Gloria Swanson

Gloria Swanson (Gloria Josephine Mae, March 27, 1899 – April 4, 1983) was an American movie, television, stage, voice, radio, silent movie actress, singer and movie producer. She played Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard. She won a Golden Globe Award in 1951 and a Saturn Award in 1975. She was known for having an affair with Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr.. Swanson was born in Chicago, Illinois. She studied at Hawthorne Scholastic Academy. She was married six times, having a relationship with Wallace Beery (1916-1919), Herbert K. Somborn (1919-1922), Henri de la Falaise (1925-1930), Michael Farmer (1931-1934), William Davey (1945-1946) and William Dufty (1976-1983). Swanson had three children. She died of heart failure. She was buried at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City.

 Early life 
Swanson was born in a small house in Chicago in 1899. She was raised in the Lutheran faith. Her father was Joseph Theodore Swanson (né Svensson). He was a Swedish American soldier. Her mother was Adelaide (née Klanowski). She had German, French, and Polish ancestry. Her family moved often because her father was in the US Army. For some of her childhood, she lived in Key West, Florida. There, she went to a Catholic convent school. She also lived in Puerto Rico. Here, she saw her first movies.

Career
Her family moved to Chicago again when Swanson became adolescent. Gloria was soon hired by Essanay Studios as an extra.

Movies were still new. Extras were usually very important. Her first role was a walk-on with Gerda Holmes. For this, she was paid $3.25. The studio soon gave her a job for $13.25 () per week. Swanson left school to work at the studio. In 1915, she co-starred in Sweedie Goes to College. Her future first husband, Wallace Beery also acted in this movie.

In 1916, Swanson and her mother wet to California for her parts in Mack Sennett's Keystone Studios comedy shorts. At the studio, Swanson became popular with audiences. She was in many movies with Bobby Vernon. They were both in The Danger Girl (1916), The Sultan's Wife (1917), and Teddy at the Throttle (1917). The director, Clarence G. Badger was by Swanson. He recommended her to the director Jack Conway. With Conway, Swanson played in Her Decision and You Can't Believe Everything in 1918. Her pay was soon increased to $15 a week.

 Movies 
+Key  Is a lost movie.
Shorts
+ Short subjectTitleYearRoleNotesStudio/Distributor  The Song of the Soul 1914 Unconfirmed The Misjudged Mr. Hartley 1915 Maid At the End of a Perfect Day 1915 Hands Bouquet to Holmes Uncredited, actual release date of January 26, 2015 The Ambition of the Baron1915 Bit partEssanay Filmstarring Francis X. Bushman His New Job1915 StenographerEssanay Film<br/ >Written and directed by Charlie Chaplin The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket 1915 Farina, Elvira's Daughter Credited as Gloria Mae<br/ >Essanay Film Sweedie Goes to College 1915 College GirlWallace Beery played Sweedie in a series of shortsEssanay Film The Romance of an American Duchess 1915 Minor Role UncreditedEssanay Film The Broken Pledge 1915 GloriaEssanay Film A Dash of Courage 1916Keystone/Trianglewith Bobby Vernondirected by Clarence G. Badger Hearts and Sparks 1916Keystone/Trianglewith Bobby Vernondirected by Clarence G. Badger A Social Cub 1916Keystone/Trianglewith Bobby Vernondirected by Clarence G. Badger The Danger Girl1916 Reggie's madcap sisterKeystone/Trianglewith Bobby Vernondirected by Clarence G. Badger Haystacks and Steeples 1916Keystone/Trianglewith Bobby Vernondirected by Clarence G. Badger The Nick of Time Baby1916Keystone/Trianglewith Bobby Vernondirected by Clarence G. Badger Teddy at the Throttle1917 Gloria Dawn, His Sweetheart Uncreditedwith Bobby VernonKeystone/Triangledirected by Clarence G. Badger Baseball Madness 1917Victor Film/Universal Dangers of a Bride 1917Keystone/Triangledirected by Clarence G. Badger Whose Baby?1917Keystone/Trianglewith Bobby Vernondirected by Clarence G. Badger The Sultan's Wife1917 GloriaKeystone/Trianglewith Bobby Vernondirected by Clarence G. Badger The Pullman Bride1917 The GirlParamount-Mack Sennettdirected by Clarence G. Badger A Trip to Paramountown1922 HerselfParamount

Features
+ Feature film credits of Gloria SwansonTitleYearRoleNotesStudio/Distributor  Society for Sale 1918 Phylis ClyneTriangle Film Corporation Her Decision 1918 Phyllis DunbarTriangle Film Corporationdirected by Jack Conway You Can't Believe Everything 1918 Patricia ReynoldsTriangle Film Corporationdirected by Jack Conway Station Content1918 Kitty ManningTriangle Film Corporationdirected by Arthur Hoyt  One reel survives Everywoman's Husband1918 Edith EmersonTriangle Film Corporationdirected by Gilbert P. Hamilton Shifting Sands1918 Marcia GreyTriangle Film Corporationdirected by Albert Parker The Secret Code 1918 Sally Carter RandTriangle Film Corporationdirected by Albert Parker Wife or Country 1918 Sylvia HamiltonTriangle Film Corporationdirected by E. Mason Hopper Don't Change Your Husband1919 Leila PorterFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Cecil B. DeMille For Better, for Worse1919 Sylvia NorcrossFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Cecil B. DeMille Male and Female1919 Lady Mary LasenbyFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Cecil B. DeMille Why Change Your Wife?1920 Beth GordonFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Cecil B. DeMille Something to Think About1920 Ruth AndersonFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Cecil B. DeMille The Affairs of Anatol1921 Vivian Spencer – Anatol's WifeFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Cecil B. DeMille The Great Moment 1921 Nada Pelham/Nadine PelhamFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood Under the Lash 1921 Deborah KrilletFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood Don't Tell Everything 1921 Marian WestoverFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood Her Husband's Trademark1922 Lois MillerFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood Her Gilded Cage 1922 Suzanne OrnoffFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood Beyond the Rocks1922 Theodora FitzgeraldFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood The Impossible Mrs. Bellew 1922 Betty BellewFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood My American Wife 1922 Natalie ChesterFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood Prodigal Daughters 1923 Swifty ForbesFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood Bluebeard's 8th Wife 1923 Mona deBriacFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sam Wood Hollywood 1923 Cameo roleFamous Players–Lasky/Paramount Zaza1923 ZazaFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Allan Dwan The Humming Bird1924 ToinetteFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Sidney Olcott A Society Scandal 1924 Marjorie ColbertFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Allan Dwan Manhandled1924 Tessie McGuireFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Allan Dwan Her Love Story 1924 Princess MarieFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Allan Dwan Wages of Virtue 1924 CarmelitaFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Allan Dwan Madame Sans-Gêne 1925 Madame Sans-GêneFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Léonce Perret The Coast of Folly 1925 Joyce Gathway/Nadine GathwayFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Allan Dwan Stage Struck1925 Jennie HagenFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Allan Dwan The Untamed Lady 1926 St. Clair Van TasselFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Frank Tuttle Fine Manners1926 Orchid MurphyFamous Players–Lasky/Paramountdirected by Richard Rosson The Love of Sunya1927 Sunya Ashling Swanson Producing Corporation/United Artistsdirected by Albert Parker Sadie Thompson1928 Sadie Thompson Gloria Swanson Productions/United Artistsdirected by Raoul Walsh Queen Kelly1928 Kitty Kelly/Queen Kelly Joseph P. Kennedy/United Artistsdirected by Erich von Stroheim The Trespasser1929 Marion DonnellGloria Productions/United Artistsdirected by Edmund GouldingReleased in two versions, one silent, and the other with sound What a Widow! 1930 Tamarind BrookGloria Productions/United Artistsdirected by Allan Dwan Indiscreet1931 Geraldine "Gerry" TrentFeature Productions, Inc. A DeSylva, Brown & Henderson Productiondirected by Leo McCarey Tonight or Never1931 Nella VagoFeature Productions, Inc./United Artistsdirected by Mervyn LeRoy Perfect Understanding1933 Judy Rogers Gloria Swanson British Productions, Ltd./United Artistsdirected by Cyril Gardner Music in the Air1934 Frieda Hotzfelt Erich Pommer Productions/Fox Filmdirected by Joe May Father Takes a Wife1941 Leslie Collier OsborneMarcus Lee/RKO Radio Pictures, Inc.directed by William Dorfman Sunset Boulevard1950 Norma Desmond Charles Brackett/Paramountdirected by Billy Wilder 3 for Bedroom "C"1952 Ann Haven/costume designer Brenco Pictures Corporation/Warner Bros.directed by Milton H. Bren Nero's Weekend (aka Nero's Mistress)1956 AgrippinaLes Films Marceau and Titanus/Manhattan Films Internationaldirected by Steno Airport 19751974 HerselfUniversal Picturesdirected by Jack Smight

Television

+ TelevisionTitleYearRole Notes  The Gloria Swanson Hour1948 Hostess Variety show The Peter Lind Hayes Show1950 Herself Episode #1.1sitcom show Hollywood Opening Night 1953 Episode: "The Pattern" Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson1954–1955 Hostess 25 episodes The Steve Allen Show1957 Norma Desmond Episode #3.8 Straightaway 1961 Lorraine Carrington Episode: "A Toast to Yesterday" Dr. Kildare1963 Julia Colton Episode: "The Good Luck Charm" Burke's Law1963–1964 Various roles 2 episodes Kraft Suspense Theatre1964 Mrs. Charlotte Heaton Segment: "Who Is Jennifer?" The Alfred Hitchcock Hour1964 Mrs. Daniels Episode: "Behind the Locked Door" My Three Sons1965 Margaret McSterling Episode: "The Fountain of Youth" Ben Casey1965 Victoria Hoffman Episode: "Minus That Rusty Old Hacksaw" The Beverly Hillbillies1966 Herself Episode: "The Gloria Swanson Story" The Eternal Tramp Special1972 Narratoraka Chaplinesque, My Life and Hard Times The Carol Burnett Show1973 Herself Episode #7.3 Killer Bees1974 Madame Maria von Bohlen Television movie The Great Debate1974 HerselfCanadian interview show with James Bawden Hollywood1980 HerselfTelevision documentary

 Awards and nominations 
+ Awards and nominations of Gloria SwansonYearAwardResultCategoryFilm or series 1929Academy Award rowspan=3 Best Actress Sadie Thompson1931 The Trespasser1951 Sunset Boulevard1951Golden Globe Award  Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama1964  Best TV Star – Female Burke's Law1951 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists  Best Actress – Foreign Film (Migliore Attrice Straniera) Sunset Boulevard1951 Jussi Award  Best Foreign Actress1950National Board of Review of Motion Pictures rowspan=2  Best Actress1980 Career Achievement Award 1975 Saturn Award Special Award 

 References 

 Sources 

 Citations 























 Further reading 







 Other websites 

 General 




 Gloria Swanson  at the Women Film Pioneers Project
 Glorious Gloria Swanson – Tribute site
 Gloria Swanson's papers  at the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin
 Gloria Swanson photographs and bibliography

 Interviews 

 Gloria Swanson, video of The Mike Wallace Interview, April 28, 1957
 , August 3, 1970

Category:1899 births
Category:1983 deaths
Category:Deaths from heart failure
Category:American movie actors
Category:American television actors
Category:American stage actors
Category:American voice actors
Category:American radio actors
Category:American silent movie actors
Category:Singers from Chicago
Category:Actors from Chicago
Category:Movie producers from Chicago
Category:Golden Globe Award winning actors
Category:Saturn Award winners