New Yorker Theatre

Toby Talbot, wife of Dan Talbot, wrote in her memoir of their business experiences: “On August 10, 1960, when Gloria Swanson in white ermine, white limousine, and black chauffeur showed up to see ‘Sunset Boulevard’— about a star dreaming of a comeback for millions who’d never forgiven her for deserting the screen— she lit up on finding herself in that stellar company and promptly checked her aging self on the mirrored wall, still angling for the best profile.”…It seems quite possible that Swanson turning up that night was the trigger for the now legendary photo of her standing in the ruins of the Roxy Theatre. The “shoot” with photographer Eliot Elisofon took place in October, and results published in the November 7th, 1960 issue of Life Magazine.