Happy Birthday: Gloria Swanson!

Personal Quote:

After 16 years in pictures I could not be intimidated easily, because I knew where all the skeletons were buried.

Please click here to view Gloria Swanson movie reviews (including Beyond The Rocks 1922) and bio.


Beyond the Rocks(1922) Silent drama film directed by Sam Wood. Cast: Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson. It is based on the novel of the same name by Elinor Glyn.

The film is a about a woman forced to marry an older, wealthy man. Just before her marriage she meets a young nobleman. While in the Alps on her honeymoon, they meet again and later, in Paris, meet a third time and fall in love. What will happen to the young lovers?

Father Takes a Wife (1941).

Father Takes a Wife (1941). Cast: Adolphe Menjou, Gloria Swanson, John Howard and Desi Arnaz .

Shipping magnate Frederick Senior Osborne, enters his sons office one day and announces that he is turning the business over to him and plans to marry actress, Leslie Collier.

Later that night when he and his wife Enid meet Leslie, they talk about Senior and Leslie's age difference.

After dinner, the Osbornes attend Leslie's farewell stage performance, where Senior becomes jealous over the attentions of Leslie's leading man.

During their honeymoon cruise to Mexico, they discover a stowaway, singer, Carlos Bardez. Feeling sorry for the impoverished Carlos, Senior offers to help him.

Once the three arrive home, Leslie appoints herself Carlos' impresario, which the Senior is not to happy about.

On the night of Carlos' debut, Leslie comes home very late, angry Senior decides to move in with Junior and Enid. Trying to help, Junior invites Carlos to move in with him and Enid. Things don't go as planned when Leslie moves out of the house and refuses to speak to Senior.

Meanwhile, at Juniors house, same thing happens when Enid takes over the role of Carlos' impresario and Junior leaves in a jealous rage, on the night of Carlos' concert. Father and son then plan to rid themselves of Carlos once and for all, by sending him on a sixty-five city concert tour.

Soon after, at their doctor's office, Enid and Leslie meet and both learn that they are pregnant. What will happen next?

Swanson, looks gorgeous her beautiful clothes and I thought she gave a wonderful performance. Menjou, is very believable playing the jealous spouse.  Arnaz gives a fun performance.

This film did remind me a little of one of my favorite films, SUNSET BLVD.

Trivia buffs may want to watch for unbilled performances by Loretta Young's ex-husband Grant Withers (as Judge Waters) and Ginger Rogers' future husband Jack Briggs (Menjou's chauffeur).

FATHER TAKES A WIFE, deserves at least one viewing for the chance to see Gloria Swanson, in a "talkie".

Gloria Swanson

Florence Rice (February 14, 1907 – February 23, 1974), became an actress during the early 1930s and after several Broadway roles, eventually made her way to Hollywood.

Rice was cast at first as the reliable girlfriend. During the 1930s, MGM gradually provided her with more substantial roles.

Rice never became a major figure in films, but performed in a number of screen pairings with Robert Young.

Her best known  performances are in the films: Double Wedding (1937), Sweethearts (1938) and At The Circus (1939).

Indiscreet (1933).

Indiscreet (1933). Cast: Gloria Swanson, Ben Lyon, Barbara Kent and Monroe Owsley. A comedy film directed by Leo McCarey. The screenplay by Buddy G. DeSylva, Lew Brown, and Ray Henderson, based on their story Obey That Impulse, originally was written as a musical, but only two songs - "If You Haven't Got Love" and "Come to Me".

On New Year's Eve, fashion designer Geraldine Trent decides to break up with her boyfriend Jim Woodward, having grown tired of his infidelities. Soon afterward, Geraldine meets and falls in love with novelist Anthony Blake. Blake knows that she has had a man in her past, but he is does not seem to concerned. Things become complicated when her sister Joan returns from a trip and introduces Woodward, as the new man in her life.

To see a young Swanson, in this film is to be pleasantly surprised of her beauty and her talents as an actress. You may want watch "Indiscreet" just to see a young Gloria Swanson at the height of her career.

Barbara Kent (born December 16, 1906) is a former Canadian actress who was popular in silent movies. She is at one of the very few surviving adult-aged players from Hollywood's silent film period.

She began her Hollywood career in 1925 in a small role for Universal Studios. Kent made a strong impression as the heroine who comes up against Greta Garbo's femme fatale in, Flesh and the Devil (1926).

She attracted attention in the film, No Man's Law(1927), by swimming nude (she wore a flesh colored bathing suit in scenes that were considered very daring at the time). She made a smooth transition into talking pictures opposite Harold Lloyd, in the comedy, Welcome Danger (1929). She is also well known for her role in the film, Oliver Twist(1933).

Her marriage to the agent and producer Harry E. Edington stalled her career, for one-year. During that time Edington groomed Kent for what he planned to be a high-profile career. By the time she returned to films, her popularity had faded. She made her final film in 1935.

Silent Film Star: Gloria Swanson.

“Teddy at the Throttle” (1917)

“Teddy at the Throttle” (1917) is a silent comedy short starring Gloria Swanson, Wallace Beery and Bobby Vernon. Directed by Clarence G. Badger, this film was made at Mack Sennett’s Keystone Film Company.

The story begins with Gloria Dawn, played by Gloria Swanson, living with her faithful dog, Teddy, in a mansion also occupied by her boyfriend, Bobbie Knight, played by Bobby Vernon. They have separate bedrooms. Also living in the home is Bobbie’s guardian, Henry Black, played by Wallace Beery, who oversees Bobbie’s inheritance. A letter arrives from Bobbie’s rich relative stating that Bobbie will get all the money and not need a guardian as soon as he marries. Henry invites his sister, played by May Emory, to vamp Bobbie into marrying her to insure he stays in the money. Everything seems to be going to Henry’s plan as Bobbie ends up proposing to his sister. However, a second letter arrives that states that Bobbie only gets the money if he marries Gloria. If he marries anyone else, Gloria gets it all herself. At this point, Henry starts to flirt with Gloria. When Gloria finds the second letter and discovers what Henry is up to she tries to talk to Bobbie. A huge storm hits, and Gloria ends up chasing Bobbie and his girlfriend through the rain while she is pursued by Henry, who wants to stop her from telling his secret.

“Teddy at the Throttle” (1917) is an amusing Mack Sennett slapstick comedy. Only 18 minutes in duration, it is fast paced and totally silly. I liked how Gloria Swanson whistles for her dog when she is pursued by Wallace Beery, who was actually her husband at the time this film was made. Gloria would graduate from the two-reeler to the feature film less than two years later after Cecil B. DeMille brought her to Paramount and starred her in a series of bedroom dramas. Wallace Beery would finally achieve stardom in the early 1930’s. “Teddy at the Throttle” (1917) is a fine example of early slapstick comedy that features two future stars at the beginning of their careers.

Born in Chicago on March 27, 1897, Gloria Swanson was not a one-dimensional actress. Even in “Sunset Boulevard” (1950) when she impersonates Chaplin, as she had done in “Manhandled” (1924), there is evidence of a comedic brilliance. Early in a career that began in 1914 with the Chicago-based Essanay Company, she had been considered as a leading lady to Chaplin, but just as she rejected the notion of being typecast opposite him, so, later, she turned down Mack Sennett’s suggestion that he turn her into a second Mabel Normand. Cecil B. DeMille, who appears in “Sunset Boulevard” made Gloria a star in a series of six films, “Don’t Change Your Husband” (1919), “For Better, For Worse” (1919), “Male and Female” (1919), “Why Change Your Wife?” (1920), “Something to Think About” (1920), and “The Affairs of Anatol” (1921). DeMille sensibly cast her opposite some of the biggest leading men of the day, including Thomas Meighan and Wallace Reid. In the 1920’s, Paramount continued the star-making process, allowing Gloria free reign in the production in France of “Madame Sans-Gene” (1925). For an example of Gloria’s dramatic power, one need look no further than “Zaza” (1923), directed by Allan Dwan, with whom Swanson formed the perfect combination. With “The Love of Sunya” (1927), Gloria formed her own production company with financial assistance from Joseph P. Kennedy, who later became her lover. Kennedy helped promote her second independent production, “Sadie Thompson” (1928) and allowed her to hire Erich Von Stroheim to direct her in “Queen Kelly” (1928). Gloria made a good transition to sound with “The Trespasser” (1929), but her career was basically over by the 1930’s and, in large part, revived thanks to “Sunset Boulevard” (1950). Always a capable businesswoman, Gloria found an outlet for her energy and intelligence in many ventures. There were her fashion designs and her health food lectures. Gloria was famous for having become a health nut very early, a nutritionist before it was fashionable. She lived on a diet of seaweed, bread, herb tea, and organically grown vegetables cooked in her own pressure cooker, which she hauled everywhere with her. Despite all the foolishness of her personal life with its luxury, publicity, rumors, and marriages and divorces, Gloria raised two daughters and a son and never made any attempt to hide them or deny her motherhood. She never became one of those aging movie stars for whom there is no life and no laughter. Somewhere deep inside her there still seemed to live that little clown from her Keystone years. Gloria Swanson died on April 4, 1983. She was 86 years old.

Great Dramas - Sunset Boulevard (1950)

Excellent film from Billy Wilder (Some Like It Hot) about a struggling young screenwriter (Holden) who runs into former silent film star Norma Desmond (Swanson) who is dreaming of a comeback. She hires him to patch up her script so Cecil B. DeMille can direct her. The lady is a little around the bend, but the writer needs money so he takes the job. This is a marvelous film with great performances. And it holds up today beautifully. William Holden is great as Joe, the writer. It's one of his best parts ever. But it's Gloria Swanson who owns this picture. She is simply amazing. And the dialogue in this film is some of the best you will ever hear in a movie. Great stuff.

 Movie Quote:
Joe Gillis: There's nothing tragic about being fifty. Not unless you're trying to be twenty-five.

Gloria Swanson

This video might be from the silent film, Sadie Thompson(1928). It kinda looks like it from the pictures Silent added to her awesome review.

Gloria Swanson "Sadie Thompson" (1928)

“Sadie Thompson” (1928) is a silent romantic drama starring Gloria Swanson, Lionel Barrymore and Raoul Walsh. Directed by Raoul Walsh and based on Somerset Maugham’s story, “Miss Thompson,” this film is a social commentary on the hypocrisy and sexual mores of the day. The story begins on the South Pacific island of Pago Pago where San Francisco prostitute, Sadie Thompson, played by Gloria Swanson, seeks out a new life. However, Sadie makes little effort to curb her hedonism, especially when she becomes the plaything for U.S. marines stationed in the tiny island where she lives. Humble Sergeant Tim O’Hara, played by Raoul Walsh, woos Sadie, and she genuinely falls in love for the first time. This irritates visiting puritanical reformer, Alfred Davidson, played by Lionel Barrymore, who warns Sadie to repent or risk being deported to San Francisco where she will face her dark past. Terrified and overwhelmed, Sadie is seduced into redemption and reborn. Unfortunately, temptation is hard to resist.
Many film critics feel that “Sadie Thompson” (1928) is not only the best version of the Somerset Maugham story ever filmed, but also Gloria Swanson’s best performance. The last scenes are missing from the only existing print, but Dennis Doros of Milestone Films has restored and released the film using stills, remaining footage, and the original script to guide him. This enables today’s audience a chance to see the mature Swanson at the peak of her career and her beauty, performing confidently in a role that uses all her potential. Swanson was at this point totally unafraid to look and dress cheap. After all, Swanson had more than proved herself as a clotheshorse in the sophisticated comedies she had made with Cecil B. DeMille in the early twenties. Her expressive face is used equally well for scenes of flirtatious behavior, comic playfulness, desperate fear, and passionate anger. Swanson doesn’t vamp in her scenes as the sexy Sadie. Instead, she just moves forward as if she were an attractive woman who knows she is attractive and who likes men. When Sadie and Sergeant Tim O’Hara grow attracted to each other, their desire takes a playful form. Theirs is not steamy sex as depicted in “Miss Sadie Thompson” (1953) starring Rita Hayworth or “Rain” (1932) starring Joan Crawford. It is interesting that Walsh and Swanson create much of the film’s heat by their flirtatious behavior. Sparks definitely fly when Swanson and Barrymore fight throughout the film. However, when Sadie repents, Swanson just lets all the life go out of the character. It seems like the essence of who and what she was had been killed.

“Sadie Thompson” has excellent production values. One of Hollywood’s finest art directors, William Cameron Menzies, created the sets, and one of the cinematographers, George Barnes, went on to an impressive career that included Busby Berkeley musicals like “Gold Diggers of 1935” and Alfred Hitchcock’s “Rebecca" (1940). Unfortunately, “Sadie Thompson” has some nitrate decomposition in some scenes. One of the things that impressed me the most about the film was the performances of Swanson, Barrymore, and Walsh. Raoul Walsh had begun his career with “Regeneration” (1915), an extraordinary film about slum life and redemption. Walsh went on to direct many major popular films of the sound era, including “The Roaring Twenties” (1939), "They Drive by Night" (1940), "High Sierra" (1941), "The Strawberry Blonde" (1941), and "White Heat" (1949). A passionate and beautiful production, "Sadie Thompson" would be Swanson's last great success in the silent era.

*It is interesting to note that Swanson was nominated for an Academy Award for her performance in "Sadie Thompson" (1928).

Gloria Swanson "The Affairs of Anatol" (1921)

"The Affairs of Anatol" (1921) is a silent romantic comedy starring Gloria Swanson, Wallace Reid, and Bebe Daniels. Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, this film is about a rich husband Anatol Spencer, played by Wallace Reid, a quixotic young man who is susceptible to young and beautiful damsels in distress much to the dismay of his wife Vivian, played by Gloria Swanson. The story begins with Anatol being married to Vivian for only ten weeks and already feeling that the "honey" is gone from the honeymoon. One night while attending a glitzy Manhattan nightclub with Vivian and a close friend Max Runyon, played by Elliott Dexter, he sees an old childhood sweetheart, Emilie Dixon, played by Wanda Hawley, in the company of a middle aged rich man, Gordon Bronson, played by Theodore Roberts. Feeling that he needs to pull Emilie away from a life where she is the mistress of rich men, Anatol sets her up in an apartment and persuades her to throw away all the jewelry Bronson had given her. Unfortunately, Emilie hides the jewelry from Anatol and goes back to her lover. After putting his marriage at risk by trying to save Emilie's soul, Anatol tries to patch things up by taking a second honeymoon with Vivian in the country. While they are in the country rowing their boat under a bridge, Anatol and Vivian witness a young woman jumping from the bridge in a suicide attempt. Anatol saves the woman and brings her ashore to administer her first aid. What Anatol and Vivian are not aware of is this young woman, Annie Elliott, played by Agnes Ayres, is the wife of a country pastor whose church money she stole to buy a dress.

While Vivian goes to get a doctor, Annie steals Anatole's wallet that has fallen to the ground. When Vivian shows up with a doctor for Annie, she spots Anatol sharing a kiss with her. Lamenting about the lack of loyalty and honesty of the two damsels in distress, Anatol returns to Vivian. Unfortunately, Anatol is soon up to his old tricks. When he finally decides to give up everything for a life in the arms of Satan Synne, played by Bebe Daniels, known as the wickedest woman in New York, Anatol discovers that she is a loving wife who is trying to raise money for her invalid veteran husband. Repentent, Anatol rushes back to Vivian only to find out that she has spent the night with his best friend Max. Is it too late for Anatol?

"The Affairs of Anatol" is the last of the six films Gloria Swanson made with Cecil B. DeMille from 1919 to 1921. The DeMille/Swanson films are considered highly significant for providing modern audiences into the manners and morals of their time. They are really only about three things: sex, women, and clothes. In all of the films, Swanson wears incredible outfits and sleeps in beds of satin and ruffles, and when she sits down, she sits on brocaded chairs. When Swanson takes one of her baths, which became a Swanson/DeMille trademark, she enters a chamber luxuriously decorated with chinchilla rugs and black marble fixtures. The public loved Swanson, but it also loved the clothes, the beds, the chairs, and especially the bathrooms. DeMille always showcased Swanson and had personally chosen her to represent the typical society woman in his exquisite bedroom farces.

Typical of a DeMille film, "The Affairs of Anatol" is visually stunning. The sets are magnificent and the costumes are more extravagant than in the other DeMille/Swanson films. Bebe Daniels as Satan Synne sports a tiara and cape of pearls in the shape of an octupus that stands out from the rest of the costumes. It's a film with wonderful color tints in different scenes. I love how DeMille held the actors in lengthy close-ups at key moments and to clarify the story visually. I found it rather amusing that the first glimpse we catch of Swanson is a framed close-up of her feet being treated to a pedicure. Like the other De Mille/Swanson films, "The Affairs of Anatol" is well directed, brilliantly produced and the performances by Gloria Swanson, Wallace Reid, and Bebe Daniels are simply top-notch. Reid was one of the most popular leading men from the late teens and early twenties. Many historians feel that Reid might not be remembered, however, if he had not become the protagonist of one of Hollywood's earliest and most dramatic tragedies. In 1919, he was injured when a special train carrying a company to a location shooting was wrecked. In order to enable him to keep working until the film was finished, a studio doctor prescribed morphine, and continued the dosage long past the safety point. Reid became an addict, and then started drinking to hide the addiction. He kept on working, making nine features in 1922, but finally collapsed during production, and the truth leaked out. Run-down and ill, Reid contracted the flu, went into a coma, and died on January 18, 1923, at the age of thirty-one and at the top of his fame. "The Affairs of Anatol" is a fascinating early film of DeMille starring two Hollywood super stars of the early twenties.

*It is interesting to note that William Boyd and Polly Moran have uncredited roles in the film.

SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)

Sunset Boulevard (1950) Noir. Directed and co-written by Billy Wilder. Cast: William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Fred Clark, Lloyd Gough and Jack Webb. Director Cecil B. DeMille and gossip columnist Hedda Hopper play themselves. Cameo appearances: Buster Keaton, H. B. Warner and Anna Q. Nilsson.

Having trouble finding work as a screenwriter, Joe is served with a court order turn in his car or pay $290 in back payments by the next day.

Joe meets with Paramount studio producer Sheldrake to sell him a picture he has written, but is quickly turned down. Joe decides to head back to Dayton, Ohio, where he worked as a newspaper copy writer.

While driving down Sunset Blvd., he sees the two men who want to reposes his car. He turns into the driveway of a old rundown mansion and hides the car in an empty garage. Joe then enters the house, where strange acting butler (he reminded me of Lurch from the Addams family), orders him upstairs to meet with "madame". Joe soon learns that he has been mistaken for a mortician, who is expected to arrive with a small coffin for the dead pet chimpanzee.

 

Joe recognizes the woman as Norma Desmond, once a famous silent movie star. When Joe tells her that he is a screenwriter. She believes that they are compatible, and hires him on the spot. She has him stay in a room over her garage.

The next day, Joe finds all his things have been moved from his old apartment. At first he is angry with Norma for her taking control of his life. Unfortunately, he desperately needs a job, so he keeps quiet. Joe sits back and watches Norma's fragile/enormous ego go through her ups and downs.

One night, when Norma has her Hollywood friends come over to play bridge. Two men show up and tow away Joe's car. Norma has Max refurbish her expensive Italian sports car for him. In hopes to make Joe happy.

On New Year's Eve, Norma throws a lavish party, Joe goes into a rage because he feels smothered and runs out the door.

Will Joe finally be on his own?

I really enjoyed watching the film Sunset Boulevard. I was surprised by the depth of characters. Especially the outrageous Norma's fragile/enormous ego. The story is dark and twisted with Norma's character coming out at the most surprising moments. Cinematography and lighting are wonderful. A movie I will never forget.

Fun Fact:

The role of Norma Desmond was first offered to Mae West (who rejected the part), Mary Pickford (who demanded too much control), and Pola Negri (who, like Mae West, turned it down), before being accepted by Gloria Swanson.

GLORIA SWANSON : Fun Facts

Gloria Swanson (March 27, 1899 – April 4, 1983) She was most famous during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion diva, under Cecil B. DeMille direction. She was also one of the first stars to dispute the Hays Code by producing the banned Sadie Thompson in 1928. In 1929 Swanson smoothly shifted in to talkies with The Trespasser. Personal problems and changing times saw her popularity fade during the 1930s. She is best known today for her role in the film Sunset Boulevard (1950).


Gloria Swanson fun facts:

She has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Before her death, she sold photographs, copies of films and private papers to the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas in Austin. The second largest collection of Swanson material is owned by Timothy Rooks.Swanson wanted to see Beyond the Rocks, but the film was considered lost. The film was later found and screened in 2005.

Swanson was a vegetarian. Swanson introduced actor Dirk Benedict about macrobiotic diets when he was battling prostate cancer. He refused conventional therapies and believed healthy eating with his recovery. Later Swanson traveled the United States and helped to promote the book Sugar Blues written by her husband, William Dufty.

"Beyond the Rocks" (1922) Rudolph Valentino

"Beyond the Rocks" (1922) is a silent romantic melodrama that stars film legends Rudolph Valentino and Gloria Swanson at the height of their careers and sex appeal. Directed by Sam Wood and based on a novel by Elinor Glyn, the film is actually a soap opera where the two stars wear gorgeous clothes while they suppress their desires for each other in exotic locales. The story begins in the British seaside village of Dorset. Swanson plays Theodora Fitzgerald, the loving teenage daughter of kindly but broke Captain Fitzgerald. She falls overboard while rowing a boat and is rescued from drowning by the ravishing Lord Hector Bracondale, played by Rudolph Valentino. Soon after Theodora dries off she meets her betrothed, an old, ailing millionaire named Josiah Brown. She is disappointed, but for the sake of her broke father and unattractive older sisters, marries him. Theodora runs into Lord Bracondale while staying at the Swiss chalet where she is honeymooning with Josiah Brown. This time Lord Bracondale winds up rescuing Theodora from falling off a mountain during a climbing expedition on the Alps. Lord Bracondale falls madly in love with Theodora, but she remembers her wedding vows and begs him not to pursue her. Fearing her growing attraction to Lord Bracondale, Theodora leaves to Paris with her husband. However, the smitten Lord Bracondale follows her from the Alps to Paris to London. At this point, Josiah Brown comes to the conclusion that his wife is in love with another man and abruptly departs for a North African archaeological expedition he financed. The ending is surprising.

"Beyond the Rocks" was long considered one of the great "lost" films from Hollywood's Golden Age and its rediscovery in 2003 by the Nederlands Filmmuseum made headlines around the world. Although"Beyond the Rocks" should not be mistaken for a masterpiece of the silent cinema, it is a very good romance film that revels in its own adventures from the English coast to the Alps and to the Sahara Desert. While the plot might seem ridiculous today, it was the norm in the 1920's. Elinor Glyn, who wrote the screenplay based on her once-controversial novel, was brought to Hollywood by Famous Players -Lasky to advise film makers on the fine points of sexual attractiveness. Appalled by the lack of appeal of Hollywood's leading men, Glyn found that Rudolph Valentino was a new type of exotic hero who could do well in the novels she wrote and promoted. She announced that Valentino, like Clara Bow, had what she called "It," a charismatic quality she claimed was more important than sex appeal. Glyn was thought to have taught Valentino the little trick of brushing a woman's palm with his lips rather than kissing the back of her hand in the accepted manner. "Beyond the Rocks" pleased audiences but not critics. However, the female audience, in particular, didn't care what the mostly male critics had to say about Valentino. They thought he was wonderful and made him a star. Valentino made women swoon and annoyed men. He was not the only Latin Lover of his time, but he was the favorite. "Beyond the Rocks" is an enjoyable experience, especially for fans of the two stars. Both Valentino and Swanson are charming in this film. Their performances are subtle and believable. Swanson retains her poise and expresses a great deal with her eyes. Valentino shows his emotions with graceful movements and precise gestures. Both Swanson and Valentino are delightful to look at and are given the opportunity to show off a number of elaborate costumes. Most of the film looks beautiful with its sepia tones even though there is some nitrate decomposition. "Beyond the Rocks" is a product of its time and modern viewers should not lose perspective that this film was made almost ninety years ago. Each generation has its own approach to romance and this one is early 1920's style at its best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Gz50OlxCEY

Click to view restoration of Beyond the Rocks.

WHY CHANGE YOUR WIFE? (1920) Gloria Swanson

"Why Change Your Wife?" (1920) is my favorite of the romantic comedies that Cecil B. DeMille directed with Gloria Swanson as the star. In this film, Swanson plays Beth Gordon and Thomas Meighan plays Robert Gordon, a married couple who have begun to grow apart. Robert is growing tired of Beth putting down his ways, which include his extravagant wine cellar, his smoking, and his love for his dog. Beth prefers classical music to his fox trots and rejects his advances. Robert wants fun and romance so he goes to "Le Maison Chic," a dress shop, to purchase Beth a negligee to spice up the marriage. While Robert is at the dress shop, one of the models, Sally Clark, played by Bebe Daniels, sets her eyes on him. When Beth ignores Robert's gift he becomes depressed. The next day Sally shows up in Robert's office with a missing article from his previous day's purchase. Robert had just been turned down by Beth for a night on the town minutes before Sally's arrival. He takes Sally out instead and finds out they have much in common. Eventually, Robert divorces his stern wife and marries Sally. After a few months, Robert learns that Sally is not all that he thought her to be and feels trapped in a loveless marriage. Can Robert ever be happily married? You will have to watch the film to find out. "Why Change Your Wife?" is somewhat of a sequel to "Don't Change Your Husband" but it is more entertaining. There are so many funny moments in this film. In the first scenes the viewer is introduced to Robert shaving and Beth getting dressed in the bathroom. While Robert shaves, Beth nags him into buttoning the back of her dress. Both of them are amusing as they frustrate each other. These bathroom scenes became a Swanson/DeMille trademark. Another comical scene is when after the divorce Beth overhears two women gossiping about her wardrobe in the next changing room at the dress shop. She decides to get rid of her frumpy clothes and instructs the dressmaker to give her something "sleeveless, backless, transparent, and indecent."

My favorite scene is when Robert and Beth end up at the same Atlantic City resort where Beth is trying out her new stylish appearance. Viewers today should take a look at the 1920's style bathing suits which were considered daring for their day. "Why Change Your Wife?"is really about three things: sex, women, and clothes. It seems that Swanson was primarily used as a clotheshorse. However, it is well directed, brilliantly produced and the performances by Swanson, Meighan, and Daniels are simply top-notch. The witty subtitles are so fun to read. Like the other DeMille romantic comedies, "Why Change Your Wife?" is very much a product of its time and may not be appealing to many modern viewers. On the other hand, this sophisticated comedy challenges the assumption that silent film is just slapstick and melodrama. What I love about the film is that Gloria Swanson represents in her role as Beth the modern female of the post World War I years in America who was worldly wise and sophisticated.

MALE AND FEMALE (1919) Gloria Swanson

One of the greatest hits Gloria Swanson had under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille was "Male and Female" (1919). A satire on the British class system, "Male and Female" is based on James Barrie's play, "The Admirable Crichton." In this film, Thomas Meighan plays William Crichton, a very proper butler in an aristocratic British family. He is secretly in love with Lady Mary Lasenby, a very pampered and spoiled young lady, played by Gloria Swanson. Meanwhile, Tweeny, the household maid, is in love with Crichton. Much to the dismay of Crichton, Lady Mary becomes engaged to marry the stuffy Lord Brockelhurst. The aristocratic family which includes Lord Loam, his daughters Lady Mary Lasenby and Lady Agatha Lasenby plans a South Seas cruise and brings along Crichton, Tweeny and a young minister. They run the yacht into a rock and are washed ashore on a deserted island. Being of the spoiled upper crust, the family is unable to do anything for themselves. The crafty and self-sufficient Crichton steps up and takes command of the situation. He can build a fire, hunt and cook a good meal while the aristocrats sit and watch. The family at first refuses the idea of taking orders from their butler, but soon hunger and the need for shelter dominate. The family members gradually pitch in and learn to live off the land. Approximately two years pass and Crichton is now somewhat of a king on this island paradise. The castaways live in huts that look like rustic vacation cabins and wear pelts. In an ironic role reversal, Lady Mary actually fights with Tweeny over the privilege of serving Crichton his dinner. After Crichton saves Lady Mary from a leopard, they finally express their love for each other and make plans to marry. Just as they are about to be married, a ship is spotted and, after seeing their signal fire, comes to rescue them. The final scenes of the film are incredibly moving.

It is no surprise that "Male and Female" was Paramount's highest grossing film in 1919. Gloria Swanson is the film's main attraction. The famous scene in which Swanson prepares to take her morning bath helped make it a box office sensation. I love the beginning scene in which Swanson's undergarments are shown in close-ups spread out on a chair for the camera to linger over. Our first glimpse of her presents her sleeping in a magnificent bed of silk and satin. It seems like Swanson is primarily being used as a female fantasy figure. Even on the deserted island, she is dressed up in a couple of attractive outfits made of leaves and pelts, both of which have matching hats. Probably the most memorable scene in "Male and Female" is the Babylonian fantasy sequence in which Swanson lies down and lets a real lion put his paw on her back. The Swanson/DeMille trademark in the film is evident in the innovative interior designs, luxurious costumes, and exotic locale. Although the film is a satire, it is quite obvious that DeMille substituted sex and exotica for it. However, it is done in good taste and never trashy. The film's cinematography is simply top-notch and the performances still hold up amazingly well after ninety years. The tall and handsome Thomas Meighan, a popular leading man in silent films, delivers an incredible performance as Crichton, the butler. Swanson is first-rate as Lady Mary with a special charisma all her own. The film is quite entertaining and a must see for fans of silents. What I love the most about "Male and Female" is that it is essential to an understanding of the evolution of female roles in film.

DON'T CHANGE YOUR HUSBAND (1919) Gloria Swanson

Decades before Gloria Swanson played Norma Desmond in "Sunset Boulevard," she starred in six films directed by Cecil B. DeMille. The first of the six films, "Don't Change Your Husband" (1919), was a great success and helped make Gloria Swanson a major star. In this romantic comedy, Swanson plays Leila Porter, a young wife who becomes dissatisfied with the sloppy habits of her wealthy businessman husband, James Porter, played by Elliott Dexter. The man Leila fell in love with and married was not a man who smoked smelly cigars, ate raw onions, and forgot their anniversary. Her husband has become a workaholic who has lost his romance along with his waistline. Leila tries to get her husband to straighten out to no avail. One night at a dinner party at her home, Leila meets the charming Schuyler Van Sutphen, the playboy nephew of her socialite friend Mrs. Huckney. She invites Leila to her home for the weekend to make James miss her. While Leila is in Mrs. Huckney's home, Schuyler begins the chase, promising her pleasure, wealth, and love if she leaves her husband and marries him. Ultimately, Leila divorces her boring husband and marries the playboy. It is not long before Leila discovers all is not rosy with her new marriage. She finds out that Schuyler likes to gamble and is having an affair with Nanette, the maid. Schuyler eventually loses all his money to gambling and steals Leila's diamond ring to cover his losses. Can Leila ever be happily married? You will have to watch the film to find out.

"Don't Change Your Husband" could have been one of those over the top melodramas that were quite common in the teen years. Instead, it is a film that takes some interesting twists and turns and is so fun to watch. It is better that the film is light-hearted rather than preachy. Typical of a DeMille film, "Don't Change Your Husband" is visually pretty with lush interiors, haute couture dresses, and long necklaces. It is a film with lots of color tints in different scenes. I love how DeMille held Swanson in lengthy close-ups at key moments and to clarify the story visually. It is quite impressive how the camera captures Swanson's subtle gestures and facial expressions. Swanson and Dexter gave fine performances and had wonderful chemistry together. What I love the most about the film is that DeMille provides modern audiences an insight into the manners and morals of its time. It reflects a flirtation with a new morality. Divorce was still quite shocking in 1919, but the film dared to show that it was possible. The roaring twenties were just ahead and the moral climate was changing.