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Bergman about Garbo |
"She was the most beautiful woman, and I think all her performances were absolutely wonderful. But Garbo did not want to meet me; maybe she thought I was there to compete with her."
Garbo didn't want to meet her! |
When I first arrived in Hollywood, Petter said that as a little gesture I should send her some flowers, and I did. I got a telegram back saying that she would like to see me when I was free. She asked for my phone number. I was there for three months and I sent the flowers the very first week I arrived, but the telegram came only a few days before I left.
I remember telling George Cukor about this some time later, because George and Greta were great friends, and saying how sad I was that we'd never met and how kind she was to have sent the telegram but of course by that time I was leaving. George laughed and said, "But of course Greta wouldn't have sent the telegram unless she were certain you were leaving."
Bergman saw Greta at the Metro lot! |
I also saw Greta when I arrived on the Metro lot to make my second Hollywood film, Adam Had Four Sons. My dressing room was in the Feature Player's Building although my rating was that of a star because the Star Building was full. You were a star if your name was above the title, a feature player if below.
Naturally Greta was in the Star Building. Outside in the parking lot stood two huge black limousines, on to take Greta to her set–because the sets were often as far as a mile away–and the other to take me to mine. I immediately said, "I don't need a car. I love to walk." It was Ruth who finally corrected me by saying, "Stop it! If you walk, the chauffeur loses his job and he has a wife and children at home–so take the car!"
Garbo didn't take the slightest notice of Ingrid! |
Of course the first morning, Garbo and I both being Swedes, and so punctual, came out of our dressing rooms at exactly nine 0'clock, and there we were getting into our cars no more than a few feet away from each other. But she didn't take the slightest notice of me, so I decided I'd better not smile and say, good morning, either, and I realized I must be embarrassing her. After that I used to sit at my window and see her go off, and then I'd run down and get into my car.
The next time they almost met! |
The next time we almost met was when Einar Nerman, the Swedish cartoonist whom I'd known for years, was in Hollywood, and he'd known Garbo for years too. He said he was going to arrange for him and his wife and Garbo and me to have lunch together. A little later he reported back rather sadly that Garbo said she wasn't ready to meet me yet. That stunned me a bit....wasn't ready to meet me. I didn't know what that meant.
Then, some time later I was in Einar's home and he said, "Now don't you go yet. Garbo's arriving here to meet me in a few minutes. Stay. You must meet her. You're so alike. You're going to have such a good time together." But I said, "Einar, I can't do that. I know she doesn't want to meet me. It would be too embarrassing for words." So I left.
They finally meet!
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Then many years later I was in Barbados with my husband, Lars Schmidt, at a big luncheon party, and in walked a group of people and in the middle was Greta Garbo. So now what did I do? Would we have another cool meeting? I went down into the big garden where some people were talking. Lars and other Swedish friends were chatting to her and she must have asked if I was there, because I saw that she looked toward me, and then she came down into the garden and sat down beside me. I didn't know what to say I was so nervous.
But she opened the conversation, "I understand you're in love with Barbados, and you're going to buy a piece of land here?" And I said, "Yes we just love the beach farther up from here, and we've plans for a little house." "Oh, I wouldn't do that because here they steal everything." "But it's not going to be a luxury house, just a small place with rough wooden furniture, no antiques or anything like that, and we may only use it for a couple of months a year, and then rent it for the rest of the time...." "but, they'll steal your clothes." "Clothes? But all I have with me in Barbados is a bathing suit, a pair of shorts, and a pair of long pants. They're welcome to those if they really want them....She said nothing, then stood up and walked away. And that was the end of our meetings.
Ingrid's final thought about Greta: |
Maybe that explains her attitude to life; she's afraid they're going to steal it all away. I suppose one of the saddest and most ironical things about our meeting there on the Metro lot the first time was that I was just starting my career in Hollywood, and without knowing it she was ending hers.
She was doing a picture called Two-Faced Woman, and it was a failure, and Greta Garbo was so depressed or upset that she never made another picture. Can you imagine that? She was only thirty-five years old and a most beautiful and talented actress and she never worked again from that day on. Can you imagine all those years, and you get up in the morning and what do you do? If you have children and grandchildren that's a different thing.
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