An unforgettable face...
perfect bone structure...
hypnotic eyes...
an impenetrable gaze...
husky voice...
a face capable of registering everything
and yet... nothing
...or so they say...
MY LEGACY
Greta Garbo
Born: September 18, 1905
Birthplace: Stockholm, Sweden
Died: April 15, 1990
Taken from a biography on me...
Garbo was born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson to Karl and Anna Gustafson.
She also had an older sister,Alva,and a brother,Sven.
She began her career modelling for Stockholm department stores, but won a scholarship to the Royal Dramatic Theatre.
While there, she was spotted by director Mauritz Stiller, an important filmmaker in the early 1920s. Stiller cast Greta in 'The Atonement of Gosta Berling', in 1923, which made her a minor star, and became Greta's mentor and lover, glamorising her image and changing her professional name to Garbo.
Metro Goldwyn Mayer Studios hired Stiller, who brought Garbo with him, even though Louie B. Mayer was unimpressed by her. It was only after shooting her first American film, 'The Torrent', in 1926, that MGM realized they had a potential gold mine.
In 'Flesh and the Devil', 1927, Garbo co-starred with John Gilbert for the first time, and they fell in love. They made many films together and lived together for a time. She agreed to marry him, but changed her mind at the last minute. Although Garbo had many affairs, including relationships with Leopold Stokowsky and director Rouben Mamoulien, she never married.
There was much concern about Garbo's first talking picture, since she had such a thick Swedish accent. However, 'Anna Christie' was very successful, heralded by the famous "Garbo Talks" advertising campaign.
Her aloofness and desire to "be alone" only increased her following.
She lived in New York city and was often seen strolling the streets near her apartment and in Central Park. She lived the last few years of her life as a total recluse.
Garbo has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood.In September 2005, as part of a series of stamps issued to commemorate movie stars, the U.S. Postal Service released a stamp showing the beautiful face of Garbo, honoring her enduring status as a film icon.
Greta Garbo was once voted by The Guinness Book of World Records as the most beautiful woman who ever lived.
