Norma Desmond
movie for her in the works, and increasingly jealous of and dependent upon Gillis. She professes her love for him at a New Year’s Eve party, but he rejects her and leaves.
He attends another party, where he first flirts with screen writer Betty (Nancy Olson) and makes plans to move out of Norma’s mansion. Norma makes a suicide attempt, and when Joe returns to comfort her, she seduces him.
Meanwhile, Paramount Studios calls repeatedly for Norma. She believes DeMille wants to produce her script. In actuality, Paramount just wants to use her vintage car in a film. While Norma visits DeMille on the set, Max learns that the calls were about the car. He tells Gillis but hides this from Norma. DeMille himself takes pity on her and tells her what she wants to hear.
Gillis begins writing a screenplay with Betty in secret, and Betty tells him she has fallen in love with
