Dickson Hughes, 82; Wrote a Musical Version of ‘Sunset Boulevard’

Dickson Hughes, 82, a composer and actor who wrote an early musical stage version of “Sunset Boulevard” for the film’s star, Gloria Swanson, died June 18 in Palm Springs after a brief illness.

In 1955, Swanson asked Hughes and his then-partner Richard Stapley to turn the 1950 film into a musical for her. They did, but the project foundered when Swanson developed a romantic interest in Stapley, Hughes told The Times in 1994.

When Andrew Lloyd Webber’s version of “Sunset Boulevard” became a hit on Broadway in 1994, Hughes turned the behind-the-scenes story of his failed project into “Swanson on Sunset.” For most of the play, Hughes was at the piano or stepping downstage to play himself. “Swanson on Sunset” ran for six weeks at the Hollywood Cinegrill in 1994.

He was born William Hucks Jr. in Akron, Ohio, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Redlands University in California. His long career included five years as conductor of the Sacramento Civic Light Opera, a role in the long-running play “Tamara,” and a solo show that toured the U.S.