Watch the video below to “get in the mood:”

You just saw the American actress, Gloria Swanson, perform what was perhaps the best known scene from her best known role:  Norma Desmond in the 1950 movie, “Sunset Boulevard.” Her line, “I’m ready for my close up, Mr. Demille,” became the year’s most quoted line.

In reality, Swanson was ahead of her time. She became a vegetarian around 1928 and was an early health food advocate known for bringing her own meals to public functions. In 1975, Swanson traveled the United States to help promote, “Sugar Blues,” written by her husband, William Dufty (who also co-authored Billie Holiday’s autobiography “Lady Sings the Blues”).

She designed a stamp cachet for the United Nations Postal Administration, collected husbands (six) and lovers that included Joe Kennedy, Cecil B. DeMille and Rudolph Valentino, and was awarded two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Swanson was also a Dachshund owner. While she had several dogs and cats throughout her lifetime, photos and private papers she sold to the University of Texas suggested that her smooth Dachshund , “Max,” was her favorite dog, ever. She even wrote an article written from Max’s viewpoint entitled “My Name is Max Swanson….”

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