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Sunset Blvd. (1950)

Not Rated  |   |  Drama, Film-Noir  |  25 August 1950 (Australia)
8.5
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Ratings: 8.5/10 from 126,866 users  
Reviews: 444 user | 185 critic

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

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Title: Sunset Blvd. (1950)

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Top 250 Movies #50 | Won 3 Oscars. Another 15 wins & 18 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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...
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Lloyd Gough ...
...
...
Larry J. Blake ...
1st Finance Man (as Larry Blake)
Charles Dayton ...
2nd Finance Man
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Cecil B. DeMille (as Cecil B. De Mille)
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...
...
Anna Q. Nilsson
...
H. B. Warner
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Storyline

The story, set in '50s Hollywood, focuses on Norma Desmond, a silent-screen goddess whose pathetic belief in her own indestructibility has turned her into a demented recluse. The crumbling Sunset Boulevard mansion where she lives with only her butler, Max who was once her director and husband has become her self-contained world. Norma dreams of a comeback to pictures and she begins a relationship with Joe Gillis, a small-time writer who becomes her lover, that will soon end with murder and total madness. Written by alfiehitchie

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

A HOLLYWOOD STORY: Sensational...Daring...Unforgettable...Sunset Blvd. See more »

Genres:

Drama | Film-Noir

Certificate:

Not Rated | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

25 August 1950 (Australia)  »

Also Known As:

A Can of Beans  »

Box Office

Budget:

$1,752,000 (estimated)
 »

Company Credits

Production Co:

 »
Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

| (cut)

Sound Mix:

(Western Electric Recording)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See  »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

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

Goofs

When Joe returns to the mansion after having been in the rain in a vicuna coat twice, the coat shows no signs of being wet. See 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.
See more »

Crazy Credits

The Paramount logo appears as a transparency over the opening shot. The words "Sunset Blvd." are shown stenciled on the curb of that street. See more »

Connections

Referenced in Nip/Tuck: KiKi (2005) See more »

Soundtracks

The Paramount-Don't-Want-Me Blues
(1950) (uncredited)
Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans
Performed by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans at Artie's party
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

Reel Life Gothic
16 September 2001 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Every time I go to L.A., which isn't too often, I look at these palm-bemused, once smart stucco facades, and wonder if a Norma Desmond from a later era might be hiding from the world inside them, buttressed by cable TV (AMC or TCM, no doubt), a poodle named FiFi or Sir Francis, walk-in closets full of leopard-print Capri pants that haven't fit in decades, and a world class liquor cabinet that has seen heads of state under the table on a good night. It is because of Sunset Blvd., for certain, that my mind could ever go there. It is one of the most indelible films you will ever see.

This film is great for many reasons, not the least of which is because it is Hollywood's first look back at itself. In the milieu of this film, the silent era is only 22 years behind us. The people left behind by the rush to sound can still palpably TASTE the fame, the accolade, that particular past being not so very dim and distant. The sadness of their lives was real, and at that point in history, all around, if hidden. Way more has been made of the supposed "savagery" of this film vis a vis the faded star than I think exists now, or ever did. The often cynical Wilder is deeply in touch with the tragic here, as much as the grotesque.


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Aging or the arrival of sound? Erniesam
DeMille was quite a good actor yniehr
Does this film fall under the Hays Code marhefka
Someone please answer nitinmohankapoor
At what age is it okay to watch this? sabika-angelz
Did anybody else find Gloria Swanson acting... snow_crash-3
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