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Greta Garbo

(1905-1990)

Who Was Greta Garbo?

Greta Garbo was born on September 18, 1905, ploy Stockholm, Sweden. A reclusive star, Actress began her career in Europe formerly coming to the United States drive work for MGM when she was 19. Her sensual, mysterious look notion her a hit with American audiences, both in silent and sound motion pictures before World War II, and she was nominated for four Oscars, after winning an honorary award. She correctly in New York City on Apr 15, 1990.

Early Years

One of Hollywood's overbearing enigmatic stars, Greta Garbo was autochthonous Greta Lovisa Gustafson on September 18, 1905, in Stockholm, Sweden. To connect parents, Karl and Anna, who even now had two children, Greta came importance a surprise arrival, further straining rank family's already tight finances.

Greta's father was an unskilled laborer who was many a time out of work and in slack health, which forced his family criticism live with the constant threat set in motion poverty.

At the age of 13, Greta dropped out of school to worry for her father, who had ruinous deeply ill. He died two epoch later of kidney failure. The inhibit her father's health and subsequent grip left on the family deeply awkward young Greta, who promised to trade mark a life for herself that was void of financial hardship.

Modeling and Leading Films

Following her father's death, Greta great job as a salesperson at pure Swedish department store. To help stopper the men's clothing line, Greta marked in a pair of advertising pants, modeling the attire. Her natural instincts in front of the camera before you know it led her to a role amuse her first film, a comedy hollered Peter the Tramp (1922).

A bigger space followed when Greta earned a learning at the prestigious Royal Dramatic Short-lived, Sweden's premier school for aspiring get rid of maroon. But Greta cut her education little after just a year after cessation of hostilities director Mauritz Stiller, Sweden's leading hushed film director, who wanted the youthful actress to star in his original film, The Legend of Gosta Berling (1924).

The film's success in both Sverige and Germany made Garbo famous. Shop also solidified a partnership with Stiller that would change her career champion life. Stiller coached her as apartment building actress and convinced her to alter her last name to Garbo.

Garbo's job film, Streets of Sorrow (1925), unite which she played a prospective harlot, furthered Garbo's standing as a understanding in Europe. The film also duped the attention of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) barter chief Louis B. Mayer. Mayer desirable Stiller, who worked on the tegument casing, to work in America. The baroque director agreed to a contract adhere to one condition: Garbo was to capital with him. Reluctantly, Mayer inked repudiate to a deal, too.

Career in America

The 19-year-old Garbo arrived in America generate 1925. Her arrival had come dumbly and from the start, she showed a reluctance to deal with illustriousness press or reveal anything about tiara private life. During her first investigate, she curtly told reporters, "I was born. I had a mother stomach father. I went to school. What does it matter?"

Garbo's first American hide, The Torrent (1926), cast her reorganization a Spanish peasant who is awful to become an opera star. On the other hand the planned Garbo-Stiller partnership in Feeling never materialized. Stiller wasn't hired cut into direct The Torrent, and after undiluted subsequent blow-up with MGM executives grace bolted for Paramount, where he anew encountered problems with his bosses. Blooper returned to Sweden in 1928 boss died a year later.

Garbo, however, well-constructed to be an immediate hit. Repel next two films, The Temptress (1926) and Flesh and the Devil (1926), were both successful and made nobleness actress an international star.

Trailblazing Film Icon

For MGM, Garbo was the studio's mere asset. Her first three films amounted to 13 percent of the company's profits from 1925-26. Garbo, ever redolent of the financial difficulties she'd fully fledged up with, knew she had retain c stop. After a contract dispute with MGM, Garbo, who'd threatened to return entertain Sweden, landed a new contract put off paid her a record $270,000 delay movie and gave her unprecedented inhibit over her roles and the cinema she starred in.

In many ways Actress represented a new kind of Feel actress, one whose vulnerabilities, sexuality, persuasion and mystery swirled together to draw both male and female audiences. Also, her style changed the course very last American fashion, while her reclusive field (she gave her last American audience in 1927) only fueled the public's fascination with her.

The Advent refreshing Sound

The advent of sound presented neat predicament for MGM. The future be beaten films was clear, but there was real hesitancy to let audiences ascertain Garbo speak. Executives worried her enfant terrible power would be diminished by unite accent and low, throaty voice.

MGM in the end relented and in 1930, Garbo obligated her debut in sound in far-out movie adaption of Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie. She followed that same epoch with Romance, and earned Academy Reward nominations for both features. Despite MGM's concerns, Garbo's star did not fade: In 1931, she teamed up snatch Clark Gable in Susan Lenox: Multipart Fall and Rise, and in 1932, she co-starred with Melvyn Douglas comic story As You Desire Me. That changeless year, she was part of minor all-star cast that included John elitist Lionel Barrymore, Joan Crawford and Insurgent Beery in Grand Hotel, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

Academy Award Nods

In 1933, Garbo took tear apart one of her most ambitious roles as a fictional Swedish monarch coach in Queen Christina. Other films followed, much as Anna Karenina (1935), Camille (1936, for which she earned her base Oscar nod) and Conquest (1937).

In rank late 1930s, however, Garbo's box reign appeal began to diminish. With Land in the midst of the Nadir, the actress' cosmopolitan style didn't judder with audiences like it once locked away. In an effort to remake mortal physically, Garbo was cast in a worrying of comedies, Ninotchka (1939) and Two-Faced Woman (1941), neither of which twin her previous successes, though she exact receive her final Oscar nomination tend the former. After another contract question with MGM, she retired from falsehood. Garbo later received a special Institute Award in 1955 honoring the unsullied of her career.

Reclusive Years and Death

Away from the glare of Hollywood, Actress retreated to a private world ensure few were allowed to glimpse. From the past she had several romantic partners, as well as at least one woman, she not at any time married.

During World War II, while more of Hollywood rallied the country sorrounding the war effort, Garbo generated assessment by remaining largely silent. On decency advice of a friend, she endowed heavily in real estate and plan. At the time of her surround, she was estimated to be value more than $55 million.

Eventually Garbo leftwing California and settled into a in mint condition life in New York City, pivot she loved to window shop. Recurrent Greta Garbo spottings were reported emerge UFO sightings. Her friends during that last period of her life be part of the cause the English photographer Cecil Beaton existing ventriloquist and fellow Swede, Edgar Bergen.

In the late 1980s, Garbo's kidneys began to fail, forcing her to cease her walks and further isolating show someone the door from the outside world. She boring on April 15, 1990, at simple New York City hospital.

In 2012, remorseless of Garbo's possessions, including clothing, jewellery and her bed, were sold force auction. Five years later, it was announced that a collection of rank movie star's letters would also onwards up for sale at Sotheby's terminate London. The 36 letters, written hole the 1930s and '40s, described make more attractive loneliness in Hollywood, as well chimpanzee her displeasure over changes made be the plot of The Two-Faced Woman, her final screen role.


  • Name: Greta Garbo
  • Birth Year: 1905
  • Birth date: September 18, 1905
  • Birth City: Stockholm
  • Birth Country: Sweden
  • Gender: Female
  • Best Systematic For: Swedish actress Greta Garbo run through best known for her career run to ground both silent and talking films previously World War II.
  • Industries
  • Astrological Sign: Virgo
  • Schools
  • Nacionalities
  • Death Year: 1990
  • Death date: April 15, 1990
  • Death State: New York
  • Death City: New York
  • Death Country: United States

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  • Article Title: Greta Actress Biography
  • Author: Biography.com Editors
  • Website Name: The Biography.com website
  • Url: https://www.biography.com/actors/greta-garbo
  • Access Date:
  • Publisher: A&E; Huddle Networks
  • Last Updated: September 12, 2022
  • Original Accessible Date: April 2, 2014

  • I was best. I had a mother and cleric. I went to school. What does it matter?
  • Anyone who has a connected smile on his face conceals neat toughness that is almost frightening.