"A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into Hollywood obscurity."
William Holden
as Joe Gillis
Gloria Swanson
as Norma Desmond
Erich von Stroheim
as Max von Mayerling
Nancy Olson
as Betty Schaefer
Fred Clark
as Sheldrake
Lloyd Gough
as Morino
Jack Webb
as Artie Green
Franklyn Farnum
as Undertaker
Larry J. Blake
as 1st Finance Man
Charles Dayton
as 2nd Finance Man
Cecil B. DeMille
as Cecil B. DeMille
Hedda Hopper
as Hedda Hopper
Buster Keaton
as Buster Keaton
Anna Q. Nilsson
as Anna Q. Nilsson
H.B. Warner
as H.B. Warner
Ray Evans
as Ray Evans
Jay Livingston
as Jay Livingston
Fred Aldrich
as Cop Who Drags Joe's Body from Pool (uncredited)
Joel Allen
as Prop Man #2 (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor
as Courtier (uncredited)
Anne Bauchens
as Editor (uncredited)
Edward Biby
as Restaurant Patron (uncredited)
Danny Borzage
as Accordionist (uncredited)
Ken Christy
as Homicide Captain (uncredited)
Ruth Clifford
as Sheldrake's Secretary (uncredited)
John Cortay
as Young Gate Guard Mac at Paramount Studios (uncredited)
Archie R. Dalzell
as Camera Operator (uncredited)
Eddie Dew
as Assistant Coroner (uncredited)
Julia Faye
as Hisham (uncredited)
Al Ferguson
as Phone Standby (uncredited)
Gerry Ganzer
as Betty's Roommate Connie (uncredited)
Rudy Germane
as Detective (uncredited)
Kenneth Gibson
as Salesman at Men's Shop (uncredited)
Creighton Hale
as Creighton Hale (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton
as Grip on DeMille Set (uncredited)
Len Hendry
as Police Sergeant (uncredited)
E. Mason Hopper
as Doctor (uncredited)
Stan Johnson
as First Assistant Director (uncredited)
Tiny Jones
as Little Woman Outside Paramount Gate (uncredited)
Howard Joslin
as Police Lieutenant (uncredited)
Arthur Lane
Perc Launders
as Violinist at Norma's New Year's Eve Party (uncredited)
William Meader
as Party Guest (uncredited)
Gertrude Messinger
as Hairdresser (uncredited)
Harold Miller
as Man on Golf Course (uncredited)
Howard Negley
as Police Captain (uncredited)
John 'Skins' Miller
as Hog-Eye Electrician (uncredited)
Lee Miller
as Dancing Party Guest / Paramount Studio Employee (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery
as Prop Man #1 (uncredited)
Bert Moorhouse
as Gordon Cole (uncredited)
Jay Morley
as Fat Man (uncredited)
Eva Novak
Frank O'Connor
Robert Emmett O'Connor
as Older Paramount Gate Guard Jonesy (uncredited)
Jack Perrin
Sidney Skolsky
as Sidney Skolsky (uncredited)
Emmett Smith
as Black Man (uncredited)
Archie Twitchell
Yvette Vickers
as Giggling Girl on Phone at Party (uncredited)
Henry Wilcoxon
as Actor on DeMille's 'Samson & Delilah' Set (uncredited)
James Hawley
as Camera Assistant (uncredited)
Bernice Mosk
as Bernice (uncredited)
Virginia L. Randolph
Bill Sheehan
as Second Assistant Director (uncredited)
Roy Thompson
as Rudy, Shoeshine Boy (uncredited)
Jack Warden
Finn Zirzow
Billy Wilder
Screenplay
D.M. Marshman Jr.
Director
Hans Dreier
Art Direction
John Meehan
Edith Head
Costume Design
Charles Brackett
Producer
Franz Waxman
Original Music Composer
Hugh Brown
Production Manager
Arthur P. Schmidt
Editor
Sam Comer
Set Decoration
John F. Seitz
Director of Photography
Ray Moyer
Gene Lauritzen
Construction Coordinator
Otto Pierce
Camera Operator
George Parrish
Orchestrator
Charles C. Coleman
Assistant Director
Frank Bracht
Assistant Editor
Leonid Raab
Leo Shuken
Nellie Manley
Hairstylist
Karl Silvera
Makeup Artist
Farciot Edouart
Visual Effects
Sidney Cutner
Harry Lindgren
Sound Recordist
John Cope
Jack Colconda
Assistant Property Master
Hazel Hegarty
Wardrobe Master
Wally Westmore
Makeup Supervisor
Vera Tomei
Doane Harrison
Supervising Editor
Walter Tayler
Gaffer
Ronnie Lubin
Dialogue Coach
Harlow Stengel
Assistant Camera
Gerd Oswald
Second Assistant Director
Ed Fitzharris
Norris Stensland
Technical Advisor
Glen E. Richardson
Still Photographer
Steve Beers
Head Carpenter
Tom Plews
Props
Gordon Jennings
Frank Thayer
Fred True
Grip
