Gloria Swanson was born Gloria May Josephine Svensson in Chicago, Illinois on March 27th, 1897, into a military family that moved frequently. She was educated in Chicago, Puerto Rico and Florida. At age 15 she began acting, taking bit parts in films. Early on, she played mostly comedic roles and slapstick. Director Cecil B. DeMille noticed Gloria and took her under his wing as a dramatic actress. She starred in several successful films for DeMille and became one of the most popular actresses of the silent film era. Swanson also became known for her fashion style, on screen and off, becoming one of the most famous and photographed women in the world. Swanson also produced several films. After the silent film era, Swanson's popularity began to decline. She was nominated for Academy Awards for Best Actress in 1929 and 1930, but acted sporadically during the 1930s and 40s. Her career was revived when she was nominated again for the Academy Award for Best Actress for the role of Norma Desmond in the 1950 film "Sunset Boulevard." After that she appeared mostly in television and theater. Swanson was married six times and had two daughters and one adopted son. She was active socially until her death on April 4, 1983. Photograph caption dated May 21, 1953 reads "Actress Gloria Swanson will arrive in New York on May 20, the same day twenty-six years later that Lindbergh began his famous trans-Atlantic flight. It was Gloria who christened the first TWA transcontinental flight, with Lindbergh at the controls in 1929." Swanson is pictured in front of part of an airplane showing the TWA logo.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;26 x 21 cm. Photographic prints
Swanson, Gloria,--1897-1983 Trans World Airlines Women--California--Los Angeles Motion picture actors and actresses--United States Airplanes--California--Los Angeles Airports--California--Los Angeles Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) Los Angeles Evening Herald Express photographs Herald-Examiner Collection photographs
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