Ia sampun dados bintang ring warsa 1921 antuk panampilan ring The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, nanging Swanson sampun ngenalin dugas sawai-wai pinaka actor sane macita-cita ngamolihang kepah-kepah cenik, tanpa harapan antuk masa depan profesionalne.
He had become a star in 1921 for his appearance in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but Swanson had known him since his days as an aspiring actor getting small parts, with no seeming hope for his professional future.