Gloria Swanson (1897-1983)
"I have decided that when I am a star, I will be every inch and every moment a star." Gloria Swanson was born Gloria May Josephine Svensson in Chicago, Illinois. She was destined to be perhaps one of the biggest stars of the silent movie era. Her personality and antics in private definitely made her a favorite with America's moviegoing public. Gloria certainly didn't intend on going into show business. After her formal education in the Chicago school system and elsewhere, she began work in a department store as a salesclerk. In 1915, at the age of 18, she decided to go to a Chicago movie studio with an aunt to see how motion pictures were made. She was plucked out of the crowd, because of her beauty, to be included as a bit player in the film The Fable of Elvira and Farina and the Meal Ticket (1915). (source: IMDB). She became one of the most prominent stars during the silent filmera as both an actress and a fashion icon, especially under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, making dozens of silent films and being nominated for the first Academy Award in the Best Actress category. She also produced her own films like Sadie Thompson and The Love of Sunya. In 1929, Swanson transitioned to talkies with The Trespasser. However, personal problems and changing tastes saw her popularity wane during the 1930s when moved into theater and televison. 
In her later years, Gloria was devoted to a healthy lifestyle including a macrobiotic diet. She married for the last time in 1976 to writer William Dufty until her death. Dufty shared Gloria's passion for macrobiotic diets and he co-authored the book Sugar Blues which is still in print today. The picture on the left was taken at her New York City apartment in 1972 when she was age 75 years old. I have a picture of her that was taken in 1982 that shows her looking much older, but I wanted to include this one to show you her brilliant blue eyes.
Charlie Chaplin (April 16, 1899 - December 25, 1977)
"Imagination means nothing without doing." Raised in London, Chaplin's childhood was defined by poverty and hardship. As his father was absent and his mother struggled financially, he was sent to a workhouse twice before the age of nine. When he was 14, his mother was committed to a mental asylum. Chaplin began performing at an early age, touring music halls and later working as a stage actor and comedian.
Interesting fact: Chaplin was married four times and had eleven children. Interestingly, his first living child was born in 1925 and his last child was born in 1962. That's a 37 year difference!
Chaplin suffered a series of minor strokes in the late 1960s, which marked the beginning of a slow decline in his health. He continued to work on projects until the 1970s when he suffered from a series of strokes that left him wheelchair bound and frail. In 1975 he was knighted by the Queen of England. (source: Wikipedia)
The last picture of Charlie Chaplin was taken on his 88th birthday in 1977. It was used on that year's Christmas card, which coincidentally,was the day he died.
Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011)
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"Get yourself a drink, put on some lipstick, and pull yourself together."
From her early years as a child star with MGM she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age. As one of the world's most famous film stars, Taylor was recognized for her acting ability and for her glamorous lifestyle, beauty, and distinctive violet eyes. She had a much publicized personal life that included eight marriages and several life-threatening illnesses. (source: Wikipedia)
Taylor died of congestive heart failure in March 2011 at the age of 79, having suffered many years of ill health.
The picture on the left is the last photograph taken of her just a few months before she died. Beyond her frail appearance you can still see that defiant and powerful gaze like the one in the photo above.
Interesting fact: Elizabeth Taylor had a genetic mutation that caused her to have a double row of eye lashes. It is speculated that this same mutation also caused issues with her heart.
Interesting fact: Elizabeth Taylor had a genetic mutation that caused her to have a double row of eye lashes. It is speculated that this same mutation also caused issues with her heart.
Joan Crawford (1904-1977)
“I love playing bitches. There's a lot of bitch in every woman - a lot in every man.”
Crawford was born Lucille Fay LeSueur in San Antonio, Texas. Her name was changed to Crawford because studio executieves thought LeSuer sounded too much like "Le Sewer." There was a contest in conjunction with the fan magazine Movie Weekly to allow readers to select her new name. Initially, the name "Joan Arden" was selected but, when another actress was found to have prior claim to that name, the alternate name "Crawford" became the choice. Crawford initially wanted her new first name to be pronounced "Jo-anne". She hated the name Crawford, saying it sounded like "crawfish". Her friend, actor William Haines quipped, "They might have called you 'Cranberry' and served you every Thanksgiving with the turkey!" Crawford continued to dislike the name throughout her life but, she said, she "liked the security that went with it". (source: Wikipedia)
The photo that sent Joan home.
Joan's last public appearance was September 23, 1974, at a party honoring her old friend Rosalind Russell at New York's Rainbow Room. When Crawford saw the unflattering photos that appeared in the papers the next day, she said, "If that's how I look, then they won't see me anymore." Soon after, she cancelled all public appearances, began declining interviews and left her apartment less and less. While on antibiotics for dental ailments in October 1974, Crawford's drinking caused her to black out, slip and strike her face. This incident scared her enough to give up drinking and smoking, although in public she insisted it was because of her return to Christian Science.
On May 8, 1977, Crawford gave away her beloved Shih Tzu "Princess Lotus Blossom", which she was too weak to care for properly. Crawford died two days later at her New York apartment from a heart attack, while also reportedly ill with pancreatic cancer. It was reported that the last words she said was, " Damn it! Don't you dare ask God to help me." Ah, feisty until the end. Gotta love that broad.
On May 8, 1977, Crawford gave away her beloved Shih Tzu "Princess Lotus Blossom", which she was too weak to care for properly. Crawford died two days later at her New York apartment from a heart attack, while also reportedly ill with pancreatic cancer. It was reported that the last words she said was, " Damn it! Don't you dare ask God to help me." Ah, feisty until the end. Gotta love that broad.
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