William Holden

Gloria Swanson

Erich von Stroheim

Nancy Olson

Fred Clark

Lloyd Gough

Jack Webb

Franklyn Farnum

Larry J. Blake

Charles Dayton

Cecil B. DeMille

Hedda Hopper

Buster Keaton

Anna Q. Nilsson

H.B. Warner

Ray Evans

Jay Livingston

Fred Aldrich

Joel Allen

Gertrude Astor

Anne Bauchens

Edward Biby

Danny Borzage

Ken Christy

Ruth Clifford

John Cortay

Archie R. Dalzell

Eddie Dew

Julia Faye

Al Ferguson

Gerry Ganzer

Rudy Germane

Kenneth Gibson

Creighton Hale

Chuck Hamilton

Len Hendry

E. Mason Hopper

Stan Johnson

Tiny Jones

Howard Joslin

Arthur Lane

Perc Launders

William Meader

Gertrude Messinger

Harold Miller

Howard Negley

John "Skins" Miller

Lee Miller

Ralph Montgomery

Bert Moorhouse

Jay Morley

Eva Novak

Frank O'Connor

Robert Emmett O'Connor

Jack Perrin

Sidney Skolsky

Emmett Smith

Archie Twitchell

Yvette Vickers

Edward Wahrman

Henry Wilcoxon

Peter Drynan

Sanford E. Greenwald

James Hawley

Alan Marston

Bernice Mosk

Virginia L. Randolph

Bill Sheehan

Roy Thompson

Jack Warden

Finn Zirzow

Billy Wilder

Charles Brackett

D.M. Marshman Jr.

Franz Waxman

John F. Seitz

Arthur P. Schmidt

Hans Dreier

John Meehan

Sam Comer

Ray Moyer

Edith Head

Hugh Brown

Nellie Manley

Karl Silvera

Charles C. Coleman

Gene Lauritzen

Farciot Edouart

Otto Pierce

Frank Bracht

Sidney Cutner

George Parrish

Leonid Raab

Leo Shuken

Harry Lindgren

John Cope

Jack Colconda

Wally Westmore

Frank Thayer

Vera Tomei

Gerd Oswald

Steve Beers

Tom Plews

Gordon Jennings

Glen E. Richardson

Harlow Stengel

Walter Tayler

Fred True

Ed Fitzharris

Hazel Hegarty

Doane Harrison

Ronnie Lubin

Norris Stensland

Drama

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jealousy

loss of sense of reality

screenwriter

butler

delusion

diva

film noir

hollywood

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aging actor

has been

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movie studio

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List of movies discussed on my Podcast, Wait, You Haven't Seen...?

Wait, You Haven't Seen...?

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Welcome to the fascinating world behind the silver screen, where movies not only entertain us on-screen but also captivate us with the stories unfolding behind the scenes. From gripping documentaries to imaginative fictional narratives, these films offer a peek into the intricate workings of the film industry and the creative minds that bring our favorite stories to life.

In this realm, documentaries serve as windows into the real lives of filmmakers, actors, and crews, revealing the challenges, triumphs, and relentless passion that drive them. They uncover the meticulous planning, intense collaboration, and sometimes unforeseen obstacles that shape the making of cinematic masterpieces. Whether delving into the groundbreaking techniques of visionary directors or chronicling the historic moments that shaped cinematic history, these documentaries offer an unfiltered look at the artistry and dedication behind every frame.

Conversely, fictional narratives transport us into imaginative realms where the line between reality and illusion blurs. These films craft compelling stories that weave together the personal and professional lives of characters navigating the complexities of filmmaking. Through these narratives, we witness the emotional rollercoaster of artistic creation, from the exhilarating highs of inspiration to the gut-wrenching lows of artistic and personal conflict. They explore themes of ambition, betrayal, redemption, and the enduring power of storytelling itself.

Together, these behind-the-scenes movies celebrate the magic of cinema while shining a spotlight on the unsung heroes and visionaries who transform dreams into reality. Whether you're a cinephile seeking deeper insight into your favorite films or simply curious about the inner workings of Hollywood, join us as we explore the captivating world where imagination meets celluloid.

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This only includes nominees for Best Picture from 1930 onward. Complete list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_Award_for_Best_Picture

Academy Award Nominees and Winners

Cinema

ALL MOVIE LIST 1990-2023

Please additionally check, on TMDb's People category of boards, for threads I've created about the following individuals: Paula Abdul, Renee Adoree, Mary Astor, Lauren Bacall, Burt Bacharach, Tammy Faye Bakker, John Barrymore, Lou Bega, Eugenie Besserer, Marie Blake, Joan Blondell, Humphrey Bogart, Lilian Bond, Scotty Bowers, Laura Branigan, Louise Brooks, Yul Brynner, James Cagney, Karen Carpenter, Madeleine Carroll, Jimmy Carter, David Cassidy, Montgomery Clift, Joe Cocker, Charlotte Coleman, Tim Conway, Dolores Costello, Stephanie Courtney, Joan Crawford, Bing Crosby, Mary Crosby, Sonia Darrin, Bette Davis, Carl Davis, Viola Davis, Doris Day, Olivia de Havilland, The Dionne Quintuplets, Shannen Doherty, Ivan Doroschuk, Kirk Douglas, Billie Dove, Tony Dow, Bobby Driscoll, Isadora Duncan, Michael Dunn, Ron Ely, George Fawcett, Marty Feldman, Henry Fonda, Marie Fredriksson, Jonathan Frid, Blanche Friderici, Dwight Frye, Clark Gable III, Greta Garbo, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland, Greer Garson, Bobbie Gentry, John George, Edmund Gwenn, Lillian Hall-Davis, Lars Hanson, Theresa Harris, Katherine Helmond, Audrey Hepburn, Katharine Hepburn, Alfred Hitchcock, Phillips Holmes, Hedda Hopper, Rock Hudson, Felicity Huffman, David Johansen, Vera Karalli, John Karlen, Danny Kaye, Lance Kerwin, Terry Kilburn, Swoosie Kurtz, Barbara La Marr, Burt Lancaster, Jack La Rue, Stan Laurel, Cloris Leachman, Brenda Lee, Vivien Leigh, Jerry Lewis, Judy Lewis, Doris Lloyd, Carol Lynley, Madonna, David Manners, Tully Marshall, Johnny Mathis, Gina McKee, George Michael, Marilyn Monroe, Carmel Myers, Mary Nash, David Niven, Jessye Norman, Ramon Novarro, Merle Oberon, Dave O'Brien, Robert Osborne, Maria Ouspenskaya, Franklin Pangborn, Baby Peggy, Matthew Perry, Susan Peters, Mary Pickford, Nova Pilbeam, Buster Poindexter, Bonnie Pointer, Vincent Price, Prince Harry, Mae Questel, Claude Rains, Basil Rathbone, Thurl Ravenscroft, Paul Reubens, Gene Reynolds, Erik Rhodes, Nicole Richie, Naya Rivera, Blossom Rock, Kevin Rudolf, Eva Marie Saint, John Saxon, Artie Shaw, Harry Simeone, C. Aubrey Smith, Barbara Stanwyck, Taylor Swift, Ernest Thesiger, Tiny Tim, Tina Turner, Rudolph Valentino, Barbara Walters, Virginia Weidler, Raquel Welch, Mae West, Betty White, Mary Wickes, Jane Withers, Natalie Wood

Movies, Miniseries, TV Series, Documentaries, & Specials I've Created Discussions For

List of films featured on the Evolution of Horror Podcast

The Evolution of Horror

Any film I've seen in full from childhood to the present day and that's it. Some I may have seen only once or twice and others perhaps dozens of times. All films included regardless of genre, length, nationality, whether in black and white or color, live or animated, standalone pieces or part of a series.

Films I've Seen in Full

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Sunset Boulevard

Paramount Pictures

United States of America

Andres Gomez

A classic for the must to be seen list.

Gloria Swanson is magnificent.

Filipe Manuel Neto

**One of the great films of Hollywood's golden age.**

This movie is really special. Not only does it show us a lot about the world of Hollywood during its golden age, but it also reveals a lot about the actors' egos, vanities and their titanic struggles to preserve their careers and stay in the limelight. Brilliantly directed by Billy Wilder, it is considered by many to be one of the great movie classics, combining entertainment, artistic value and cultural relevance. In 1951, it won three Oscars (Best Screenplay, Best Art Direction in a Black and White Film, Best Comic Film Soundtrack) and could perfectly have won one more, for Best Actress. But awards like these are never completely fair, especially in years so fertile for good films.

Starting with the iconic scene of the dead man in the pool, the film intrigues us, and curiosity grips us, as the film shows how it all happened, introducing us to an average screenwriter who struggles to write a successful script that can leverage his career. He owes money, is in serious trouble and takes advantage of the opportunity to earn some easy money at the expense of a retired silent film actress, who decides to hire him to revise and type a script, written by herself and designed to mark her return. The script is mediocre, and he knows that the film will never happen, but he is coerced into silence, becoming the privileged eyewitness of the former star's gradual loss of lucidity. Of course, things get complicated as he loses his individual freedom and becomes more dependent on the whims and desires of his mistress.

Despite the fiction, the film is based a lot on several loose true facts: one of them, the most obvious, is the fall of several actors in the course of the transition from silent to talking films. There were great actors who looked magnificent on screen and had great physical and facial expression, but who didn't survive this transition due to things as prosaic as a poor English fluency or a strange accent. Others, however, simply did not know how to understand and adapt to the novelty. The collapse of their careers and personal lives led to alcoholism, drugs, mental disorders. The film is able to condense almost all of this into a single character: Norma Desmond, the epitome of the fallen star.

The cast has several well-known names, three of which – William Holden, Erich Von Stroheim and, obviously, Gloria Swanson – offer us the interpretation of their lives and their work of greater value and recognition. Of course, we cannot ignore that Swanson was a great star of silent cinema and that she shone in films like “Trespasser” or “Indiscreet”, and that Holden would continue to be a highly sought actor after this, having won his Oscar for Best Actor in a film that starred two years later. But there is no doubt that this film immortalized the three of them.

Technically, the film is impeccable, and the merit lies a lot in the brilliance of the dialogues, in the excellence of the conception and development of the characters, in the extraordinary way in which Wilder managed to get the best out of Swanson and lead the actress to a magnificent performance, which has so much to brilliant and difficult as well as provocative (especially from the point of view of many Hollywood shooting stars, who saw themselves in character and felt offended by it). With an excellent pace, the film does not waste time or let the atmosphere of tension and drama fall into a standstill. The mansion, owned by the Getty family, acquires character by itself as it becomes the most obvious symbol of the disturbed personality and only of its resident. The black and white cinematography is magnificent, and accentuates, in its details and shooting angles, the dramatic feel of the film. The soundtrack isn't memorable, but it's effective and functional.

CinemaSerf

"Gillis" (William Holden) is a down-at-heel script writer who is struggling to keep his head above water. Not having had any successes for a while, his car is about to be repossessed and his erstwhile boss "Sheldrake" (Fred Clark) has nothing for him. On the run from the pursuing repo men, he turns his car into the drive of a decaying old mansion. Hiding his car in the garage, he is mistaken by the house's owner for an undertaker - she has a small matter that needs attending too! Realising her error she demands he leave, but not before he mentions what he does for a living. She has a script. Hundreds of pages of script - and she offers him a job, champagne and caviar if he will edit and refine it so "Norma Desmond" (Gloria Swanson), a retired former silent movie star, can present it to her favourite director Cecil B DeMille and restart her glorious career. Initially just seeing dollar signs, he agrees and what now ensues is a masterfully crafted story of love, dependency, ambition and delusion in which Swanson absolutely shines. It's clear to us from the outset that her grasp on reality is somewhat limited, and but for her dedicated factotum "Max" (Erich von Stroheim) she might well have fallen victim to her own depression many years ago. Holden is also on solid form here, his initial selfishness starts to morph into something more, he begins to care for this woman whose head is increasingly in the clouds, and upon whom she is becoming more reliant. The dialogue is delivered via a mix of Holden's quite honest narrative and the conversations between the characters delivering some of the best lines in cinema - "I'm still big - it's the world that's got smaller!". The mental decline and instability of "Desmond" is expertly displayed here by a star who new a thing or two herself about the silent film scene, and who brings her facial expressions, her mannerisms and her generally star-studded demeanour to bear really effectively as the audience gradually realise that nothing here is going to pan out as it seems - or as anyone wants. Von Stroheim underplays his supporting role with aplomb and though I didn't really love the sub-plot with Nancy Olson's "Betty Schaefer" - it took away from the intensity of the main storyline - it did to serve to illustrate just how powerful jealousy can be. This is a super film, that still captivates on a big screen and is really well worth sitting down to watch.,

Ace! <em>'Sunset Boulevard'</em> is a splendid flick from 1950.

I will note that I found the middle to be ever so slightly less interesting than the beginning and ending, though even so overall I most definitely enjoyed watching it. Love the dialogue, the score is excellent too. William Holden and Gloria Swanson are tremendous together onscreen, in what is a supremely well told story.

Sunset Boulevard

A Hollywood Story.

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