16. Joseph P. Kennedy and Gloria Swanson
Gloria Swanson was one of the leading actresses in Hollywood, on her third husband when she met Joseph P. Kennedy. Swanson’s divorce from her second husband had included revelations that she had been unfaithful with at least thirteen men, including Hollywood luminaries Cecil B. deMille and Rudolph Valentino. Kennedy, determined to become a Hollywood mogul to supplement the income derived from his stock market and real estate fortunes, didn’t care a whit about Swanson’s character. The married (and very Catholic) Kennedy was soon involved in an extramarital affair with the actress, one which saw him maneuver to dominate her career, her social life, and her financial affairs. Their affair was the talk of society in both Hollywood and Boston, where Rose Kennedy chose to ignore it, at least publicly.
Kennedy as head of Pathe Studios dispatched Gloria’s husband to France as a film executive there, thus removing the inconvenience of having him in the way as he took over her finances. The affair continued until at least 1930 when Kennedy summarily dumped his paramour in the aftermath of her completing a film, Queen Kelly, which was a critical and box office failure. After his departure from the scene Swanson was nearly broke, virtually unemployable following the debacle of her most recent film, and soon to be divorced by her irate husband. Unfortunately for Gloria, she married her fourth husband before her divorce from her third was complete, adding bigamy to her list of questionable moral activities. Swanson was a walking scandal for most of her Hollywood career, at least during its so-called Golden Age, but today is considered one of that era’s greatest stars.