Hi everyone! What an amazing movie with some fabulous lines and great characters! The black and white cinematography really added so much mystery, tension, and beauty to this film and I honestly cannot see this movie being in colour. The performances were great and the portrayal of screenwriters as well as old time actors was really cool to see. Thanks for watching! Have a great day! :)

@miapdx503

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, this film was one of Hollywood's iconic movies. The stars, the script, the directing, everything about it is on point. One of those that I can watch again and again...🌹

You’re really one of the best reactors on here, Oliver. Other kids your age think movies from the 90’s are old. Not only are you acknowledging and paying respect to the classic, but you’re giving yourself a great education, and that’s the most admirable thing to me, causing me to respect you.

@thomastimlin1724

2 жыл бұрын

Amen to that.

A perfect movie! Buster Keaton was one of the “Waxworks”! Max is the famous director, Erich von Stroheim. His is the movie they are watching that was financed by Swanson’s lover, Joseph P Kennedy. And that really is the real Cecil B deMille! Swanson was a Movie Queen when the country didn’t just build theaters, but the grand, Movie PALACES to go watch the “silents” in with a full orchestra!! A few of those still exist like the Fox theater in Atlanta. They must be experienced!!

@TheZodiacz

2 жыл бұрын

The other 'waxworks' are H.B. Warner, whose film career started way back in 1900, and Anna Q. Nilsson -designated the most beautiful girl in America in 1907 who became a star with her first film in 1911.

@johnnehrich9601

11 ай бұрын

Buston Keaton did the absolutely most stunning (pun intended) stunts in his early years. My favorite is The General.

Great seeing your reaction to this iconic film. In the 1920s, Gloria Swanson was among the half-dozen or so actors at the very top of the heap in terms of fame, glamour, prestige, and popularity. By the 1950s, it was said that some of the then nearly forgotten silent movie actors who hadn't "moved on" or hadn't gone into seclusion could occasionally be seen strolling, ghost-like, on Hollywood Boulevard. It was also said that at screenings of Sunset Boulevard, 1950 audiences would sometimes gasp in recognition at the "wax works", i.e. Norma's bridge game partners. At the Oscars that year, Sunset Boulevard vied with All About Eve, an equally iconic film which coincidentally concerns another aging, imperious (but very different) actress/diva, of the Broadway stage, played by Bette Davis. You should check it out!

This film is an absolute masterclass in film making and still manages to surprise audiences decades after it was made. Glad you enjoyed this one.

This is an incredible film. Gloria Swanson at her best. When she comes down that staircase at the end is tragic and disturbing.

@randallstewart175

2 жыл бұрын

Indeed! Too bad he didn't show the final scene to fadeout. It's power to diminished because he edited out the end of the scene with its incredible timing.

@trevorschaffer9173

2 жыл бұрын

@@randallstewart175 I think it ended that way because Norma wanted a close-up, but was denied it. But what do I know?

@randallstewart175

2 жыл бұрын

@@trevorschaffer9173 In the film, Norma hits the bottom of the stairs, leans back a bit, and advances toward the camera with that almost serpent-like look on her face. She advances that way toward the camera until she blurs out of focus and her face files the frame. He edited out the last 5 seconds or so, with Norma about half way from the stairs to the end of the shot. Not a big deal, but it does remove one of the most striking endings in a movie.

@kcirtapelyk6060

2 жыл бұрын

The fact that she never won for best actress just proves that the Oscar’s are a joke.

@randallstewart175

2 жыл бұрын

@@kcirtapelyk6060 No opinion on your conclusion, but Swanson's history does not support it. Nearly all of her famous pictures predate the existence of the Oscars. Swanson was nominated for best actress at the first Oscars, didn't win, and started her retirement thereafter.

Another classic...Whatever happened to Baby Jane...starring Joan Crawford and Betty Davis.

Really enjoyed your reaction to this classic. One of my all time favorites. Gloria Swanson was born to play Norma Desmond ! I love how she uses her face and eyes silent movie style! The casting is pure genius in this film. Although, Gloria was supposedly not Wilder's first choice. I can not imagine it without her. Also, containing two directors that Gloria actually worked for: Demille and Von Stroheim. The writing , the direction, the acting, the costumes and set, etc.. This movie has it all!! Thanks!!

From the book Aunt Erma's Cope Book (1979) by Erma Bombeck: I didn't face up to my age until one afternoon when I was lying on the sofa half asleep, half absorbed in the old movie Sunset Boulevard, starring Gloria Swanson and Bill Holden. I had seen it a dozen times, but loved it. It was the big scene. The one where Bill Holden is leaving the aging movie star, Norma Desmond. A line in his speech nearly brought me off the sofa. He said, "There's nothing tragic about being fifty, Norma, unless you're trying to look like twenty-five." FIFTY! NORMA DESMOND HAD BEEN FIFTY ALL THOSE YEARS? I had remembered her as ninety-seven if she was a day. I watched in horror as she descended the staircase, the camera grinding away, the lights on her face. She was only a baby.

@perrymalcolm3802

2 жыл бұрын

Great point!

@TangentOmega

2 жыл бұрын

Interesting because I never saw her as old...just crazy. Even as a teen, I saw her as spunky and beautiful, but off.

@ronsavage6491

2 жыл бұрын

I think Carol Burnett's portrayal of her perpetuated the idea that she was elderly. And crazy. Definitely crazy.

@miapdx503

2 жыл бұрын

@@ronsavage6491 oh yes!

@wareforcoin5780

6 ай бұрын

​@@TangentOmega It's hard to see Gloria Swanson as anything but gorgeous no matter what age she was.

It is awesome watching you react to old movies and how much you appreciate the. Your face lighting up at the classic shots and lines is proof of why the classics are classics. I really love. Your appreciation of great film making..

So this movie is very much film noir” hence the voice over. “Sunset Boulevard” is a very meta film. In fact it may have been the first meta film ever made. The actress who played Norma Desmond is Gloria Swanson. And she actually was a star of the silent era. And the man who played the butler, who was her first husband, was played by Erich von Stroheim. He was one of the great directors of the silent era. Many silent classics under his belt. And the scene where Norma was playing cards with ole colleagues, those individuals were actual stars of the silent era as well. Including the legendary silent comic, Buster Keaton. Love that you’re exploring Hollywood classics. “Sunset Boulevard” is very much a Hollywood fable. Going to recommend a couple films for you. Another great Hollywood classic. An important film that has influenced many of filmmakers and artists. “The Night of the Hunter” from 1955 And in the tradition of “Sunset Boulevard” I’m recommending the film “Mulholland Drive” from 2001 This is inspired by “Sunset Boulevard” in being very much a modern Hollywood fable. Mulholland Drive’s story is totally different but influenced by Sunset Boulevard in stylistic tone and in being a Hollywood story Be great to see you check both these films out some time. They’re both amazing films.

I sat behind Wilder at a screening of this on Hollywood Blvd -- a month later Wilder was gone. Hollywood!

This is one of my favorite movies of all time and one of my favorite film noir films. It's a classic Hollywood story told in a classic Hollywood way; a story about Hollywood itself. The old actress. The young writers. The cold executives. Actors as commodities. Dreams that won't die. Narcissism and desperation. The excesses of old Hollywood. This movie is a classic black and white movie that is perfect in black and white. Color would ruin it. The lighting, shadows, and mood are as actors themselves. And talk about classic lines, the movie is full of them. All of the actors were fantastic but especially Gloria Swanson and William Holden. Norma Desmond was the inspiration for Carol Burnett's famous and classic Nora Desmond persona and skit.

Really insightful review, you totally nailed Norma - the tragedy and the fascinating thing is how this character is such a smart and sophisticated woman, but her detachment from reality sends her farther and farther into this delusion - brilliant. It’s awesome when someone discovers this movie. It was one of the first classics I got obsessed with, and if you’re a Hollywood history buff, look into the making of the film - this is such a meta film (that was actually Gloria Swanson’s own early silent movie she was watching, actually directed by Erich von Stroheim, who played Max; that was actually famous Film director Cecile B DeMille, who had worked before with Gloria, playing himself; the waxworks were actual famous silent film icons, etc, etc) and such a smart commentary of Hollywood by Hollywood. Thank you for giving me a chance to relive this with you!

@kevind4850

Жыл бұрын

Yes, the old film on the screen was _Queen_ _Kelly_ - but it was actually the last silent film that Swanson (and Stroheim) made, rather than one of her early films. It was filmed long after silents had become passé and bled so money that it was never finished. It was the last of the big-budget silents. Two pasted-together versions with snippets of added sound were released in the early 1930s only in Europe, and they have occasionally been available on DVD since the 1980s. It is also a dark, and seriously weird story in both versions. As you mentioned the waxworks, it was great that they used real stars, particularly Buster Keaton (his _The_ _General_ and _The_ _Navigator_ are exceptional comedies that even today's action-junkie kids still find hilarious).

Great reaction! Definitely recommend Billy Wilder’s other masterpieces: Double Indemnity (essential L.A. film noir), Some Like It Hot and The Apartment. Each is essential in film appreciation, plus they’re so entertaining.

@angelagraves865

2 жыл бұрын

Yes! Billy Wilder made some great movies.

@miapdx503

2 жыл бұрын

Absolutely 🌹

Highly recommend the follow-up Billy Wilder/William Holden collaboration, 1953's "Stalag 17," a great comedy/drama that won Holden the Oscar. And for a film with an equal amount of great lines, the movie that beat out "Sunset" for Best Picture, "All About Eve," is a good bet.

When I first saw this movie it made me realize how amazing the old actors that came out of the silent era were. They knew how to communicate subtle emotions with facial expressions and body language. That's a skill that's missing from all of today's movies.

@liteflightify

2 жыл бұрын

Using your face and body language to express emotions is still a huge part of acting. It’s just no longer the only part of film acting.

@TheZodiacz

2 жыл бұрын

@@liteflightify Nehemiah didn't say it wasn't a part of acting, he said it was a skill missing from today's movies.

"All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up." "I am big! It's the pictures that got small." This movie is either the greatest psychological noir movie of the Golden Age Of Hollywood, or top five at least. Fun Fact: As a practical joke, during the scene where William Holden and Nancy Olson kiss for the first time, Billy Wilder let them carry on for minutes without yelling "Cut!" (he'd already gotten the shot he needed on the first take). Eventually it wasn't Wilder who shouted "Cut!" but Holden's wife, Ardis (Brenda Marshall), who happened to be on set that day.

@billolsen4360

2 жыл бұрын

Nancy was so cute

@tracyfrazier7440

2 жыл бұрын

Did he include the I’m ready for my Closeup line? I missed it.

@BigGator5

2 жыл бұрын

Tracy Frazier ...No, no he did not. 🤔

I like your analysis of the importance of the house itself. I've seen this picture several times and never once gave thought to the house. If you notice, she starts to bring the house back to life when Joe Gillis becomes a part of her life: filling the swimming pool and having the dance floor polished (that Valentino once danced on) and fixing her fancy car.

I’m impressed that you’re reacting to this world famous enormous hit! Gloria Swanson! She looks so young to me now that I’m 67!!!!!!!!🤣🤣🤣 Holden had many great movies too.

The silent movie that Joe and Norma are watching, is Queen Kelly, a silent film that Gloria Swanson starred in in her youth. Choosing an actual former silent film star for this movie gives this movie so many layers.

"Sunset Boulevard" is one of my favorite pictures. I really enjoy your reaction. Greetings from Lima, Perú. Gloria Swanson was a famous star in silent films. It was really special the guest appearance of Buster Keaton as well Cecil B. De Mille. There is a famous Broadway play about this movie with Glenn Close in the role of Gloria Desmond. I believe in the '90s.

@randywhite3947

2 жыл бұрын

They are remaking this film as a musical

Great reaction, Ollie!! Franz Waxman's music grabs you by the ears at the very beginning and gives you a couple of good shakes before sending you on your way through this engrossing celluloid maze. The Lost Weekend (1945), Ace in the Hole (1952) and Stalag 17 (1953) are three other Billy Wilder films, that would be great for your channel. Keep up the good work!

My favorite reaction moment is when Norma is agonizing about getting back to work: “You’re not going to be working, your script sucks.” Ollie tells it like it is.

This is one of David Lynch's favorite films. His film "Mulholland Drive" (2001) was his tribute to "Sunset Boulevard". Maybe it's time for you to get into some David Lynch films. I recommend starting with "The Elephant Man" (1980) or "Mulholland Drive".

Joe was doing Betty a favor and getting her out of the orbit of Norma. The actor who portrays Joe's friend Artie is none other than Jack Webb, future star of the "Dragnet" television series. I don't know why, but "Sunset Boulevard" now makes me cry. Especially now that I'm older.

Erich con Stroeheim (Max) was an actual director of silent films and directed the silent film of Gloria Swanson with all the candles they watch in the living room.

great reaction. all about eve is another 1950 classic (and won Best Picture at the Oscars), it’s more of a drama than a noir/thriller but I think you’d enjoy it.

One of the most perfect movies ever and one of the few best film noirs ever. As far as great noirs, it’s right up there with Mulholland Drive and Chinatown, which you should get around to reacting to if you haven’t seen them. Also, up there with Vertigo, but you’ve already reacted to that.

@gggooding

2 жыл бұрын

Mulholland Drive is directly (esoterically) inspired by Sunset Blvd...their titles, even. Lynch even named his character in Twin Peaks, Gordon Cole, after a character in Blvd...he *loves* this flick _so_ much.

@liteflightify

2 жыл бұрын

@@gggooding I didn’t want to mention that because I felt it could be a potential spoiler/ruin a minor surprise. But yes, Mulholland Dr. contains allusions to at least Sunset Boulevard, Vertigo and The Wizard of Oz.

@gggooding

2 жыл бұрын

@@liteflightify Respect; sorry if I was spoily. If you care to look up an obscure film that hugely influenced Mulholland (and *certainly* Peaks as well) Venus in Furs, the '69 one, will surprise you. And odd that almost noone has seemingly connected it to Lynch. The IMDb description alone...

@CarloisBuriedAlive

2 жыл бұрын

I watched Sunset Blvd and Mulholland Drive at the same time in two different classes in high school, pretty cool experience

Thank-you for your very intuitive review of one of my favorite movies! I've watched documentaries about it and you picked up on nearly everything meant for the audience to appreciate. Gloria Swanson did such an outstanding job, that for decades afterward, people still believed she WAS Norma Desmond (see talk show interviews with her here at YT). Oh, and personally, I believe at the end Joe became cold toward Betty because he'd made such an impossible mess of his life and didn't want to drag Betty into it, as well as, Norma had threatened to harm Betty, so Joe wanted to distance himself to keep Betty safe. Norma was the perfect example of 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.' Thanks again for reviewing this wonderful film!

@torontomame

6 ай бұрын

I completely agree with you about the way Joe treated Betty at the end. He truly cared for her and didn't want to pull her into the mess, but he knew she'd stick by him. So he acted like a jerk intentionally, to drive her away. For her own good.

If he were 60 years older, he'd know that the theme of silent movie star failing to make the transition to the "talkies" was quite common in films of that era, mainly because all of those former stars were aging out in the early 1950s. There are many "easter eggs" in this film. How many folks know the names and history of the three people Norma was playing bridge with? Erich Von Stroheim, who plays the butler, was one of the most famous directors of the 1920s. His role directing her final scene decent down the staircase is one of those "egg" moments.

Best line in the all movies "I am big...it's the pictures that got small." Really people show some respect to older people...none of this "has been" attitude, "you used to be" crap. Someday you'll get to that point and you'll remember this line. If the character wanted to get some interview or something out of the old movie star, the best was is to butter her up with "i know you, you're big movie star" as in present tense.

Just like the movie "Laura," this movie starts out with narration by a dead man.

Erich Von Stroheim who plays Max was indeed an actual celebrated silent director. He directed Gloria Swanson in the movie that Joe and Norma watch in the study

@ericjanssen394

2 жыл бұрын

And her card-playing partners are also famous silent stars--The legendary Buster Keaton being one of them.

@Bent-Ed

2 жыл бұрын

@@ericjanssen394 true. A very meta movie.

@RickTBL

2 жыл бұрын

Stroheim's film Greed (1924) is one of my favorites.

@Bent-Ed

2 жыл бұрын

It's in my watchlist. I've only ever seen snippets in documentaries and it looks fantastic

Excellent (and important) reaction to this classic movie, especially for your openness to experience movies from this and other eras. My recommendation for another Billy Wilder movie that is of a different pace is SOME LIKE IT HOT. It was very daring for it's time and has a fantastic, witty, mature script that still holds up today. And it's really funny!!!!!

There were two sharp criticisms about Hollywood's disdain for "older" women that year (1950) and both are classics: Sunset Boulevard and All About Eve. Different in tone, and both with EXCELLENT dialogue and acting. The two female leads, Gloria Swanson (she WAS a silent movie star) and Bette Davis in "All About Eve" were up for the the Best Actress Oscar and lost! Doesn't matter because both are absolute classics. Great Reaction!

His best friend is actor Jack Webb who a few years later created the character of Joe Friday on the extremely popular TV show "Dragnet." It was mass favorite for years. Also, Billy Wilder, was one of the greatest directors and writers in Hollywood. Norma's house was a "museum" to honor her. Enrique VonStroheim was an actual director in 20's and 30's - very eccentric according to Hollywood lore.

Swanson was from the generation of actors portrayed in the film, but there was a popular misconception that there were auto-biographical aspects in her character. Quite the contrary. In the 1920s and early 30s, Swanson was one the most popular, active, and highly paid movie actors in the US. She made millions when there was almost no income tax. She lived in NYC and had a very active social life, both as a star and after she retired. I do not remember exactly what she said when asked why she came back in 1950 to do Sunset Boulevard, but I think she said she was curious about the subject matter and wanted to try something new. If you are interested, she did a terrific interview on the Dick Cavet Show some years later and discussed all of this.

Billy Wilder was a famous director - he had a number of collaborations with William Holden,incl Stalag 17 and Sabrina. The character of Norma Desmond was played by real life actress Gloria Swanson,from the silent era.And,ofc,we had a cameo from Cecil.B.DeMille - arguably the greatest movie director in hollywood history. This film,as you say,has aged well.A classic from the Golden Age of hollywood.Films like this simply wouldn't - or couldn't,be made nowadays.

Another wonderful gem. Thanks for that!

OK, now I'm subscribing. This is one of my all-time favorite movies.

The butler is played by Erich von Stroheim, who was a major film director in the 30s, then turned mostly to acting. The score won an Oscar. The movie was nominated for 11 Oscars and won three. That was Cecil B. Demille playing himself. Gloria Swanson had a long term relationship with Joseph Kennedy, the father of John Kennedy. They were both married. He took over her career, but when she made a movie that failed miserably (financed by Kennedy and directed by von Stroheim), they broke up. This was made into a Broadway musical starring Patti Lupone. The musical won the Tony for Best Musical.

Interesting note: One of Norma's Wax Works is the silent film comedian Buster Keaton. Television would start to revive his career just a few years later. Early TV was desperate for cheap content, so his old films would get rerun. Since it's all amazing physical gags, they were really popular with kids and he got a new young audience. Effort started to be put in to preserve his films too. And he started getting hired to be in all kinds of ads too. Even in his old age he was a top notch physical comedian and would catch the eye.

Now you gotta watch “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” Very suspenseful black and white film about two aging actresses who are sisters. It’s a wild ride

This is, hands down, my favorite film. Life goals is when I’m Norma’s age, my house will be packed with stunning portraits of me! Lol.

Nobody ends a movie like Billy Wilder. He’s the master of the final line. I hope you make this the start of a Wilder journey. He’s my favorite. Especially The Apartment. You need Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in your life.

@kaykutcher2103

2 жыл бұрын

I do wish someone will cover all of Wilder's work and I do mean all of it. Avanti was a most pleasant surprise and managed to snag the number one spot as my favourite film of his.

@Bent-Ed

2 жыл бұрын

@@kaykutcher2103 Avanti is a favourite of mine too. Fortune Cookie too...

@kaykutcher2103

2 жыл бұрын

@@Bent-Ed The Fortune Cookie was at the top of my list prior to seeing Avanti and I'll never understand why some consider it the lesser of Wilder's outings during his prime. I also think it's the best Lemmon Matthau team up.

I didn’t expect you to choose this movie to direct but was pleasantly surprised. You left out of your reaction a super famous line that’s one of the most famous lines in movie history- “I’m ready for my closeup, Mr. DeMille.” You still people say they are ready for their closeup. The man directing the movie on the Paramount lot was the real Cecil DeMille, one of the most famous old time Hollywood directors. He directed huge spectacles like “The Ten Commandments,” which they still show on network TV every Easter. Would you like to react to a funny movie? Billy Wilder directed the movie rated by The American Institute as the #1 comedy of all time. It’s called “Some Like it Hot.” I don’t know if it’s the best of all time, but it’s pretty good. The other Billy Wilder movie you mentioned, “Double Indemnity” is considered one of the top film noirs of all time.

Excellent review. A couple of points: at the end Joe breaks up cruelly with Betty because, although he cares for her, he doesn't want to ruin her relationship with his friend Artie. It's a "cruel to be kind" sort of thing. Also, people often class Sunset Boulevard as a film noir, because so many of the scenes are dark and full of shadows. But actually it's shot like a 1930s Universal Studios horror movie. Norma is the monster/vampire and her home is a creepy old mansion straight out of Dracula. See, for example, the scene where Norma finally kisses Joe - it's shot exactly like a vampire "kissing" his victim - including the discrete fade out, so that the audience had to imagine the full horror of what was happening.

I've binged some of your reactions tonight; subbed. Thanks for being a young guy who appreciates that life happened before 2000. Your comments are intelligent and informed after the movie is over, btw. Rare. As for the movie: I've always been surprised that this story was allowed to be filmed. Hollywood, at this time, acted as if the Silent Era was the industry's Original Sin and Silent Shame - the "thing never to be mentioned". This is probably because the Industry treated some of those old stars so awfully. Fatty Arbuckle was falsely accused of r*ape and m*rder; the studios never backed him up. Clara Bow - the famous "It Girl" - was "problematic" and they used the "talkies" as an excuse to drop her. John Gilbert, the successor to Valentino who probably delivered the best leading man role in the Silent Era in the film "The Big Parade", was literally destroyed by MCM chief Louis B. Mayer. Well, director Billy Wilder took on the forbidden Silent Era with bravado, but not as much bravado as Gloria Swanson, the only woman from the Silent Era strong enough - generalizing, here - who hadn't actually gone insane, like almost all the others. It's a wonder she hadn't gone insane. She once related a story of how she married her prince in France somewhere, came home to attend a movie premiere, and people cheered her just for existing. She told a friend that she knew it would never be as good as that for her. I guess she had enough self-awareness to withstand the withering x-rays of such total fame. Probably the biggest female Silent Star in total amount of years, well, maybe a tie between her and Mary Pickford. She began in 1914, iirc.

Some Like It Hot is one of the funniest movies ever made and is also a Billy Wilder film, starring Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis (the father of Jamie Lee Curtis), and Marilyn Monroe. If and when you watch it DO NOT leave out the final line in your reaction. It is one of the greatest final lines in movie history.

Your reactions were priceless! This is one of the most well-known films ever made!

Glad you liked it… it’s fabulous. The Director is Billy Wilder and made many brilliant films… pls try Sabrina, Ace on the Hole and Witness for the Prosecution ❤️❤️❤️

@darrenhoskins8382

2 жыл бұрын

Agree with someone else, think he drives Betty away to save her… William Holden is really great in many films ☺️☺️☺️

I once had to explain the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical to a friend who hadn't seen the original movie's plot, and after he couldn't quite picture it, I finally said, "You remember that character Carol Burnett used to play on her show?"...He got it. kzread.info/dash/bejne/nY2ctLN7ea6pe6g.html

I highly recommend you hit 'All About Eve' next. Especially if you are a fan of genius and witty dialogue. It was released the same year as Sunset Boulevard, and you can't find a better film.

Another great reaction, Ollie! I'm on a binge of your videos, and I'm continually impressed. Another great black and white mystery for you is 1944's "Laura" from director Otto Preminger. I think you'll love the directing and cinematography, which were both nominated for Academy Awards, and the score is classic.

Ooh. Can't wait till you enjoy the hilarious (and old) "Some Like It Hot"!

I never paid attention to directors of older movies, but looking up what Billy Wilder directed is amazing. My two favorites are Witness for the Prosecution and One, Two, Three. One a courtroom drama that I defy you guess the ending, and the other a fast-paced comedy which will leave you exhausted.

There is another film with certain thematic similarities to this one, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) starring Betty Davis and Joan Crawford. No one chews the scenery like Davis in this film.

DOUBLE INDEMNITY is a must see movie. Billy started as a screenwriter so he knows the background extremely well and was quite sought after not only to write scripts but to polish others up. My friend Joseph McBride has written a great critical biography about him.

@ronsavage6491

2 жыл бұрын

I believe he said he'll be watching Double Indemenity.😉

We the audience are all understanding the world has moved on from her, yet here she is, starring in one of the most unforgettable movies of all time. And many many actresses moved over time from the lead young heroine to character actresses and sometimes their fame only went up.

Welcome to the Wilder Side!

Norma’s scene with the line, I’m ready for my Closeup now, is iconic.

11:37 The man who said 'Spade' still got some work. If you've seen 'It's A Wonderful Life' you'll know him as George's first boss, Mr Gower I think. When George worked at the drug store and his boss got so drunk from grief over the death of his son he accidentally put poison in someone's medicine and boxed George's ears so hard they started bleeding before hugging him when he realised what he'd done. Small but powerful performance.

Not sure if anyone else noticed but all the photos surrounding Norma Desmond (played by Gloria Swanson) actually are photos of Gloria Swanson when she was young, in her silent screen days.

It's great that you did this film!! If you dig it, you must check out Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Lady in a Cage, Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte and Citizen Kane (in that order). Hope you watch them all. Another nice reaction; you're very entertaining. Thanks.

@jillk368

Жыл бұрын

@Benny Ford Hey, an upvote!! You made my day. Yes, I love that film. It's super weird and interesting. She was pretty incredible in it too. All the best.

You should watch Mildred Pierce w/Joan Crawford, All About Eve w/Bette Davis, Leave Her to Heaven w/Gene Tierney, and of course, Double Indemnity w/Barbara Stanwyck. All fantastic films with top writing, and acting.

Probably the perfect film example of an industry that giveth and taketh away. This movie still holds up today as it reminds us all, now more so, in the current social media world, how self destructive and damaging the craving of approval and audience truly is. The character of Norma Desmond is really our delusional selves nowadays as the need to show-off daily for approval (likes and followers, etc.) and "influencers", who seem to do anything other than hold real jobs. Lol. A movie of the times, or timeless, holding up that mirror up to ourselves.

“I’m ready for my close up Mr. DeMille” is a very famous line.

Wild that this kid watches movies that are older than my parents.

Around 1950, Hollywood realized it had reached middle-age, and began to reflect. That's partly why this movie exists.

Apparently David Lynch took his characters name in Twin Peaks from this film - Gordon Cole. On that note........watch 'Wild at Heart' (1990) A great David Lynch film.

Cecil B. DeMille, the director, was a real person. Gloria Swanson was living and acting for more 25 years. Her last movie is "Airport 1975". Erich Von Stroheim who played Max was a sweedish director. The Director of photography, Franz Waxman work before with Hitchcock on the set of "Rear Window".

Movies that are written & directed by the same person are almost always superior in every way.

Gloria Swanson was the biggest silent filmstar of her time and for this movie she is remembered the most. Great movie and for me it was a step in the past when I was watching this film on TV with my mother for the first time. I think I was 15 and the year was 1974. Great memories watching movies at night with my mom.

This is one of my favorite films of all time.

Billy Wilder had just come off 2 other great films you definitely need to see: "Double Indemnity" and "The Lost Weekend". In the mid-to-late 1950's, he would change to more romantic comedy style movies, such as "The Seven Year Itch", "Some Like It Hot", "Irma La Duce" (sp?), "The Apartment", and "The Fortune Cookie". ALL WORTH WATCHING!!! 👍💋

I was Norma Desmond for Halloween when I was 18 after seeing this movie in the Castro theater in San Francisco. I even made a cigarette holder. Good times. 🤣

I love your classic, older movies. Billy Wilder directed the Oscar winner The Apartment. It’s funny and dramatic, from 1960, set in NYC.

I remember seeing it in 1970 for the 20th Anniversary. In an Art Cinema.

You should also watch some other William Holden movies including The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Wild Bunch, Network, The Towering Inferno, Picnic, and Stalag 17.

I'm glad you enjoyed my movie. According to my past life regression I'm Gloria Swanson. Isn't that wild?! 😂 Seriously. The psychic show me.

I like the voice overs in these types of movies, like "Double Indemnity".

One of the best noirs. Since you seem to be a film student I have an old one (1938) for you. The Hurricane. A John Ford directed one. I don't usually like films from the 30s, but this one really captured me.

love your reaction! love this film. one of the best. I liked Montgomery Clift as an actor but he screwed up - when offered the role of Joe Gillis he turned it down saying it would hurt his image having his leading lady much older than he was so hats off to William Holden for taking the role and helping to make this a must-see.

12:40 Joe didn't like the idea of being a kept man.

Apparently Sergeant Friday of DRAGNET is unknown to the current generation.

Demille was played by Demille he was the narrator in the ten commandments.near the end on the staircase , that's hedda hopper a famous hollywood reporter.

Thank you, Oliver! 📽 Such great performances... and such distinct style. If you'd like to try more by Billy Wilder, I suggest THE LOST WEEKEND (1945), SABRINA (1954), THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH (1955), SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959) and THE APARTMENT (1960).

Gillis could write. She wouldn't let him change it.

Her favorite line is im ready for my close up.

This was the first time Hollywood turned around and took a look at itself, and its dark side.

We had faces!.. lol.. This is one of the best movies ever, and way ahead of it’s time.. And meta, or as we used to say… Inside baseball.. Norma Desmond lives..

You need to react to Batman Mask Of The Phantasm (1993). It’s a movie based on the Batman animated series from the 1990s and the movie got a bunch of great reviews despite the fact that it was a big box office swap it was a wide theatrical release movie. It is number four on my Batman Ranking behind the newest movie being number three, Batman Begins as two, and The Dark Knight as number one. I’m also a huge fan of the Tim Burton Batman movies and those were a part of my childhood and I was born in 2003.

The "has-been" actors playing cards with Gloria Swanson; her waxworks...you were very Right. They _were_ all *actual* silent era stars who had been forgotten after talkies came out. Meta for the win!

@geraldmcboingboing7401

2 жыл бұрын

The waxworks, Anna Q. Nilsson, H.B. Warner and Buster Keaton all had amazing silent movie careers, especially Buster. H.B. Warner played Mr. Gower in It's a Wonderful Life (1946).

Max Steiner wrote the musical score the same composer who wrote the score for King Kong and manny more movies that followed.

One of my favorite movies of all time!

I'm not saying watch a ton of silent movies on the channel, but just to let you know.....the silent era is an amazing era with seemingly endless fantastic films. And right now, you can find many classics here on You Tube, for free. It took me years to break into the silent era but wow, it is endlessly inspiring, endlessly entertaining, endlessly surprising. Gloria Swanson was the queen of glamour in the 20s. She has one of the best makeover scenes of all time in an early Cecil B. Demille film, "Why Change Your Wife?", great comedy. Erich Von Stroheim plays Max; Stroheim was one of the earliest "great" directors, and notorious. The clip you see of the young Swanson is from one of the most infamous movies in history, "Queen Kelly", which Stroheim directed. And of course the great, great Buster Keaton is one of the people she plays cards with. (they all are from the silent era). Buster Keaton is the one silent guy you'd probably get some hits with......because his movies are jaw-dropping spectacular, and still famous classics. "The General" or the 20-minute "One Week" are two great ones to start with. "Sherlock Jr." is another.

Originally the film opened in the morgue with the bodies therein draped in fabric, one-upping each other as to who had the most dramatic death. So many scripts borrow dialog, expression, sets, costume... from this film it has always been relevant. Try "Mildred Pierce" followed by "Queen Bee" in Mildred Pierce Joan, slaps a girl that was really sleeping with her husband they put it in the film. in Queen Bee that starlet returns the favor nearly knocking Joan off her feet.

You are extremely insightful❗🍸

A movie you might like about writers in Hollywood would be the Coen Brothers’ Barton Fink. “The life of the mind”