Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond, an aging silent film queen, and William Holden as Joe Gillis, the struggling writer held in thrall by Norma’s madness, created two of the silver screen’s most memorable characters in Sunset Boulevard. Erich von Stroheim as Desmond’s discoverer, ex-husband, and butler, and Nancy Olson as the bright spot in a sea of unrelenting ominousness, are equally celebrated for their masterful performances. Nominated for eleven Academy Awards (of which it won three), director Billy Wilder’s bizarre tale is an unforgettable statement about the dark side of Hollywood, from the famous opening sequence through the inevitable unfolding of tragic destiny.