Gloria Swanson’s Marquis

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 956, 26 April 1930, Page 20

Gloria Swanson’s Marquis

Screen Star’s Third Matrimonial Venture Seems Likely to End

HUE girl who cannot take a dare,” is the title given to Connie Bennett, film actress. Her latest “dare” is to oust Gloria Swanson in the affections of the latter’s husband, the Marquis de la Falaise, and It is expected that Gloria Swanson will shortly enter upon her third divorce. Both women have had more than the usual share of romance, for both have been twice previously married, and both have been prominent as stars in tlie realm of films (says the “World’s Pictorial News.”) In fact, either of their life stories would make wonderful pictures for the screen. It was some months ago that the first signs of a rift in the marital happiness of Gloria Swanson and her husband appeared when the Marquis had been absent on the Continent for some time, showing no inclination to return to his wife, but displaying great interest in the loveliness of Constance Bennett. Miss Swanson then told reporters, “Inis o*. my husband being in Paris, which to me is a million miles away, is going to end. I am going to fetch Henry home.”

So away to Paris went Gloria, but Henry did not return to Hollywood with her, and has not returned even now, although “Madcap” Connie is back in the States, in daily telephonic communication with the Marquis. Meanwhile, the fair Connie has secured a divorce from her second husband, Philip Plant, who, by way of settlement, handed over the trifling sum of 1,000,000 dollars.

Enigma of Screen Miss Swanson maintains a dignified silence on the whole question. She is the enigma of the screen, and has already suffered two tragically unhappy marriages. The first was with Wallace Beery, the second with Herbert Somborn, one of the business executives of a big film company. Yet this girl, who, was an ugly duckling in a humble family, rose to become a butterfly of the screen, and one of the highest paid film stars. She lived with her mother in a small apartment in Chicago, which in those days was the movie centre. One day she applied for work at the Essanay Company, and was told to take a seat and wait. Beside her on the seat were Virginia Valli, Agnes Ayres, Helen Fergusson and June Walker, all of them having since reached stardom. Eventually she got a chance in a small part, and it was then that she met Wallace Beery. In 1916 they were married. They had a little bungalow not far from the studios. Beery having plenty of work, while Gloria was compelled to cast in her lot with the Mack Sennett bathing beauties. But • Gloria and Wallace were not happj-, and finally there was a divorce. In the meantime, Gloria was blossoming out as one of the best dressed women in Hollywood, and then Cecil B. de Mille saw her, and gave her her big chance. The rest is screen history, so far as her film triumphs are concerned. She met Henry Somborn and fell in love. They were married in 1919, and a year afterward their baby Gloria was born. For a time Gloria was happy, hut the lure of the studio called her from her domestic duties, with the result that Somborn sued for a divorce. There was a rumour that Gloria was going to marry de Mille.

She occupied a wonderful _V!ace in Beverly Hills. Her moii'br ' lived with her. And then, in 1922, came another sensation. Mrs. Swanson had married a wealthy shoe merchant named Burns. He died and left his 'heirs £SOO between them, leaving the rest of his fortune to his wife. The heirs brought an action charging Gloria and her mother with conspiracy. They alleged that while Mr. Burns actually married the mother, lie was really in love with Gloria, and that the latter “vamped” her stepfather. In court Gloria admitted receiving big cheques from Mr. Burns, but insisted they were only for purposes of business in which they were jointly engaged. Many piquant questions were put when she was in the witness-box. Did someone dance in a tiger skin the night of her mother's wedding? Did she indeed make eyes at her stepfather, and was he really in love with her? In the end the will was held to he valid. Parachute Leap Gloria was playing for Lasky at the same time as Pola Negri appeared on the scene, and at once a rivalry

sprang up. Each tried to outdo tlie other, and there were some lively scenes as might be expected when two temperamental stars get going. There were loves and reported engagements, and one concerned Jascha Heifetz, the world famous violinist.

It was only a rumour, however, which was shortly followed by a similar report that Gloria xvas to marry Ben Lyon. Again rumour proved false,, for almost immediately afterward she actually married the Marquis Henri de Falaise, a member of an old French family, thus joining Pola Negri and Mae Murray in marrying into the ranks of Continental nobility. Now comes the news of her forthcoming divorce on account of her husband’s attentions to Connie Bennett. And what of the latter? She is one of tliosp bright young people who have strewn the pathway of life with romance. “Madcap” Connie is by no means a misnomer, judging from the wild escapades in which she has engaged.

A pretty flapper, she was the despair of college youths, and her whim was her law. She dared anything, and when it was suggested that she would not do a parachute leap from the top of Williamsburg Bridge, she promptly accepted the challenge. The authorities and her father both forbade her to carry out this foolish “dare,” hut she did it, the swift

flowing river underneath nearly claiming her life in consequence. When someone bet her she could not climb to the top of a flag pole, she undertook the climb without hesitation, winning her bet easily by removing a stocking at the very top of the pole, and flinging it to the waiting crowd below. Eloped For a Bet

She bobbed her liair against the ruling of her parents, and then one fine day, when she was at tea with some other students, they dared her to elope with young Chester Moorehead, a student of a neighbouring college. She was under age—l 6, in fact. He was also under age. But what did that matter? They motored to Greenwich and, putting their respective ages up, became man and wife.

A single kiss was all that sealed this romance, for they parted straight away. Their respective parents were informed of this hasty romance, and Richard Bennett, Connie’s father, the well-known actor, wired that he was having the marriage annulled.

Under these conditions the marriage was duly annulled. But that was by no means the only elopement of this attractive and reckless Miss. Connie tried the films and made an instantaneous success. She also became a great favourite as an exhibition dancer at the Knicker-bocker Grill with Basil Durant.

She met young Philip Plant, a particularly bright specimen of the genus man-about-town. She fell in love with him and they were seen about together on every available occasion. Neither set of parents strictly approved, for they felt that the pair were too young to know their own minds. But that never daunted Connie. In order to enable her to get over her infatuation she was sent to'Europe aboard the Berengaria. By some strange freak of faie Philip Plant booked a passage on the same boat.

The cables began to get busy, and their marriage was rumoured. “Oh, dear, no,” said both sets of parents at once, and certainly it „seemed as though there would be nothing doing for a time at least. They separated on the Continent, but on their return to the States, Philip suddenly decided that he could not go through with a marriage arrangement he had entered into with another beautiful debutante, and Connie and he eloped. Both sets of parents murmured their blessings on this inevitable procedure, and the young pair commenced life together. That was way back iu 1924. For a time they were extremely happy, and then came a separation, followed by a Paris divorce.