Greta Garbo

Lovely Greta Garbo in hypnotic closeup for FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926). Born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson on September 18, 1905, (Stockholm, Sweden), Greta was a shy daydreamer as a child and preferred to play alone. Later she would participate in amateur theatre with her friends and frequent the Mosebacke Theatre. From 1922 to 1924, she studied at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's Acting School in Stockholm. She was recruited in 1924 by the Finnish director Mauritz Stiller to play a principal part in his film “The Saga of Gösta Berling.” Her performance caught the attention of Louis B. Mayer, chief executive of MGM, who brought her to Hollywood in 1925. She stirred interest with her first American silent film, "Torrent" (1926) and her performance in "Flesh and the Devil" (1927) made her an international star. Her first talking feature was "Anna Christie" (1930), with MGM marketers enticing the public with the tagline "Garbo talks!". That same year, she starred as an opera singer in "Romance" (193). In 1932, her success allowed her to dictate the terms of her contract, and she became increasingly selective about her roles. She continued in films such as "Mata Hari" (1931), "Grand Hotel" (1932), and "Queen Christina" (1933). Many critics and film historians consider her performance as the doomed courtesan Marguerite Gautier in "Camille" (1936) to be her finest. Greta's career soon gradually declined by 1938. Her career revived upon her turn to comedy in "Ninotchka" (1939), but after the failure of "Two-Faced Woman" (1941), she retired from the screen, at the age of 35. After retiring, she declined all opportunities to return to the screen. Shunning publicity, Greta led a private life, passing away on 15th April 1990, aged 84, as a result of pneumonia and renal failure.

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