D.M. Marshman Jr.
D.M. Marshman Jr. was a writer best known for his Oscar-winning screenplay for Sunset Boulevard. The 1951 film was also nominated for a Golden Globe and won the WGA award for best American drama. He shared the wins with the famed writing team of Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett.
Sunset Boulevard, which was directed by WIlder, marked the first movie script for Marshman. It followed the story of down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden), who writes a new film for forgotten silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Marshman is credited with providing the famed ending of the Hollywood-set drama.
He was working as a well-known movie writer for Life magazine when he decided to quit his job and move to Hollywood for a writing job at Paramount. Wilder and Brackett had previously brought him in for a private screening of their 1948 comedy The Emperor Waltz, starring Bing Crosby, and were given Marshman’s harsh, but honest opinion. They turned to him for help with Sunset Boulevard.
D.M. Marshman Jr. was a writer best known for his Oscar-winning screenplay for Sunset Boulevard. The 1951 film was also nominated for a Golden Globe and won the WGA award for best American drama. He shared the wins with the famed writing team of Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett.
Sunset Boulevard, which was directed by WIlder, marked the first movie script for Marshman. It followed the story of down-on-his-luck screenwriter Joe Gillis (William Holden), who writes a new film for forgotten silent film star Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson). Marshman is credited with providing the famed ending of the Hollywood-set drama.
He was working as a well-known movie writer for Life magazine when he decided to quit his job and move to Hollywood for a writing job at Paramount. Wilder and Brackett had previously brought him in for a private screening of their 1948 comedy The Emperor Waltz, starring Bing Crosby, and were given Marshman’s harsh, but honest opinion. They turned to him for help with Sunset Boulevard.
Marshman later worked at RKO and 20th Century Fox, and contributed to the screenplays for Taxi and Second Chance, starring Robert Mitchum and Jack Palance.
Sunset Boulevard was also adapted for television, including a 1955 episode of the series Lux Video Theatre, which put on live productions of famous works and featured current stars. In 1956 Robert Montgomery Presents similarly staged a live version of the film.
Marshman died September 17, 2015, in Stamford, Connecticut. He was 92.
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