Sweedie

Sweedie or Sweedie, The Swedish Maid is a fictional manly character in drag portrayed by Wallace Beery in a series of comedy films 1914-1916. The series is notable as the means by which Beery, a particularly masculine actor (which is the series' joke), first made his name in the film industry. Beery later became the world's highest paid actor by 1932, with his MGM contract stipulating that he receive $1 more than any other actor on the lot, a clause that came back to haunt the studio when they hired Greta Garbo at a record-breaking level then had to match her salary for Beery. Beery won the Academy Award for The Champ and remains arguably best known today for his performances as Long John Silver in Treasure Island (1934) with Lionel Barrymore and as Pancho Villa in Viva Villa! (1934) opposite Fay Wray.

References

  1. ^ Sweedie the Swatter IMDb. Retrieved 21 November 2008.