From: mattm@apple.com (Matthew Melmon)
Subject: Pickford as Desmond:  in closing
Date: Mon, 12 Oct 1992 19:12:45 GMT
Organization: Apple Computer, Inc.
Followup-To: soc.motss

A sub-topic under discussion - one of which the studio
audience may be becoming rather bored - involves the premise
that the fictional character Norma Desmond, appearing in
Sunset Boulevard, was based upon the non-fictional character
Mary Pickford.

As illustrations in support of this, I offer the following:

Norma Desmond exclaims that she "has more money than all the *new*
Hollywood trash [circa 1949]."  She goes on to say she owns something
like three city blocks, and oil wells in Bakersfield.  Gushing, 
gushing, gushing money - she says.  Now, so far as I know, Pickford
did not own oil wells in Bakersfield.  She did, however, have 
extensive real estate holdings throughout Los Angeles.  And she
certainly had more money than just about any other Hollywood figure
at the time.  Pickford had earned half a million dollars a year 
from the middle of the Teens into the thirties.  And unlike the
moguls, she was not badly damaged during the Crash.  Of the four
artists who founded United Artists, Pickford and Chaplin were the
remaining two.  Ultimately, Pickford would be the last, and she
would walk away with more money in the end than any of the previous
four.  

Norma Desmond lived in a haunted Beverly Hills castle.  Haunted by
the ghosts of her former past.  Pickford lived at Pickfair - a 
Beverly Hills castle (near, but not on, Sunset Boulevard).  Pickfair
is derived from Pickford and Fairbanks - Douglas Fairbanks.  Her 
husband (second).  The two stars were the respective male and female
box office champions (rather like The Arnold married to The Slut).
While Pickfair certainly did not host the *only* Hollywood parties -
those that it did were *the* parties at which to be seen.

Norma Desmond was attended by Max Somebody or Other.  Max was 
represented as being a 'great' director who had given up his
career to be with Norma.  Pickford's third husband - by no means
a great directory - had, nevertheless, given up a successful
acting career to be with Mary.

Norma Desmond claimed that she 'created' Paramount.  While Pickford
did not 'create' Paramount, she was the first movie star, and the
public swarmed to see her early films, which were released by 
Paramount.  It was at this early fore-runner of Paramount that 
Pickford had her first of many clashes with Sam Goldwyn.  The
primary director used by Paramount in these days was Cecile B.
DeMille (sp?).  Desmond has a fascination with DeMille (sp?) 
throughout Sunset Boulevard.

Desmond was still an object of some fear.  She was not dismissed
lightly, even by those still in the business.  When Desmond
believes that Paramount wants to talk to her about a movie, she
rushes to the gate, demanding to see DeMille.  She is not dismissed
lightly.  (some aide actually just wanted her car).  When the
aide sniffs that they should just tell her the truth, DeMille 
replies that one does not 'just' tell Norma Desmond the truth.

Pickford retained such power well into the Fifties, when she would
force Sam Goldwyn to the brink of bankruptcy.  Only the timely
intervention of his wife - who literally got down on the floor and
*begged* Mary to let Sam go - saved the still *very* active 
producer from sinking.

This information is readily available in biographies of Pickford 
and Goldwyn, and just about any other star of the time.  Indeed, the
facts have not been disputed - instead, simply called 'irrelevant.'

Also 'irrelevant,' the fact that Pickford was first offered the part
of Norma Desmond.  Frankly, Pickford did *not* have the smoky, 
ethereal qualities Gloria Swanson brought to the part.  Swanson was
a more logical choice.  Nevertheless, the writer/director asked
Pickford first.  Why?  Could it be that Pickford was the one on his
mind when he wrote the part?  

Pickford status as 'glamorous' has been challenged, as well.  She 
could not have been Desmond, you see, because Desmond was a 
'glamorous' actress.

It is true that Pickford did not play 'glamorous' roles.  However,
in life, Pickford was a beautiful woman, and very rich.  She wore
clothing designed by Chanel *herself*  She threw 'triple A' parties
attended by the aristocracy of Hollywood.  She was easily the
most succesfull self-made woman alive at the time (and, indeed,
for quite some time to come) - going from absolute poverty to 
phenomenal wealth very much on her own.  She socialized with 
the Moguls themselves (she *was* one).  

In *life*, she was as glamorous as it got.

Furthermore, no other actress achieved the heights of fame and
popularity that Pickford did.  And so, in 1949, no other actress
had fallen as far into obscurity as Pickford did.  As Desmond
characterized that very descent from fame into obscurity, does it
not follow that the actress who most dramatized such a fall in
reality would make a better model than actresses like Swanson who,
though certainly famous, did not approach Pickford level?  Indeed,
her only competition was her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, and 
perhaps Charlie Chaplin.

Mary Pickford *was* the basis of Norma Desmond.

qed

Melmothra, ACC
Newsgroups: soc.motss