SAILING the seven seas while she was young and life was full of color;
ranging many ports and absorbing the drama and romance of many countries
that was a portion of Gloria Swanson's education. Between times she attended
school the globe around, whenever the opportunity offered.
Miss Swanson was born in Chicago, March 27, 1898. While still in her
teens she found herself all at sea, for her father was captain of an army
transport, and took his little daughter with him on many trips. It was understood
that Gloria would enter office life as a business career after she had concluded
her education at a Chicago finishing school, but the young lady had other
plans.
Developments were quite sudden and, very soon, a young miss, just sixteen
years of age, was posing prettily around the old Essanay lot. This was in
the pioneer days. Next she appeared with the then largest picture organization,
thence she went to the Keystone.
In 1917 the young actress, who afterwards was to become known universally
as the languorous lady of the gowns, starred for the first time. The production,
was, "You Can't Believe Everything," a Triangle feature.
She followed this by appearances in Sennett comedies, in which she quickly
attracted a large following. Cecil DeMille then offered her a place in his
productions. Prominent among these were: "Don't Change Your Husband,"
"For Better or For Worse," "Male and Female," "Why
Change Your Wife?" "Something to Think About" and "The
Affairs of Anatol."
Then she became a star in her own right, playing "The Great Moment,"
"Beyond the Rocks," "The Gilded Cage," "The Impossible
Mrs. Bellew" and "Prodigal Daughters." Her most recent vehicle
is "Blue Beard's Eighth Wife."
Miss Swanson has realized an early ambition to have a home beautiful.
Her residence in Beverly Hills, near Los Angeles, is one of the showplaces
of the suburbs. Her eyes are gray-blue and her hair brown. She is five feet,
one inch tall and weighs 112 pounds. |