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To celebrate William Holden's 98th birthday, which is on Sunday, this week on «Film Friday» I bring you the first film I ever saw him in. Incidentally, this was my first Billy Wilder picture, as well as the first time I saw Gloria Swanson (and all the other actors in it, really) on the screen. This also happens to be one of my absolute favourite films of all time. Directed by Billy Wilder, Sunset Boulevard (1950) tells the story of Joe Gillis (William Holden), a debt-ridden screenwriter «with a couple of B pictures to his credit.» One day, while fleeing from repossession men seeking his car, Joe turns into the private driveway of a decaying 1920s mansion on Sunset Boulevard, where he hides the vehicle in an empty garage. He quickly discovers that the house belongs to Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson), a long-forgotten silent film star, whose fragile illusions are preserved by her servant and former director, Max von Mayerling (Erich von Stroheim). When Norma learns that Joe is a s...

Gloria Swanson with José Ferrer, the Best Actor winner for Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), and Judy Holliday, Best Actress for Born Yesterday (1950).   Claire Trevor prepared to give Humphrey Bogart a kiss after presenting him with the Oscar for Best Actor for The African Queen (1951).   Harry Cohn presents Vivien Leigh with the Oscar for Best Actress for her work in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). Leigh was unable to attend the ceremony that year, so the award was given to her in London. Fredric March congratulates Shirley Booth after presenting her with the Oscar for Best Actress for Come Back, Little Sheba (1952). Gloria Grahame received the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for The Bad and the Beautiful (1952). Cecil B. DeMille poses with his Oscar for Best Picture for The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) and the Irving G. Thalberg Award for «consistently high quality of motion picture production.» Audrey Hepburn proudly holds her Oscar for Best Ac...