Gloria Swanson (1899-1983) was one of the greatest divas of American silent film. Her career took off with Paramount, often under the direction of Cecil B. DeMille, who transformed her into an icon of glamour and fashion.

She excelled in roles of sophisticated, elegant, yet passionate and rebellious women, as in *Male and Female* (1919), *Beyond the Rocks* (1922) with Rudolph Valentino, and *Queen Kelly* (1929), an ambitious film that remained uncompleted.

Although the transition to sound proved complex for many stars, Swanson achieved eternal fame in 1950 by portraying the former diva Norma Desmond in Billy Wilder's *Viale del tramonto* (Sunset Boulevard). This iconic role earned her an Academy Award nomination, cementing her status as a cinematic legend and a symbol of the Hollywood of yesteryear.