Sunset Boulevard - Movie Dream Cast- Page 3

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 4/13/12 at 6:11pm

I strongly disagree with cutting much of the score, if you do that you may as well remake the original movie.

Not a bad idea! Let's do that instead.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/14/12 at 9:14am

What purpose would there be in remaking the original movie as a non-musical? Does anyone think a remake could possibly be nearly as good, as the original?



Updated On: 4/14/12 at 09:14 AM

[charlesjguiteau]

Posted: 4/14/12 at 12:11pm

To answer a question a few pages back on classic movies that became broadway musicals and then successful movie musicals--

Off the top of my head, how about SWEET CHARITY (from Nights of Cabiria)?
HAIRSPRAY?
And best of all, MY FAIR LADY? (Lerner's ending is frankly based on the film of Pygmalion.)

[FrontRowDress]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 5:49am

I just had a poll on my blog to find everyone's favourite ALW and Sunset won by a mile, which really did surprise me. Phantom, which I had assumed would walk it, came second and believe it or not Love Never Dies third. You can vote for your favourite previous Norma Desmond in this month's poll if you want to, just follow the link. Apologies if your favourite didn't make the shortlst.
Favourite Norma Desmond

[choitoy]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 6:35am

If this movie was made 10 years ago, definitely Glenn Close as Norma and Hugh Jackman as Joe (and I secretly wanted John Barrowman to have a bigger career in the states, so him as Artie). All of my choices are a little "long in the tooth" now to be valid choices for a movie.

I haven't really thought of a good cast for now if it was being done today. I'll have to mull over it...

The only thing, as much as I love Madonna, no, just no!

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 11:48am

"To answer a question a few pages back on classic movies that became broadway musicals and then successful movie musicals--

Off the top of my head, how about SWEET CHARITY (from Nights of Cabiria)?
HAIRSPRAY?
And best of all, MY FAIR LADY? (Lerner's ending is frankly based on the film of Pygmalion.)"

All of the following were adaptations of plays, novels or memoirs which were films now considered classics (at least by some) before they were musicals on stage and then, successfully (in some cases debatable?), on screen.

CHICAGO (Roxie Hart with Ginger Rogers, a nominal classic)
THE KING AND I (Anna and the King with Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison)
OLIVER! (David Lean's acclaimed film with Alec Guinness)
CAROUSEL (Fritz Lang's Liliom with Charles Boyer)
WEST SIDE STORY (EXTREMELY LOOSELY - Cukor's R&J with Leslie Howard and Norma Shearer; Shearer giving one of the worst film performances of all time)
KISMET (Dieterle's film with Colman and Dietrich; although I'm not sure if the movie of the musical was at all a success - I tend to not think so but I'm including it anyway)
MAMMA MIA (inspired by BUONA SERA, MRS. CAMPBELL, which had already been made into the unsuccessful Stein/Lerner stage musical CARMELINA with Georgia Brown)
HELLO, DOLLY (The Matchmaker with Booth, MacLaine and Perkins, to the extent the movie was considered a success)
CABARET (if one considers I AM A CAMERA with Julie Harris, Laurence Harvey and Shelley Winters a movie classic)

Hairspray may be the only original movie (not based on other material; Sweet Charity is based on Cabiria as you've said) which went on to be a stage musical and then a successful movie (it strains credulity to consider A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC and NINE as successes on screen).







Updated On: 5/1/12 at 11:48 AM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 1:52pm

Interesting list. I'd argue about I Am A Camera--the play was a big success, but I'm not sure the movie was, and it certainly doesn't play well now.

[rjm516]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 2:11pm

Has to be Glenn. HAS to be! She needs to win an Oscar, and if this is done well, it could happen.

[Dave19]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 2:13pm

There's a huge difference between casting a film version (like Evita) and a theatre-dvd version (like Love never dies).

For the first one someone like Madonna could work. For the second one you definitely need a better singer.

Although for a film version a better singer is always the better choice too....oh well.....

[PattiLover]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 2:17pm

Henrik, none of those movies you've mentioned are in the same league with Billy Wilder's SUNSET BOULEVARD. It's widely regarded to be one of the greatest American and most popular American films ever made. It's a wholly organic film not based on previous material. Its story mirroring reality by using a faded silent film star playing a faded silent film star, featuring cameos by other faded film stars. It's a movie specifically about Hollywood, not Broadway.

Remaking some movies is like playing with fire - especially when you're using the same title, the same story, the same characters etc.

The real question is what movie musicals based on popular masterpieces of film have ever been successful? NINE is not 8 1/2, it's a different animal based on a film - and 8 1/2 is not as famous as Sunset Boulevard. HAIRSPRAY is another, but the 80's film is not nearly regarded as the original film SUNSET BOULEVARD.

This whole idea of filming Sunset Boulevard needs to be reassessed and treated with kid gloves, lest it become a vanity project.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 5/1/12 at 5:32pm

"Henrik, none of those movies you've mentioned are in the same league with Billy Wilder's SUNSET BOULEVARD."

I agree.

[sorano916]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 12:22am

I've only seen the Signature Stage production of "Sunset Boulevard" so I'm not quite sure on who I would want to play who with one exception: I would love for Zachary Levi to play Joe. He has done theatre in the past and was on his way to Broadway before he decided to do "Chuck."

[madbrian]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 9:55am

Zachary Levi would make a terrific Joe, as would Matt Bomer.

[AddisonMizner]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 10:04am

I was just thinking this morning that Imelda Staunton would make a fantastic Norma Desmond. While she may not have the best voice, she would act the HELL out of the role! I can imagine Norma's breakdown at the end of the piece being particularly powerful!

[hotjohn]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 1:23pm

I know she's probably too old to play the role in the movie, but for my money, Shirley MacLaine would have made an amazing Norma.

[JulesReverie]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 2:02pm

As much as I LOVE Glen and her Norma, the idea of Annette Benning as Norma gives me goosebumps

I can sooooo see Matt Bomer as Joe, Victor Garber as Demille, Kelsey Grammer as Max , and Alison Brie as Betty

[Princeton Returns]

Posted: 5/2/12 at 3:12pm

Love the Matt Bomer idea, can totally see that, perfect casting. Hugh Jackman is too old now

[MusicMan93]

Posted: 5/3/12 at 2:59am

I have never thought of Matt Bomer playing Joe before. I think that is absolutely brilliant!

[Wildcard]

Posted: 6/5/12 at 3:15pm

I was watching "Hollywoodland" on Netflix last night and Diane Lane with her subtle old age make-up was very Gloria Swanson-esque. She could make a good Norma as well. However, today's audiences would just think of her as a MILF anyway.

[FrontRowDress]

Posted: 6/5/12 at 3:50pm

The result of the poll on my blog to find the favourite Norma was stormed by Betty Buckley, who got 42% of the vote, Elaine Paige came second with 12% and then it was a tie between Glenn, Patti & Petula woth 11%. Got a couple of really sweet tweets from Ms Buckley herself who was lovely and gracious.
http://frontrowdress.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/its-june-and-im-busting-out-all-over.html

Updated On: 6/5/12 at 03:50 PM

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 6/5/12 at 4:52pm

For those who have seen "THE ARTIST" I really hope if they film Sunset BLVD, it is done in the same style truly capturing the era of the silent films going into the talkies.

Apparently, you're not familiar with SUNSET BLVD, which takes place in 1950 and NOT during the silent movie era. Both the musical and the original 1950 film never had any sequence taking place during the silent movie era.

[Musical Master]

Posted: 10/1/15 at 2:04pm

It would be interesting if this casting happened:

Norma: Meryl Streep

Joe: Chris Pine

Max: J.K. Simmons (who can actually sing pretty dang good)

Betty: Emma Watson or Anna Kendrick

[Rose Fenny]

Posted: 10/2/15 at 3:47pm

Anna Kendrick would be a great choice (even if she has been in every movie musical of the last five years--pun intended!)! I love Amy Adams but Betty is supposed to be 22 years old. It's explicitly stated in the book and then referenced how naive and inexperienced she is repeatedly. I know her character is kind of boring and a bit of an afterthought but she really serves as the idealistic foil to Joe's cynicism. An actress in her early-mid-twenties would be much more effective than "any actress in her thirties"

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/2/15 at 10:28pm

And of course Amy Adams isn't even "any actress in her thirties" as she turned 41 not too long ago.

[jiff]

Posted: 10/14/15 at 9:33am

I may have put this on a similar thread in the past, but anyway:

Diana Ross as Nora

Nick Cannon as Joe (the reason I say Nick is that a sort of vulnerable younger guy is needed for this role)