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The Music Hall In Sunset Boulevard

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A segment of life in Hollywood is being spread across the screen of the Music Hall in Sunset Boulevard. Using as the basis of their frank, caustic drama a scandalous situation involving a faded, aging silent screen star and a penniless, cynical young scriptwriter, Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder (with an assist from D. M. Marshman, Jr.) have written a powerful story of the ambitions and frustrations that combine to make life in the cardboard city so fascinating to the outside world.

Sunset Boulevard is by no means a rounded story of Hollywood, past or present. But it is such a clever compound of truth and legend—and is so richly redolent of the past, yet so contemporaneous—that it seemingly speaks with great authority. Sunset Boulevard is …show more content…

Aside from the natural, knowing tone of the dialogue, the realism of the picture is heightened by scenes set inside the actual iron-grilled gates of the Paramount Studio, where Norma Desmond goes for an on-the-set visit with her old comrade, Cecil B. DeMille himself. And the fantastic, Babylonian atmosphere of an incredible past is reflected sharply in the gaudy elegance of the decaying mansion in which Norma Desmond lives.

The hope that propels young people to try their luck in Hollywood is exemplified by Betty Schaefer, a studio reader with writing ambitions who is beautifully portrayed by Nancy Olson. Fred Clark makes a strong impression as a producer working for his second ulcer, and there is heartbreak in a simple card game scene where "the wax works," as Gillis cynically refers to Norma 's friends, includes Buster Keaton, Anna Q. Nilsson, and H. B. …show more content…

But while all the acting is memorable, one always thinks first and mostly of Miss Swanson, of her manifestation of consuming pride, her forlorn despair, and a truly magnificent impersonation of Charlie Chaplin.

Sunset Boulevard is a great motion picture, marred only slightly by the fact that the authors permit Joe Gillis to take us into the story of his life after his bullet-ridden body is lifted out of Norma Desmond 's swimming pool. That is a device completely unworthy of Brackett and Wilder, but happily it does not interfere with the success of Sunset

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Sunset Boulevard is a classic black comedy/drama, the most acclaimed, but darkest film noir story about Hollywood and what happens behind the scenes written by Billy Wilder. It shows the true deceitfulness, emptiness, the price of fame, greed, narcissism, and ambition it really takes to be an actor or actress during the 1950’s in Hollywood. Norma Desmond was one of the main characters and she showed viewers how easily they can perceive their characters on screen for their real life and get them twisted. In the 1950’s fans of the film wanted the actors to be just as perfect as they appeared on screen. The classic, tragic film was highly regarded at its time, honored with eleven Academy Award nominations and the recipient of three Oscars: Best

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In the film Sunset Boulevard many characters struggled with wishes, lies and dreams of fame and fortune. The film states the corruption in Hollywood and that people will do anything to get ahead. With hope and delusion each character tries to gain happiness, while only being self-destructive and isolating themselves. The characters ultimately deny their problems and confuse those around them. One character in the film who struggles with her wishes, lies and dreams is, Norma Desmond, a washed up actress.

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