how old was william holden in sunset boulevard

The 2014 book by William J. Mann, Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood, names Ross Blackie Madsen Sheridan as the killer, based on a death bed confession from actress Margaret Gibson, who beat a 1917 rap on prostitution and opium dealing. "[13] Paramount reunited him with Nancy Olson, one of his Sunset Boulevard costars, in Union Station (1950). [44] After his death, Powers set up the William Holden Wildlife Foundation at Holden's Mount Kenya Game Ranch. We had faces" was #13. Gordon Cole was a real person in the art department for DeMille's Samson and Delilah (1949) and later in The Ten Commandments (1956). Wilder wanted Hedy Lamarr to sit in for a cameo, but she wanted $25,000. Ready? The Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Sunset Boulevard DVD Special Collector's Edition William Holden Gloria Swanson at the best online prices at eBay! She was nominated for the first Academy Award in the Best Actress category. Norma telling studio guard Jonesy that without her there would be no Paramount Studios is not a far-fetched notion. Swanson supplemented many of the costumes with her own accessories and jewelry. For added meta-truthfulness, Wilder wanted to have that film's lead actress, Hedy Lamarr, be there too, so that DeMille could ask her to let Norma sit in her chair (you know, those behind-the-scenes chairs that have the star's name on them). The studio needed an actor who the audience could believe wrote a story about Okies in the Dust Bowl that played on a torpedo boat by the time it hit the screen. Darryl F. Zanuck, Olivia de Havilland, Tyrone Power and Samuel Goldwyn all refused to allow their names to be used in the film, but Billy Wilder decided to use Zanuck's and Power's names anyway. The producer in the film was originally called Kaufman and was to be played by Joseph Calleia. For the record, the other 12 films to achieve a similar feat are Mrs. Miniver (1942), Johnny Belinda (1948), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), From Here to Eternity (1953), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Suratt was reportedly obsessed with the fact that she was the reincarnation of the Virgin Mary, and after her career ended commissioned the leader of the U.S. Reform Bah' Movement to co-write a script on the life of Mary Magdalene. Just us and the cameras, and those wonderful people out there in the dark! Norma Desmond didnt need dialogue, she can say whatever she wants with her eyes. She liked Holden and went out of her way to help him succeed, devoting her personal time to coaching and encouraging him, which made them into lifelong friends. In addition to starring in "Queen Kelly", Swanson also produced it, and fired von Stroheim when he had already gone over the budget by more than double, and with no end to filming in sight. Sure she was a forgotten silent star, living in exile, screening her old movies and dreaming of a comeback. Marshman Jr. Sunset Boulevard was the last time Brackett and Wilder collaborated on a film. Sunset Boulevard (DVD, 2017) UK Region 2 release with extras. (1950) in my head, and I'd always sort of related to that character floating in . She offered Peavey 10 dollars to identify Taylors grave in the Hollywood Park Cemetery and had someone wait there in a white sheet to scare it out of him. These include Greta Garbo, John Gilbert, Rudolph Valentino, Rod La Rocque, Vilma Bnky, Mabel Normand, Marie Prevost, Pearl White, and Douglas Fairbanks. DeMille." He stayed true to his word. The clips in Sunset Boulevard were the first American audiences had seen of it. Not everyone felt the same way, however. April 17, 2019 6:00AM. Norma's "gondola bed" was originally white, and was featured in Twentieth Century (1934) with Carole Lombard and John Barrymore. But that wasnt good enough for Hollywood. over the spiraling budget. Swanson was told "She can't show herself, Gloria, she's too overcome. Holden had his most widely recognized role as "Commander" Shears in David Lean's The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) with Alec Guinness,[25] a huge commercial success. According to the Los Angeles Times, the actor long experienced alcoholism, and though he was able to avoid drinking when with lover Stefanie Powers, it ultimately helped pave the way for his death. The writer was almost all washed up, one step ahead of the finance company, parking his car in a lot behind the shoeshine parlor run by Rudy, a guy who never asked any questions about finances because he could just look at the peoplesr heels and know the score. Art director John Meehan experimented until he came up with the idea to shoot the scene through a mirror at the bottom of the studio water tank. Was the inspiration for Metallica's 1997 song "The Memory Remains". Hack screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) accidentally falls in with faded screen legend Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Since 2006, he has overseen the Bayou City History blog, which covers various aspects of Houston's history. Both Mary Astor and Miriam Hopkins starred in TV versions of the film in 1955 and 1956, respectively. On February 7, 1955, Holden appeared as a guest star on I Love Lucy as himself. Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! In the fall of 1981, the television actor Stefanie Powers, who was dating William Holden, was in Hawaii filming the ABC show "Hart to Hart" when Holden stopped answering his phone. About 10 minutes later, Holden passed out and died from blood loss. An inventory of his prospects added up to exactly zero. Erich von Stroheim dismissed his participation in this film, referring to it as "that butler role.". Principal photography took place from 11 April to 18 June 1949. Previous image. She puts on a show playing a Max Sennett bathing girl and Charlie Chaplins Tramp character, though Maxs bad timing is a little too on the nose. It was Erich von Stroheim who suggested the revelation that Max was writing all of Norma's fan mail. On the Columbia lot is an assistant director and scout named Harold Winston. Peavey reportedly wore flashy golf clothes but didnt own golf clubs and had been arrested for social vagrancy and booked on lewd and dissolute charges just a few nights before the murder. Their partnership ended in a professional and gentlemanly mannerthere was no airing of any dirty laundrybut it did end.. . Swanson argued that a woman like Norma would have been obsessed with her appearance and would have done her utmost not to look old. Although it can get chilly by the ocean, a light jacket or sweater would be plenty. April 17 marks the 100th birthday of William Holden, who is ranked No. . American actress Gloria Swanson in a promotional portrait for 'Sunset Boulevard', directed by Billy Wilder, 1950. So speaking of funerals, heres the great real life murder mystery we teased in the opening. Around this time he also appeared in 21 Hours at Munich (1976). "[4], For his contribution to the film industry, Holden has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 1651 Vine Street. preppy-3 15 March 2008. On the night of November 12, 1981, Holden consumed somewhere between eight and 10 drinks in a short amount of time, according to "William Holden: A Biography." Von Stroheim didnt know how to drive, and the scene where hes driving the exotic leopard-upholstered Isotta-Fraschini was shot as the car was being towed. The butler stonewalls Joe from the outside world until hes rolling up twenties tight enough snort through to deal with even the shortest withdrawal from the big empty house. "[18] Rumors at the time had it that Hepburn wanted a family, but when Holden told her that he had had a vasectomy and having children was impossible, she moved on. Mary Pickford lived in seclusion, away from the public eye, while both Mae Murray and Clara Bow had well documented struggles with mental illness. Co-writer D.M. Billy Wilder originally wanted another silent star, Pola Negri, to take the part of Norma Desmond. Everyone had a good laugh, though the record doesn't reflect whether Marshall joined in. The two actors never worked together in another film. The 49-year-old film directors body was found on the morning of Feb. 2, 1922, inside his bungalow at the Alvarado Court Apartments in Westlake, Los Angeles. Gloria Swanson's career was not revitalized by this film. He contributed to Altvariety, Chiseler, Smashpipe, and other magazines. When she received her Honorary Oscar at the 1982 Academy Award ceremony, Holden had died in an accident just a few months prior. This one had it in spades. Holden's films after that time had not impressed Wilder (in the 1940s Holden's movies were decidedly mediocre). Without Norma Desmond, there wouldnt be any Paramount Pictures. One of the few showy bits of camerawork in the film is near the beginning, when the corpse floating in Norma Desmond's pool is seen from underneath. He played Rafts kid brother, who was following in his gangster footsteps and needed to be set straight. His death certificate makes no mention of cancer. When Joe Gillis and Norma Desmond watch one of Norma's old silent movies, they are watching a scene from Queen Kelly (1932), starring a young Gloria Swanson. Holden was reunited with Wilder in Stalag 17 (1953), for which Holden won the Academy Award for Best Actor. When Joe and Betty stroll around the studio back lot they pass through the Washington Square set that was used in The Heiress (1949). Although a registered Republican, he never involved himself in politics. [17], Their relationship did not last much beyond the completion of the film. Erich von Stroheim could not drive in real life. Included among the American Film Institute's 1998 list of the Top 100 Greatest American Movies. Gillis: "No, swimming pool." The character of Joe Gillis was very much in tune with William Holden's standing at the time. The only addition was the swimming pool, which wasn't equipped with a means of circulating the water so it was useless after filming. Brenda Marshall, Holden's wife since 1941, was visiting the set when Holden and Nancy Olson had their kissing scene. Sometimes hetinkles the wheezing gothic ivories like Lurch in the original TV series The Addams Family, playing the recognizable strains of The Phantom of the Opera. This film was originally released in the United States as The Christmas Tree and on home video as When Wolves Cry. Billy Wilder quickly offered the role to Fred MacMurray, who turned it down because he didn't want to play a gigolo. Carol Burnett spoofed the film several times on her TV variety show. And like the title, Holden seemed to have the looks and muscular build Hollywood craved. Set designer Hans Dreier had in fact been the interior designer for the homes of former silent stars Bebe Daniels, Norma Shearer and Pola Negri. He played Bogarts kid brother in Sabrina, Holdens third film with director Billy Wilder, in 1954. cynical Hollywood survivor played by William Holden. "We didn't need dialogue. It also alludes to the fact that Pomona was one of three towns in California's Inland Empire region (Riverside and San Bernardino were the others) that were frequently used during Hollywood's Golden Age for testing preview audiences' reactions to unreleased films. on the corner of Crenshaw and Irving. Cecil B. DeMille: at the studio during Norma's visit. (1950), Cecil B. DeMille, who plays himself in the film, directed H.B. "Lonely, alone, without dignity.". It is one of the most indelible films you will ever see. Louis B. Mayer's reaction is well documented but Mae Murray also found the film offensive. Norma is perceived as the evil force, even if she uses a white phone while Betty is relegated to a poor black phone. Getty always wanted a pool, the poor dope. Someone who said they were a doctor said Taylor died of a stomach hemorrhage and then disappeared. David Lynch is an avid fan of the movie, having referenced it in films such as Inland Empire (2006), Mulholland Drive (2001)--which has a similar title and theme about the misfortunes of aspiring artists in Hollywood--and the television show Twin Peaks (1990), where Lynch himself played an FBI Bureau Chief named Gordon Cole. Garbo was once rumored to be engaged to the innovative Hollywood and Broadway director Rouben Mamoulian whose film Golden Boy (1939) made William Holden famous. Culture Editor Tony Sokol is a writer, playwright and musician. In the opening scene of the 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard," the cynical screenwriter turned gigolo Joe Gillis lies floating in a swimming pool, blood seeping from his lifeless body. She refuses to believe that she's no longer remembered and will never make another movie. So they opened their big mouths and out came talk. Norma wound up sitting in Mr. DeMilles chair. When Norma visits DeMille at Paramount, he's in the midst of shooting Samson and Delilah, which really is what he was up to at the time. The great big white elephant of a mansion on Sunset Boulevard was actually on Wilshire Boulevard and would be used again as the abandoned mansion in the film Rebel Without a Cause. In her private screening room, with butler Max running the projector, Norma cuddles up with Joe to watch one of her own films. Holden earned his first Best Actor Oscar nomination for the role.[11]. In the penultimate scene, as Max tells Norma that "the cameras have arrived," the high strings in composer Franz Waxman's Oscar-winning score quote a chord from Richard Strauss's "The Dance of the Seven Veils" from his opera "Salome". She worked closely with Gloria Swanson on Norma Desmond's wardrobe, as she figured Swanson would have had a better idea of what women of that time would have worn and what they would be wearing now. 10060 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, California, USA. For this Lamarr wanted $25,000 (which would be about $250,000 in 2015 dollars). A version of how he obtained his stage name "Holden" is based on a statement by George Ross of Billboard: "William Holden, the lad just signed for the coveted lead in Golden Boy, used to be Bill Beadle [sic]. The name "Norma Desmond" was chosen from 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. Oh, wake up, Norma. Mrs. Getty divorced her millionaire husband and received custody of the house; it was she who rented it to Paramount for the filming. Realizing that former actress Hopper would easily dominate the scene, Parsons declined, even though she and Wilder were friends. This ushered in the peak years of Holden's stardom. Ironically, the last films that Gloria Swanson made for Paramount were not at this famous facility. Sunset Boulevards cinematographer John Seitz said Wilder had wanted to do The Loved One, but couldnt obtain the rights. British author Evelyn Waughs satirical 1948 novel was about a failed screenwriter who lives with a silent film star and works in a cemetery. In the movie, an aide tells Cecil B. DeMille "Gordon Cole has been trying to reach you". She was disappointed to see that all the parts she was offered subsequently were watered-down versions of Norma Desmond. She looks like a mannequin of a . But like so many of the female actors of the era, Holden soon realized it was his physical attributes and not his acting ability that the studio cared about. In a case of life mirroring art, she outlived him. Gillis smokes unfiltered cigarettes in the film. Holden met French actress Capucine in the early 1960s. This dynamic served them well for years, each man's extreme tendencies being balanced by the other's, but during Sunset Boulevard it finally became unworkable. The script (which was to be a vehicle for her comeback) was submitted to Cecil B. DeMille who sent it back. Holden turned the tables on Lucille Ball when he appeared as a guest star on I Love Lucy at The Brown Derby. The film is included on Roger Ebert's "Great Movies" list. Forensic evidence recovered at the scene suggested that he was conscious for at least half an hour after the fall. The film's narrative structure bears a marked resemblance to that of American Beauty (1999). After the completion of his film, Wilder shocked his longtime collaborator by announcing that he wished to dissolve their partnership; this was the result of a fierce quarrel over a montage scene in the film. There are several references to Gloria Swanson's actual career in the film. Swanson agreed to the audition, and won the role. Reluctantly, Wilder met with William Holden, who hadn't done much after the great Hollywood innovator Rouben Mamoulian's Golden Boy (1939). They thought the actors made it up as they went along. William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 November 12, 1981) was an American actor and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. The general consensus was that the two titans had canceled each other out, leaving the field clear for Holliday. Montgomery Clift was originally cast as the writer but dropped out two weeks before the shoot. He said it was because she was braver than any man. Kodak would discontinue to manufacture it altogether in 1953. Holden himself claimed that he, too, could picture his end. in 1911 when the Nestor Film Company moved from New. It was built in 1924 by William Jenkins, at a cost of $250,000. Like most old things in L.A., the house has since been replaced by an office building. But even to show a chair with her name on it, Lamarr wanted $10,000. At Cecil B. DeMille's first appearance, his on-set cry of "Wilcoxon!" [2] His brother Robert ("Bobbie") became a U.S. Navy fighter pilot and was killed in action in World War II, over New Ireland, a Japanese-occupied island in the South Pacific. The older actor prided himself on needling people and he needled the shit out of Holden on the first movie, and the second movie was worse because Holden started dating Audrey Hepburn during filming. William Holden (born William Franklin Beedle Jr.; April 17, 1918 - November 12, 1981) was an American actor and murderer, and one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s. See, Bettys a message gal, not a virgin, and there are no whores in Hollywood. The Pharmacy was filmed only 500 feet (150 meters) from a scene in Armed and Dangerous (1986) & Falling Down (1993), The parking lot behind Rudy's Shoeshine where Joe Gillis pulls his car out of is 1751 Vine Street - about a half a block North of Hollywood Blvd (you can tell by the scene's POV of the Taft building that sits on the corner of Hollywood and Vine). Director Cecil B. DeMille, a pioneer of silent Hollywood who was still a top director when "Sunset Boulevard" was shot in 1949, also famously played himself. True to character, Von Stroheim refused to leave Paris to attend the Academy Awards ceremony, and declared that his nomination for best supporting actor should've been for best actor. The latter was shot in Africa and sparked Holden's fascination with the continent that was to last for the rest of his life. Next image (0) (0) Stanwyck went to bat for Holden when he was going to be replaced in Golden Boy (1939) and Wilder's collaboration with Holden in the 50s starting with Sunset Boulevard revitalized his career (including the Best Actor Oscar for Stalag 17 (1953). Sunset Boulevard mixed fiction with the realities of filmmaking. The actor-turned-director bitched about that goddamned butler role for the rest his life. (Gloria Swanson's TV star - she has one for TV and one for film - is very near by at 6301 Hollywood Blvd). But trophies or not, Sunset Boulevard has stayed near the top of the list of great movies about moviemaking. Included among the 25 films on the American Film Institute's 2005 list of AFI's 100 Years of Film Scores. When Joe tells Betty that next time he will write "The Naked and the Dead", he is referring to the best-seller written by Norman Mailer and published in 1948. Sondheim respectfully stopped work on the project and, on the same grounds, later declined an offer to write the score for a proposed movie remake., Additional Sources: Sunset Boulevard's cinematographer, John Seitz, said Wilder "had wanted to do The Loved One, but couldn't obtain the rights." Before he became a kept man for Norma Desmond, he was thinking of wrapping up the whole Hollywood deal and trying to get his old job back as a newspaperman in Dayton, Ohio. You murdered me. "Twin Peaks" also features characters named Chester Desmond and Norma Jennings, in reference to Norma Desmond. In an interview Wilder gave in 1996 he claimed that the film which eventually became SUNSET BOULEVARD began as a comedy for Mae West and Marlon Brando. Zach Laws, Chris Beachum. In fact, a pivotal plot point in the Showtime limited series of Twin Peaks (2017) includes a scene from "Sunset Boulevard" in which the character's name is mentioned. American Film Institute On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder, by Ed Sikov, 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. The first draft of the film was a straightforward comedy about a has-been actress making a comeback, and Wilder saw Mae West in the role. [12] Swanson later said, "Bill Holden was a man I could have fallen in love with. ", After serving with the U.S. Army Air Forces in World War II, he returned to Hollywood and in 1950 he got his first substantial role in Billy Wilder's "Sunset Boulevard," per Britannica. Wilder was no fan of improvisation and was very protective of his words. The film and actors was excellent and lived up to our expectations. [49], His death was noted by singer-songwriter Suzanne Vega, whose 1987 song "Tom's Diner", about a sequence of events one morning in 1981, included a mention of reading a newspaper article about "an actor who had died while he was drinking".

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