Gloria Swanson | |
|---|---|
Swanson in 1941 | |
| Born | Gloria May Josephine Swanson March 27, 1899 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Died | April 4, 1983 (aged 84) New York City, U.S. |
| Resting place | Church of the Heavenly Rest, New York City |
| Other names | Gloria Mae |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1914–1983 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses | Michael Farmer
(m. 1931; div. 1934)William Davey
(m. 1945; div. 1946) |
| Children | 3 |
| Signature | |
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.
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.

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 (equivalent to $358 in 2021) 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.

| † | Is a lost movie. |
| Title | Year | Role | Notes Studio/Distributor |
Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Baron | 1915 | Bit part | Essanay Film starring Francis X. Bushman |
|
| His New Job | 1915 | Stenographer | Essanay Film 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 Essanay Film |
|
| Sweedie Goes to College † | 1915 | College Girl | Wallace Beery played Sweedie in a series of shorts Essanay Film |
|
| The Romance of an American Duchess † | 1915 | Minor Role | Uncredited Essanay Film |
|
| The Broken Pledge † | 1915 | Gloria | Essanay Film | |
| A Dash of Courage † | 1916 | Keystone/Triangle with Bobby Vernon directed by Clarence G. Badger |
||
| Hearts and Sparks † | 1916 | Keystone/Triangle with Bobby Vernon directed by Clarence G. Badger |
||
| A Social Cub † | 1916 | Keystone/Triangle with Bobby Vernon directed by Clarence G. Badger |
||
| The Danger Girl | 1916 | Reggie's madcap sister | Keystone/Triangle with Bobby Vernon directed by Clarence G. Badger |
|
| Haystacks and Steeples † | 1916 | Keystone/Triangle with Bobby Vernon directed by Clarence G. Badger |
||
| The Nick of Time Baby | 1916 | Keystone/Triangle with Bobby Vernon directed by Clarence G. Badger |
||
| Teddy at the Throttle | 1917 | Gloria Dawn, His Sweetheart | Uncredited with Bobby Vernon Keystone/Triangle directed by Clarence G. Badger |
|
| Baseball Madness † | 1917 | Victor Film/Universal | ||
| Dangers of a Bride † | 1917 | Keystone/Triangle directed by Clarence G. Badger |
||
| Whose Baby? | 1917 | Keystone/Triangle with Bobby Vernon directed by Clarence G. Badger |
||
| The Sultan's Wife | 1917 | Gloria | Keystone/Triangle with Bobby Vernon directed by Clarence G. Badger |
|
| The Pullman Bride | 1917 | The Girl | Paramount-Mack Sennett directed by Clarence G. Badger |
|
| A Trip to Paramountown | 1922 | Herself | Paramount | |
| Title | Year | Role | Notes Studio/Distributor |
Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Society for Sale † | 1918 | Phylis Clyne | Triangle Film Corporation | |
| Her Decision † | 1918 | Phyllis Dunbar | Triangle Film Corporation directed by Jack Conway |
|
| You Can't Believe Everything † | 1918 | Patricia Reynolds | Triangle Film Corporation directed by Jack Conway |
|
| Station Content | 1918 | Kitty Manning | Triangle Film Corporation directed by Arthur Hoyt One reel survives |
|
| Everywoman's Husband | 1918 | Edith Emerson | Triangle Film Corporation directed by Gilbert P. Hamilton |
|
| Shifting Sands | 1918 | Marcia Grey | Triangle Film Corporation directed by Albert Parker |
|
| The Secret Code † | 1918 | Sally Carter Rand | Triangle Film Corporation directed by Albert Parker |
|
| Wife or Country † | 1918 | Sylvia Hamilton | Triangle Film Corporation directed by E. Mason Hopper |
|
| Don't Change Your Husband | 1919 | Leila Porter | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Cecil B. DeMille |
|
| For Better, for Worse | 1919 | Sylvia Norcross | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Cecil B. DeMille |
|
| Male and Female | 1919 | Lady Mary Lasenby | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Cecil B. DeMille |
|
| Why Change Your Wife? | 1920 | Beth Gordon | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Cecil B. DeMille |
|
| Something to Think About | 1920 | Ruth Anderson | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Cecil B. DeMille |
|
| The Affairs of Anatol | 1921 | Vivian Spencer – Anatol's Wife | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Cecil B. DeMille |
|
| The Great Moment † | 1921 | Nada Pelham/Nadine Pelham | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| Under the Lash † | 1921 | Deborah Krillet | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| Don't Tell Everything † | 1921 | Marian Westover | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| Her Husband's Trademark | 1922 | Lois Miller | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| Her Gilded Cage † | 1922 | Suzanne Ornoff | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| Beyond the Rocks | 1922 | Theodora Fitzgerald | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| The Impossible Mrs. Bellew † | 1922 | Betty Bellew | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| My American Wife † | 1922 | Natalie Chester | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| Prodigal Daughters † | 1923 | Swifty Forbes | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| Bluebeard's 8th Wife † | 1923 | Mona deBriac | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sam Wood |
|
| Hollywood † | 1923 | Cameo role | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount | |
| Zaza | 1923 | Zaza | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Allan Dwan |
|
| The Humming Bird | 1924 | Toinette | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Sidney Olcott |
|
| A Society Scandal † | 1924 | Marjorie Colbert | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Allan Dwan |
|
| Manhandled | 1924 | Tessie McGuire | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Allan Dwan |
|
| Her Love Story † | 1924 | Princess Marie | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Allan Dwan |
|
| Wages of Virtue † | 1924 | Carmelita | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Allan Dwan |
|
| Madame Sans-Gêne † | 1925 | Madame Sans-Gêne | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Léonce Perret |
|
| The Coast of Folly † | 1925 | Joyce Gathway/Nadine Gathway | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Allan Dwan |
|
| Stage Struck | 1925 | Jennie Hagen | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Allan Dwan |
|
| The Untamed Lady † | 1926 | St. Clair Van Tassel | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Frank Tuttle |
|
| Fine Manners | 1926 | Orchid Murphy | Famous Players–Lasky/Paramount directed by Richard Rosson |
|
| The Love of Sunya | 1927 | Sunya Ashling | Swanson Producing Corporation/United Artists directed by Albert Parker |
|
| Sadie Thompson | 1928 | Sadie Thompson | Gloria Swanson Productions/United Artists directed by Raoul Walsh |
|
| Queen Kelly | 1928 | Kitty Kelly/Queen Kelly | Joseph P. Kennedy/United Artists directed by Erich von Stroheim |
|
| The Trespasser | 1929 | Marion Donnell | Gloria Productions/United Artists directed by Edmund Goulding Released in two versions, one silent, and the other with sound |
|
| What a Widow! † | 1930 | Tamarind Brook | Gloria Productions/United Artists directed by Allan Dwan |
|
| Indiscreet | 1931 | Geraldine "Gerry" Trent | Feature Productions, Inc. A DeSylva, Brown & Henderson Production directed by Leo McCarey |
|
| Tonight or Never | 1931 | Nella Vago | Feature Productions, Inc./United Artists directed by Mervyn LeRoy |
|
| Perfect Understanding | 1933 | Judy Rogers | Gloria Swanson British Productions, Ltd./United Artists directed by Cyril Gardner |
|
| Music in the Air | 1934 | Frieda Hotzfelt | Erich Pommer Productions/Fox Film directed by Joe May |
|
| Father Takes a Wife | 1941 | Leslie Collier Osborne | Marcus Lee/RKO Radio Pictures, Inc. directed by William Dorfman |
|
| Sunset Boulevard | 1950 | Norma Desmond | Charles Brackett/Paramount directed 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 | Agrippina | Les Films Marceau and Titanus/Manhattan Films International directed by Steno |
|
| Airport 1975 | 1974 | Herself | Universal Pictures directed by Jack Smight |
|
| Title | Year | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Gloria Swanson Hour | 1948 | Hostess | Variety show | |
| The Peter Lind Hayes Show | 1950 | Herself | Episode #1.1 sitcom show |
|
| Hollywood Opening Night | 1953 | Episode: "The Pattern" | ||
| Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson | 1954–1955 | Hostess | 25 episodes | |
| The Steve Allen Show | 1957 | Norma Desmond | Episode #3.8 | |
| Straightaway | 1961 | Lorraine Carrington | Episode: "A Toast to Yesterday" | |
| Dr. Kildare | 1963 | Julia Colton | Episode: "The Good Luck Charm" | |
| Burke's Law | 1963–1964 | Various roles | 2 episodes | |
| Kraft Suspense Theatre | 1964 | Mrs. Charlotte Heaton | Segment: "Who Is Jennifer?" | |
| The Alfred Hitchcock Hour | 1964 | Mrs. Daniels | Episode: "Behind the Locked Door" | |
| My Three Sons | 1965 | Margaret McSterling | Episode: "The Fountain of Youth" | |
| Ben Casey | 1965 | Victoria Hoffman | Episode: "Minus That Rusty Old Hacksaw" | |
| The Beverly Hillbillies | 1966 | Herself | Episode: "The Gloria Swanson Story" | |
| The Eternal Tramp Special | 1972 | Narrator | aka Chaplinesque, My Life and Hard Times | |
| The Carol Burnett Show | 1973 | Herself | Episode #7.3 | |
| Killer Bees | 1974 | Madame Maria von Bohlen | Television movie | |
| The Great Debate | 1974 | Herself | Canadian interview show with James Bawden | |
| Hollywood | 1980 | Herself | Television documentary | |
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Film or series | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1929 | Academy Award | Nominated | Best Actress | Sadie Thompson | |
| 1931 | The Trespasser | ||||
| 1951 | Sunset Boulevard | ||||
| 1951 | Golden Globe Award | Won | Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama | ||
| 1964 | Nominated | Best TV Star – Female | Burke's Law | ||
| 1951 | Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists | Won | Best Actress – Foreign Film (Migliore Attrice Straniera) | Sunset Boulevard | |
| 1951 | Jussi Award | Won | Best Foreign Actress | ||
| 1950 | National Board of Review of Motion Pictures | Won | Best Actress | ||
| 1980 | Career Achievement Award | - |
|||
| 1975 | Saturn Award | Won | Special Award | - |
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link){{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)