Video: The paradoxes of Greta Garbo: Why the Hollywood star left the cinema and did not appear in public for 50 years
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
September 18 marks the 115th anniversary of the birth of Greta Garbo, the legendary actress who is called the most mysterious figure in the world of cinema. Unlike many European artists, she easily conquered Hollywood, unlike many silent film stars, she also shone in sound films, unlike many of her colleagues reveling in fame and success, she was weighed down by her popularity and at 36 she left film and for the next 50 years led a reclusive lifestyle. What did the woman-paradox, the woman-mystery, the woman-legend so carefully hide from prying eyes?
She has always been a very closed and closed person, which is largely due to her difficult childhood. Greta Gustafsson was born and raised in Stockholm to a poor family. Her father was a silent person and drank heavily, but at the same time he always paid attention to his favorite - the youngest daughter Greta. The mother was cold with her and spent more time with her two older children. When Greta was 13, her father passed away, and then for the first time she felt completely alone. Soon she had to leave school and get a job. Even then, she promised herself "".
Greta was standing behind the counter of a department store when one of the visitors told her that with such a face she needed to shine on the screens, and offered to come to the shooting of a commercial. There, filmmakers drew attention to her, and soon Greta began acting in silent films. Her godfather in cinema was the largest Swedish director Moritz Stiller, who came up with the pseudonym Greta Garbo for her and carefully worked on her image, sculpting a real star out of an inept girl.
She never talked about her relationship with Stiller. Some biographers claim that he was her first and only true love, others are sure that only professional relationships could connect them - there were rumors that the director was indifferent to women. Be that as it may, he played a huge role in her fate, revealing her creative potential and creating that image of a cold and mysterious beauty, which the whole world soon recognized.
Soon Greta Garbo and Moritz Stiller were invited to Hollywood - Louis B. Mayer, the boss of the MGM studio, drew attention to the promising actress. At first, Greta felt very uncomfortable in America - she did not know the language well, did not look like Hollywood stars, because of self-doubt she was lost on the set. Then she was helped by the habit, developed in childhood - to isolate herself from the whole world around her and not to let anyone near her. Oddly enough, this played in her favor - her aloofness, inaccessibility and mystery acted on the public magnetically. Greta Garbo, who was called the Swedish Sphinian, easily conquered Hollywood. But Moritz Stiller never found his place there, returned to Sweden and passed away 2 years later.
Many silent film stars lost their popularity with the advent of sound films, but for Greta Garbo this did not become a problem. Despite the noticeable accent, her low, deep voice was as captivating as her showy appearance. She was very fond of the camera, the actress was called the standard of cinematography. Film critics admired her bottomless blue eyes, flawless facial contours and long eyelashes. Poetess Iris Gray wrote about her: "". Greta Garbo had the ability to transform without losing her individuality.
The glory that fell on her did not please, but frightened the actress. She only felt comfortable when she was alone. Garbo confessed: "". Even on the set, she demanded that there were no strangers in the pavilion, and the site was covered with screens.
Her novels were legendary, but she never married. On the already appointed wedding day with actor John Gilbert, she left the groom, accusing him that her fame interests him much more than she herself. The actress had no children. With her only friend, fashion designer Valentina Sanina, her communication stopped after the actress began an affair with her husband, millionaire George Schlee.
The last person she trusted - the famous photographer, English aristocrat Cecil Beaton - wrote in his memoirs at the end of their romance: "".
The last, 27th film with her participation was released in 1941 and failed at the box office. Then Greta's mother passed away. After that, she told reporters: ". And she disappeared for 50 years … The Hollywood star, who was called the most popular actress of the early twentieth century, once admitted: "".
After 36, Garbo did not act in films and did not appear in public, forbade herself to be photographed and did not give interviews. She became a recluse, and in recent years she completely fenced herself off from the outside world and did not even go to doctors so as not to face other patients there. A neuropathologist who has been observing Garbo for a long time, stated: "".
In April 1990, Greta Garbo passed away at the age of 84. She bequeathed all her multimillion-dollar fortune to her only niece. Her ashes had been waiting for their rest for 9 years, while the debate about where she should find her last refuge - in the USA or in Sweden - lasted. And when at last a huge crowd gathered at the Stockholm cemetery to see her off on her last journey, it turned out that the real ceremony had taken place the night before. The mystery woman again slipped away from everyone - already forever …
Even years after her departure, unknown episodes of her biography are revealed thanks to the declassified archives of the US intelligence services: What Greta Garbo was silent about.
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