Jailhouse Rock with Elvis

Gloria challenged the norms of the 1950s and paved the way for future provocateurs like Mae West, Madonna, and Elvira.

”She was quite openly in touch with her sexuality, and that was an incredibly dangerous thing to do,” said R.H. Green, author and documentary filmmaker.

Gloria didn’t let controversy stop her.

She appeared in films like The Crimson Kimono, Jailhouse Rock alongside Elvis Presley, and 20 Million Miles to Earth, while also landing TV roles on Perry Mason and The Red Skelton Hour. Though she never became an A-list star, she remained a visible, glamorous presence in Hollywood, rubbing elbows with legends like Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Her off-screen life was equally colorful. Gloria dated high-profile men but never married a “Hollywood prince,” fiercely guarding her independence, a trait that became central to her persona. She drove a lavender 1957 Ford Thunderbird and favored outfits in shades of purple.