--- name: "Gloria Swanson" canonical: "https://film.one/person/gloria-swanson" fi1m_id: "gloria-swanson" imdb_id: "nm0841797" tmdb_id: 8629 wikidata_id: "Q229232" roles: ["Actor"] born: "27 March 1899" died: "4 April 1983" reviewed_on_fi1m: 1 average_as: "actor" average_over: 1 updated: "2026-09-25T04:51:15.072882+00:00" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Gloria Swanson ## Identity Gloria Swanson - **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/gloria-swanson - **Type:** Person - **Fi1m ID:** gloria-swanson - **IMDb ID:** nm0841797 - **TMDB ID:** 8629 - **Wikidata ID:** Q229232 - **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Swanson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q229232, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0841797/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8629 Actor. Born 27 March 1899 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Died 4 April 1983. ## Details - **Work:** Actor - **Born:** 27 March 1899, Chicago, Illinois, USA - **Died:** 4 April 1983 - **Also known as:** Gloria May Josephine Svensson, Gloria Mae, Глорія Свенсон - **Golden Globes:** 1 Golden Globe (1 won) - **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Swanson, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q229232, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0841797/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/8629 ## Fi1m on Gloria Swanson > Gloria Swanson makes emphatic acting persuasive by keeping the need for attention visible beneath it. In *Sunset Boulevard*, her grand gestures make us laugh without concealing Norma Desmond's fear of being forgotten. In *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), Gloria Swanson widens her eyes and gestures as though compliance ought to be automatic. As Norma Desmond, she lets us see how absurd such self-importance can look. We were unsettled by how sorry we felt for Norma, because Swanson makes her need to be watched apparent even at her most intolerable. This is emphatic acting, but the fear of being forgotten gives those demands a reason beyond simple vanity. Her shoulders and hands matter as much as her face. Her silent-era roles were often glamorous and worldly, with Cecil B. DeMille's *Male and Female* (1919) among the early films that established her stardom. Elaborate costumes and settings were part of the attraction, but the physical expressiveness matters more to our understanding of what she does in *Sunset Boulevard*. It would be a mistake to treat Norma's exaggerated manner as all Swanson had to offer. Her independent work included producing and starring in *Sadie Thompson* (1928), with its more vulnerable central character. *Queen Kelly* (1929), directed by Erich von Stroheim, remained unfinished and set back those production efforts. *The Trespasser* (1929), however, brought a successful move into sound, with natural dialogue delivery and singing. That successful adjustment is worth remembering when looking at the decline in her film work through the 1930s and 1940s. Billy Wilder gets the most out of that expressive style by letting it be conspicuous. In *Sunset Boulevard*, Swanson deliberately exaggerates silent-era acting; the danger is that Norma will become merely a joke about an obsolete performer. She makes the wish to be taken seriously understandable, however tiresome Norma's demands become. The writing sometimes insists on its cleverness, but Swanson keeps Norma's distress credible without asking us to approve of her. Start with *Sunset Boulevard*, then make time for *Sadie Thompson*. ## Biography Gloria Swanson was an American actress. Born Gloria May Josephine Svensson, she began her career as a teenager in silent films, appearing in shorts and features for studios including Essanay and Mack Sennett before becoming a prominent star of the 1920s under directors such as Cecil B. DeMille. She received Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for *Sadie Thompson* (1928) and *The Trespasser* (1929), the latter marking her successful transition to sound films. In 1950 she played Norma Desmond in *Sunset Boulevard*, directed by Billy Wilder, earning her a third Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award. She later appeared in films such as *Airport 1975* (1974) and worked in theatre and television. *Sources: britannica.com, imdb.com, en.wikipedia.org.* ## On Fi1m (1) - *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), Fi1m 91, as Norma Desmond — [page](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard.md) ## Complete filmography (93) Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page. - *Hollywood sul Tevere* (2009), Actor - *The Casting Couch* (1995), Actor - *Airport 1975* (1974), as Gloria Swanson - *Killer Bees* (1974), as Madame Maria von Bohlen - *The Age of Ballyhoo* (1973), as Narrator - *Brasileiros em Hollywood* (1970), as Sef (archive footage) - *Kraft Suspense Theatre* (1963), series, as Mrs. Charlotte Heaton - *Burke's Law* (1963), series, as Venus Hekate Walsh, Miss Lily Boles - *The Alfred Hitchcock Hour* (1962), series, as Mrs. Daniels - *Straightaway* (1961), series, as Lorraine Carrington - *Ben Casey* (1961), series, as Victoria Hoffman - *Dr. Kildare* (1961), series, as Julia Colton - *When Comedy Was King* (1960), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Nero's Mistress* (1956), as Agrippina - *The Oscars* (1953), series, Actor - *Three for Bedroom C* (1952), as Ann Haven - *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), as Norma Desmond — Fi1m 91, [page](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard.md) - *Down Memory Lane* (1949), as The Reluctant Bride - *Dear Miss Gloria* (1946), as Miss Gloria - *Happy Times and Jolly Moments* (1943), as (archive footage) - *Father Takes a Wife* (1941), as Leslie Collier Osborne - *Music in the Air* (1934), as Frieda Hotzfelt - *Perfect Understanding* (1933), as Judy Rogers · Producer - *The Film Parade* (1933), as (archive footage) (uncredited) - *Broadway Gossip No.2* (1932), Actor - *The House That Shadows Built* (1931), as (archive footage) - *Indiscreet* (1931), as Geraldine 'Gerry' Trent - *Tonight or Never* (1931), as Nella Vago - *What a Widow!* (1930), as Tamarind Brook · Producer - *Queen Kelly* (1929), as Kitty Kelly / Queen Kelly · Producer - *The Trespasser* (1929), as Marion Donnell - *Sadie Thompson* (1928), as Sadie Thompson - *The Love of Sunya* (1927), as Sunya Ashling - *Fine Manners* (1926), as Orchid Murphy - *The Untamed Lady* (1926), as St. Clair Van Tassel - *Stage Struck* (1925), as Jennie Hagen - *The Coast of Folly* (1925), as Joyce Gathway / Nadine Gathway - *Madame Sans-Gêne* (1925), as Catherina Hubscher - *Wages of Virtue* (1924), as Carmelita - *Her Love Story* (1924), as Princess Marie - *Manhandled* (1924), as Tessie McGuire - *A Society Scandal* (1924), as Marjorie Colbert - *The Humming Bird* (1924), as Toinette - *Zaza* (1923), as Zaza - *Hollywood* (1923), as Gloria Swanson - *Bluebeard's 8th Wife* (1923), as Mona deBriac - *Prodigal Daughters* (1923), as Swifty Forbes - *My American Wife* (1922), as Natalie Chester - *The Impossible Mrs. Bellew* (1922), as Betty Bellew - *Beyond the Rocks* (1922), as Theodora Fitzgerald - *Her Gilded Cage* (1922), as Suzanne Ornoff - *Her Husband’s Trademark* (1922), as Lois Miller - *Don't Tell Everything* (1921), as Marian Westover - *Under the Lash* (1921), as Deborah Krillet - *The Affairs of Anatol* (1921), as Vivian Spencer (Anatol's wife) - *The Great Moment* (1921), as Nada Pelham / Nadine Pelham - *The Affairs of Anatol - Promo Reel* (1921), as As herself - *Something to Think About* (1920), as Ruth Anderson - *Why Change Your Wife?* (1920), as Beth Gordon - *Male and Female* (1919), as Lady Mary Lasenby - *For Better, for Worse* (1919), as Sylvia Norcross - *Don't Change Your Husband* (1919), as Leila Porter - *Wife or Country* (1918), as Sylvia Hamilton - *The Secret Code* (1918), as Sally Carter Rand - *Shifting Sands* (1918), as Marcia Grey - *Every Woman's Husband* (1918), as Edith Emerson - *You Can't Believe Everything* (1918), as Patricia Reynolds - *Station Content* (1918), as Kitty Manning - *Her Decision* (1918), as Phyllis Dunbar - *Society for Sale* (1918), as Phylis Clyne - *The Sultan's Wife* (1917), as Gloria - *Whose Baby?* (1917), as The Wife - *Dangers of a Bride* (1917), Actor - *Baseball Madness* (1917), as The Heiress - *Teddy at the Throttle* (1917), as Gloria Dawn - *The Pullman Bride* (1917), as The Pullman Bride - *The Nick of Time Baby* (1916), as The Blacksmith's Daughter - *Haystacks and Steeples* (1916), as Gloria - the Society Girl - *The Danger Girl* (1916), as The Danger Girl - Reggie's Madcap Sister - *A Social Cub* (1916), as Gloria - *Hearts and Sparks* (1916), as Gloria - Bobby's Sweetheart - *A Dash of Courage* (1916), as The Prominent Citizen - *Sunshine* (1916), Actor - *The Broken Pledge* (1915), as Gloria - *The Romance of an American Duchess* (1915), as Minor Role (uncredited) - *Sweedie Goes to College* (1915), as Betty - College Girl - *The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket* (1915), as Farina, Elvira's Daughter - *His New Job* (1915), as Stenographer (uncredited) - *The Ambition of the Baron* (1915), as Minor Role (uncredited) - *The Fable of the Syndicate Lover* (1915), as Department Store Customer (uncredited) - *At the End of a Perfect Day* (1915), as Hands Bouquet to Holmes - *The Misjudged Mr. Hartley* (1915), as Maid - *The Fable of the Club Girls and the Four Times* (1914), as One of the Club Girls (uncredited) ## Gallery - ![Gloria Swanson](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-eaa6cce15aa3.jpg) Gloria Swanson — RKO Studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Gloria_Swanson_1941.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled) - ![Heráldica Celulóidica. La Marquesa de la Falaise de la Coudrayer (née Gloria Swanson).](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-79c9815b5fca.jpg) Heráldica Celulóidica. La Marquesa de la Falaise de la Coudrayer (née Gloria Swanson). — Conrado Walter Massaguer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b5/1925-11%2C_Social%2C_Her%C3%A1ldica_Celul%C3%B3idica%2C_La_Marquesa_de_la_Falaise_de_la_Coudrayer_%28n%C3%A9e_Gloria_Swanson%29%2C_Massaguer.jpg/1280px-1925-11%2C_Social%2C_Her%C3%A1ldica_Celul%C3%B3idica%2C_La_Marquesa_de_la_Falaise_de_la_Coudrayer_%28n%C3%A9e_Gloria_Swanson%29%2C_Massaguer.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Amerikaanse filmster Gloria Swanson, aankomst Schiphol Datum : 4 novem (1955)](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-87bf0421d5c8.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Amerikaanse filmster Gloria Swanson, aankomst Schiphol Datum : 4 novem (1955) — Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e5/Amerikaanse_filmster_Gloria_Swanson%2C_aankomst_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_907-4179.jpg/1280px-Amerikaanse_filmster_Gloria_Swanson%2C_aankomst_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_907-4179.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Amerikaanse filmster Gloria Swanson, aankomst Schiphol Datum : 4 novem (1955)](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-041e28fd4324.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Amerikaanse filmster Gloria Swanson, aankomst Schiphol Datum : 4 novem (1955) — Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c4/Amerikaanse_filmster_Gloria_Swanson%2C_aankomst_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_907-4180.jpg/1280px-Amerikaanse_filmster_Gloria_Swanson%2C_aankomst_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_907-4180.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Gloria Swanson](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-d02557d0faf0.jpg) Gloria Swanson — Image via TMDB - ![Gloria Swanson](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-e87e980daa55.jpg) Gloria Swanson — Image via TMDB - ![Gloria Swanson](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-2e03934bfa0e.jpg) Gloria Swanson — Image via TMDB - ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Amerikaanse filmster Gloria Swanson, aankomst Schiphol Datum : 4 novem (1955)](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-c8435971fb23.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Amerikaanse filmster Gloria Swanson, aankomst Schiphol Datum : 4 novem (1955) — Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Amerikaanse_filmster_Gloria_Swanson%2C_aankomst_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_907-4181.jpg/1280px-Amerikaanse_filmster_Gloria_Swanson%2C_aankomst_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_907-4181.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) - ![Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Amerikaanse filmster Gloria Swanson, aankomst Schiphol Datum : 4 novem (1955)](https://film.one/media/person/59254/gallery-eb022747d3ca.jpg) Collectie / Archief : Fotocollectie Anefo Reportage / Serie : [ onbekend ] Beschrijving : Amerikaanse filmster Gloria Swanson, aankomst Schiphol Datum : 4 novem (1955) — Wim van Rossem for Anefo, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a5/Amerikaanse_filmster_Gloria_Swanson%2C_aankomst_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_907-4182.jpg/1280px-Amerikaanse_filmster_Gloria_Swanson%2C_aankomst_Schiphol%2C_Bestanddeelnr_907-4182.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail) ## Awards ### Academy Awards — 0 won, 3 nominated - 1951: Best Actress (nominated), for *Sunset Boulevard* - 1930: Best Actress (nominated), for *The Trespasser* - 1929: Best Actress (nominated), for *Sadie Thompson* ### Golden Globes — 1 won - 1951: Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (won), for *Sunset Boulevard* *From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.* --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/gloria-swanson