She's a complex, talented woman and if you are fortunate, you too will grow "old and tired." She made mistakes and is flawed, but still magnificent in many ways. Can you say the same about yourself.
Watching this in 2024, As a 62 yr old male I realize that Barbara’s accusatory blaming all of the interaction btw Joe and Gloria as Gloria’s fault. Joe was powerful , rich and wanted the girl of the world at the time. Joes ego is what propelled him to go after Gloria or any actress who would be in her position at the time. Joe needed Gloria as a notch on his belt. If Gloria said no her career would’ve been ruined, Joe was that powerful. One call to any of the main studios and her career would’ve been over. Gloria found herself in firing line of joes focus and behaved as well as she could to carve out some kind of life for herself which she was entitled too. Women were and are abused. Even Eunice Shriver has a trauma bond with keeping publics awareness off of her beloved father. I understand why she would be upset but to say Gloria’s life doesn’t match her mothers doesn’t address the problem , it just an insult, that’s all Eunice can do ( Carol burnet’s family Eunice - this response was a true Eunice moment) is insult Gloria’s life. She doesn’t address the revelation of the affair or her fathers participation but then feels righteous to insult Gloria who kept it quiet until Vanity Fair wrote about it , she wanted her side told. Walters is too dense to pick up wHat she is describing and becomes irritated at end dealing with a dolt. Joe was a “ banker “ meaning he used his position and power to take advantage of Gloria. Joe was not a catch ., the only thing he had was his money and power and once he fixed on “ gettIng “ her he controlled her by financing her films. If Gloria said no Joe would’ve ruined her career by calling the studios and paying them to end their contracts with her and replace her. Remember there is always a long line of people ready to replace you and Gloria stayed silent, and carved out a life for herself, sunset boulevard was her crowning achievement. She did hat on her own. She was the biggest star ever in her day. Here Eunice with her trauma bond with her dad attacks the women women shouldn’t attack other women, it’s easier to do that than to blame her father. Nothing would’ve happened if Joe followed his vows . Instead he used his money to sleep with Gloria who was a symbol of great status. Joe was insecure enough to parade his wife , daughter, and mistress all on same boat while his power kept the three from saying a word. That wasn’t lost on the public , at least not now. Rose was the devoted Catholic while Joe brought all the mayhem to him and his family . Misuse of power brings on powerful karma. I bet Eunice didn’t even know she was trauma bonded with her oppressor ( Joe).
BW was not exactly a journalist, not an interesting personality, not the sharpest ginsu knife in the collection. A real newsman, Harry Reasoner, fumed when he had to share the ABC Nightly News with her, plus it was revealed she'd be paid a cool million. If you dared say Walters didn't belong behind an anchor desk, you'd be criticized for having a problem with women.
I can say it then b/c I'm a woman. How did this, mumbling, bumbling woman become famous? There must have been a Harvey Weinstein type in journalism who was around "helping" her out. 🙄@@akrenwinkle
This is the first interview where you don't see Swanson interacting in that clenched teeth/movie star smile and getup. You can see what a tough lady she was, and wasn't going to let Barbara drag her name (or the Kennedy's) through the mud.
Destroy the Kennedys how? His wife knew he messed with other women, joe Kennedy used to bang his secretary in the house while his wife was in the other room. She tried to leave him once and her father told her to go back, and joe Kennedy definitely wasn’t going to leave his wife and children for a side chick.
If I were Eunice, I would've taken the high road and stayed out of it. Her father was a reckless womanizer and everyone knew it, including her mother because he barely kept from groping them in front of Rose. Rose left Joe early on in the marriage but was forced to go back by her family b/c it was the "Christian" thing to do (also probably good PR). She coped by traveling abroad leaving her kids behind most of the time (and I always wonder if she might've been hooking up with her own "Boo" during those times that she had far more discretion to keep quiet). Everyone doesn't whitewash and hide their wrongdoings (coughChappaquiddickcough) under the rug like the Kennedys did. Some people like Gloria chose to fess up about it. She is an award-winning actress still spoken about today. When you play a rapid game of word association with both you come up with "Actress, Sunset Boulevard" with Gloria and "Bootlegger, Womanizer, Appeaser," with Kennedy.
The Kennedys attacked Swanson for telling the truth, the truth about HER life. If Marilyn Monroe had lived beyond her mid 30's, she too would have eventually told the truth we all know was correct. One who still withholds the truth is Angie Dickinson, now in her 90's. Probably a nice little nest egg for her.
Re Joe Kennedy- “This man accomplished anything he wanted to, including putting his son in the White House….” Touché. But let’s not forget he was fired, “recalled”, as ambassador to Great Britain because of his isolationist views & activities. A myopic, self-serving man in the end.
First words from her in response regarding Joe Kennedy “ he’s like a banker” Joe in no uncertain terms bought Gloria by financing her films or a film. Her career depended on Joe liking her. I think she felt helpless going up against such a force as Joe Kennedy.
Rose Kennedy was born nine years before Gloria Swanson and outlived Gloria by nearly a dozen years. Swanson died two years after this Walters' interview. Rose died in 1995.
Both women lived long healthy lives while the wreck less men in Kennedy family never took heed to danger. Robert and Ted grew as men as they aged and matured . Really. Admire RFK for his personal growth after his brother was taken down in Dallas. He was the faithful one after he matured emotionally after John’s life.
Yea. Eunice was a bit overly dramatic and hyper defensive that Gloria went public about her affair with Joe. Gloria’s life had value, regardless of what Eunice thought.
@Whatevrr Right, because Gloria Swanson was and is only famous because of Joe Kennedy. When people think of Gloria Swanson, they don't think "biggest silent movie box office star" or "Sunset Boulevard and Norma Desmond," they first think of "that lady that had an affair with Joe Kennedy." She really needed him for fame and notoriety. 😂
Ms Swanson made mistakes and she took a huge risk making this book. She’s right about after her death people would’ve made up stories for THEIR benefit.
@@AllAmericanJock She was famous before she met Kennedy. She became a superstar with Cecil B. De Mille's film Male and Female (1919) and Why Change Your Husbands (1921). She didn't Joe Kennedy. He needed her. That's why he forced himself into her life. He knew that she was as famous as Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin because she was. That's why he got near her in order to steal her money which she only found out about in 1932
Rose was religious and mainly used her faith to regulate her actions. She knew about what Joe did with women and his decision to lobotomies Rosemary without her full consent.Rose was not informed of the full nature of the procedure and blamed Joe . She took her vows seriously because it was a vow with and to God. She believed whatever strife she experienced in life was a part of a plan in Gods world and saw herself as a child of God being devoted to God. She would never address private matters publically because of her marriage vows.she wouldn’t lower herself.
Of course Rose and everyone else knew of the affair. She chose to turn a blind eye and play the martyr. Rose should have won a Lifetime Achievement Award for the role of martyr. Nice try Eunice. No one is buying what you are selling.
