Gloria Swanson Biography
The Fashion Icon of Silent Films
Jan 12, 2010 Darla Sue Dollman
Gloria Swanson was a talented singer and a remarkably beautiful young woman. Her mother enjoyed making her clothes and shopping for her daughter’s extensive wardrobe. One day, Swanson and her aunt visited a Chicago film studio and Swanson asked if she could work as an extra--the first step in the career of one of the most famous silent film stars in history.
The Early Years of Gloria Swanson
Gloria Josephine May Swanson was born in Chicago, Illinois on March 27, 1899, to Adelaide Klanowski and Joseph Swanson. Her father was a Captain in the United States Army and they traveled to Key West, Florida and Puerto Rico, exposing Swanson to a wide variety of fashions. Swanson studied at the Hawthorne Scholastic Academy, a Chicago finishing school, and was expected to begin a career as an office worker. Instead, she visited the Essanay Film Manufacturing Company where it is believed she appeared in the 1914 film The Song of the Soul.
Gloria Swanson’s Early Film Career
Swanson made several short films for Essanay, including His New Job with Charlie Chaplin. During this time, she also met and married actor Wallace Beery. Beery convinced Swanson to move to California and introduced her to Hollywood. Swanson appeared in numerous Max Sennett Keystone comedies opposite Bobby Vernon before Keystone Studios went bankrupt.
Gloria Swanson Becomes a Silent Film Star
In 1918, Swanson moved to the newly-formed Triangle Studios where she starred in the silent drama You Can’t Believe Everything. By that time, she had appeared in over 25 films. In 1919, she caught the attention of Cecil B. DeMille and was offered a contract with Paramount Pictures, competing with the equally-talented Clara Bow for top romantic leading lady roles and starring with some of the most famous men in Hollywood, such as Rudolph Valentino. In 1920, Swanson appeared in a lion’s cage in Why Change Your Wife? This film made Swanson one of the most popular actresses of her time.
Gloria Swanson the Fashion Icon
The film appeal of Gloria Swanson included much more than her dramatic acting ability. Swanson built a reputation as a queen of fashion and was one of the most photographed celebrities of her time. Her costumes were lavishly decorated with beads, jewels and feathers. Her style was imitated around the world. Her popularity was astounding. She lived in France for four years, starring in the first French-American production, and was welcomed home to the United States with street parades in New York and Los Angeles.
Gloria Swanson and Sadie Thompson
In 1927, Gloria Swanson joined United Artists where she was given complete artistic freedom. Her first independent film was 1927’s The Love of Sunya. Swanson’s next project was the silent film Sadie Thompson, which is considered Swanson’s greatest achievement. It was a controversial film based on the short story "Rain" by W. Somerset Maugham about the relationship between a missionary and a woman he believes to be a prostitute. Swanson received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role. The film was also nominated for Best Cinematography.
Gloria Swanson Returns to Hollywood
Although she easily made the transition into sound films, and was a talented singer, as well, Swanson went into semi-retirement during the Depression Era. In 1950, she made a surprising comeback as Norma Desmond, a faded silent-film star in Sunset Boulevard. Swanson was again nominated for a Best Actress Academy Award. Sunset Boulevard won three Oscars. Swanson also made later appearances in numerous television shows and movies. She played herself in the disaster film Airport 1975.
Gloria Swanson’s Personal Life
Gloria Swanson married actor Wallace Beery when she was seventeen. He was fourteen years her senior. According to Swanson’s autobiography, Swanson on Swanson, Beery was drunk on their wedding night and raped her. Their marriage ended a few months after their wedding. She then married Herbert Somborn, President of Equity Pictures. They had one daughter, Gloria, but separated within a year. When Somborn sued for divorce, he claimed Swanson had affairs with thirteen men, including Cecil B. DeMille, and Swanson was forced to settle out of court for a large sum of money.
During her time in France, she married the Marquis Le Bailly de la Falaise de la Coudraye. They later grew apart and Swanson had a lengthy affair with Joseph Kennedy. Swanson’s fourth marriage was to Michael Farmer. They had one daughter, Michelle, but she divorced him over jealousy issues. In 1945, Swanson met William N. Davey. They separated 45 days later in a dispute over his drinking. In 1968, Swanson married William Dufty, author of Sugar Blues, who introduced her to the Macrobiotic Diet. Swanson and Dufty were very good friends and their marriage lasted until her death.
Death and Legacy of Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson died on April 4, 1983, of a heart ailment. In her lifetime, she made 82 television and film appearances and was nominated for three Academy Awards. On April 6, 1983, she was honored in a New York Times editorial titled "The Greatest Star of Them All.” Swanson has two stars on the Hollywood Boulevard Walk of Fame for her work in television and film. Her personal archives and photographs belong to the University of Texas in Austin.
Resources:
Swanson, Gloria. Swanson on Swanson. Random House, Inc., 1980.
Hornblow, Arthur. "Why Gloria Swanson is Always Broke." Originally published in Theatre Magazine, New York: 1919. Reprinted on Theatre History.com. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
Gloria Swanson, 1921.
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