Greta Garbo
“The luminous, elusive face of Hollywood mystery, who left the screen at the height of her fame.”
In 1941, at the height of her fame and only 35 years old, Greta Garbo walked away from Hollywood after the failure of 'Two-Faced Woman' and never made another film. Her sudden, permanent retirement turned the elusive Swedish star into one of cinema's greatest enigmas.
From Stockholm to Stardom
Born into poverty in Stockholm, Garbo trained at the Royal Dramatic Theatre's school before director Mauritz Stiller discovered her. MGM signed both and brought them to Hollywood in 1925.
The Divine Garbo
Her smoldering presence made her the screen's premier romantic actress through the late silent and early sound eras. Roles in 'Grand Hotel,' 'Queen Christina,' and 'Camille' defined glamorous melancholy.
The Great Recluse
After abruptly retiring in 1941, Garbo lived quietly in a New York apartment for nearly fifty years, shunning interviews and the press. Her mystique only deepened her legend as cinema's most private star.
Career Timeline
- 1905Born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson in Stockholm
- 1924Stars in Swedish film 'The Saga of Gosta Berling'
- 1925MGM brings her to Hollywood
- 1926American debut in 'The Torrent'
- 1930Sound debut in 'Anna Christie' ('Garbo talks')
- 1932Utters 'I want to be alone' in 'Grand Hotel'
- 1933Plays the lead in 'Queen Christina'
- 1936Oscar-nominated for 'Camille'
- 1939Comedy turn in 'Ninotchka' ('Garbo laughs')
- 1941Retires after 'Two-Faced Woman'
- 1954Receives Honorary Academy Award
- 1990Dies in New York City
Biggest Hits
- She never married and famously guarded her privacy, popularizing the phrase 'I want to be alone.'
- Garbo declined to attend the 1955 ceremony where she was given her Honorary Oscar.
The Moment You Remember
In the final shot of Queen Christina, Garbo stands at the prow of a ship, her face a near-blank canvas the director asked her to empty of all expression. Audiences read into it whatever grief they carried, and the image became a study in screen mystery.
Portrait: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (Clarence Sinclair Bull, studio publicity) · Public Domain · via Wikimedia Commons