It’s hard to talk about All About Eve, without mentioning it’s cross town rival that year.
[left][size=5]Sunset Boulevard[/size][/left]
Ranked by AFi as the 12th Best Movie of the 20th Century, Sunset Boulevard tells the story of struggling screenwriter Joe Gillis. After failing to sell a script to Paramount Pictures, Gillis finds himself breaking down in front of an old Hollywood mansion. When he enters the house to use the phone, he meets aging, silent film actress Norma Desmond. This small turn of events would have permanent and lasting effects on his life, as he is pulled into Norma’s world.
Fun Facts
The lead role of Norma Desmond was played by Gloria Swanson, who was actually retired at the time. Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett were able to convince her to come out of retirement for one last role at the studio where she became a star, Paramount.
The character of Norma Desmond is said to be have inspired by silent movie queen Norma Talmadge, who was wildly popular and wealthy during the 1920’s. Norma is perhaps best remembered for starting the tradition of leaving imprints at Grauman’s Chinese Theater, when she accidentally stepped in wet cement outside the theater.
Gloria Swanson was chagrined at the notion of submitting to a screen test, saying she had “made twenty films for Paramount. Why do they want me to audition?” Her reaction was later echoed in the screenplay when Norma Desmond declares, “without me there wouldn’t be any Paramount.”
In an effort to keep the full details of the story from Paramount Pictures and avoid the restrictive censorship of the Breen Code, they submitted the script a few pages at a time. The Breen Office insisted certain lines be rewritten, such as Gillis’s “I’m up that creek and I need a job,” which became “I’m over a barrel. I need a job.” Paramount executives thought Wilder was adapting a story called A Can of Beans (which did not exist) and allowed him relative freedom to proceed as he saw fit. Only the first third of the script was written when filming began in early May 1949, and Wilder was unsure how the film would end. This would be a practice that Wilder would use in later films for Paramount, such as Sabrina.
Famous Quotes
“All right Mr. Demille. I’m ready for my closeup.” - Norma Desmond (This is one of the most misquote film lines of all time.)
“I am big. It’s the pictures that got small.” - Norma Desmond
Trailers/Clips
http://www.amazon.com/Sunset-Boulevard-Centennial-William-Holden/dp/B001EXE2ZG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1338262655&sr=8-2
