Sunset Boulevard - The Film

Glenn Close is no longer a box-office draw. So, while theatre folk will know her for this role (I thought she was awful - purely a personal view!) in cinema terms I very much doubt she'd make money for the studio/producers. What this needs is a director like Scorsese.

But it works, I think.

Whilst it’ll still be period piece, I’m not sure Norma needs to be 50 and on the scrap heap - I actually think it would make it harder for modern audiences to relate to her if she were. I think Glenn could easily pass for younger and they can age Joe up a bit (the whole struggling writer in his mid 30s still works).

I’m still hoping Jake Gylenhaal gets to play Joe. Then cast a younger Betty (creating a decent age gap between her and Joe) and I think that would add an extra layer of commentary too.

She’s not been cast aside (just) because of her age though. She’s forgotten and irrelevant because movies have moved on and her silent era is over.

I do think Close is the only choice for the movie though!

Which of course is perfectly true, and many actors lost their jobs when the talkies came in. Plus from what I can remember, isn't it alluded to that Norma lost her career because she didn't want to do talkies? Maybe that's why she goes crazy - that one decision has tormented her for decades. I'm starting to feel like I need a prequel series now 

I hesitate to wade in as everyone knows my views (not just older but ridiculously too old and her singing voice is not just weak it simply cannot cope with this score). But I adore Sunset so can't resist sorry!

With Glenn of course people's opinions are a matter of taste. But why is there a lack of ambition and expectation for this? I hear a lot of "she may not be the best singer but her acting is incredible so she is the one." Well, how about someone that can do both! There is literally the entire world of actresses. I refuse to believe that there isn't someone who can act the hell out of it AND sing the hell out of it and completely blow us away. This is what the aspiration should be! Not accepting someone as she's an amazing actress and a few people had a quasi religious experience at the ENO.

Sadly I am not a film buff so I have no idea who. Looking back at Nunn's Normas (and I am not in a million years suggesting any of these as they are ALL too old), EP kinda had the opposite problem, she nailed every note but the acting was a bit camp. Patti for me utterly sang and acted. I mean she is so bonkers anyway she just embodies this character. I do know she is another one that people have strong reactions to though. So take Betty Buckley - her voice was phenomenal and her acting of Norma was mind blowing. Someone like that would be so so good. And it bothers me that people just accept Glenn is good enough. Sunset is one of the most epic musicals of all time and we should be WOWED. The film should be epic. There should also be singles recordings of Norma's two main songs that you can listen to when not watching the film over and over again and be blown away; these are ALW's finest and the music is the star. That isn't Glenn.

One more thought - Norma IS meant to be young, That's the point. It is the new technology that cut short the careers of the silent stars, not their age, and part of the tragedy was that so many were so young. They became bonkers in early middle age.

Anyway, between the endless delays, coronavirus and how badly ALW was stung by Cats (I think he's realised he can never have the artistic control he wants with movies) I can't see this being made. If it does though, Glenn seems to have cemented herself to it so strongly (is she a co-producer) I am sure it will be her. Getting modern stage musicals to successful films is hard, especially for more or less sung through ones. Really for me it is only Evita so far that has worked. And there are so many complex issues with Sunset that it may be best if it remains just a stage musical.

In my limited film knowledge, CZJ was the one person that sprang to mind!
But there must be so many people....

Agree! They must have filmed the ENO version. Am convinced a pro shot stage version is the best thing for a sung through musical (the Miss Saigon one was brilliant). The feature film just has so many problems.

I think it will be her (if/when it happens) but surely there are some people in the right age bracket? All the ones in their 20s and 30s when the big musicals came out in the 80s.

All I can think of off the top of my head is Ruthie Henshall and Bonnie Langford (well, and Sarah Brightman, but wrong vocal range), but there must be others.

You are totally right of course.

Moving away from Sunset I think this is a huge problem with movie musicals in general. The people who could do it justice are not Hollywood names so they end up picking names whose métier is not MT. Russell Crowe anyone?!

There are so many conflicts of interest that the creative perfection of the piece itself sadly gets pushed down the list.

Ms Streisand is obviously one double threat but a tad too old. If this were 10 years ago she would have been great. The only other ones I can think of are Bette Midler and Cher. Neither of these are really suited to it though. There is always Imelda Staunton too. I am sure she would have a good go at it!

Yup, good call.

And if not her, someone similar. 

There IS someone out there who can tick all the boxes, I am convinced of it!

It's definitely a sorry state of affairs that there isn't a decent list of leading screen ladies who can also carry a tune. Musical movies definitely deserve better. For every success (Chicago, Hairspray, Moulin Rouge), there are significantly more failures. E.g Les Mis, while filmed very well, we can all think of dozens of performers who would've been better than Jackman, Crowe and Hathaway. But it's a business as others have said, and money has to be made.

Back to Norma, I can think of loads of women who would act the hell out of it, but no known singers. Even the almighty Meryl doesn't have the voice. Having said that, Norma does only have 4 songs (2 biggies, admittedly), it's not like it's Wicked or Dreamgirls levels of vocals.