GLORIA SWANSON BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:
Gloria Swanson was born on March 27th, 1899 in Chicago, Illinois with the birth name Gloria May Josephine Swanson. She was the daughter of Adelaide and Joseph Theodore Swanson. Her father was a soldier and his heritage was Swedish where is surname was actually Svensson.
She was raised in various places during her childhood such as Chicago, Puerto Rico and Key West, Florida. She went to public school in Chicago. Her parents separated while she was still in school and so she dropped out of school.
It was not Swanson's original intention to get involved into acting, but with her parents splitting up, she had to find work. She began finding employment at a department store working as a clerk, but soon her aunt convinced her to go to a film studio in Chicago and was able to get a job as an extra. Her film debut was on, "The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket" (1915). She then received another role as an extra on, "At the End of a Perfect Day" (1915).
Luckily she got involved in the business as the right time as she was seen and liked by many production companies. She got another small part in, "Sweedie Goes to College" (1915). She went on to get lead roles for pictures such as Keystone Productions and Triangle Productions. Many of Gloria's films were quite successful such as, "The Pullman Bride" (1917), "Shifting Hands" (1918) and "Don't Change Your Husband" (1919).
In 1919, she was signed to a contract with Cecil B. DeMille. By the mid 1920's, she was the highest-paid actress in Hollywood. When film entered into the sound era, Gloria had no problem adapting to a new type of acting. In 1928, she received an Oscar nomination for her role as Sadie Thompson in the film, "Sadie Thompson".
Her career was at an all time high with another nomination the following year for her role on, "The Trespasser" (1929). As she entered the 1930's she slowed down significantly not doing so many films, but still film roles of quality. She was next seen on, "Music in the Air" (1934) and then took a break until, "Father Takes a Wife" (1941).
Her next box office hit was her role as a movie actress all washed up in, "Sunset Blvd" (1950) in which she earned her third Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. As her career progressed she appeared in a couple more films, but for the most part retired from the film industry. She did do a couple television roles, one more popular was on, "Burke's Law" (1963-1964).
Gloria's final screen appearance was in 1974 on, "Killer Bees" and she then retired from acting for good. Gloria Swanson passed away on April 4th, 1983 in New York City, New York from a heart ailment at the age of eighty six.
Throughout her lifetime she married a total of six times. First to Wallace Beery on March 27th, 1916 and they remained together until 1919. Her second marriage was to Herbert K. Somborn on December 20th, 1919 until August 9th, 1922 and together they had one child. Again, she married for a third time to Henri de la Falaise on January 29th, 1925 and again this marriage ended in divorce on November 6th, 1931. Her fourth time to marry was too Michael Farmer on August 16th, 1931 and after having one child, this too ended in divorce on November 7th, 1934. Marriage number five was to George William Davey January 29th, 1945 and again three years later on December 28th, 1948 this marriage too ended in a divorce. Her final marriage was to William Dufty on February 2nd 1976 and she remained with her sixth husband until she passed away.
Gloria Swanson also wrote her own autobiography and was honored with two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame one for Motion Pictures contribution and the other for her contribution to television. Gloria Swanson was always known for living a very extravagant lifestyle. It was estimated that when she passed her estate was worth $1,440,000.
Filmography
1974 Killer Bees
1965 Ben Casey
1965 My Three Sons
1963-1964 Burke's Law
1964 The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
1964 Kraft Suspense Theatre
1963 Dr. Kildare
1961 Straightaway
1957 The Steve Allen Plymouth Show
1956 Nero's Mistress
1954 Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson
1953 Hollywood Opening Night
1952 Three for Bedroom C
1950 The Peter Lind Hayes Show
1950 Sunset Blvd.
1941 Father Takes a Wife
1934 Music in the Air
1933 Perfect Understanding
1932 Queen Kelly
1931 Tonight or Never
1931 Indiscreet
1930 What a Widow!
1929 The Trespasser
1928 Sadie Thompson
1927 The Love of Sunya
1926 Fine Manners
1926 The Untamed Lady
1925 Stage Struck
1925 The Coast of Folly
1924 Madame Sans-Gêne
1924 Wages of Virtue
1924 Her Love Story
1924 Manhandled
1924 A Society Scandal
1924 The Humming Bird
1923 Zaza
1923 Bluebeard's Eighth Wife
1923 Prodigal Daughters
1922 My American Wife
1922 The Impossible Mrs. Bellew
1922 Beyond the Rocks
1922 Her Gilded Cage
1922 Her Husband's Trademark
1921 Don't Tell Everything
1921 Under the Lash
1921 The Affairs of Anatol
1921 The Great Moment
1920 Something to Think About
1920 Why Change Your Wife?
1919 Male and Female
1919 For Better, for Worse
1919 Don't Change Your Husband
1918 Wife or Country
1918 The Secret Code
1918 Shifting Sands
1918 Everywoman's Husband
1918 You Can't Believe Everything
1918 Station Content
1918 Her Decision
1918 Society for Sale
1918 The Admirable Crichton
1917 The Pullman Bride
1917 The Sultan's Wife
1917 II Whose Baby?
1917 Dangers of a Bride
1917 Baseball Madness
1917 Teddy at the Throttle
1916 The Nick of Time Baby
1916 Haystacks and Steeples
1916 The Danger Girl
1916 A Social Cub
1916 Hearts and Sparks
1916 A Dash of Courage
1916 Sunshine
1915 The Broken Pledge
1915 The Romance of an American Duchess
1915 Sweedie Goes to College
1915 The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket
1915 His New Job
1915 The Ambition of the Baron
1915 At the End of a Perfect Day
1915 The Misjudged Mr. Hartley
1914 I The Song of the Soul
