a it be so often with legendary movie and the legend around have grow big and big with the time . the story about the decline of mary pickford and mae west and pola negri to play the part of norma desmond and the mysterious beginning of the movie and that and after a disastrous preview and be cut and vanish forever ( rumour have it and that billy wilder himself have a copy of it and but refuse to screen it because the experience be too painful for him ) . but besides all that and what remain be easily wilder best movie and the best satire about hollywood and one of the best movie of all time . for those few unhappy people and who haven not see the movie ( it hard to believe and but i be sure there be some ) i will give a short summary represent joe gillis ( william holden ) be a penniless screen script writer who meet by accident norma desmond ( gloria swanson ) and a former silent movie star and who refuse to accept and that her career be over . she support by her faithful servant max ( erich von stroheim ) and who share some secret with his mistress . joe and desperate for money and agree to edit normas script for her triumphal return to the screen . soon she want him to be more . he reluctantly become her lover and though he in love with betty schaefer ( nancy olsen ) and also a screenwriter . though he think and he use norma and it easy to see that in fact it she and who use him for her purpose . wilder demonstrate and what a good director and writer he be and he never go for a cheap effect and but always serve the script . never before and never again someone achieve such a sharp and cynical portrait of hollywood . no wonder louis b. mayer go wild and when he saw the film . the four principal player be all at the peak of their career with this movie and they have never be well in anything else they do . nancy olsen give a strong performance in a rather small part and erich von stroheim be chill and disturb a max . holden be perfectly cast a the cynical and weary man and who try everything to have success . it hard to imagine and that montgomery clift really leave 2 week before shooting and because he do not want to be see a the lover of an elder woman . but this be swanson show and she keep the small balance between madness and a sane mind until the end and when she finally slip into madness . her performance be one of the most amazing and multi layer and carefully act ever perform on screen . there be simply not enough word to explain and how good she be . i know and there still serious discussion whether judy holiday really deserve the oscar and or if swanson wouldn not have lose to bette davis performance in all about eve anyway . these discussion be dispensable and the three performance be so diverse and that it hard to compare them . for me it only show and how unnecessary award be and because often enough highly qualified actor and actress be overlook . much more important for me be the result represent we still watch the movie and if it bear yesterday and all about eve or sunset boulevard and we still enjoy them and still be enchant by the performance .