[cinderella]

Venus, hi! So glad you're participating in the thread.

Sunset Boulevard is one of my favorite films too. I own the film, never fail to watch it on TCM when it's on, and have lost count of the times I've seen it - must be at least 100 times, and that's a modest number!! My favorite part - because it's so poignant, and she does it soooo well, is the part early in the film when William Holden is in her bedroom, and he recognizes her and says: "I know you. You're Norma Desmond. You used to be big." and she replys as the camera comes in for a close-up: "I AM BIG, it's the PICTURES that got small!!!" Wow, what a line!!! Love it!!!

I have read Gloria Swanson's biography, and have seen clips of vids where she's interviewed (you can prob find them on YouTube.com)

Gloria Swanson was an international MEGA film icon in her day. Anything she did or said, or wore (she was a clothes-horse!), was BIG NEWS. She received thousands of fan mail weekly (just like in Sunset - only the mail was not 'faked'), and had a staff just for handling fan mail.

She started out her movie career as a Max Sennet 'bathing beauty' around the age of 15. She was indeed a SUPER STAR during the silent film era, and those clips you see of her in Sunset Boulevard are from a big hit she made in the 20's called Queen Kelly. So the dipiction of her as a 'has-been' in Sunset, was not too far from the truth for many a silent film star.

However, Gloria Swanson made a very good transition to the 'talkies', and appeared in many films way after the silent film was 'dead'. She had a great speaking voice, so the talkies, if anything, enhanced her career. As you may know, the 'talkies' ruined many a career of the big stars of the silents. So Gloria knew first-hand' what the talkies were all about, because many of her movie star friends' careers were over when the talkies came to town. Everyone thought it was just a passing fad back then, but the talkies were here to stay.

Originally Posted by Venus007

I think that is how her barking madness showed itself plus Norma Desmond was a silent film actress and the overacting was part of it. (My theory on it at least)