Screenplays Through the Decades: 1950s
Sometimes in order to know where your screenplay is headed, you have to know where film has been. So, we’re going to take a look at each decade’s most prominent and iconic screenplays and break them down for you. We start in the 1950s with Sunset Boulevard and Singin’ in the Rain.
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
written by Billy Wilder, Charles Brackett, and D.M. Marshman Jr.
Directed by Billy Wilder
Let’s start with a brief synopsis of Sunset Boulevard:
Sunset Boulevard dives into the bleak realities of stardom and its casualties. The film opens on its main character, Joe Gillis (William Holden), floating in a pool. We immediately learn three things about Joe—he’s a struggling writer, he’s disillusioned by the Hollywood hustle, and he’s dead. It’s an unconventional choice to begin a story with its final plot point, and we can’t help but feel invested. The film then transports us six months prior to his death, where Joe accidentally finds himself in the mansion of a silent-era movie star, Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). She ropes him into editing her scattered mess of a screenplay she believes will revive her career. It’s easy to identify who each character is and the tone in which they speak through their dialogue alone. Each line is used as an opportunity to give a deeper understanding of how these characters view the world. Gillis’ pessimism comes through in his sarcastic quips. Norma speaks with a performative tone as if an audience is always watching her. While we fear her presence, we also feel for her. Her constant need for attention and adoration was once rewarded. At the height of her career, she was built up to personify a larger-than-life image only to be forgotten as the industry shifted to “talkies”. When one’s fame is all they have, the absence of it can be devastating. Her killer line “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small” demonstrates her inability to take any accountability for her downfall. While ageism played a large role in her stalled career, she refuses to grow in any way.
Tension slowly builds throughout the story as Gillis’ defenses start to fade. While Norma’s decrepit mansion is huge, we get the sense that the walls are closing in on Gillis. He develops a numbness as he becomes more isolated. He gradually gives in to Norma’s life of luxury, proving how easily one can abandon their aspirations. Pursuing a career as a screenwriter requires one to walk the fine line between creative integrity and profitability. Having been pushed down enough times in his career, Gillis finds temporary comfort in a life with no real purpose.
A page-to-screen scene comparison:
To see how the screenplay was translated to the screen, here is the iconic final scene of the film on the page, and then in action:
Favorite Lines
“Audiences don't know somebody sits down and writes a picture; they think the actors make it up as they go along” - Joe Gillis
“We didn’t need dialogue. We had faces” - Norma Desmond
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Written by Adolph Green and Betty Comden.
Directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen.
A brief synopsis of Singin’ in the Rain:
Singin’ in the Rain also explores the shift from the silent era to talking pictures, but frames it as a positive turn. The main character, Don Lockwood (Gene Kelly), is a silent movie star who worked his way up the ladder of success with the help of his best friend, Cosmo (Donald O’Conner). Don is a bit too smug for his own good, providing room to emotionally grow. The catalyst for this growth is Kathy (Debbie Reynolds), an aspiring performer who humbles him with her dismissal of his star quality. The chemistry of their banter leaps off the page, making their relationship something we root for from the get-go. Every exchange between the leads and musical number exist to move the story forward while also making us fall in love with the characters.
The conflict is introduced when talking pictures grow in popularity, signaling a panic from the studio heads who must change how their entire company produces films. The conflict is heightened when Don’s snobby costar, Lina Lamont (Jean Hagen), lacks an ideal voice for this transition. The cast and crew must find a way to work around it to save their film from financial ruin. Lina eventually catches on to the possibility of her being replaced, and makes some shady moves in an attempt to correct this: Kathy’s beautiful voice will replace hers in the film while Lina gets all the credit. While her choices are selfish, her motivations do not stem from a place of pure evil. They are the result of desperation, which is a relatable feeling. At this time, women in the industry lacked control over nearly every aspect of their careers. They were expendable. While taking down another woman is not the answer to staying relevant, Lina’s outlook is representative of how women were driven to view each other as adversaries for decades.
A page-to-screen-scene comparison:
Don and Kathy’s meet-cute scene, on paper and then in action below:
Favorite Lines
'“Well, I can't make love to a bush” - Lina Lamont
“Well haven't ya heard? She's irresistible. She told me so herself” - Don Lockwood
The root of both of these screenplays is the characters. They’re compelling because they feel like real people with real dreams whose hopes are fragile in turbulent times. Both stories explore the complicated nature of the film industry and the uncertain nature of success. There’s no guarantee your audience will always be in your corner and the industry thrives off of the revolving door of young talent itching to break in. While the end of the silent era brought extremely important technological advancements, it left behind many artists who were not ready for their careers to be over.
