Norma Desmond (Gloria Swanson)’s Timeline and Summary
- When we first see Norma, she's arranging a funeral for her pet monkey. Because that's what you do when you're an aging, delusional star.
- She tries to kick Joe Gillis out when he explains that he's not the undertaker and just was hiding in her driveway, but ends up letting him stay to help her work on her comeback screenplay.
- Norma gradually draws Joe into her world, making him hang out with her and watch her old movies. She also gives him plenty of gifts.
- She falls in love with him and tries to get him to reciprocate at a private New Year's Eve party she throws just for the two of them. Worst party ever.
- Joe rebuffs her affections and goes to another party, throwing Norma into despair.
- She tries to kill herself—which makes Joe return and agree to become her boyfriend. Because that's how all healthy relationships start.
- Norma thinks that Cecil B. DeMille wants to make her script into a movie—a total misunderstanding (DeMille's assistant called the house because he wanted to rent Norma's car for use in a movie).
- She visits the Paramount set of one of DeMille's movies, where people who still remember her flock around. DeMille gently tells her that he'll see what he can do.
- Norma thinks that she's getting the movie made and prepares accordingly, going through an intense beauty regimen.
- When she discovers that Joe has been working on a screenplay with Betty, she flips out and calls Betty to tell her about her relationship with Joe. Joe reveals all to Betty and breaks their potential relationship off—but he decides to leave Norma, too, while he's at it.
- Norma shoots and murders him, leaving his corpse in her pool.
- As the police and reporters arrive, Norma finally loses touch with reality. She thinks she's acting in the DeMille movie as the news cameras film her final descent into madness.