Two films that star William Holden have very different endings.
One narrative can reach two very different conclusions. Although two films’ plots can seem similar, one could be a comedy, while the other takes a tragic turn. When an actor plays a role in both films, the similarities are hard to overlook.
The Billy Wilder-directed melodrama, “Sunset Boulevard” (1950), features one of Holden’s most acclaimed performances, earning him his first Best Actor Academy Award nomination. In contrast, the Irving Rapper-directed comedy “Forever Female” (1953) has been largely forgotten. Both are worth watching just to see how they compare.
A Melodrama and a Comedy
“Sunset Boulevard” tells the Hollywood story about an out-of-work scriptwriter, Joe Gillis (William Holden), who stumbles into the frozen-in-time mansion of eccentric, forgotten silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Desperate for money, Joe agrees to revise the absurd script she wrote for her movie comeback, but he soon finds himself a prisoner in the house. The mentally imbalanced middle-aged has-been falls in love with him, and her sinister butler, Max von Mayerling (Erich von Stroheim), who is also her ex-husband, aids her delusions. Joe sneaks out at night to work on his own script with young production assistant Betty Schaefer (Nancy Olson), and they start developing feelings for each other.
