In one of the most famous Hollywood openings, William Holden’s bankrupt screenwriter floats dead, face-down in the swimming pool of faded star of the silent screen, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), and starts narrating the story of his demise. With a cast that includes some of the greats of the Hollywood silent era playing versions of themselves, the film doesn’t put a foot wrong in its satirical depiction of the desperation behind the glittering façade of cinema.
Introduced by Dr Péter Bokody, Lecturer in Art History, Plymouth University.
Date: Monday 20 February
Time: 19:00
Venue: Jill Craigie Cinema, Plymouth University
Ticket imformation: £6/£4.20/Friends free. Discounts available via the Artory App and free to Plymouth University students via SPiA
Dir: Billy Wilder
Cast: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim
Running time: 106 minutes
Cert: PG
