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IMDbPro

Greta Garbo(1905-1990)

  • Actress
  • Soundtrack
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Greta Garbo in Grand Hotel (1932)
A compilation of scenes from classic MGM comedies from the silent era up to 1948's "A Southern Yankee." Among the films showcased are "The Thin Man," "A Night at the Opera," "Dinner at Eight" and "Bonnie Scotland."
Play trailer2:26
The Big Parade of Comedy (1964)
8 Videos
99+ Photos
Greta Garbo was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson on September 18, 1905, in Stockholm, Sweden, to Anna Lovisa (Johansdotter), who worked at a jam factory, and Karl Alfred Gustafsson, a laborer. She was fourteen when her father died, which left the family destitute. Greta was forced to leave school and go to work in a department store. The store used her as a model in its newspaper ads. She had no film aspirations until she appeared in short advertising film at that same department store while she was still a teenager. Erik A. Petschler, a comedy director, saw the film and gave her a small part in his Luffar-Petter (1922). Encouraged by her own performance, she applied for and won a scholarship to a Swedish drama school. While there she appeared in at least one film, En lyckoriddare (1921). Both were small parts, but it was a start. Finally famed Swedish director Mauritz Stiller pulled her from the drama school for the lead role in The Saga of Gösta Berling (1924). At 18 Greta was on a roll.

Following The Joyless Street (1925) both Greta and Stiller were offered contracts with MGM, and her first film for the studio was the American-made Torrent (1926), a silent film in which she didn't have to speak a word of English. After a few more films, including The Temptress (1926), Love (1927) and A Woman of Affairs (1928), Greta starred in Anna Christie (1930) (her first "talkie"), which not only gave her a powerful screen presence but also garnered her an Academy Award nomination as Best Actress (she didn't win). Later that year she filmed Romance (1930), which was somewhat of a letdown, but she bounced back in 1931, landing another lead role in Mata Hari (1931), which turned out to be a major hit.

Greta continued to give intense performances in whatever was handed her. The next year she was cast in what turned out to be yet another hit, Grand Hotel (1932). However, it was in MGM's Anna Karenina (1935) that she gave what some consider the performance of her life. She was absolutely breathtaking in the role as a woman torn between two lovers and her son. Shortly afterwards, she starred in the historical drama Queen Christina (1933) playing the title character to great acclaim. She earned an Oscar nomination for her role in the romantic drama Camille (1936), again playing the title character. Her career suffered a setback the following year in Conquest (1937), which was a box office disaster. She later made a comeback when she starred in Ninotchka (1939), which showcased her comedic side. It wasn't until two years later she made what was to be her last film, Two-Faced Woman (1941), another comedy. But the film drew controversy and was condemned by the Catholic Church and other groups and was a box office failure, which left Garbo shaken.

After World War II Greta, by her own admission, felt that the world had changed perhaps forever and she retired, never again to face the camera. She would work for the rest of her life to perpetuate the Garbo mystique. Her films, she felt, had their proper place in history and would gain in value. She abandoned Hollywood and moved to New York City. She would jet-set with some of the world's best-known personalities such as Aristotle Onassis and others. She spent time gardening and raising flowers and vegetables. In 1954 Greta was given a special Oscar for past unforgettable performances. She even penned her biography in 1990.

On April 15, 1990, Greta died of natural causes in New York and with her went the "Garbo Mystique". She was 84.
BornSeptember 18, 1905
DiedApril 15, 1990(84)
BornSeptember 18, 1905
DiedApril 15, 1990(84)
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • Nominated for 4 Oscars
    • 11 wins & 6 nominations total

Photos873

Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro in Mata Hari (1931)
Greta Garbo and Lars Hanson in The Divine Woman (1928)
Greta Garbo, Felix Bressart, Alexander Granach, and Sig Ruman in Ninotchka (1939)
Greta Garbo in The Temptress (1926)
Greta Garbo and Antonio Moreno in The Temptress (1926)
Greta Garbo, John Miljan, Robert Montgomery, and Judith Vosselli in Inspiration (1931)
Greta Garbo and Marie Dressler in Anna Christie (1930)
Greta Garbo and Gustav von Seyffertitz in The Mysterious Lady (1928)
Greta Garbo and Polly Moran in The Divine Woman (1928)
Greta Garbo, Johnny Mack Brown, and Lowell Sherman in The Divine Woman (1928)
Greta Garbo and Lars Hanson in The Divine Woman (1928)
Greta Garbo in Anna Karenina (1935)

Known for

Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas in Ninotchka (1939)
Ninotchka
7.8
  • Ninotchka
  • 1939
Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor in Camille (1936)
Camille
7.3
  • Marguerite Gautier
  • 1936
Greta Garbo in Anna Karenina (1935)
Anna Karenina
7.0
  • Anna Karenina
  • 1935
Greta Garbo in Anna Christie (1930)
Anna Christie
6.6
  • Anna
  • 1930

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actress

  • Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas in Two-Faced Woman (1941)
    Two-Faced Woman
    • Karin Blake
    • 1941
  • Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas in Ninotchka (1939)
    Ninotchka
    • Ninotchka
    • 1939
  • Charles Boyer and Greta Garbo in Conquest (1937)
    Conquest
    • Countess Marie Walewska
    • 1937
  • Greta Garbo and Robert Taylor in Camille (1936)
    Camille
    • Marguerite Gautier
    • 1936
  • Greta Garbo in Anna Karenina (1935)
    Anna Karenina
    • Anna Karenina
    • 1935
  • Greta Garbo and Herbert Marshall in The Painted Veil (1934)
    The Painted Veil
    • Katrin
    • 1934
  • Greta Garbo in Queen Christina (1933)
    Queen Christina
    • Christina
    • 1933
  • Greta Garbo in As You Desire Me (1932)
    As You Desire Me
    • Zara aka Maria
    • 1932
  • John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Joan Crawford, and Greta Garbo in Grand Hotel (1932)
    Grand Hotel
    • Grusinskaya
    • 1932
  • Greta Garbo and Ramon Novarro in Mata Hari (1931)
    Mata Hari
    • Mata Hari
    • 1931
  • Clark Gable and Greta Garbo in Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) (1931)
    Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise)
    • Helga aka Susan Lenox
    • 1931
  • Greta Garbo in Inspiration (1931)
    Inspiration
    • Yvonne Valbret
    • 1931
  • Greta Garbo and Herman Bing in Anna Christie (1930)
    Anna Christie
    • Anna Christie
    • 1930
  • Greta Garbo and Lewis Stone in Romance (1930)
    Romance
    • Rita Cavallini
    • 1930
  • Greta Garbo in Anna Christie (1930)
    Anna Christie
    • Anna
    • 1930

Soundtrack

  • That's Entertainment, Part II (1976)
    That's Entertainment, Part II
    • performer: "La Chica Choca" (1941) (uncredited)
    • 1976
  • Greta Garbo and Melvyn Douglas in Two-Faced Woman (1941)
    Two-Faced Woman
    • performer: "Chica-Choca" (uncredited)
    • 1941
  • Greta Garbo in As You Desire Me (1932)
    As You Desire Me
    • performer: "Tu ne Sauras jamais" (uncredited)
    • 1932
  • John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Joan Crawford, and Greta Garbo in Grand Hotel (1932)
    Grand Hotel
    • performer: "Jeg Elsker Dig (Ich Liebe Dich)" (1864) (uncredited)
    • 1932
  • Greta Garbo and Lewis Stone in Romance (1930)
    Romance
    • performer: "Annie Laurie" (1834-5) (uncredited), "Liebestraum No. 3 (A Dream of Love)" (1850) (uncredited), "Prelude No. 7 in A Major"
    • 1930

Videos8

Mata Hari Official Trailer
Trailer 2:42
Mata Hari Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 4:04
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:26
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:46
Official Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 2:21
Trailer
Queen Christina
Trailer 2:17
Queen Christina
Ninotchka
Trailer 2:17
Ninotchka
Grand Hotel
Trailer 2:25
Grand Hotel

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Greta Gustafsson
  • Height
    • 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
  • Born
    • September 18, 1905
    • Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden
  • Died
    • April 15, 1990
    • New York City, New York, USA(pneumonia)
  • Parents
      Karl Alfred Gustafsson
  • Relatives
      Alva Garbo(Sibling)
  • Other works
    In 1949 she secretly filmed a screen test in preparation for a comeback, which never materialized. This film was believed lost for decades until a print was discovered by a movie collector.
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Biographical Movies
    • 22 Print Biographies
    • 15 Portrayals
    • 1 Interview
    • 48 Articles
    • 16 Pictorials
    • 53 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    She disliked Clark Gable, a feeling that was mutual. She thought his acting was wooden while he considered her a snob.
  • Quotes
    There is no one who would have me--I can't cook.
  • Trademark
      Enigmatic personality
  • Nicknames
    • The Face
    • The Swedish Sphinx
    • Garbo
    • La Divina
  • Salaries
      Two-Faced Woman
      (1941)
      $150,000

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