One of the hardest roles to cast in history. No actress in Hollywood wanted to play Norma Desmond!! Gloria Swanson's career was virtually over, thus she agreed....and thus made her a legend.
interesting image at the trailer's beginning: the curb with "Sunset Boulevard" painted on it, with crushed cigarette butts below it in the gutter ... an image that deliberately undercuts the expected glamour ... as does the movie! And I didn't know that fact about actresses not wanting to play Desmond ... and most of us now remember Swanson because of the role. (and it was probably Bill Holden's bravest and best role as well ... in most films of the time the charming gigolo would have repented at the end and gone off with the good girl to live happily ever after).
One of the hardest roles to cast in history. No actress in Hollywood wanted to play Norma Desmond!! Gloria Swanson's career was virtually over, thus she agreed....and thus made her a legend.
ReplyDeleteinteresting image at the trailer's beginning: the curb with "Sunset Boulevard" painted on it, with crushed cigarette butts below it in the gutter ... an image that deliberately undercuts the expected glamour ... as does the movie! And I didn't know that fact about actresses not wanting to play Desmond ... and most of us now remember Swanson because of the role. (and it was probably Bill Holden's bravest and best role as well ... in most films of the time the charming gigolo would have repented at the end and gone off with the good girl to live happily ever after).
ReplyDelete