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Greta Garbo
Hello, my name is Kim, and I did a term paper just recently on Greta Garbo for my History class. I hope my paper would be of help to you. And all my information comes from valid sources. My sources will be listed at the bottom. Well, here's my report!
Greta Garbo
Thesis:
Greta Garbo introduced subtle sexuality to the world of Hollywood, and figured out that celebrity life isn’t all what it’s said to be.
Greta Garbo was born in Stockholm, Sweden with the name Greta Lovisa Gustaffson. Greta was born into a poor family who faced many hard times when her father, Karl, died when Greta was only fourteen. She was forced to quit school, and started out as a “lather girl” for a local barbershop, but then later began working at a department store. Greta was in two promotional films, one, “How Not to Dress” for the department store, and “Our Daily Bread” for a bakery. In 1922, she was accepted into Royal Dramatic Theater Academy, and was cast by Mauritz Stiller in The Saga of Gosta Berling. On November 9, 1923, Greta officially changed her name to “Greta Garbo”.
The Torrent was Garbo’s first American film, and turned out to be a smashing success. Greta’s second film, The Temptress, was when she gained the reputation of being a vamp. Her early characters most often had to die, but sometimes she had to make wrenching sacrifices other than the main one. But she was always a serious, intelligent, sympathetic character. The vamp destroyed men, and laughed to see them beg for her love. Greta was not actually a vamp though, she was very furious with this new vamp personality that was brought upon her.
Greta showed the American public that feminine sexuality was compatible with intelligence. During the 1920s, flappers still attracted scorn, but Garbo helped convince millions of American women that the sexual idea was not a man’s privilege. She showed that women were allowed the right to have passionate needs and desires.
In 1927, Garbo began the film Love, which co-starred John Gilbert. John and Greta had a relationship off screen, or at least there was a rumored one. Gilbert proposed three times, but Garbo refused each time. Greta stated, “There are some who want to get married and others who don’t. I have never had an impulse to go to the altar. I am a difficult person to lead.” So I suppose that explains her reason of never getting married; she frankly didn’t have the desire to.
Garbo entered the American consciousness during the mid 1920s at a historical moment when gender roles were unstable. Greta’s popularity with both sexes enabled her to challenged “traditional roles with few negative consequences”. She avoided media attention and created a “mystical” image around her indifference to the public opinion. She was featured in gossip journals not solely concerned with rumors about John Gilbert, but also Mercedes de Acosta; an woman American writer. De Acosta was a close friend and rumored lover beginning in 1931. Reporters speculated that Garbo carefully balances the rumors to enhance the “Garbo Mystique”. Karen Swenson, author of a Garbo book entitled A Life Apart, said, “Her intimate posture and kisses suggest a woman-- not a vamp—who was secure with her sexuality.”
It seems to me that Greta Garbo was always a… mysterious, odd one. I don’t doubt her talent, but her life off the screen was quite puzzling. Garbo was notoriously press-shy, so she never set straight the horrid rumors that were spread about. She was uncomfortable with the media attention she gained almost immediately. Garbo was famous for her line “I want to be alone”. However, she stated, “I never said, ‘I want to be alone’. I only said, ‘I want to be left alone.’ There is a world of a difference.” Karen Swenson stated, “If anything, Garbo was consistent. She refused to destroy the illusion by peeling away the mask--for anyone.”
She was a popular subject for drag queens, but I don’t know why. I have read in several different sources that she had a love for women, but it didn’t say it was a true fact. Her gender bending mysteriousness and sultry accented voice makes her easier to imitate than other stars. Memorable quotes and rumors about her sexuality added to Garbo’s campy appeal. Greta was notable for wearing trousers and hats, when they were still controversial for women.
I had read that she was quite self-absorbed. She ignored all wars, politics, the press and publicity people. Garbo hated her lack of education, for as stated earlier, she was pulled out of school at the age of fourteen. She often read widely alone, but mainly only books, for she didn’t like when her reading material “didn’t conclude”. It was said by several writers that Garbo paid no attention to men in love scenes, nor their feelings or individuality. Barry Paris, author of a famous Garbo book, stated, “She caresses him as if stroking her own passion, dwelling only on her own mounting desire, exploring the force of her own sexual feeling—perhaps complex, powerful and conflicted—and not of the man himself or his.” I read that sometimes she would play love scenes by herself, with an inanimate object, a prop or two. It was said to be “strong stuff to watch, much more potent than the submissive fluttering and possessive clutching deployed by all the vamps and virgins.” (Anne Hollander)
It was rumored that Greta didn’t enjoy making movies, and dreaded Hollywood from the moment she arrived. It made me think. Could Hollywood and stardom really not be what it appears? I wonder how she could not enjoy the famous life. Millions adore you, you have money, and people wait on you hand and foot. I guess that added to the “Garbo Mystique” and her aversion to the spotlight.
I watched several of her movies, and it seems to me Garbo had an attitude. It’s extremely hard to explain. But it seemed whenever something would bother her, she’d display it in such immense actions. In one scene, she was offered a glass of lemonade, didn’t want it, and so abruptly turned her head the other way. It’s quite hard to explain, if you can’t see it for yourself. Basically, she was very dramatic with her way of expressing her displease, especially in her silent movies.
Greta retired in 1941, after her last film, Two-Faced Woman flopped. She didn’t retire because she was told to, or she feared her movies would continue to flop, she was just fed up and tired of the limelight. Garbo lived in New York City, and was often followed by reporters and photographers.
Greta Garbo died at 11:30 a.m., on April 15, 1990, Easter Sunday, alone. I had read that her family was at her bedside, but I don’t see how that could be, for her father, mother, and sister died, and she kept to herself while in New York City. Greta Garbo's ashes were finally buried at Woodland Cemetery in Stockholm, Sweden on Wednesday, June 16, 1999.
I viewed Wild Orchids, a 1929 Garbo silent film, and watched it several times. I surprisingly enjoyed it very much. It seemed easier to know what’s going on, believe it or not. I suppose because you can’t hear everything that is said, and only the important lines are shown on the screen.
Wild Orchids is the tale of a tea merchant’s wife, Lillie Sterling (Garbo) who is neglected by her husband, John Sterling (Lewis Stone). Mr. Sterling meets Prince de Garce (Nils Asther) and is offered to visit his tea headquarters in the jungle atmosphere of Java. Prince de Garce takes a liking to Lillie immediately, but is absolutely perturbed with the Prince. For Lillie loves her husband, and only him.
While Mr. Sterling goes out on an all day trip out into Java, the Prince and Lillie interlock in several passionate kisses. Mr. Sterling comes home only to see their shadow, so is quite suspicious. Sterling and de Garce go out on a tiger hunt, and Sterling shoots him for he is furious that de Garce and Lillie are having an affair.
As Mr. Sterling is leaving Java, Lillie climbs in the car and basically says that she could never love another man. All ends well, yet Prince de Garce is left alone. But that’s all right, for even from the beginning I didn’t like Prince de Garce. When Lillie first saw him, he was whipping one of his servants. Also, he was always trying to seduce Lillie, even though she was married! But I enjoyed that movie very much, and I hope to see more Garbo silent films, for I watched Anna Karenina and partially Anna Christie, but mainly preferred Wild Orchids.
Greta Garbo will always be remembered for her talent. She is known to be more of a myth or legend than an actress. Garbo’s way of life always kept people guessing, wondering the actual truth. Maybe she wanted to be mysterious. Or maybe she just “didn’t want to talk about it”. Whatever the case was, it kept people in suspense and awe of this woman. But she never gave up, she did things her own way, and if you didn’t like it, tough cookies. Kudos to you, Greta Garbo, kudos to you.
Sources:
Books:
Greta Garbo, A Life Apart by Karen Swenson
The Movies by Griffith and Mayer
Walking With GARBO, Conversations and Recollections by Raymond Daum
Loving Garbo, The Story of Greta Garbo, Cecil Beaton, and Mercedes de Acosta by Hugo Vickers
Websites:
http://www.netcomuk.co.uk/~lenin/greta_garbo.html
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/g1epc/bio/2419200441/print.jhtml
http://members.aol.com/svenska918/greta.html
http://home.hiwaay.net/~oliver/garbo.html
http://www.bombshells.org/gallery/garbo/garbo_bio.shtml
Movie:
Wild Orchids; Director: Sidney Franklin, produced in 1929; starring Greta Garbo, Lewis Stone, and Nils Asther
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