Garbo and Stiller arrived in New York late in the evening of July 5, 1925. Hubert Voight, the junior publicist of MGM, was assigned to meet them.  After some pictures were taken they settled into their hotel rooms at the Commodore.

Garbo and Stiller's arrival in New York, July 5Th, 1925

Some days later, Voight had arranged for her to do an interview with Motion Picture magazine.

Garbo got a cold that night and was in bed for several days. When W. Adolphe Roberts arrived at the Commodore, Voight took him upstairs to Greta's room.

“We knocked on the door, but she did not answer. We pounded. Still no answer,” the publicist said, “my heart was in my mouth. I was crazy about her and I thought of all sorts of things she might have done on account of some mood or other.”

Although Voight had only known Garbo a short time, he was already acquainted with her changing moods. When he opened the door, he saw Greta sitting calmly in bed – reading.

"Hoo-bert ... Go avay and stay avay!”  she demanded. (Voight remembered her responding in English, though there is no evidence that she knew more than a few words at this time.)

The publicist got her to agree to do the interview from bed while he and Roberts remained in the other room and Kaj Gynt (Garbo's interpreter) nervously guarded the doorway.

“Miss Garbo says she adores America, but is it always as hot as this in summer?” Ms. Gynt told them. “She looks forward to her work in America – if she survives the heat – marvelous skyscrapers here – the world's best movies – but heat, heat, HEAT!”.

It was the first time Voight experienced what he would call her 'I tank I go home now' attitude.“


Source: Barry Paris – Garbo (1995), Motion Picture magazine (1925)