SILENT FILM DAYS

GRETA GARBO-ACTRESS

(b. September 18, 1905, - d. APRIL 15, 1990

One of the most popular actresses during the latter part of the silent film era was the legendary, Greta Garbo. She was a fascinating figure whose erotic sensuality captivated the audience. She was able to display a range of emotions with just a tilt of her head, rising of an eyebrow, or hypnotic stare. When watching her in a scene, one could understand what her character was feeling just by looking into her eyes; they spoke volumes. Garbo had an ethereal mystical quality and strangeness about her which was oddly alluring. Perhaps the most intriguing feature Garbo had was her reclusive demeanor. No other movie star ever exuded so much mystery. The press and public’s curiosity was never-ending. The media relentlessly pursued her every move until her last days. Whether it was her talent, her spiritual essence, or secretiveness, one thing is certain, Greta Garbo was mesmerizing on and off-screen. Articles, books, and documentaries about her continue to be published to this day. She has remained popular and famous for over eight decades making her a true Icon. It is doubtful she will be forgotten any time soon.

EARLY YEARS

Greta Garbo was born as, Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, on September 18, 1905. She was the third and youngest child. She grew up in Soder, a poor district in the city of Stockholm, Sweden. Her mother, Anna Lovisa, was a homemaker and her father, Karl Alfred Gustafsson, was a laborer who died of the Spanish flu when Garbo was a teenager. She had a brother, Sven Alfred, and a sister, Alva Maria.

As a child, Garbo always felt different then other kids her age. She was moody and aloof. She preferred to stay away from people and liked to be alone. Very early on, she discovered the theatre. There was a cabaret and a local theatre close to her home. She would often sit on a porch near the back entrance and watch all the activities going on. She began to daydream and imagine herself as an actress. During art class in school, while the other kids would paint on paper, Garbo would paint on herself thinking that was what actresses did. Garbo would often go into a corner and just imagine what it would be like to have a different life. She was to hold on to that passion until she achieved her goal.

A YOUNG GARBO IN " THE SAGA OF
GOSTA BERLING

By the time Garbo was sixteen years old, she entered into the, Royal Dramatic Theatre School, in Stockholm. Through one of her tutor’s advice, Garbo met Mauritz Stiller, director/producer, who along with Victor Sjostrom, director, dominated the Swedish cinema. After a few more meetings, Stiller decided he would mentor Garbo. He began to train her and featured her in some film advertisements. In September 1923, Garbo had her named legally changed to Greta Garbo. When Stiller thought Garbo was ready, he gave her a leading role in the Swedish film, “The Saga of Gosta Berling”1924. The film had good reviews and caught the attention of German director, G.W. Pabst, who cast her in a main role in his film, “The Joyless Street”.

GARBO IN" THE JOYLESS STREET"

Garbo was very nervous during filming and was distracted with so many people on set. Upon Stiller’s recommendation, Pabst, removed most of the cast and crew to make Garbo more comfortable. She performed beautifully after that. The film became a major success in Germany. Garbo began to become popular within the European silent film industry.

AMERICA

GRETA AND STILLER ON THE WAY TO AMERICA

Louis B Mayer, who at the time was Vice President at the MGM Studios in America, was on a trip in Berlin, Germany. He was interested in signing Mauritz Stiller to a contract. Stiller agreed only if Garbo was signed to a contract as well. After viewing, The Saga of Gosta Berling”, Mayer agreed.

In the summer of 1925, Garbo and Stiller arrived in New York. Three months later, they both went to Hollywood, California. At first, Mayer did not know what to do with Garbo. The studio put her on a diet and fixed her teeth. Next they experimented on various looks but nothing seemed to work. Finally, Stiller recommended they use a different approach and suggested they give her a more sensual appearance. The studio heads were very pleased with the results.

GARBO IN A SCENE FROM, "TORRENT"

They cast her in the role of a vampy peasant girl in the film, “Torrent” 1926, starring alongside, Ricardo Cortez. Garbo had great difficulty during the filming of this movie especially since Stiller was not hired as the director. Too make matters worse, her co-star, Cortez, disliked Garbo and felt it beneath him to be co-starring with her.; he virtually ignored her throughout the filming. Monta Bell, the director of the film, paid practically no attention to her either. She felt like a total outcast. The film itself though, received good reviews.

GARBO IN "THE TEMPTRESS"

Her following film, “The Temptress” 1926, she was to play another vamp role. Although, she was unhappy with herpart, Stiller was going to be her director in this film which made things easier. Garbo got top billing and co-starred with, Antonio Moreno. From the beginning there were problems. Stiller, who was unaccustomed to being told what to do, shot the scenes as he saw fit often going against the wishes of the studio heads. Things began to fall apart when he insisted that, Cortez, shave off his trademark mustache. The studio heads were shocked. Irving Thalberg, production head at MGM, lost complete confidence in Stiller and fired him. Needless to say, both Garbo and Stiller were overcome by the change of circumstances. Thalberg replaced Stiller with a new director, Fred Niblo. Next, he ditched all of the scenes Stiller had filmed and instructed Cortez to wear a fake mustache until his own grew back. Garbo became extremely depressed and hoped the filming would be finished quickly. After a few weeks, Garbo received the news that her sister, Alva, who was 22 years of age, died of cancer. Although, Garbo was devastated, she was determined to finish the film and kept at it until the picture was finally completed. Much to her astonishment, this film which she hated, became a major success and virtually raised Garbo’s status to that of a star.

In the meantime, Stiller was hired by Paramount Studios. For the next two years, he made four films for them. Midway during filming of the last movie, he was fired as director due to constant disagreements with the studio heads. By 1927, Stiller having had enough of Hollywood, returned back to Sweden. Garbo did not join him. A year later, Stiller had a fatal heart attack and died on November, 18, 1928. He was 45 years old.

LARS HANSON, GARBO&GILBERT IN A SCENE
FROM FLESH AND THE DEVIL

JOHN GILBERT

Garbo’s next picture was, “Flesh and the Devil” 1926. Her co-star was the very popular dashing romantic star, John Gilbert. The first time Garbo met Gilbert she was so nervous that she unknowingly appeared as somewhat of a snob . Gilbert felt insulted by her pretentiousness and was hesitant to have any communication with her other than for professional reasons. After a while though, Gilbert realized that Garbo was actually infatuated with him which he found amusing. Within a short time, Gilbert found himself fascinated with Garbo and fell in love with her. Their romance developed quickly thereafter. In many of the love scenes, they were so consumed with each other; they would continue to embrace even after the cameras stopped rolling. The director, Clarence Brown, who was Garbo’s favorite director, (they made 7 movies together); thought Garbo was magical on screen. He once stated,” I never directed Garbo in anything above a whisper. The results were always stunningly effective”. The studio heads wasted no time in promoting the film taking advantage of the lovers’ on and off-screen romance. The film became a major success and elevated Garbo’s popularity to the top. They made two more silent films together, “Love”1927, and “A woman of Affairs” 1928; both were hits.

Garbo moved into Gilbert’s house. Gilbert had a special room built for her where she could relax and be undisturbed. Gilbert introduced Garbo to the glamour of Hollywood lifestyle. He opened up her mind with philosophy, literature, and taught her how to play tennis. For the first time, Garbo felt like a little child, happy and laughing. It was a sensation that was foreign to her. Up until then, she had been unable express herself with such joy; it felt like a dream.

Garbo’s only concern was Stiller’s reaction to her romance with Gilbert. She concocted various ways to keep Stiller from finding out, but, Stiller knew about their relationship almost from the start. He was not very happy about it and warned Garbo to be careful and to remember what he had told her long ago,” Greta, it is good to taste life, but, be careful, do not let it hurt and destroy you”.

Throughout their relationship, Gilbert had repeatedly asked Garbo to marry him. She refused all his attempts of marriage. Even though she felt he was the love of her life, she knew that it would not work. They both had different values. He loved all the things that Hollywood had to offer, the glamour, the social scene, the money, and the fame. Garbo on the other hand, disliked the Hollywood scene and longed for a private life where she could build a family and be herself. Garbo realized that love had its’ costs. It could hurt at times and was not a smooth sailing venture.

Gilbert was relentless in his quest and continuously tried to persuade Garbo to marry him. Eventually, Gilbert, realized, Garbo would never marry him. Feeling rejected, he married his third wife, Ina Claire on impulse. Garbo was on location shooting a movie when she heard the news. She reacted well and stated, “How nice for them, it is far better, as we cannot have everything. Garbo must go on alone”. She chose a calm and peaceful existence over love and so, their great romance, finally came to an end.

GARBO IN,"THE KISS"

FAME

In 1927, Garbo insisted on a better contract. When MGM refused, Garbo went on strike. After seven months, the MGM Studio heads, afraid of losing their most profitable star, surrendered to her demands. The silent films Garbo made thereafter, were major successes and by the time, sound films came to be, Garbo was the top money making star at MGM studios.

During the late fall of 1928, Garbo was filming a scene in, “The Wild Orchid” when Louis B. Mayer suddenly rushed on set with a telegram informing Garbo of Stiller’s death. Garbo immediately collapsed and was carried into her dressing room. After a short while, Garbo, who preferred to keep her emotions private, held on to her strength and proceeded to finish the scene. That night, Garbo drank champagne and cried herself to sleep. She was devastated. Stiller had been the most prominent person in her career and personal life. He had taught her so much and now he was gone. Garbo never got over his death for the rest of her life.

In 1929, Garbo was cast in her last silent picture, “The Kiss”. It was MGM’S last silent film as well. It was during this time that Garbo requested her scenes to be shot on a closed set. She instructed that most of the crew be removed from the set and had black screens block out anything distracting to the scene. These requirements gave her a reputation for being a bit of a diva. However, the reality was quite the opposite. She was shy by nature and people made her nervous. It would greatly affect her level of concentration. Thus, when her surroundings were less crowded, Garbo, had the ability to focus more clearly allowing her to evoke emotion into a scene which ultimately registered sensationally on screen.

GARBO IN " ANNA CHRISTIE"

THE SOUND ERA

The silent movie industry came to an end when sound was invented. By the late 1920’s mostly all of the films being made had sound. The transition for a lot of actors was fatal to their careers. Everyone at MGM and the public were unsure of how Garbo’s first words would sound. She did have a Swedish accent and the studio heads were worried that the public would not understand her and that the changeover would not be well received. Her first, “Talkie” film was in “Anna Christie”, 1930. The first words Garbo uttered were”Gimme a whisky, ginger ale on the side, and don’t be stingy ,baby”. The audiences thought Garbo was incredible and wanted more. The film was the highest financial success of that year. In the same year, 25 year old, Garbo, received her first Academy Award nomination for her role in, Anna Christie, and a second one for her role in, “Romance, 1930.

GARBO IN "MATA HARI"

In 1931 and 1932, Garbo made several more films including, “Mata Hari”,1931,( her most successful film making a profit of just under one million dollars, and in ”Grand Hotel” 1932, playing the part of an aging Russian ballerina. The film which included an all -star cast, won an Academy Award for best picture.

Garbo having worked non-stop since arriving in Hollywood, took a break from filming. She left for Sweden and traveled to other countries in Europe. She was gone for over a year. On her return to America, Garbo signed a new contract which gave her more control of the films and co-stars appearing in her pictures. She had been cast to play a queen in the film, “Queen Christina”, 1932. MGM chose British actor, Laurence Olivier, to be her co-star. Garbo wanting to help John Gilbert’s failing career insisted that he be her co-star. This was to be the last film they would make together. The movie had many good reviews and turned out to be a success, although, it did not resurrect Gilbert’s career. He did one more movie in 1934 which did not do well. By then, Gilbert was an alcoholic and his health was poor. Within two years, in 1936, Gilbert died of a heart attack. He was 38 years old.

GARBO WITH ROBERT TAYLOR IN "CAMILLE"

LATER YEARS

The next few years, Garbo made several very successful films, including, “Anna Karenina”, 1935 and “Camille”, 1936, for which she received her third Academy Award nomination. This role is considered to be her best performance over all of her films. The cost of her next picture, “Conquest” 1937, went way over budget, had terrible reviews, and had a loss of over one million dollars. For the first time in her career, the critics were ruthless and considered her a has-been in the industry.

The following year, Garbo, made a comedy, “Ninotchka” 1939. It was a huge hit and Garbo received her fourth Academy Award nomination for best actress. In 1941, Garbo was cast in another comedy, “Two Faced Woman”, 1941. Although, the film received acceptable reviews, the critics’ issued harsh remark about Garbo’s acting abilities. This was to be her last film. Garbo hurt by the terrible reviews announced that she would be leaving her career for good. Garbo always referred to this particular picture as, “My grave”.By the time Garbo left the film industry, she was 36 years old and had made a total of 28 films in over a decade.

GARBO IN HER LATER YEARS

RETIREMENT

Garbo was proud for the most part of her acting achievements, but, her true desire was to lead a private life. Hollywood life meant one had to live in a world that was not sheltered, not protected. Back in the 1920’s and 1930’s, all kinds of people would randomly show up at Garbo’s house. There were times when a fan would break into her house. It was very distressing to live under that kind of pressure.

Garbo avoided people, did not sign autographs, and never answered any fan mail. She was mostly cold towards the press and on the rare occasions where she would grant interviews, her remarks often had a tone of sadness to them.” Dead? I have been dead for years! I am a wanderer, just a wanderer! Everyone whom I love, dies”.

For the remainder of her life, Garbo led a private and leisurely existence. She travelled all over the world, often with friends. Although there is no factual evidence, there were many rumors about her sexual relationships, many of which were with rich high society figures. It was said that she liked both men and women.

In 1951, Garbo became an American citizen. She bought a seven room apartment in Manhattan, New York, where she lived until her death. She had a daily routine of exercise and took long walks. She would disguise herself with plain clothes and wore huge sunglasses. The paparazzi were constantly lurking about waiting to take the next great picture of the reclusive star.

In 1984, Garbo was successfully treated for breast cancer. Towards the end of her life, Garbo had dialysis treatments three times a week. On April, 15, 1990, Garbo died from pneumonia and renal failure. She was 84 years old. Her entire estate of over thirty million dollars was left to her niece, Gray Reisfield. Garbo’s ashes were interned at a cemetery nearby Stockholm, Sweden.

THE FAMOUS GARBO PROFILE

SUMMARY

Greta Garbo had a spiritual essence that transmitted on the screen with such a force, it was mystifying. No one had ever seen anything like her in films. She had an incredible presence that induced an image of a mythical goddess. Her talent was fascinating. One could get in touch with their own erotic fixations just by watching her in a love scene. With the slightest movement of facial and body gestures, Garbo could communicate her character’s inner most thoughts. Most of the roles she portrayed were that of disreputable types of females, and yet, Garbo made them seem incredibly, decent. The audiences connected and sympathized with her characters. Garbo’s talent was that magical. Greta Garbo achieved enormous success and was one of the most mysterious personalities of the motion picture industry. She was a gifted talented artist who gave all of herself throughout her film career. Greta Garbo is, and will always be, the most astonishing legend that ever existed on the silver screen.

Some of Garbo’s Films

1924-The Saga of Gosta Berling (Sweden)

1925-The Joyless Street (Germany)

1927-Love

1928-The Divine Woman

1929-The Kiss (last silent film)

1930-Anna Christie (1^st Talkie)

1934-The Painted Veil

1941-Two Faced Woman

Comments about Garbo

The Motion Picture Herald-an American trade paper

-“A clean white flame, leaping from volcanic vapors for the heights above”.

Bela Balazs-Film Critic

-“Garbo’s beauty is a beauty of suffering, the shrinking of a sensitive plant from a rude touch is in this beauty, even when she plays a down-and-out tart”!

-“Garbo’s appeal was always the commonest of romantic conventions-the come-hither look. She managed, because she is a supremely beautiful woman, to make it look like a mark of religion”.

Thomas Wiseman- British Author and Screenwriter

-“There was something enormously worldly about her and at the same time, she showed a curious kind of detachment from the world, as if there were two people in her; the observer and the participator; the observer was always amused by the strange and impulsive behavior by the participator”.

Clarence Brown-Director

-“You could see thought. If she needed look at one person with jealousy and another one with love, she did not have to change her expression. You could see it in her eyes as she looked from one to the other”.