The antique car used as Norma Desmond's limousine is an Isotta-Fraschini, and once belonged to 1920s socialite Peggy Hopkins Joyce. It was a gift from her lover, automobile magnate Walter Chrysler.
Even though Erich von Stroheim, plays a butler/chauffeur, he could not drive in real life. During the scenes in which he drove, the car was towed by another car. In the scene in which he drives Norma Desmond to Paramount Pictures, it was rumoured he crashed into the Paramount gate. According to the DVD commentary by Wilder biographer Ed Sikov, this story was most likely invented/exaggerated by Billy Wilder.
Excellent film from Billy Wilder (Some Like It Hot) about a struggling young screenwriter (Holden) who runs into former silent film star Norma Desmond (Swanson) who is dreaming of a comeback. She hires him to patch up her script so Cecil B. DeMille can direct her. The lady is a little around the bend, but the writer needs money so he takes the job. This is a marvelous film with great performances. And it holds up today beautifully. William Holden is great as Joe, the writer. It's one of his best parts ever. But it's Gloria Swanson who owns this picture. She is simply amazing. And the dialogue in this film is some of the best you will ever hear in a movie. Great stuff.
Movie Quote: Joe Gillis: There's nothing tragic about being fifty. Not unless you're trying to be twenty-five.
Jack Webb, performed as a crime lab technician in the film, He Walked by Night(1948), based on the real-life murder of a California Highway Patrolman. The film was done in semidocumentary style with technical assistance by Detective Sergeant Marty Wynn. The film gave Webb the idea for Dragnet.
With help from Sgt. Wynn and LAPD chief William H. Parker, Dragnet became a radio show in 1949 (running until 1954). It was a TV show from 1951 to 1959. Webb played Sgt. Joe Friday, and Barton Yarborough co-starred as Sgt. Ben Romero.
Webb, believed viewers wanted "realism" and tried to give it to them. Webb had a lot of respect for people in law enforcement. He intended to perform a service for the police by showing them as working class heroes.
Dragnet began each show with the narration "The story you are about to see is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent." At the end of each show, the trial verdict of the suspect was announced by Hal Gibney.
Webb continued to perform in movies, one of his best known performances was the best friend of William Holden's character in the film, Sunset Boulevard. In 1950, Webb performed with his future 1960's Dragnet partner Harry Morgan in the film noir Dark City, which also featured the first screen appearance of, Charlton Heston. In contrast to the pair's straight-arrow image in 'Dragnet', Webb played a card-shark in Dark City and Morgan a ex-fighter who tries to talk Heston back into a straight-and-narrow life.
In 1951, Webb introduced a short-lived radio series, Pete Kelly's Blues. That show became the basis for a 1955 movie of the same name. Neither the radio series or the movie did very well.
In the early 1960s Webb (along with actor Jeffrey Hunter) formed Apollo Productions. They made the TV series Temple Houston!
In 1963, Webb took over from William T. Orr as executive producer of the ABC detective series 77 Sunset Strip. Ratings fell and the series was cancelled in its sixth season.
In early 1967, Webb produced and starred in a new color version of Dragnet, this time for Universal Television. Harry Morgan co-starred as Officer Bill Gannon. The shows pilot, originally produced as a made-for-TV movie in 1966, but did not air until 1969. The TV movie was based on the Harvey Glatman serial killings. The TV series ran through 1970.
In 1968, with the help of Robert A. Cinader, Webb produced NBC's popular Adam-12, which focused on uniformed LAPD officers Pete Malloy (Martin Milner) and Jim Reed (Kent McCord), which ran until 1975.
In the 1970s Webb began to expand his Mark VII Limited into other shows. The most successful was, Emergency! On air from 1972–79. Webb cast his ex-wife, Julie London, as well as her second husband and Dragnet performer, Bobby Troup, as nurse Dixie McCall and Dr. Joe Early.
Sunset Boulevard (1950) Noir. Directed and co-written by Billy Wilder. Cast: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough and Jack Webb. Director Cecil B. DeMille and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper play themselves. Cameo appearances: Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner and Anna Q. Nilsson.
Having trouble finding work as a screenwriter, Joe is served with a court order turn in his car or pay $290 in back payments by the next day. Joe meets with Paramount studio producer Sheldrake to sell him a picture he has written, but is quickly turned down. Joe decides to head back to Dayton, Ohio, where he worked as a newspaper copy writer. While driving down Sunset Blvd., he sees the two men who want to reposes his car. He turns into the driveway of a old rundown mansion and hides the car in an empty garage. Joe then enters the house, where strange acting butler (he reminded me of Lurch from the Addams family), orders him upstairs to meet with "madame". Joe soon learns that he has been mistaken for a mortician, who is expected to arrive with a small coffin for the dead pet chimpanzee. Joe recognizes the woman as Norma Desmond, once a famous silent movie star. When Joe tells her that he is a screenwriter. She believes that they are compatible, and hires him on the spot. She has him stay in a room over her garage. The next day, Joe finds all his things have been moved from his old apartment. At first he is angry with Norma for her taking control of his life. Unfortunately, he desperately needs a job, so he keeps quiet. Joe sits back and watches Norma's fragile/enormous ego go through her ups and downs. One night, when Norma has her Hollywood friends come over to play bridge. Two men show up and tow away Joe's car. Norma has Max refurbish her expensive Italian sports car for him. In hopes to make Joe happy. On New Year's Eve, Norma throws a lavish party, Joe goes into a rage because he feels smothered and runs out the door.
Will Joe finally be on his own?
I really enjoyed watching the film Sunset Boulevard. I was surprised by the depth of characters. Especially the outrageous Norma's fragile/enormous ego. The story is dark and twisted with Norma's character coming out at the most surprising moments. Cinematography and lighting are wonderful. A movie I will never forget.
Fun Fact:
The role of Norma Desmond was first offered to Mae West (who rejected the part), Mary Pickford (who demanded too much control), and Pola Negri (who, like Mae West, turned it down), before being accepted by Gloria Swanson.
