Gloria Swanson
The suspenseful movie “Sunset Boulevard” lets Gloria Swanson shine in a fictionalized and glorified version of her story. Swanson once dominated Hollywood, but since she failed to transition to talkies, she left the industry towards the end of the 1930s. Although she still popped up on the stage and in radio appearances, her star began to fade, and its revival due to “Sunset Boulevard” didn’t last long, leaving her as a fallen goddess of Hollywood.
Luise Rainer
Despite breaking records, Luise Rainer isn’t discussed too often, except for within knowledgeable cinephile groups. Born in Germany, this actress won multiple Oscars in back-to-back years. She was expected to become the next Greta Garbo, but bad career advice, the death of a producer, and her studio advocate, Irving Thalberg, cut her career in movies short. After being disenchanted with Hollywood, she left the industry and only took on roles occasionally.
Tippi Hedren
Discovered by Alfred Hitchcock in a TV commercial, acting came naturally to Tippi Hedren, as we can see from her movie “The Birds.” Fitting Hitchcock’s ideal of the cool blond, Hedren was mentored by the king of suspense. Though some would see this as a plus, his counseling ultimately ended her career. He kept her under a contract that disallowed her from taking roles anywhere else after she rejected his advances. This prevented her from cashing in on other roles and ruined her future as an actress.
