Gloria Swanson went to public schools in Chicago; Key West, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her film debut was an extra in The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket. From the following year on she had leading roles in pictures for Keystone, then a year with Triangle and, in 1919, a contract with Cecil B. DeMille. DeMille transformed her from a typical Mack Sennett comedienne to a lively, provocative, even predatory, star. She collected husbands (e.g., the indigent Henri de la Falaise) and lovers (e.g., Joseph P. Kennedy, father of former President John F. Kennedy). Kennedy produced her Queen Kelly, directed by Erich von Stroheim (it was von Stroheim's copy of this film that Swanson was watching as Norma Desmond in Sunset Blvd. when she leaped into the projection beam shouting "Have they forgotten what a star looks like? I'll be up there again, so help me!" - ironic in that the butler-projectionist was, again, von Stroheim). She survived the switch to talkies, even learning how to sing for Music in the Air, but her kinds of films were over with by that time. She returned to the stage in the 1940s ("Reflected Glory", "Let us Be Gay", "A Goose for a Gander"). She was a clothes designer and artist; she founded Essence of Nature Cosmetics; and she made television appearances through the 1960s and 1970s, doing cameos and pushing health foods. She received Best Actress nominations for Sadie Thompson, The Trespasser and "Sunset Boulevard".



Sunset Blvd. (1950): $50,000
Father Takes a Wife (1941): $35,000
Music in the Air (1934): $250,000
Perfect Understanding (1933): $250,000
Tonight or Never (1931): $250,000
Indiscreet (1931): $250,000
What a Widow! (1930): $100,000
The Trespasser (1929): $100,000
Sadie Thompson (1928): $150,000
Zaza (1923): $6,500/week
The Great Moment (1921): $2,500/week
Society for Sale (1918): $150/week
The Sultan's Wife (1917): $85/week
Dangers of a Bride (1917): $85/week
Teddy at the Throttle (1917): $85/week
The Nick of Time Baby (1916): $85/week
Haystacks and Steeples (1916): $85/week
The Danger Girl (1916): $85/week
Hearts and Sparks (1916): $85/week
A Dash of Courage (1916): $65/week
The Broken Pledge (1915): $3.25/day
The Romance of an American Duchess (1915): $3.25/day
Sweedie Goes to College (1915): $3.25/day
The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket (1915): $3.25/day
His New Job (1915): $3.25/day

Second husband 'Herbert K. Somborn' ran the legendary Brown Derby restaurant from 1926 until his death in 1934; at that time, their daughter, 'Gloria Swanson Somborn', took over. See also Wilson Mizner. Her last husband, William Dufty, was a well-known author of books and a few screenplays, such as Lady Sings the Blues (1972), the Billie Holiday story. It was Dufty, translator of "You Are All Sanpaku," by George Ohsawa, who was influenced by Swanson to take an interest in health and become involved in holistic-health related literature. Wrote her own autobiography in rebuttal to certain claims made by Rose Kennedy in her 1974 memoirs. Mother of Michele Bridget Farmer (aka Michele Farmer)(born April 5, 1932) with Michael Farmer. Was engaged to Marshall Neilan for some time in the 1920s. Daughter Gloria Swanson Somborn (born October 7, 1920) with Herbert K. Somborn. Died of brain cancer on December 11, 2000 at age 80. She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for motion pictures at 6748 Hollywood Boulevard and another for television at 6301 Hollywood Boulevard. When she died, her book collection was sold to the Gotham Book Mart in New York City. All of the books were concerned with health and nutrition. Was very close friends with actor Dirk Benedict. She introduced him to macrobiotics. Dirk has said that she was like a mother to him. They met working on the play "Butterflies Are Free," where Swanson played Benedict's mother. During the early twenties, she had a falling out with close friend Blanche Sweet. The dispute was over a man, and Sweet never forgave her. She cited Madame Sans-Gêne (1924) (now lost) as her personal favorite of all her films. The original Roxy Theatre at 153 W. 50th Street, New York, NY 10020 was opened by Ms. Swanson, showing too, her filmThe Love of Sunya (1927) in March 1927 and at its demolition in 1961 she posed amongst its ruins as a final farewell.