153: Hollywood’s First Weight Loss Guru: Madame Sylvia (Make Me Over, Episode 2)

Glamorous and shrewd, Sylvia of Hollywood became the movie industry’s first weight-loss guru during the end of the silent era. An immigrant of mysterious origin, she would cannily market herself to clients like Gloria Swanson, who she promised to ‘slenderize, refine, reduce and squeeze’ into shape. But her taste for gossip and publicity would become her downfall in the 1930s when she published a catty tell-all memoir about her star clients. This episode was written and performed by Christina Newland, an award-winning journalist on film, pop culture and boxing at Sight & Sound Magazine, Little White Lies, VICE, Hazlitt, The Ringer and others. She loves 70s Americana, boxing flicks, fashion and old Hollywood lore. She was born in New York and lives in Nottingham, England. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thank you Karina!

I tried to leave a full written record under the show for Marie Dressler but I could not put it there. I just came home from watching Dimmer at 8 on the big screen at the Standard Theater in Palo Alto. Marie was the most interesting character on that movie. She was hilarious. She really took on the character. The audience laughed at her several times. What a treat to see a movie on the big screen. Her and that ugly fur and the dogs. She rolled her eyes sighed and did not even have to say a word. Jean of course was beautiful but Marie owned that movie. Thank you. I came home and found this. What a great treat