He'd always wanted a pool

Sunset Boulevard

(1950)

No, even though it's Friday night, I wasn't the slightest serious about deaccessioning this, but I was surprised to discover that I hadn't watched it in more than 7 years. Some call this overcooked, but I love almost everything about it--hell, I can even tolerate the excessively wholesome Nancy Olson as script reader Betty, who becomes Joe's (young Bill Holden's second recent appearance on my screen) more appropriate love interest.

But dammit, there have been few braver performances in the movies than Gloria Swanson's autoparody as Norma Desmond, and Erich von Stroheim as her director-turned-husband-turned-still-devoted-butler plays sad as sadly as anyone ever has. If it's not ultimately a great film (and I'd argue that point with some if not total conviction), it's got enough greatness about it to suffice.