Gloria Swanson

Gloria Swanson  in a scene from Male and Female 1919 

Gloria Swanson (March 27, 1899 – April 4, 1983) was an American actress, singer and producer, who is best known for her role as Norma Desmond, a faded silent film star, in the critically acclaimed film Sunset Boulevard (1950). She was one of the most prominent stars during the silent film era as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, made dozens of silents and was nominated for the first Academy Award in the Best Actress category. Read more on Wikipedia

Lowry refers to Gloria Swanson in letter to Carol Brown dated 2nd June 1926; "Thanks awfully for the snap, GloriabetogoodnessBebedaniels-Swanson. I wish I could be a Thomas Meighan to you. But unfortunately my hair is untidy. My shoes always dirty. My face is a Z 15 model and above all - I am not Six Foot Two." (Collected Letters Vol 1 Pg. 39).

Malc's joke about gloria-be-to goodness, includes the names of the film stars and Bebe Daniels who along with Thomas Meighan starred in Cecil B. De Mille's film Male and Female 1919. Its main themes are gender relations and social class. It is based on the J. M. Barrie play "The Admirable Crichton". Read more on Malcolm Lowry @ 19th Hole