Garbo's Fans

Questionaire 20

NAME:     Shaun
GENDER:     Male
COUNTRY:     United States
DATE:     August 8, 2007

When did you became a Garbo fan?
A few years ago. I started out as a Katharine Hepburn fan then I branched out to other classic film stars. I had heard so much about Greta Garbo that I just had to check out one of her movies.

Your first Garbo experience?
Watching Ninotchka


What is your favourite Garbo silent?
Unfortunately, as of now I have only seen one of her silents, The Temptress.


What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
Queen Christina and Ninotchka
  

Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Absolutely. Few stars past or present had such an intriguing personality.

Which other classic stars do you like?
Katharine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Cary Grant and Ida Lupino. There are lots of other people I like (Bogart, Constance Bennett) but these are tops.

Do think that she had comedian talent?
Certainly! The proof is in Ninotchka.


Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses (during and after her own career)?
Her look certainly influenced many actresses. She still inspires women today in that respect. As an actress, that's another yes.

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question?
That depends. If I was guaranteed an answer I would ask something like "Do you regret leaving the screen after ‘Two-Face Woman'?"  On the other hand if she wasn't at all interested in talking to me I'd ask her something that would not annoy her. Such as "What's your favorite game show?" :-)


What is your favourite Garbo style?
Her early 1930s style and her style in the Howe screen test.


What is your favourite Garbo co-star?
Robert Taylor
  

Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
Conquest


Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
No one comes to mind.

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?
There are many. These two are some of my favorites. All of the pictures from Romance are stunning.


If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
Garbo in a film noir would have been interesting.

Your Garbo story:
(in Treatment)
 

Questionaire 21

NAME:     Adam
GENDER:     Male
COUNTRY:     England
DATE:     19/08/07

When did you became a Garbo fan?
2005. I actually got into her after coming out of a deep interest in her contemporary, Louise Brooks. That whole era fascinates me.

Your first Garbo experience?
Camille. Albeit, a segment of Camille from the movie musical Annie which i saw when i was about 6!


What is your favourite Garbo silent?
A Woman of Affairs, the character Garbo played was based on Nancy Cunard. I went to the boaring school that was once Nancy's childhood home in England, so i feel connected like that to Garbo. Very strange! Close behind is The Joyless Street - provocative and mesmerising.
  

What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
Anna Christie because she plays an extremely strong willed and clear minded character, who braves the elements and speaks the truth of her heart. Queen Christina is extremely important to me for similar reasons, but also because its very moving to see how a film can really homage the artistry of a human being (Garbo).


Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Very much so. Being somewhat of a recluse myself, with an artistic sensibility, Garbo is one of my heroes - inspiring as an artist and role model.

Which other classic stars do you like?
Marilyn Monroe - i feel she shares many of the same qualities of Garbo, they both have a native spirit and mystical quality, perhaps one could compare them to the visions of William Blake or works of Rimbaud? I feel that they are both beacons in this way and on a higher plain than many in the art of the cinema. I also hugely admire Louise Brooks, Vivien Leigh, Gerard Phillipe, Brando, Jeanne Moreau, Glenda Jackson and many more.

Do you think that she had comedian talent?
COMPLETELY! Her deadpan performance in Ninotchka is proof of this.


Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses (during and after her own career)?
Yes. She showed many of her 'descendants' that acting is about the eyes, and what is not being said. Perhaps Meryl Streep is the actress who has most benefited from Garbo's style. She also showed the many actresses how you can be your own woman & person and stick to your guns when you know you have the power and trust of an audience. Its just a shame that since Garbo, there have been fewer unusual personalities in movies.

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question?
After so many years of independence and exile, do you feel that you know yourself completely?

What is your favourite Garbo style?
Probably her beautiful Mata Hari. And yet i am a huge fan of her androgynous look in Queen Christina. She could be both powerfully masculine and feminine and i find that to be a gift.
  

What is your favourite Garbo co-star?
Ramon Navarro in Mata Hari. Although the film itself was somewhat lacklustre, i love their chemistry and how she inspires such emotion in him. Its very cute and fascinating to watch.


Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
I don't really like Camille. I find it harder to watch Garbo in tragic roles - i prefer it when her character has a kind of control, because sometimes her vulnerability is just too effective. She's THAT good!


Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
I don't dislike any of them, actually. I've never really thought about it, because i've always been singularly enchanted with Garbo's presence and she is a rare case of when 'You're only as good as the person you act with' label is not true.'

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?
For the film itself, it has to be The Joyless Street. Pabst is a genius! But for Garbo... Queen Christina of course and if i live a natural lifespan, i like to think that her face at the very end will be the last thing i think of.


If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
I really wish Ingmar Bergman had directed her in a film as a character he himself created. I think Garbo would have been fascinating playing a more evil natured woman in a movie, perhaps the Marquise de Meurteil in Dangerous Liaisons? I will always believe she would have been one of the great Hamlets. What a missed opportunity!

Your Garbo story:
(in Treatment)
 

Questionaire 22

NAME:     Felipe
GENDER:     Male
COUNTRY:     Brazil
DATE:     September 1st 2007

When did you became a Garbo fan?
2004, at 13 years old.

Your first Garbo experience?
Grand Hotel, but I was fascinated by pictures before I watch a single movie with her.


What is your favourite Garbo silent?
Flesh and the Devil


What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
Ninotchka, for sure. That was the movie where I could understand completely why she's such a myth.


Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Yes, indeed. Her introspective personality is one of the things that made me really search for her story.

Which other Classic stars do you like?
Ava Gardner, Audrey Hepburn, Alain Delon, Anita Ekberg, Romy Schneider, Jean-Pierre Léaud, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Jeanne Moreau, Paul Newman, Cary Grant, Gary Cooper and a lot more.

Do think that she had comedian talent?
It depends on what kind of comedy. But you have no idea how she made me laugh in Ninotchka!


Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses (during and after her own career)?
Surely. Not only actresses, actors os people in general, but fashion itself. She's a big style icon Her influence in Art is equally big. Here in Brazil we have a play, which is on stage since the 70's, called "Greta Garbo, quem diria?, acabou no Irajá", which means, in a not very good translation, "Greta Garbo, who would tell?, lives now in Irajá". (Irajá is a poor neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro)

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question?
Do you regret anything you've done in your life?

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?


What is your favourite Garbo style?
Uh, I can't quite choose, in Mata Hari or Queen Christina.
  

What is your favourite Garbo co-star?
John Gilbert.


Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
I don't dislike it, but it's the movie I think Garbo was not extremely good: Grand Hotel. Joan appealed me more in that.


Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
Ramon Novarro.

If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
It would be interesting to see her in a noir role or in as Charlotte [which Ingrid Bergman played divinely] in Höstsonaten.

Your Garbo story:
(in Treatment)
 

Questionaire 23

NAME:     Delilah
GENDER:     Female
COUNTRY:     Croatia
DATE:     20th September 2007

When did you became a Garbo fan?
In March 2007.

Your first Garbo experience?
I was about 6 or 7 years old when I watched Queen Christina with my sister. All I remember are a couple of scenes but the most important is that I remember Garbo's face, so when I became very interested in the films of Silent Era and Golden Age a few months ago, she was the first actress whose career and life I went researching and I fell in love with her instantly!


What is your favourite Garbo silent?
Unfortunately, not many Garbo silents are available for me, so it's Flesh and the Devil, the only I watched so far.


What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
Camille!!! She make me cry every time I watch it… In this film she proves to be one of the greatest talents in the motion picture history!!


Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Of course! Otherwise I wouldn't be interested in her much. Great personality – she fascinates me! And I understand her wish to be alone because I like to be alone too and don't like too many people around me.

Which other Classic stars do you like?
Marlene Dietrich, Hedy Lamarr, Lauren Bacall, Audrey Hepburn, Grace kelly, Norma Shearer, Lillian Gish, Gregory Peck, Anthony Perkins, Laurence Olivier, Yul Brynner, Humphrey Bogart, Charlie Chaplin…

Do think that she had comedian talent?
YES!!! She made me laugh in Ninotchka which is something I didn't expect. I was really surprised!


Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses (during and after her own career)?
Yes, it's obvious. Many actresses have sometimes copied her make-up style, not to mention her acting style. Luckily, she's unique and incomparable!

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question?
I'd ask her if I have a permission just to hug her or to take her hand…

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?
This one and all her publicity photos for The Painted Veil and As you desire me.


What is your favourite Garbo style?
In The Painted Veil, Love, The Mysterious Lady, Anna Karenina and Romance (sorry, I'can't make up my mind for only one).
      

What is your favourite Garbo co-star?
John Gilbert. And maybe Melvyn Douglas. Lewis Stone seems very kind.

Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
There is no such film…because I only watch her in the films, I don't bother myself with the story… I see only her!

Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
Fredric March, Charles Bickford and Gavin Gordon.

If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
As Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons, maybe as Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, and definitely some of the Lauren Bacall's roles, like in To Have and Have Not, or The Big Sleep.

Your Garbo story:
(in Treatment)
 

Questionaire 24

NAME:     Margaret Ann
GENDER:     Female
COUNTRY:     Scotland
DATE:     20/10/07

When did you became a Garbo fan?
I would say about February of this year (2007).

Your first Garbo experience?
I got a Joan Crawford box set as a gift and Grand Hotel was included, i was just stunned by Greta i couldn't take my eyes of her i was just fascinated by her acting style and of course her stunning beauty.


What is your favourite Garbo silent?
Being a really new fan i have yet to see a Greta silent.

What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
I really have to see a lot more of Greta's work to answer, i hope to get the signature DVD set soon!

Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Yes i am, I love the whole mystery surrounding her. Greta's fight to keep her privacy is also something that i strongly admire.

Which other Classic stars do you like?
I have so many lol! Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Audrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Joan Crawford, Bette Davis to name but a few lol!

Do think that she had comedian talent?
From the clips I've seen on the TCM documentary i would say Greta did have a comedic talent, her relatives also say she was a funny lady with a great sense of humour.


Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses?
I do think Greta had a huge influence on actresses of her age and later, i think her whole less is more attitude to acting was so effective, she could do so much with her face and body it was incredible.

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question?
O that is a tough one! I would ask her what is her one true love in life.

What is your Favourite Garbo Picture?
This is my absolute favourite:


What is your favourite Garbo style?
I love the casual chic quality that Greta had:


What is your favourite Garbo co star?
I have to see more Greta movies, But i loved Greta and John Barrymore together.


Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
I haven't seen one that i didn't like yet lol

Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
I haven't seen enough movies to dislike one.

If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
I think Greta would have been fabulous in a Hitchcock movie or even a movie like Gaslight.

Your Garbo story:
(in Treatment)
 

Questionaire 25

NAME:     Meri
GENDER:     Female
COUNTRY:     USA
DATE:     Nov 24, 2007

When did you became a Garbo fan?
Not very long ago maybe a month or two ago.

Your first Garbo experience?
A couple years ago in highschool (when I hated everything black and white), we learned about the 1920s. We were given the choice between a variety of different entertainers, I remember Garbo was on the list (she was the only name I recognized) but I didn't choose her because I thought everyone would do her.

What is your favourite Garbo silent?
Flesh and the Devil


What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
Ninotchka


Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Yes!

Which other Classic stars do you like?
Katharine Hepburn, Myrna Loy, William Powell, Clark Gable, Ingrid Bergman, Bette Davis, Carole Lombard, Humphrey Bogart, Grace Kelly

Do think that she had comedian talent?
Of course, besides movies with Loy and Powell I never laughed so hard while watching Ninotchka.


Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses?
I think she influenced Katharine Hepburn.

If you would have met Garbo and you would ask her one question what would this be?
Do you really play with trolls?

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?
The one with her and the lion.
 

What is your favourite Garbo style?
Her hats

What is your favourite Garbo co star?
Melvyn Douglas

Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
Two-Faced Woman


Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
Her father in Anna Christie ...He's not easy on the eyes.


If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
I would want her to play a tiny tiny role in a movie nobody would probably see because they wouldn't even know she was in it.
 

Questionaire 26

NAME:     Chris
GENDER:     Female
COUNTRY:     USA , California
DATE:     Dec, 11, 2007

When did you became a Garbo fan?
About 2 or so years ago.

Your first Garbo experience?
Grand Hotel that my sister bought me. I'm also a big Joan Crawford fan, so when she bought me that film all those years ago, I had no clue who she was. But when she came on the screen and said : "I think Suzette, I've never been so tired in all my life..." I was immediately hooked.


What is your favourite Garbo silent?
Only choose one? The Joyless Street, Flesh and the Devil and The Kiss
  

What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
Ninotchka, Queen Christina (an absolute favourite!) and of course, Grand Hotel.
 

Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Not really. I mean, Greta has always wanted her privacy, even in death it looks like because she left scarcly anything about her personality as it is! So I feel that to respect her wishes, I will only play the part of the fan, and nothing more. I love her and her movies, but I just feel bad when it goes further than that...

Which other Classic stars do you like?
Oh tons, (in no particular order) Charlie Chaplin, Bette Davis, Joan Crawford, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, John Barrymore, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich, Lucille Ball, Sophia Loren.

Do think that she had comedian talent?
Oh yes. Definitely. And her smile, is just so beautiful and lovely (when she laughed in Ninotchka).


Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses?
Definitely! Garbo not only had the rare look and feel of her acting, but also the way she moved and talked as well! She was (and is!) the queen of the silver screen and in turn, everyone wanted to find that talent. They wanted to be Greta, to feel how it felt like to live Greta. There are many many celebrity's that followed in Garbo's footsteps. (Singers included!)

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question?
I really can't think of one...I guess I would ask her how she is doing. I mean really doing, maybe she needed someone to talk to? A friend in other words.

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?


What is your favourite Garbo style?
I would have to say the more natural look.

What is your favourite Garbo co-star?
John Gilbert


Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
Camille


Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
That guy from Wild Orchids. The one that hit her.


If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
I would have loved to see her as Lavinia Kingsley in the Banger Sisters. Can you imagine? she would be perfect!

Questionaire 27

NAME:      Anna Maria aka Ruby Red
GENDER:      Female
COUNTRY:      Italy
DATE:      7 October 2007

When did you became a Garbo fan?
When I was 8 years old. In those days my parents and I used to watch old movies on TV... My Mom adored Garbo.

Your first Garbo experience?
I first show her in Mata Hari, the uncensored version. It's was "love" at first sight.
 

What is your favourite Garbo silent?
The Single Standard.. her chemistry with Asther is superb. I also like Wild Orchid, A Woman of Affairs and The Kiss.
   

What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
I love Queen Christina especially, because it is a fusion of Garbo's private and public selves .... her androgynous look is absolutely breathtaking. Garbo became a gay/lesbian icon by virtue of her kiss on Elizabeth Young's lips  All her films are remarkable... Ninotcha, Camille, Anna Christie, Susan Lenox... it's difficult to choose.
    

Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Of course. Garbo was an unconventional woman, extremely talented ... I admire her tremendously because she lived her life just the way she wanted. She never submitted to Hollywood system and she protected her privacy until her death. I believe she had a great dignity and a sort of childhood innocence...

Which other Classic stars do you like?
Actress: Marlene Dietrich (for her glamour and her erotic voice... I also admire her anti-Nazism in WW II), Kate Hepburn (for her strong personality), Bette Davis (for her talent), Carol Lombard, Joan Crawford, Ingrid Bergman, Marilyn, Anna Magnani ... Actors: Clark Gable- the King- and Cary Grant (are my absolute favorites), Gary Cooper, James Stewart, Spencer Tracy, Melvyn Douglas...

Do think that she had comedian talent?
Garbo showed her comedy talent since her first advertising short for PUB, moreover she was a funny woman: Garbo's friend Federico Zeri (an Italian art historian) said that she was irresistible in her imitations of Marlene and Harlow.

Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses?
Garbo revolutionized the concept of screen beauty and she also exerted a great influence on fashion, hair style and makeup of other actress. Dietrich, Hepburn, Crawford in their 1930's portraits, posed in Garbo style... She was imitated by thousands of woman for years. Even today she is a source of inspiration to artist and fashion designers.
 

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question?
Nothing. I am too shy. I'd be left speechless.

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?
In my opinion Garbo is the perfect beauty. Her face was stunning from any angle, so it's difficult to choose; this is one of my favourite photos... she's so modern and sensual.


What is your favourite Garbo style?
I would like her even if she were barefoot and dressed in rags. On screen she is absolutely gorgeous in Wild orchid, The Kiss, Mata Hari, Susan Lenox, Queen Christina. I like GG in masculine clothes too: trousers, low-heeled shoes, beret and straight hair with fringe.

What is your favourite Garbo co-star?
Silents: John Gilbert because their love scenes were electrifying and N. Asther, a sexy Nordic boy. He and Garbo worked perfectly together. Talkies: Gable and Douglas. I would have liked to see Greta and Cary Grant in a comedy.

Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
Grand Hotel because she appear on screen only a short time.

Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
Antonio Moreno, Gavin Gordon and Robert Montgomery.

If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
Dorian Gray (with Marilyn! WOW ) or Eleonora Duse but I have always dreamed to see Garbo and Dietrich together in a film... I imagine them as Mary Read and Anne Bonny, the women-pirates! Moonlight on the sea, an old sailing ship... Greta and Marlene on bow, dressed in trousers and boots. Marlene sings a dirty song with her husky voice...

Garbo and Dietrich

Questionaire 28

NAME:     Natalia
GENDER:      Female
COUNTRY:      Russia
DATE:      01.02.08

When did you became a Garbo fan?
About a year ago.

Your first Garbo experience?
Romance. I must say I was confused after I first saw GG. She was certainly different and had her own style but I couldn't understand whether I liked it or not. But after I watched Grand Hotel and Camille I was hypnotized, I just loved her. She has something that makes you watch her movies over and over again. I regret I didn't know her before…
  

What is your favourite Garbo silent?
Haven't seen any yet but soon…

What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
I have seen only five GG movies and from what I saw I especially like Camille, Queen Christina and Grand Hotel. Very difficult to chose only one. I'm getting The Signature Collection soon, I could tell more after I watch more movies.

Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
For sure!

Which other Classic stars do you like?
Audrey Hepburn, Vivien Leigh, Claudette Colbert, Deanna Durbin, Fred Astaire, Clark Gable…

Do you think that she had comedian talent?
Well, I haven't seen her in Ninochka yet but I think she could play everything, she was so talented!


Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses (during and after her own career)?
Absolutely!

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question what would this be?
Hmm, I would probably not dare to say a word or just say “hello”.

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?
This one but again it is so difficult to chose, she was incredibly photogenic!


What is your favourite Garbo style?
I like the way she looks in The Single Standard movie, I haven't seen it but I can tell from the pictures, she looks so pretty and womanly. I want to see this movie a lot!!! I also like her in Mata Hari with her hair combed back.

What is your favourite Garbo co star?
Robert Taylor so far.


Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
None yet.

Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
None yet.

If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
I thought about Eliza in My Fair Lady or Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.

Questionaire 29

NAME:     Tony Fulton
GENDER:     Male
COUNTRY:     US
DATE:     Feb 19, 2008

When did you became a Garbo fan?
About a month and a half ago when I seen Camille for the first time

Your first Garbo experience?
aww struck. totally hypnotized by her beauty and grace

What is your favourite Garbo silent?
i' ve only seen one so far but there cant be any that I wouldn't like

What is your favourite Garbo talkie?
Camille

Are you also fascinated by her real life personality?
Yes, Not only do I admire the fans for wanting to know more but, I think it is something how she stopped making movies and still managed to keep her finances in order to live a quiet life

Which other classic stars do you like?
Mickey Rooney, Ingrid Bergman, John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Vivian Lee, Boris Carloft

Do you think that she had comedian talent?
I don't think that she lacked talent in anything she did. I think if she had continued her movie career we would have seen more comedys from her.

Had Garbo, in your opinion, an influence on other actresses?
Yes, Even today there are so many that are using her ( I want to be left alone lines ) and there are so many who look up to her. After all she was the and in my opinion the Goddess of the silver screen.

If you would have met Garbo and you would be allowed to ask her one question?
I don't think id be able to speak if I seen her

What is your favourite Garbo style?
her hat
  

What is your favourite Garbo co-star?
I would have to say Gilbert. Ive not seen the movie yet but, what ive read and seen they had a great love for one another and that had to show on the screen as well

Which Garbo Film do you dislike?
none. its Garbo

Which Garbo Co-star do you dislike?
I never liked Clark Gable

What is your Favorite Garbo Picture?
well now that one is hard because of the wide verity of them. I can say the ones I like best are the ones where her hair is let down and shes just got a natural look and you can tell shes not wearing makeup

If Garbo would have made a Comeback film what role would you have loved her to play?
Joan of Arc