SUNSET BOULEVARD (Paramount Pictures, 1950). Directed by Billy Wilder. Screenplay by Charles Brackett, Billy Wilder, D.M. Marshman Jr. With William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark. (110 min, black & white, 35mm print from the Copyright Collection, National Audio-Visual Conservation Center, Library of Congress)
Seventy-five years since its release, “Sunset Boulevard” remains one of the most incisive reflections of Hollywood on screen. Equal parts film noir, dark comedy, and character study, the film depicts former silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson) plotting her return to the screen by enlisting the down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden) to polish the behemoth of a script she’s been laboring over for decades. While Desmond refuses to fade into Hollywood obscurity, her larger-than-life persona proves too big a challenge for an easy comeback. Featuring Erich von Stroheim as Desmond’s devoted butler Max, along with appearances by Cecil B. DeMille, Hedda Hopper, and Buster Keaton, this fever dream of a fallen star from director Billy Wilder captures the dark side of celebrity during the twilight of the studio era. “Sunset Boulevard” was among the first films selected for the National Film Registry in 1989.
Seating is on a first-come first-serve basis. Doors open at 6:30pm.
Thursday, December 18, 2025
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm EDT
Where: James Madison Building – Pickford Theater (LM302)
101 Independence Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20540