FOUR FILM LOCATIONS FEATURED IN BILLY WILDER'S SUNSET BOULEVARD

In 1950, Paramount Pictures released a fantastic film that told the story of a jaded screenwriter who forges a dangerous relationship with an aging actress from the silent era. The film's called, 'Sunset Boulevard', and it was directed by the legendary filmmaker, Billy Wilder, and stars Gloria Swanson (the aging actress), William Holden (the jaded screenwriter), and Erich von Stroheim (the mysterious butler). Today, we're going to take a look at some of the locations featured in the aforementioned film, which includes an interactive map for each one. Please enjoy.


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Getty Mansion, 641 South Irving Boulevard, Midtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
(Norma Desmond's Mansion)

Technically, three different locations were used to represent Norma Desmond's mansion in 'Sunset Boulevard'. One of them was a soundstage situated in Paramount Studios (utilized primarily for most of the scenes set inside the mansion). The second location was a driveway located at 10060 Sunset Boulevard (the same one William Holden's character ducks into at the start of the film). And finally, the third location (see above) was once owned by the American industrialist, John Paul Getty, which was demolished in 1957.

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Alto Nido Apartments, 1851 North Ivar Street, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
(Joe Gillis's Apartment)

Near the start of the film, William Holden's character, Joe Gillis, can be seen sitting in his apartment, writing a screenplay for a possible new film. Coincidentally, just down the street from Joe's apartment, specifically, 1817 North Ivar Street, lived a real-life writer named Nathanael West. He lived there in 1935, where he wrote a novel about the Golden Age of Hollywood, called, 'The Day of the Locust', which was eventually made into a jovial film by the director, John Schlesinger.

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Schwab's Pharmacy, 8024 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA
(Schwab's Pharmacy)

From the 1930s to the late 1950s, Schwab's Pharmacy was a well-known hangout for actors, actresses, and other people connected with the entertainment industry. In fact, it was so well-known, that it even appeared in the 1949 Doris Day film, 'It's a Great Feeling', an episode of 'The Andy Griffith Show', entitled, 'Taylors in Hollywood', and of course, a couple of times in 'Sunset Boulevard'. Unfortunately, Schwab's closed down in 1983 and was demolished and then replaced by the 8000 Sunset Strip S.C. mall.

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Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
(Studio)

At one point in the film, Gloria Swanson's character, Norma Desmond, pays a visit to Paramount Studios so she can speak with Cecil B. DeMille about an upcoming project she wishes them both to work on. While there, she notices that Mr. DeMille is directing the film, 'Samson and Delilah', which in reality was released several months before 'Sunset Boulevard' had its premiere.

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So, there you have it, folks, four film locations featured in the 1950 classic, 'Sunset Boulevard'. More articles featuring famous film locations will be coming soon, but before then, please feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.