GLORIA SWANSON: THE GREATEST STAR is a fitting Biography episode for one of the silent screen's most legendary actresses. The episode covers La Swanson's career and private life and features quite a number of clips of Gloria being interviewed on television, mostly in the 1970's and early 1980's, some of them appearing to be on British television. Gloria is also glimpsed at home with her last husband and there are of course movie clips as well a way too brief excerpt of Gloria performing as Norma Desmond in the "first" musical adaption of SUNSET BLVD from a 1950's Steve Allen Show episode.
Among those interviewed for the program are Swanson's daughters Michele Farmer and Gloria Daly, as well as a granddaughter. Patti LuPone discusses Swanson and her intense mark on the Norma Desmond character and it on Swanson's image. Barbara Walters is briefly seen in footage from 1980 grilling Swanson on her choice to go public with her affair with Joseph Kennedy in her just-published autobiography. The Swanson legend is almost too big to be able to be covered in a mere hour documentary, especially with quite a bit of super-rare television footage of her on various interview programs out there just waiting to be used again but this is a fitting tribute to be movie diva which Joan Crawford quite rightly considered the movie queen all other aspirants should be measured by.
