Actress Gloria Swanson (1899-1983) sings to co-star Laurence Olivier (1907-1989), in Cyril Gardner’s film, “Perfect Understanding,” 1933.

“At the very beginning of the film, Miss Swanson warbles this ditty to an uncomfortable Laurence Olivier. The film was produced by Swanson in London, and was filmed at Ealing Studios. It also featured her then husband Michael Farmer in an example of out and out nepotism - he certainly wasn’t engaged for his talent! By all accounts this was not a happy experience for Olivier, but at least it gives us Swanson fans the joy of seeing and hearing her sing in this fairly early talking picture, proving that she was far from the character of Norma Desmond that she so magnificently created in “Sunset Boulevard,” nearly twenty years later…”

(Description courtesy of YouTube)

Notes

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4. graybunny reblogged this from historiful and added:

   It seems impossible that I haven’t seen this movie. Harumph.

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