| GLORIA SWANSON |
GLORIA SWANSON THE COMEBACK QUEEN. THE MOST GLAMAROUS OF THE SILENT MOVIE STARS SHE REIGNED SUPREME IN HOLLYWOOD THROUGHOUT THE TWENTIES. WITH THE ADVENT OF SOUND SHE RETIRED MORE OR LESS, MAKING A FEW LONG FORGOTTEN FILMS BETWEEN MARRYING HER SIX HUSBANDS. IN 1950 SHE WAS DRAGGED FROM RETIREMENT TO MAKE PROPABLY THE CAMPEST FILM OF ALL TIME SUNSET BOULEVARD. SUNSET BOULEVARD WAS THE MOST TRIUMPHANT COMEBACK HOLLYWOOD EVER SAW AND A ROLE THAT WOULD FOREVER LINK SWANSON AND NORMA TOGETHER, UNTILL IN THE PUBLIC'S EYES, THEY BECAME ALMOST ONE AND THE SAME. SWANSON MADE A FEW FORGETTABLE FILMS AFTER SUNSET AND DRIFTED INTO HEALTHFOOD ECCENTRICITY OCCASIONALLY APPEARING ON TELEVISION AND PROMOTING HER OWN LINES OF CLOTHES, HEALTH FOODS AND COSMETICS. HER CAREER WOULD NEVER AGAIN RISE TO ITS FORMER GIDDY HEIGHTS AND MANY ASSUMED SHE, LIKE NORMA ,RETIRED TO WATCH HER OLD MOVIES AND GO SLOWLY INSANE. IN REALITY SHE WAS NOTHING LIKE NORMA BUT HEY THAT DOESNT MAKE SUCH GOOD COPY. GLORIA SWANSON IS UNIQUE AMONGST THE QUEENS OF CAMP IN THAT SHE EARNED HER PLACE HERE ON THE STRENGTH OF ONE FILM (AND MAYBE HER CAMEO IN AIRPORT 75). BUT WHAT A FILM ! "MADAME IS THE GREATEST STAR OF THEM ALL" AS MAX WOULD SAY OF NORMA DESMOND GLORIA WE SALUTE YOU AND WELCOME YOU INTO THE RANKS OF THE QUEENS OF CAMP |