Directed by:
Billy WilderCinematography:
John F. SeitzComposer:
Franz WaxmanCast:
William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Franklyn Farnum, Jack Webb, Lloyd Gough, Cecil B. DeMille, Hedda Hopper (more)VOD (5)
Plots(1)
Billy Wilder directs this Oscar-winning classic expose of the Hollywood studio system. Struggling Hollywood writer Joe Gillis (William Holden) is attempting to avoid his creditors when he pulls his car into the garage of an apparently deserted mansion. He soon discovers that it is in fact the home of Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), an ageing actress who was once a star of silent films. Desperate for money, Gillis agrees to work on a screenplay adaptation of 'Salome' which Norma has written for her intended comeback. Gillis then gradually becomes trapped in Norma's bizarre fantasy world, and when he tries to leave her, she makes an attempt at suicide. The film also features silent screen legends Cecil B. DeMille, Buster Keaton and Erich von Stroheim in supporting roles. (Paramount Home Entertainment)
(more)Soundtracks
Sunset Boulevard
Music from the Motion Picture
Label: La-La Land Records
Year: 2016
Country: USA
Format: digital
Length: 50:16
1. | Prelude | Franz Waxman | 08:18 |
2. | Money Trouble / The Schwabadero | Franz Waxman | 01:11 |
3. | Chase And Mansion / An Aging Actress | Franz Waxman | 03:54 |
4. | The Organ Grinder | Franz Waxman | 00:40 |
5. | A Curious Collaboration | Franz Waxman | 00:38 |
6. | Norma’s Gallery | Franz Waxman | 01:19 |
7. | Afternoon Outings / Sacrifice Of Self-Respect | Franz Waxman | 04:47 |
8. | Dramatic Chord | Franz Waxman | 01:04 |
9. | After Auld Lang Syne / The Pampered Prince | Franz Waxman | 00:49 |
10. | Parading To Paramount | Franz Waxman | 00:54 |
11. | Interview With DeMille | Franz Waxman | 01:49 |
12. | DeMille’s Compassion | Franz Waxman | 00:38 |
13. | The Studio Stroll | Franz Waxman | 00:25 |
14. | Farewell / Joe Walks Out | Franz Waxman | 06:41 |
15. | The Comeback | Franz Waxman | 04:19 |
16. | Sunset Boulevard Cast | Franz Waxman | 00:27 |
17. | Toccata And Fugue In D Minor (Excerpts) | Franz Waxman | 02:39 |
18. | La Cumparsita | Franz Waxman | 03:32 |
19. | Diane | Franz Waxman | 02:51 |
20. | Charmaine | Franz Waxman | 02:20 |
21. | Auld Lang Syne | Franz Waxman | 01:01 |
Sunset Boulevard
Original Sound Track 1950
Label: Classic Soundtrack Collector
Year: 2013
Country: USA
Format: digital
Length: 47:37
1. | Sunset Boulevard Prelude | Franz Waxman | 08:18 |
2. | Money Trouble / The Schwabadero | Franz Waxman | 01:11 |
3. | Chase And Mansion / An Aging Actress | Franz Waxman | 03:54 |
4. | The Organ Grinder | Franz Waxman | 00:40 |
5. | A Curious Collaboration | Franz Waxman | 00:38 |
6. | Norma’s Gallery | Franz Waxman | 01:19 |
7. | Afternoon Outings / Sacrifice Of Self-Respect | Franz Waxman | 04:47 |
8. | Dramatic Chord | Franz Waxman | 01:04 |
9. | After Auld Lang Syne / The Pampered Prince | Franz Waxman | 00:49 |
10. | Parading To Paramount | Franz Waxman | 00:54 |
11. | Interview With Demille | Franz Waxman | 01:49 |
12. | Demille’s Compassion | Franz Waxman | 00:38 |
13. | The Studio Stroll | Franz Waxman | 00:25 |
14. | Farewell / Joe Walks Out | Franz Waxman | 06:41 |
15. | The Comeback | Franz Waxman | 04:19 |
16. | Sunset Boulevard Cast | Franz Waxman | 00:27 |
17. | La Cumparsita | Franz Waxman | 03:32 |
18. | Diane | Franz Waxman | 02:51 |
19. | Charmaine | Franz Waxman | 02:20 |
20. | Auld Lang Syne | Franz Waxman | 01:01 |
Sunset Blvd.
Music from the Motion Picture
Label: Counterpoint
Year: 2010
Country: USA
Format: CD
Length: 55:03
Notes:
Special Edition.
This first-ever studio-authorized release incorporates all of the surviving elements in the Paramount Pictures music archive (approximately two-thirds of the complete score) along with the original "Prelude" and "Conversing Corpses," a cue for a brilliantly scored deleted scene. Because of their major importance to the film's story, the bonus section also includes all of the surviving source cues—even though some of these tracks have suffered from their years of storage. A final treat is the Jay Livingston–Ray Evans song "Paramount Don't-Want-Me Blues" (not used in the finished film), newly recorded especially for this release by Los Angeles vocalist Whitney Claire Kaufman and pianist Nelson Kole.
1. | Prelude | Franz Waxman | 08:18 |
2. | Money Trouble / The Schwabadero | Franz Waxman | 01:11 |
3. | Chase And Mansion / An Aging Actress | Franz Waxman | 03:54 |
4. | The Organ Grinder | Franz Waxman | 00:40 |
5. | A Curious Collaboration | Franz Waxman | 00:38 |
6. | Norma’s Gallery | Franz Waxman | 01:19 |
7. | Afternoon Outings / Sacrifice Of Self-Respect | Franz Waxman | 04:47 |
8. | Dramatic Chord | Franz Waxman | 01:04 |
9. | After Auld Lang Syne / The Pampered Prince | Franz Waxman | 00:49 |
10. | Parading To Paramount | Franz Waxman | 00:54 |
11. | Interview With Demille | Franz Waxman | 01:49 |
12. | Demille’s Compassion | Franz Waxman | 00:38 |
13. | The Studio Stroll | Franz Waxman | 00:25 |
14. | Farewell / Joe Walks Out | Franz Waxman | 06:41 |
15. | The Comeback | Franz Waxman | 04:19 |
16. | Sunset Boulevard Cast | Franz Waxman | 00:25 |
17. | Toccata And Fugue In D Minor (Excerpts) | Franz Waxman | 03:36 |
18. | La Cumparsita | Franz Waxman | 03:32 |
19. | Diane | Franz Waxman | 02:51 |
20. | Charmaine | Franz Waxman | 02:20 |
21. | Auld Lang Syne | Franz Waxman | 01:01 |
22. | Main Title (Film Version With Effects) | Franz Waxman | 01:28 |
1. | NOT IN FILM: "The Paramount-Don’t-Want-Me Blues" - Whitney Claire Kaufman | 02:24 |
Sunset Boulevard
Original Motion Picture Score
Label: Varese Sarabande
Year: 2002
Country: USA
Format: CD
Length: 01:08:36
Notes: New Recording Conducted By Joel McNeely.
1. | Sunset Boulevard Prelude | Franz Waxman | 03:51 |
2. | Paramount Sutdio | Franz Waxman | 00:55 |
3. | Chase And Mansion | Franz Waxman | 03:42 |
4. | Norma Desmond | Franz Waxman | 02:18 |
5. | An Aging Actress | Franz Waxman | 00:54 |
6. | Reading The script | Franz Waxman | 02:34 |
7. | The Strange Garden | Franz Waxman | 01:56 |
8. | Norma's Gallery | Franz Waxman | 01:24 |
9. | The Waxworks And The Bridge Game | Franz Waxman | 01:44 |
10. | Afternoon Outings | Franz Waxman | 01:00 |
11. | Sacrifice Of Self-Respect | Franz Waxman | 04:07 |
12. | The Old Bathing Beauty | Franz Waxman | 02:29 |
13. | Parading To Paramount | Franz Waxman | 00:55 |
14. | Old Friends | Franz Waxman | 01:27 |
15. | DeMille's Compassion | Franz Waxman | 00:42 |
16. | Norma's Suspicions | Franz Waxman | 03:55 |
17. | A New Interest And The Studio Stroll | Franz Waxman | 05:08 |
18. | Her First Husband | Franz Waxman | 02:56 |
19. | The Showdown | Franz Waxman | 04:14 |
20. | Farewell | Franz Waxman | 01:56 |
21. | Joe Walks Out | Franz Waxman | 05:22 |
22. | The Corpse | Franz Waxman | 01:11 |
23. | The Comeback | Franz Waxman | 04:24 |
24. | Sunset Boulevard Cast | Franz Waxman | 00:31 |
25. | BONUS TRACK: Prelude And Conversing Corpses | Franz Waxman | 09:01 |
Sunset Boulevard / Demetrius and the Gladiators
Two Original Film Scores
Label: Sound Stage
Year: 1999
Country: USA
Format: CD
Length: 56:16
1. | SUNDET BOULEVARD: Main Title / The Morgue / Joe's Apartment | Franz Waxman | 08:18 |
2. | Joe And His Car | Franz Waxman | 00:19 |
3. | Schwabb's Drug Store | Franz Waxman | 00:54 |
4. | Get Another Agent! | Franz Waxman | 00:45 |
5. | Car Chase / Deserted Mansion | Franz Waxman | 02:26 |
6. | Norma Desmond | Franz Waxman | 00:45 |
7. | Joe Wakes Up In Norma's House | Franz Waxman | 01:16 |
8. | The Great Norma Desmond | Franz Waxman | 01:19 |
9. | The Old Car | Franz Waxman | 00:59 |
10. | As Long As the Lady's Paying / Rain / No Locks | Franz Waxman | 03:49 |
11. | Suicide Attempt | Franz Waxman | 01:03 |
12. | Happy New Year, Norma / Norma As Charlie Chaplin | Franz Waxman | 00:49 |
13. | Drive To Paramount | Franz Waxman | 00:55 |
14. | Norma and DeMille | Franz Waxman | 01:48 |
15. | Norma Leaves Paramount / Norma's Beauty Treatments / Walk Around Paramount | Franz Waxman | 01:02 |
16. | Betty Leaves Joe | Franz Waxman | 01:53 |
17. | Joe Tries To Leave Norma / Norma's Delirium / The Gun Shot | Franz Waxman | 04:59 |
18. | The Final Irony | Franz Waxman | 04:22 |
19. | End Cast | Franz Waxman | 00:26 |
20. | Main Title (Film Version) | Franz Waxman | 01:29 |
21. | DEMETRIUS AND THE GLADIATORS: Prologue / Main Title | Franz Waxman | 02:34 |
22. | Thunder Storm / Caligula Goes To Messalina's Room | Franz Waxman | 01:38 |
23. | Tomb Of Marcellus And Diana | Franz Waxman | 03:00 |
24. | Soldiers Search For The Robe | Franz Waxman | 00:27 |
25. | The Marriage Of Life And Death | Franz Waxman | 01:33 |
26. | Dance Of Messalina's Slaves | Franz Waxman | 01:35 |
27. | Return To Faith | Franz Waxman | 03:00 |
28. | Death Of Caligula / Messalina's Vow | Franz Waxman | 02:07 |
29. | Finale | Franz Waxman | 00:46 |