Sunset Boulevard- Directed by Billy Wilder- 1950 - Starring Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Eric Von Stroheim

 Sunset Boulevard- Directed by Billy Wilder- 1950 - Starring Gloria Swanson, William Holden and Eric Von Stroheim - Available on Amazon Prime Video on The Max Channel 

Sunset Boulevard is often cited as one of Hollywood’s greatest films, especially noted for Gloria Swanson’s portrayal of a fading silent-film star. The movie is named after the iconic street that runs through Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, Calif. Deemed “culturally, historically or aesthetically significant” to America’s film heritage, it was among the first films selected in 1989 for inclusion in the Library of Congress’s National Film Registry.

I found Sunset Boulevard riveting, part tragedy, part very dark comedy. Gloria Swanson was totally compelling.  Her house was fascinating.

With Sunset Boulevard, Swanson, a real-life silent-screen star, actually made a comeback, something her character is unable to achieve. Although Swanson was only 50 years old at the time, she was made to appear much older in the film. Her striking appearance and dramatic delivery, Holden’s much-acclaimed performance as her ambivalent gigolo, and the performance of famed German silent-film director Stroheim all contributed 

. Director Cecil B. DeMille, who frequently worked with Swanson in her heyday, appears as himself in the film.