Sunset Boulevard

This scathing film about Hollywood morality stars William Holden as an aspiring screenwriter who becomes a gigolo for fading movie Goddess, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). A beauty of the silent screen she now remains isolated in her Los Angeles mansion, remembering the days when her fame was celebrated throughout the world. With a cynical, erudite script and some of Wilder’s best direction, “Sunset Boulevard” is a classic about the decay of Hollywood’s Golden Age. As the central character willing to prostitute himself in order to succeed, Holden is excellent but it is Swanson who gives one of the screen’s greatest performances as the demented, dangerous Norma. Her final scene is unforgettable.