Gloria Swanson and "Sunset Boulevard"
Gloria Swanson and "Sunset Boulevard"
#1Gloria Swanson and "Sunset Boulevard"
Posted: 12/16/06 at 10:05pm
Hey everyone,
I just finished watching "Sunset Boulevard" with Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. I think its really nice, it may not be composed of such beautiful camera shots but its alright. I know why people keep saying that Glen Close acted out Norma better than Patti LuPone, there is a resemblance between Glen and Gloria. Has anyone seen the show, is it just as same as the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical>
Is there a musical version of the movie?
GOD BLESS
husk_charmer
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/19/06
#2re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/16/06 at 10:17pm
First, Buckley out did both LuPone and Close. Then again, a rabid squirrel could outdo Close.
Second, it is very close if not exactly like the movie. Very little got changed as I remember.
Third, there is a proposed movie, but given that Phantom was utter crap as a film, and ALW is losing steam, it probably will not happen.
http://www.youtube.com/huskcharmer
#3re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 12:08am
ya, the camera shot from the bottom of the pool isn't so great.
love carla
RIP glebby <3
Norma D
Understudy Joined: 9/22/06
#4re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 9:19am
I watched it last night on AMC. It's one of my favorite movies. You'll notice when watching it some of the dialogue is exactly like the lyrics to the songs in the musical. I love that about it! IMO--Elaine Paige looked the most like Gloria Swanson and sang it better than any other Norma! (If you couldn't tell from my avatar!
)
Bill's thirty-two. He looks thirty-two. He looked it five years ago, he'll look it twenty years from now. I hate men. --Margo Channing
#5re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 9:26am
That last shot of Swanson is terrible too. It goes all out of focus at the end. Couldn't they have hired a better guy to take the pictures?
Incidentally, his name was John F. Seitz (Seven times an Oscar nominee for Best Cinematography, including Sunset Blvd. in 1950)
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
#6re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 9:51amI saw it last night too. It's one of my favorites. For 1950, I thought the underwater shot was pretty good!
#7re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 9:55am
In case my sarcasm isn't coming through...
...Sunset Blvd. is a brilliantly shot film!!
I was kidding in my last posted remarks, because I was so surprised by the initially posted comments.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#8re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 9:58am
Sarcasm? From best12bars?
(At least, I think it's you. I don't recognize the avatar.)
Salve, Regina, Mater misericordiae
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra
Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
O clemens O pia
Vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra
Salve, Salve Regina
Ad te clamamus exsules filii Eva
Ad te suspiramus, gementes et flentes
O clemens O pia
Sant
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/12/04
#9re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 12:23pm
Actually, the camera was never under water when the pool scene was shot. It was done with a mirror.
A mirror was placed at the bottom of the pool and the camera was placed in an agle, towards the mirror, so that the police men were visible behind the floating Joe Gillis (William Holden). Quite clever actually!
#10re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 3:58pmI am watching it again tonight, since I was not able to see the start. (6PM TMC for those who want to see it)
jo
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/15/03
#11re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/17/06 at 8:02pm
I think it is as much William Holden's film as it was Gloria Swanson's. One of the most interesting black and white films I have seen.
keen on kean
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/1/06
#12re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/18/06 at 9:29pmSarcasm Alert - And that second-rate director, Billy Wilder.
#13re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/18/06 at 10:02pm
I thought Elaine was bloody brilliant for the part of Norma! She really should do the part on film...
Of couse, I am also a big fan of Petula and thought she did a good job too.
"Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge - they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."
#14re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/19/06 at 5:26am
I managed to see PATTI, BETTY, PET, GLENN and ELAINE but my money would still be on GLENN for the movie. I thought her performance was stunning and though she wasn't the best singer in the role I still felt overall she delivered the most believable Norma. I was generally disappointed with the actors playing Joe but I think that was more of an issue with how the character was written. He just seemed too "musical comedy".
GLENN CLOSE/HUGH JACKMAN gets my vote!
"Your eyes..... they shine like the pants on my blue serge suit"
#15re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/19/06 at 6:04amPersonally, I'd prefer a Norma who can both sing and act. I never liked Glenn, simply because she put everything in her acting, since her vocal abilities are so limited. Obviously, Glenn would be a big magnet for the audiences, but she would not be my choice.
#16re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 12/19/06 at 7:24am
Meh, I don't think Close is much of a money maker these days. Most of the time when I mention her people forget exactly who she is and I have to say "Cruella DeVille" and ALW isn't gonna make the movie popular either, I doubt it will happen.
Personally, Patti is my favourite Norma, but I'm really not into that musical at all so I don't care that much. The movie is genius and the musical could have been very good if put in someone else's hands.
Theatre is a safe place to do the unsafe things that need to be done.
-John Patrick Shanley
#17re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:04pm
Coming to CD:
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115407.html
(I searched and didn't see this on a thread, so...)
Gothampc
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/20/03
#18re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:18pmIf a movie of the musical is to be made, Barbra Streisand will be pushing to act, direct, produce, sing, orchestrate, sew the costumes and paint the set. I imagine she will sing "Sunset Boulevard" over the closing credits. The placement of her singing "Too Much in Love to Care" is rather tricky though, but I'm sure she'll squeeze it in before the New Year's party.
If anyone ever tells you that you put too much Parmesan cheese on your pasta, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
Ed_Mottershead
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/20/05
#19re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:28pmI think it goes out of focus deliberately.
BroadwayEd
#20re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:29pmI can't wait to hear "Hand It To The Gland". Classy.
And I Am Always So Vitriolic
#21re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:31pm
Very funny, Goth! I knew you could do it...
And broadwayboy--your reaction was priceless too!
Interesting how the film is narrated by a dead man--like DOUBLE INDEMNITY..
And how did Edith manage to win for EVE and not even got a nom for this one? I think her costumes are WAY better in SUNSET.
#22re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:34pm
The Sunset Blvd musical:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=m8fpyM97QKM
What great ones do the less will prattle of
#23re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:36pmI just got an email yesterday from some record company trying to sell me that recording, jpbran. There were a few videos of this on YouTube. Not sure if they're still there. It was kind of horrible, yet fascinating.
Art has a double face, of expression and illusion.
#24re: Gloria Swanson and 'Sunset Boulevard'
Posted: 2/27/08 at 2:39pm
Maybe ten years ago. The composer of Swanson's Sunset Blvd wrote another musical about his relationship with Swanson at the time of their collaboration.
A life imitating art sort of thing.
What great ones do the less will prattle of
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