To answer your question: I used to be a professional Hollywood script reader before I sold my first screenplay and, yes, all I did was read scripts and give notes on them. It’s called doing coverage. Made me a much better writer, but it was grueling.

Great pick! And great pic! For the record, though, Cecil B. DeMille was the Steven Spielberg of the Golden Age of movies. He made a slew of Hollywood's most famous movies, "The Ten Commandments" with Charlton Heston being among them. And that was DeMille playing himself. At the Academy Awards, the Oscar given for Lifetime Achievement is the Cecil B DeMille Award

My introduction to film actress Gloria Swanson was via the Nintendo Animal Crossing video game series. There is a villager (who is a duck) named “Gloria,” who happens to be a glam movie star from yesteryear 🦆

Buster Keaton, was one of Norma silent actor friends at the poker table, he was the one they showed holding his card. So great to some real famous actors mention and in the movie, and having Cecil B DeMille mentioned by in the movie. This showing Hollywood, by Hollywood. Gloria Swanson final scene, although you both not really care for, is the most famous scene from this movie.

Great film! So many little details, like the fact that, on the set when the old lighting guy points the spotlight on Norma, all the people that surround her are older actors and crew.

Glad you guys did not hate it - I wasn't sure how a 76 year old movie would go over. That said, shame on you guys for not knowing who Cecil B DeMille is! =)

Oh HELL yes

i was in love with William Holden all my life until his tragic passing in 1981 - some of his movies no longer work for me (think Picnic), and some are classic IMO (Network) but this is the one i can always rewatch and appreciate his practiced nonchalance in virtually every scene, until he lets his feels show too

Also, this movie comes in #16 on the AFI top 100 American movies of all time

But are you ready for your close up?

Hope you guys love this movie. I know William Holden more for Network, one of the greatest films ever!

Since TA is a sci-fi & horror niche channel, why are BC patrons submitting films like this? Seems odd, I mean what's the audience here for this?

Nominated for 11 Academy Awards...harsh self-criticism of the film industry Gloria Swanson WAS a HUGE silent movie star in the 1920s and WAS considered a bit washed up in 1950. So the irony of this movie was that the actress herself MIGHT be blaming the industry and the studio for not shining the spotlight on her anymore and deciding to move on and that her answer in this film was to go crazy and kill. So the people going to the movie would be shocked since it would be a form of breaking the 4th wall by saying - ignore me and I will be avenged

Your confusion about Joe narrating is understandable given how that gimmick is now more a cliche, but this was the first movie to do that. The fact that the narrator throughout this movie turns out to be have been dead this whole time was a unique and revolutionary idea back in 1949/1950. Of course, now with things like The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, and so forth, it doesn't seem as novel to us as it did back then.

Joe's friend Artie at the party mentions (actor Jack Webb), among his many other funny false accusations, as being a Black Dhalia suspect - a very high profile murder case in L.A. in the late 1940s.

Love the name dropping in the producers office - all real people in Hollywood movies at the time. And Schwab's was real and a famous spot, too, along with the other locations.