Greta could not believe that she had actually been chosen to play one of the most important roles in Gösta Berling’s Saga. Everyone at the school was talking about this marvelous story that the famous director Mauritz Stiller was going to make into a picture. The famous stage star, Lars Hanson, had been chosen to play the male lead. The most Greta had expected was a minor part. And now she had been selected to play the Countess Dohna. She hurried out to buy a book and read the story.

Greta never wanted to do anything as badly as she wanted to play this part, and yet she was afraid. The thought of going through the highly dramatic scenes before the camera with this strange man, Mauritz Stiller, directing terrified her. The whole thing seemed too big for the inexperienced girl of seventeen.

Those first days at the studio, arranging for the necessary costumes, studying the script, and rehearsing the scenes, were an experience never to be forgotten. It was all so different from the industrial pictures in which she had formerly worked, and the little comedy skit she had done in Peter the Tramp.

Those first days at the studio, arranging for the necessary costumes, studying the script, and rehearsing the scenes, were an experience never to be forgotten. It was all so different from the industrial pictures in which she had formerly worked, and the little comedy skit she had done in Peter the Tramp.At last the day arrived for the actual “shooting” of the first scenes. Greta, made up and dressed in the necessary costume, was waiting for her entrance on the scene. Suddenly she became quite ill. When she was called before the camera she thought she was going to faint. Mr. Stiller recognized the symptoms of nervous excitement. He ordered everyone, even the electricians, off the set. Greta was left alone to pull herself together.

But Mr. Stiller was watching this new girl behind a canvas prop. He wanted to see what stuff she was made of. He hoped that he had not been mistaken in her great strength and courage.

Slowly but surely he saw her regain her composure. He quickly called the other members of the company back on the set. In a few minutes Greta was plunged into the making of a picture that was to start her on the road to world fame.

Greta found that she could not laugh and joke between scenes on this picture as she had in the others she had worked in. While making Gösta l3erling’s Saga she felt that she actually was the Countess Dohna. Wrenching back and forth from Greta Gustafson to Countess Dohna was more than she could stand. So between scenes she would wander away from the others and sit alone, without talking to anyone. The other players, who did not feel their roles so deeply, commenced to whisper that Greta was upstage.

Greta knew they were gossiping about her, but she did not care. Her one thought was to make a good ob of the part she was playing. She was there to work, and not to entertain herself or her friends.

Mr. Stiller soon realized that be had found great talent in Greta Gustafson. She was like clay in his hands. Clay that easily responded to his slightest touch.

And Greta appreciated the ability of the great director. Each day she threw herself heart and soul into her scenes. At night she went home exhausted from having given every ounce of energy that she possessed.

It was nearly a year before the picture was completed. There were winter scenes and summer scenes all made on so grand a scale that they could not be done in the studio. It was necessary to wait for the change in season so that nature could be used as the setting.

Mauritz Stiller, a genuinely great director, was giving rein to his ambition to make this picture the greatest film that had ever been made. Never before had there been such a scene as the one where Greta and her lover, played by Lars Hanson, fled for their lives miles over the frozen lake with a pack of hungry wolves at their heels. And the burning of the big farmhouse was one of the most spectacular scenes ever portrayed on the screen.

Those first days at the studio, arranging for the necessary costumes, studying the script, and rehearsing the scenes, were an experience never to be forgotten. It was all so different from the industrial pictures in which she had formerly worked, and the little comedy skit she had done in Peter the Tramp.When the picture was finished and shown to the public the critics pronounced it the greatest screen play ever made. Special notice was called to the unknown actress Greta Gustafson.

It was then that Mr. Stiller and Greta decided that the name Gustafson was too long. Exhibitors might object to such a lengthy name in electric lights in front of their theaters. It took up too much space on theater programs. Together they chose the name Garbo. So the new motion-picture actress Greta Garbo made her bow to the world.

After the picture was finished Greta returned to the Dramatic School to resume her studies. She had proved herself so fine an actress that the school director signed her on a contract as “leading pupil,” which meant she would play “leads” on the stage of the Royal Dramatic Theater while she was finishing her instruction in the school.

But Greta Garbo was destined not to go on with her studies. Mr. Stiller found that he had a place for her in his next picture. He felt certain that he could keep her busy working in his productions. He knew that experience was the best teacher. He suggested that she give up her scholarship in the school and devote all her time to acting before the camera.

Greta had become fond of Mr. Stiller. She admired him and respected his judgment. She considered herself very fortunate to have this offer from the great director. She asked to be released from her “leading pupil” contract. And Greta Garbo turned over the management of her career to Mauritz Stiller.

Mr. Stiller invited his protégée to accompany him to the premiere of Gösta Berling’s Saga, in Berlin. Greta had never been outside of Sweden before. At last she was going to see one of the countries she had dreamed about when she was a schoolgirl, poring over her lessons in history. Somehow, some way, she found herself doing the things she had always longed to do. At last she was drawing herself away from the everyday world that she had found so tiresome.

That first premiere of Greta’s in Berlin was a very brilliant one. The theater seats were filled with fashionable society folk, famous critics, and celebrities from the stage. After the picture was finished there was a roar of applause. Greta and Mr. Stiller came out on the stage and were introduced to the audience. They were showered with flowers. To this day Greta likes to recall the warmth of that welcome she received in Berlin.

“The German people are not too personal in their admiration,” she says. “They admire your talent and your work, but it ends there. They are interested in you as an artist, not as a personality. Your life away from the screen or stage is your own.”

While Mr. Stiller was attending to business in Berlin, Greta roamed the streets sightseeing. She loved the quaint little shops and cafés that bordered the wide, tree-shaded streets. She liked the friendliness of the German people. She laughed as she struggled with their language. She knew that she could be very happy living in this big city.

Mr. Stiller found producers in Berlin willing to back a picture he wanted to make in Constantinople. Greta was to play the leading role. Einar Hansen (who later came to Hollywood, where he was killed in an automobile accident) was to play opposite her. This trip to Turkey Greta thought would be the greatest adventure of her life. She hurried home to pack her clothes for the journey.

Those first days at the studio, arranging for the necessary costumes, studying the script, and rehearsing the scenes, were an experience never to be forgotten. It was all so different from the industrial pictures in which she had formerly worked, and the little comedy skit she had done in Peter the Tramp.When she actually found herself on the train bound for Constantinople, Greta felt that she must be in a dream. She was certain that no other girl in the world had been as fortunate as she. First there had been success in a great role in one of the biggest productions ever filmed. Then selection as the protégée of a famous director. And now she was on her way to a foreign land to play the lead in another of his important pictures. Life was no longer tiresome and monotonous for the little Gustafson girl. In fact, this awkward girl had long since disappeared. There was a new girl in her place: a charming, talented, beautiful person known on the screen as the actress Greta Garbo.

Greta will never forget the excitement of getting located in that strange city of Constantinople. She could hardly wait to explore the narrow crooked streets and the open shops that bordered them. There was delay in getting started on the picture. Mr. Stiller was not satisfied with the script. Much of it had to be rewritten. Greta was left to amuse herself. She spent hours roaming about the city. One day Greta was fascinated by a dirty ragged Turk who sauntered past a shop where she was buying a little trinket to send home to her mother. She decided to follow him. She was curious to know where such a fellow lived. To find out what he did. But apparently he did nothing. Neither did he have any special place to go. Like a lost dog he wandered aimlessly up this street and down that. Finally Greta got tired and returned to her hotel.

But she was happy roaming about alone and unhindered. Twice she was invited to the Swedish Embassy, but she did not care to meet strange people, though they were from her native land. Even Einar Hansen did not go out with her. He was conscious of the ragged beard he had had to grow for the role he was to portray in the picture.

At last the script was ready and work on the picture was started. Mr. Stiller felt that this would be the most dramatic production he had yet made. The actual settings in the land where the story was laid inspired all the players. As a matter of fact, it was the first motion picture to be made in Constantinople.

Suddenly the money from Berlin stopped coming. Mr. Stiller could get no answer from his letters and telegrams. Time was precious. The night before Christmas he decided to get on the train and make a hurried trip to Berlin. His little band of players felt alien and forlorn when they found themselves left alone in this foreign town on Christmas Eve. All but Greta. She did not care. Being alone never bothered her. She knew that she could find plenty of interesting things to do in this strange city.

In a few days Mr. Stiller returned with the sad news that the backers of the picture had gone broke. There was nothing to do but disband and go home.

But Mr. Stiller had plans for another picture that he wanted to make in Berlin. So once more Greta found herself in the German capital. While she was waiting for Mr. Stiller to attend to his business, she decided to work in a German production. Mr. Stiller got a part for her in The Street of Sorrow.

Greta had picked up enough German to enable her to understand direction. She found that she liked to work in the German studios. She knew she could be happy living in Berlin and making pictures there.

So Greta Garbo’s second picture was made in the capital of Germany. It was not a sensation like Gösta Berling’s Saga. But then Mr. Stiller did not direct it. Greta was gaining experience, and that was what she wanted just now.

During this time Louis B. Mayer, production head of the MetroGo1dwYnMaYer studios in Hollywood, was making a trip through Europe on the lookout for new talent. The night he saw Gösta Berling’s Saga, he saw photography and new directorial tricks that had never been done before. He wanted to see the genius who directed this fine picture. He wanted to take him back to Hollywood and introduce his new ideas to the American screen.

He was also impressed with the splendid acting of the male lead, played by Lars Hanson, who was a finished artist. He wanted to put him also under contract to make pictures in his Hollywood studio.

But Lars Hanson was not particularly interested in the screen. He was one of the biggest favorites of the Royal Dramatic Theater in Stockholm. It was only between seasons that he played in motion pictures. The large salary offered could not tempt him to go to Hollywood.

Those first days at the studio, arranging for the necessary costumes, studying the script, and rehearsing the scenes, were an experience never to be forgotten. It was all so different from the industrial pictures in which she had formerly worked, and the little comedy skit she had done in Peter the Tramp.Mauritz Stiller, on the other hand, was keenly interested in the idea. He knew that Hollywood was far ahead of Europe in making pictures. His good friend the director, Victor Seastrom, had already made a name for himself over there. Mr. Stiller often felt handicapped in trying to carry out his ideas in the small studios of Europe. He had heard about the big stages in Hollywood and their vast equipment. He was ready to sign a contract, provided his protégée, Greta Garbo, was given one too, so that she might go to Hollywood and work in his pictures.

Mr. Mayer was not particularly interested in Greta Garbo. She was a newcomer to the screen. She had no special name in Europe. Her future was uncertain. There were many girls in Hollywood as capable as she.

But Mr. Stiller had promised Greta work in his pictures when she left the Dramatic School. He knew that she would some day be a great actress. He refused to go to Hollywood without her. He was ready to pay her salary out of his, so certain was he of her success. It was finally agreed that Miss Garbo should accompany Mr. Stiller to the film capital. Greta admits that Mr. Mayer scarcely looked at her while the contract was being signed.

Life was moving very swiftly for this young girl. She and Mr. Stiller gave up all plans for pictures in Germany arid hurried to Stockholm to prepare for their long journey to America.

Mrs. Gustafsson was very proud of her daughter’s success. The money Greta was sending home made life much easier for them all, but she did not like to have her youngest child away from home so much of the time. She was stunned when Greta came home and announced that she was going to Hollywood. It seemed like another world to her.

But she knew her daughter well enough to know that it would be useless to try to stop her. She realized that this little girl of hers who had always been so different from her other children had grown beyond them all. She felt that she might never see her again. With tears in her eyes she helped pack her bags for the long trip. Swen and Alva envied their sister, who was getting paid what to them were huge sums of money while she traveled all over the world.

Greta never felt so free as she did on that day in July, 1925, when she stood on the deck of the big steamship Drottningholm as it slipped out of the harbor of Gothenburg. For hours she walked the deck dreaming of the great world that lay before her.

Those first days at the studio, arranging for the necessary costumes, studying the script, and rehearsing the scenes, were an experience never to be forgotten. It was all so different from the industrial pictures in which she had formerly worked, and the little comedy skit she had done in Peter the Tramp.She loved every minute of the nine days it took to cross the ocean to the United States. For hours she would He on deck in her chair gazing out at the ocean. She did not care to mingle with the crowds. She had never known such peace and happiness before.

Like all the other passengers on board, she was thrilled when the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor came into view. But she actually hated to leave this big boat where she had been so happy. Instinctively she felt that those nine days would be counted among the happiest she had ever spent in her life.

Greta was disappointed with New York. She expected to see a great city with wide avenues shaded with trees. She landed on one of the hottest midsummer days. The pavements fairly sizzled with beat. The air was sticky and heavy with the smoke and grime of the big city. After the cool days she had known in her own Northern land, it was almost more than she could bear.

Mr. Stiller had business to attend to in New York. He might even make a picture there before going to Hollywood. There was nothing for Greta to do but establish herself in a hotel.

There was no pleasure in exploring this towered city in the hot August sun. She spent most of her time in her bathtub filled with cold water. She dreaded to think what California would be like, as she had been told that it was a land of perpetual sunshine. In’ the evening Mr. Stiller and Greta often attended the theater. Neither of them could understand English. They had great fun trying to figure out from the acting what the actors were saying. ft was the musical plays that they enjoyed the most.

In September Mr. Stiller was ready to start for Hollywood. The trip from New York seemed endless. Greta had never realized that so much country existed in all the world. The part of the journey that interested her most was the desert, with its cool nights. She commenced to hope that California might not be such a hot place after all.

When they arrived in Los Angeles (there is no railway station in Hollywood) they found a warm welcome awaiting them. A group of people from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio was there to greet these newcomers who had journeyed all the way from Sweden.

As Greta stepped from the train she was presented with a big bouquet of California flowers. The cameraman leveled his camera on her. That day the first of the endless chain of Garbo publicity was set in motion.

There were automobiles waiting to take them out to the studio. Hollywood knows how to welcome strangers to its midst and make them feel at home.

Mr. Stiller’s old friend Victor Seastrom was living at Santa Monica. He thought that Stiller and Miss Garbo would like to make their home there. He knew that most Swedes loved the sea and the surf. He knew that they would enjoy the salt fresh air as it came from the ocean.

After driving through Hollywood and Beverly Hills and the beach towns, both Greta and Mr. Stiller decided that Santa Monica was where they wanted to establish themselves.

Mr. Stiller rented a house near the beach and engaged a Swedish woman to keep house for him. Greta took a small apartment in the Miramar, a big brick apartment house, a block from the ocean.

She was happy to find the weather in California cool and comfortable, even though the sun shone brightly. She liked living near the ocean, where she could walk miles up the sand, close to the water’s edge. She was glad that she did not have to start immediately on a picture. She had time to learn the ways of this new country and study the language. It was three months before Greta Garbo started work on her first picture in Hollywood.


||  INTRODUCTION  ||  CHAPTER ONE  ||  CHAPTER TWO  ||  CHAPTER THREE  ||
||  CHAPTER FOUR  ||  CHAPTER FIVE  ||