The scene was one the most dangerous the 20-year-old actress had ever filmed. In Cecil B. DeMille's third movie with Gloria Swanson, November 1919's "Male and Female," the sequence called for a lion to be hovering next to her while she lay prone on the ground. In fact, the director had decided to cancel the act after thinking about how dangerous it potentially could be for the studio's prized actress.
She insisted DeMille film the scene. "Are you menstruating?" the director asked, knowing blood sends lions into a feeding frenzy. "No," she replied. With two trainers and her father just off frame and DeMille ready with his revolver, Swanson spends some time with the lion, who is seen licking his chops. The actress, besides a faster than normal beating heart, ended unscathed and completing one of the more iconic scenes in silent movies. Little did anyone know two weeks later that same lion ended up killing a person before being put down himself.
Such was the Swanson legend born in "Male and Female." In an earlier scene in the movie, the actress, who plays a British aristocrat, enters a luxurious Turkish bath in her mansion with the help of two maids. The exotic image lingered in the minds of the public upon first viewing, and imprinted the icon of Swanson's aura of sophistication surrounded by total opulence for the remainder of her acting career.
Her role in the movie, based on a 1902 J. M. Barrie (yes, the Peter Pan creator) play called 'The Admirable Crichton,' presented a perfect personification of hers to illustrate the class separation of the English and each member's desire to stay within the framework of their class despite others' character, likability, intelligence and ability.
Swanson's selected household, relatives and boyfriend are stranded on a deserted island after their boat runs aground. The distinct societal differences so profound back in civilization evaporate into a Darwinistic survival of the fitness on the island. The butler, Crichton, becomes the leader of the group through his wilderness skills of hunting and construction. A strong love relationship develops between Swanson and Thomas Meighan, playing the butler--so much so they contemplate marriage. Once discovered and rescued, could the two revert back to class differences and be separated, or do they shrug off the artificialness of wealth that previously would constrict their love for each other?
For actress Bebe Daniels, the female sidekick for Harold Floyd since 1916, she had reached out to DeMille for an opportunity to expand her acting chops. He agreed, and she's seen in the Babylonian sequence as the King's Favorite. The movie served as a launching pad for her to star in a variety of roles in fature films well into the late 1950's.
"Male and Female" was a huge hit for Paramount Pictures, earning as much money as DeMille's previous five films together. The movie was nominated for the American Film Institute's 100 Most Passionate Films Ever Made.
