Hollywood figure that season. Gloria Swanson had long been Joan’s idol—not just as an actress, but as a model of how a star behaved. “I have decided,” Gloria had said, “that when I am a star, I will be every inch and at every moment a star. Everyone from the studio gateman to the highest executive will know it.” These words became virtually Joan’s motto, her design for living. Swanson had originally wanted to be an opera singer, but she abandoned
