Character guide
Cecil B. DeMille
from Sunset Boulevard
Cecil B. DeMille is a real life film director portrayed as a character in Sunset Boulevard, Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1994 musical.
- Show
- Sunset Boulevard
- Broadway premiere
- 1994
- Role
- Supporting
- Music by
- Andrew Lloyd Webber
Cecil B. DeMille: from the film to Broadway
Broadway compared with the 1950 film
In the 1950 film, Cecil B. DeMille plays himself. Billy Wilder shot on Paramount's real lot while DeMille was making Samson and Delilah, and the film also features cameos from silent-era figures such as Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner, and Anna Q. Nilsson, along with Hedda Hopper.
On stage, DeMille becomes a role for an actor: Alan Oppenheimer played him in the original 1994 Broadway cast. The musical keeps the famous visit in which Norma returns to Paramount hoping DeMille will direct her comeback, a director who once worked with her in her silent film heyday.
Who is Cecil B. DeMille?
DeMille appears as a version of the famed real world director who once worked with Norma Desmond during her silent film heyday at Paramount. When Norma visits the studio lot hoping to revive her career, DeMille treats her with a gentle, careful kindness that masks his awareness of how far her prospects have really faded.
His scenes give the show a direct link to the real history of early Hollywood, and his mixture of respect and pity toward Norma underscores just how completely the industry has moved on without her.
DeMille's role in Sunset Boulevard
DeMille is a supporting role in Sunset Boulevard, appearing in a handful of scenes centered on Norma's visit to the Paramount lot. The part calls for a commanding, warm stage presence befitting a legendary studio director, balanced with the tact needed to let Norma keep her dignity.
Though his stage time is limited, DeMille's scenes are pivotal, since his careful handling of Norma highlights the gap between her memories of stardom and the industry's present day indifference to her, deepening the show's central tragedy without ever turning him into a villain.
Cecil B. DeMille: frequently asked questions
What show is Cecil B. DeMille from?
Cecil B. DeMille is a supporting character in Sunset Boulevard, which opened on Broadway in 1994.
Is Cecil B. DeMille a lead or supporting role?
Cecil B. DeMille is a supporting role, appearing as Norma Desmond's former director.
Who wrote the music for Sunset Boulevard?
Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the music for Sunset Boulevard.
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