma is about to be arrested for the murder of Gillis, but Desmond is in denial. She is getting her make up on as the police fill the front yard and detectives run amok through the mansion gathering evidence of the murder of Joe Gillis. Norma is now in a deep chasm of psycosis and is now ready to descend the stairs to appear before her "adoring fans" and take to the set to begin filming her scenes. As she descends the stairway, the vulture press is aimed and ready, newsreel camera's are plentiful and the setting is well lit for them. As she descends the steps the film fills the frame with Gloria Swansons face as a demonic Desmond facade begins to take shape with a strange pantomime hand action and the now famous line is uttered to close the film.."I'm ready for my close up Mr. Demille!"
In the film directed and written by Billy Wilder, some of the most memorable lines uttered on screen were given to Gloria to say including, "I'm ready for the close up Mr. Demille" and "I'm still big, it's the pictures that have gotten small!" One footnote: when Norma Talmadges star was imploding and was exiting a restaurant years later, there were some fans who still recognized her and came up for autographs. Her retort? "Go away dears. I don't need you anymore and you certainly don't need me!"
The film also had an interesting note of irony to it. Erich Von Stroheim plays the role of Gloria's husband, butler and former director in "the good old days". In real life, not reel life, Von Stroheim was directing Gloria in a silent film called Queen Kelly about a sex crazed queen in 1929. Gloria felt she was mislead about the role and bitched to management and she also complained about Von Stroheims direction which got him fired. They never spoke after tha until the making of Sunset Boulevard. Von Strohiem thought, and Gloria agreed that a little whimsy was needed so in a scene were Norma Desmond is looking at an old film clip of herself in her viewing room, it is an actual clipf from "Queen Kelly!" The film was backed financially by Joe Kennedy of the sex crazed Kennedy Family and father of a future president.
Swanson was born in 1899 and was one of the pioneers of the film industry, along with Von Stroheim, Cecil B. Demille, Mack Sennet and Thomas Edison. She made Sunset in 1950 when she was 51 years old. It was and is classified as film noir. Just what the hell is film noir anyway. Although the Desmond character she portrayed was an aging despondent dependant, in real life Swanson was anything but. During WWII for example she set up a company under the guise of Science and Research and through it with her worldwide network was responsible for helping hundreds of Jewish citizens escape Nazi Germany to freedom as early as 1938! Hell, even Laura Croft Tomb Raider never did that!
She also became a vegetarian in 1928 and while the other studio stars were feasting on fine steaks and wine, Gloria brought her simple fare to the set in a plain brown paper bag. She also hosted one of the first television talk shows in 1948 and eventually hosted a televison drama hour program.
The mansion used in the film was actually located on Wilshire Boulevard and was owned by the Getty family at one point in time. It was torn down in 1957 and today no X marks the spot, but instead you can pull in a fill up at the gas station that now sits in it's place, not realizing fully the importance of the historic real estate it is taking up. Fill 'er up? The actual Sunset Boulevard is where the first Hollywood studio was built when film making moved west from the urban grey and confines of New Jersey and New York, to take advantage of California's sunshine and it's gift of longer shooting schedules due to near perfect weather.
Speaking of petrol and machines that need to fuel up, the behemoth car almost Jurassic in nature that is used in the film is not the traditional golden age Stutz Bearcat. It is instead an import from Europe, an Isotta Frascini. Stoheim who also donned the chauffer's cap in the film couldn't drive in real life so in all those scenes, the car was being towed!
Film noir has never been better, and this classic will live forever in the hearts of movie buffs. It has comedy, it has tragedy, it has pathos and it has a really cool dead monkey. By the way, the swimming pool scene with Joe Gillis floating lifeless face down in the pool but face out facing the audience? They didn't have waterproof camera's in those days, so the bottom of the pool was lined with large mirrors, and the camera's shot down intot he water to make it look as though they were shooting up from the bottom. Now..that's entertainment, Hollywood!style!