Sunset Boulevard - Easter Eggs & Hidden Details

These actors, who were huge stars in the silent era, play themselves as Norma's friends. Their presence adds a layer of poignant reality to the film's theme of faded stardom, as they too had been largely forgotten by contemporary audiences.

The film that Norma screens for Joe is a real movie that starred Gloria Swanson and was directed by Erich von Stroheim. The film was a notorious flop that damaged both of their careers, creating a powerful parallel between art and life within the narrative of "Sunset Boulevard."

When Cecil B. DeMille greets Norma on the Paramount lot, he calls her "young fellow." This was DeMille's real-life pet name for Gloria Swanson.

The drugstore where Joe meets with other writers was a real and famous Hollywood hangout for industry professionals. Its inclusion grounds the film in a specific, authentic Hollywood reality.