Sunset Boulevard, Billy Wilder’s 1950 masterpiece, stands as one of the greatest films of all time and probably the greatest film about Hollywood by Hollywood.
Starring Gloria Swanson in a career-reviving performance as tragic silent movie queen, Norma Desmond, and William Holden as the writer to whom she pins her dreams of a comeback, the film garnered an impressive 11 Academy Award nominations.
A newly-restored, high definition version of the movie has finally made its way to Blu-ray, and to celebrate, here are a few clips that demonstrate why Sunset Boulevard remains big…It’s just the pictures that got small.
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One of those years when the nominees for best actress were just so good, heartbreak, one way of the other was going to happen. Both Swanson and Bette Davis in “All About Eve” lost to Judy Holiday in “Born Yesterday.” And hers too, is a magnificent performance that still stands the test of time.
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Swanson, Holiday and Jose Ferrer (Best Actor for Cyrano) were assembled in New York, for the announcements, and when Judy’s name was called, Swanson who did not begrudge Judy the win, nevertheless mournfully whispered, “Couldn’t you have waited till next year, dear?”
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Davis, temporarily in England to film “Another Man’s Poison,” listened to the awards over the radio. When Holiday’s name was called, Davis pronounced, “Good. A newcomer got it. I couldn’t be more pleased.” Not a soul in the room believed her.