Norma Desmond
deceased pet chimpanzee.
Norma finds out that Joe Gillis is in fact a writer and asks him to take a look at a manuscript she has been working for a while. It is the story of Salome, and she plans to star in it, though she is way past her prime.
Joe quickly sees a chance to milk money out of the delusional star; he promises to fix her a script for a star vehicle, and Norma agrees as she wants to send the manuscript to Paramount Pictures’ famed director Cecil B. DeMille, with whom Desmond once worked. Desmond is elated; she sees in Gillis the chance to regain her youthful promise, and sets him up in style, buying his clothes and paying all his expenses. Max sees through Gillis immediately, but puts up with the charade because it makes his beloved “madame” happy. As time passes, however, Desmond becomes increasingly unstable when it becomes clear that there is no hit
