Trivia

Wrote her autobiography in rebuttal to certain claims made by Rose Kennedy in her 1974 memoirs.

Swanson's Oscar nominated performance as delusional silent star Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard so impressed movie audiences that she said she spent the rest of her life having to remind the public, "I'm not Norma Desmond, I merely played her onscreen!".

Her performance as Norma Desmond in Sunset Boulevard (1950) is ranked #31 on Premiere Magazine's 100 Greatest Movie Characters of All Time.

Known for her extravagant lifestyle, it was reported that she earned $8,000,000 between 1918 and 1929 and spent nearly all of it. By the time of her death in 1983, her gross estate was valued at just over $1,440,000.

Was considered for the role of Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind (1939), which went to Vivien Leigh.

She was the visual inspiration for the original illustrations of Morticia Addams in The Addams Family, when were published in The New Yorker in 1938. Swanson was 39 years old at the point.

While under contract to MGM in the 1930s, Gloria Swanson wanted to make a film called "Dark Victory," but Irving Thalberg insisted no major studio would make a movie about a woman who dies from a brain tumor. Bette Davis made the film at Warners in 1939 and it was a smash hit.

Swanson was known for her devotion to certain rituals and superstitions, among them her insistence that she would only sleep with her head pointing "due North." On numerous occasions, she insisted on having hotel rooms (and friends' guest rooms) completely rearranged to accommodate this quirk.

The first film shown at the original Roxy Theatre at 153 West 50th Street, New York City, was Swanson's The Love of Sunya (1927) in March 1927, and she attended the premiere. At its demolition in 1961, she posed in its ruins as a final farewell.

Along with Ruth Chatterton was one of the first stars to be Oscar nominated in two different years, for Sadie Thompson (1928) in 1929 and for The Trespasser (1929) in 1930.

She was awarded two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Motion Pictures at 6750 Hollywood Boulevard; and for Television at 6301 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

Swanson was one of the biggest box office draws of the silent era, usually appearing in lavish romantic melodramas, often directed by Cecil B. de Mille. Her costumes, make-up and hairstyles were considered the epitome of 1920s glamour, and were imitated by women all over the world.

Mother of a biological daughter, Gloria, by her second husband, and also of an adopted son, Joseph Patrick, whom everyone thought (erroneously) was named for her lover at the time, Joseph P. Kennedy (father/founder of the Kennedy political clan).

Claimed to have detested writing her autobiography.

Most biographers overlook her appearance on the ABC TV variety show The Hollywood Palace (1964). At the end of the first winter-spring season, series producers Nick Vanoff and William O. Harbach scheduled the show's host Gene Barry with guest stars Swanson and Buster Keaton to appear together in a comedy sketch. Keaton was at that time appearing in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963). Bringing famous Hollywood film stars onto the show was the producers' main goal. Getting Swanson and Keaton on the show was considered a coup and an opportunity to promote the film. The sketch starred Swanson as Cleopatra and Keaton as Marc Antony, staged on a stepped Roman platform terrace surrounded by a 20-inch-high parapet wall and Roman columns, with the pair falling in love. It was written by Joe Bigelow and Jay Burton, but director Grey Lockwood encouraged Swanson and Keaton to contribute any bits, routines and ideas that they wanted to, which they did. On the first day of rehearsal Swanson was on the stage, gazing up at the lighting fixtures overhead. She asked for lighting director Jack Denton to come to the stage, which he did, and Swanson began pointing out how she wanted which lights to focus on her and Keaton during the sketch--side light, key light, back light, which color gels to use, etc. Denton made sure that all of her suggestions were implemented. Keaton's idea was that the sketch should end with "Antony" and "Cleopatra" sitting on the parapet wall bench, join hands, and fall backwards out of sight over the wall. He and Swanson rehearsed the fall several times, and did the stunt themselves when it came time to actually shoot the scene for the show.

Second husband, Herbert K. Somborn, ran Hollywood's legendary Brown Derby restaurant from 1926 until his death in 1934.

Upon her death, her remains were interred at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest in New York City. Her location plot is the Columbium in the basement of the church on the left side of the wall towards the back of the room.

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.

Underwent an abortion in 1917 during her marriage to Wallace Beery. Swanson called it one of the biggest regrets of her life.

During the early 1920s, she had a falling-out with close friend Blanche Sweet. The dispute was over a man, and Sweet never forgave her.

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.

Her favorite leading man in silent films was Elliott Dexter, and her favorite leading man in talkies was William Holden.

Gave birth to her first child at age 21, a daughter Gloria Swanson Somborn on October 7, 1920. Child's father was her 2nd husband, Herbert K. Somborn.

Was Daisy "Granny" Moses' favorite movie star in The Beverly Hillbillies (1962) TV series. In referring to Swanson, Granny would always say, "We's lookalikes, y'know".

Met her third husband, the Marquis (or "Marquess") Henri de la Falaise, when he worked as her interpreter in France on Madame Sans-Gêne (1925).

She cited Madame Sans-Gêne (1925) (now lost) as her personal favorite of all her films.

She and her Hollywood (1923) co-star Jacqueline Logan both died on April 4, 1983.

A Republican, she was the head of the council for "Seniors for Reagan-Bush".

Although William Holden and Gloria Swanson rarely had contact after making Sunset Boulevard (1950), a bond of affection remained. Holden told a story about Swanson having dropped by his home in Palm Springs for a visit when he happened to be away. The caretakers let her in, and she left a note on the toilet seat as follows:

"Dear Joe: I'm leaving this note where I know you'll find it. Where is Max? Where is De Mille? Where is Hedda? Where has everybody gone?

"Love, Norma Desmond.".

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.

Hated acting in slapstick comedy, which was pretty much all of her early career.

Gloria Swanson signed a contract with Irving Thalberg at MGM in 1934. Although the contract called for her to make three films per year, she made only one film ... a loan-out to Fox, where she made Music in the Air (1934). She never made a film at MGM under this contract.

In 1964, she was one of many guest speakers at the Project Prayer Rally in Los Angeles, California.

Her 6th husband was former truck driver turner author, Arthur William Duffy, in 1978.

Her father was of Swedish descent. Her mother was of Polish, German, and French ancestry.

Cited Beyond the Rocks (1922) as one of her favorite films from her silent career.

Gave birth to her second child at age 33, a daughter Michele Bridget Farmer (aka Michele Farmer on April 5, 1932. Child's father was her 4th husband, Michael Farmer.

Adopted son Joseph born 1949.

Godmother of director/writer Dirk Wayne Summers, and had signed to appear in The Great Sex War (1969), a film he was producing in Mexico. However, Swanson and her soon to be husband, William Dufty, took it upon themselves (without being asked) to rewrite the screenplay. The "changes" in the script that Swanson desired were not ones that Summers wanted to include, so they mutually released each other from their contracts. This did not impact their close relationship, apparently. Swanson accompanied Summers to Mexico for a location scouting trip.

When Gloria Swanson asked Marion Davies if she had patterned her character Patricia Pepoire in Show People (1928) on her, Davies answered of course not, it was Mae Murray. Swanson never saw the film anyway.

One of her best friends was actress Lois Wilson.

Despite the reception she had for her performance which earned her an Oscar nomination the only film offers were for reprises of Norma which she turned down and went on stage, 2 later films were failures and her last screen appearance was as herself in the film Airport 1974.

Was engaged to Marshall Neilan for some time in the 1920s.

Republic Pictures has a vehicle for her listed in their production schedules in mid-1938. The film, Lady in the News, appears never to have been made.

Biography in: "The Scribner Encyclopedia of American Lives." Volume One, 1981-1985, pages 776-778. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1998.

Gloria Swanson is mentioned in the lyrics of the 1928 song "They All Stare At My Girl" written by Cliff Shed.