Editing Gloria Swanson (section)

==== Gloria Productions ====
[[File:Press photo of Gloria Swanson in Indiscreet (1931) (front) (cropped).jpg|250px|right|thumb|Swanson (left) in ''[[Indiscreet (1931 film)|Indiscreet]]'']]
By the end of 1927, Swanson was in dire financial straits, with only $65 in the bank.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|p=201}} Her two productions had generated income, but too slowly to offset her production loan debts to Art Cinema Corporation.{{sfn|Balio|2009|p=83}}{{sfn|Welsch|2013|pp=198–199}} Swanson had also not made good on her $100,000 subscription for preferred United Artists shared stock.{{sfn|Balio|2009|p=83}} She had received financial proposals from United Artists studio head Joseph Schenck, as well as from Bank of America, prior to engaging the services of [[Joseph P. Kennedy Sr.]] as her financial advisor.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|p=202}} He proposed to personally bankroll her next picture and conducted a thorough examination of her financial records.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|p=205}} Kennedy advised her to shut down Swanson Producing Corporation. She agreed to his plan for a fresh start under the dummy corporate name of Gloria Productions, headquartered in [[Delaware]].{{sfn|Welsch|2013|p=205}} Upon his advice, she fired most of her staff and sold her rights for ''The Love of Sunya'' and ''Sadie Thompson'' to Art Cinema Corporation.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|pp=207–208}} Kennedy then created the position of "European director of [[Pathé]]" to put her third husband [[Henry de La Falaise]] on the payroll.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|p=209}}

Sound films were already becoming popular with audiences, most notably the films of singer [[Al Jolson]], who had success with ''[[The Jazz Singer]]'' released in 1927 and ''[[The Singing Fool]]'' in 1928.{{sfn|Lennig|2000|p=276}} Kennedy, however, advised her to hire [[Erich von Stroheim]] to direct another silent film, ''The Swamp'', subsequently retitled ''[[Queen Kelly]]''. She was hesitant to hire Stroheim, who was known for being difficult to deal with and who was unwilling to work within any budget. Kennedy, nevertheless, was insistent and was able to get Stroheim released from contractual obligations to producer [[Pat Powers (businessman)|Pat Powers]].{{sfn|Lennig|2000|p=275}} Stroheim worked for several months on writing the basic script.{{sfn|Lennig|2000|p=276}} Filming of ''Queen Kelly'' began in November.<ref>{{cite web |title=Queen Kelly |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/11491-QUEEN-KELLY?sid=d5446da2-f8ea-4c1a-bf87-aeb9bb55a578&sr=10.787481&cp=1&pos=0 |website=catalog.afi.com |publisher=AFI |access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref> His filming was slow, albeit meticulous, and the cast and crew suffered from long hours. Shooting was shut down in January, and Stroheim fired, after complaints by Swanson about him and about the general direction the film was taking.{{sfn|Lennig|2000|pp=277–278}} Swanson and Kennedy tried to salvage it with an alternative ending shot on November 24, 1931, directed by Swanson and photographed by [[Gregg Toland]].{{sfn|Welsch|2013|p=247}}{{sfn|Lennig|2000|p=288}}

Only two other films were made under Gloria Productions.{{sfn|Thomson|2014|p=1016}} ''[[The Trespasser (1929 film)|The Trespasser]]'' in 1929 was a sound production, and garnered Swanson her second Oscar nomination.<ref name=1931Oscars>{{cite web |title=The 3rd Academy Awards: 1931 |date=October 9, 2014 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1931 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref> Written by [[Edmund Goulding]], with [[Laura Hope Crews]] fine-tuning the dialogue, Kennedy approved funding for the go-ahead on the production.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|p=232}} The film was a melodrama, complete with musical numbers sung by Swanson and completed in 21 days.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|pp=235–236}} The world premiere was held in London, the first American sound production to do so. Swanson was mobbed by adoring fans. Before leaving London, she sang at a concert carried over the BBC.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|p=239}} ''[[What a Widow!]]'' in 1930 was the final film for Gloria Productions.{{sfn|Welsch|2013|pp=444–445}}<ref>{{cite web |title=The Widow |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Film/13168-WHAT-A-WIDOW?cxt=filmography |website=catalog.afi.com |publisher=AFI |access-date=May 27, 2020}}</ref>