Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Gloria Swanson, as Norma Desmond, an aging silent-film queen, and Willia m Holden, as the struggling young screenwriter who is held i n thrall by her madness, created two of the screen's most memorable characters in " Sunset Boulevard." Winner of three Academy Award s®, director Billy Wil der's powerful orchestration of the bizarre tale is a true cinematic cla ssic. From the unforgettable opening sequence -- a body found floating in a decayed mansion's swimming pool -- through the inevitable unfolding of tragic destiny, "Sunse t Boulevard" is the definitive statement on t he dark and desperate side of Hollywood. Erich von Stroheim as Desmond' s discoverer, e x-husband and butler, and Nancy Olson as the bright spot amidst unrelenting ominousness, are equally celebrated for their master ful performances.