Garbo Sings

Introduction

Greta never recorded a song officially but it is said that she had some musical ability. In the privacy, Greta was often singing along with the latest records. With this "strange section", I would like to make a list of the songs, Greta was rumored to have liked and sang when she was alone at home, or with friends or whatever. Of course nothing of this is confirmed.

Was Greta musical?

Garbo's friends said that she had a sweet little singing voice and it is said that her father Karl-Gustav also had a fine singing voice. As a young girl she loved to sing the songs of Carl Brisson. Her teenage idol. She was wild about this Danish Revue Star. She used to sing his songs and knew them all. Than there is this rumor, that when Greta used to visit her friend Einar Nerman in Sweden, they often made music. Nerman even said that Greta sang blues and played the guitar. I haven't found any proof regarding this, yet.  But what I know for sure is that Garbo played the piano in Camille and Romance herself. Greta played two songs on piano in Romance and one song in Camille.

The songs were.... Annie Laurie  &  A dream of Love in Romance (USA 1930) and Aufforderung zum Tanz (Invitation to the dance) in Camille (USA 1936)

Garbo playing the piano in Romance


Garbo playing the piano in Camille

Greta sings in a choir

After the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, little Greta and a very good friend (Sigurd Hudin) earned herself a krona, for singing in the choir at “Sofia kyrka”, the local church in Södermalm. It is said that Greta had a lovely contralto voice.

Greta 1914

Greta sings at the Grand Hôtel

One day when Greta was studying at the Royal Dramatic Theatre Academy, she and her best friend Mimi Pollak participated in a celebration honoring Norwegian actor Halvdan Christensen's final performance at the theatre. An elegant supper in the mirrored ballroom at the Grand Hôtel was held for Christensen. Than an improvised entertainment was made, in which the guest of honor took part. Greta leaned over to her best friend Mimi Pollak and announced that she would like to sing something.  Mimi gave her an approving nod. The usually reticent acting student got up in front of an incredulous gathering and sang a song from the revue Fru från Hagalund (The Girl from Hagalund). Everyone from the Academy was very surprised.

Greta sings in her films

Greta played an opera singer in The Torrent and in Romance and she played a nightclub singer in As You Desire Me and she sang in Grand Hotel and Ninotchka.

The Torrent

In The Torrent, Garbo plays an opera singer. She is pretending to sing and she moves her lips. This was Garbo's first American film.

Romance

Her singing for Romance was dubbed by soprano Diana Gaylen. We never see Garbo pretend to sing or move her lips. You can hear the dubbed singing:  HERE!

As You Desire Me

Greta played, Zara, a nightclub singer in her film As you Desire me. "Zara" sings a song but this is not Greta's voice. Its dubbed  Some critic said that the dubbed singing voice sounds pretty much the way Garbo might had.

It even sounded a bit like Marlene Dietrich and for many it was clearly a playful parody of her. You can hear the dubbed singing: HERE!

Grand Hotel

In late 1928, Garbo returned to Sweden. She briefly considered a guest appearance in Karl-Gerhard's musical revue. Karl-Gerhard was a Swedish revue artist and director. She was going to do a cameo role as a prima donna in one his revues at this time. Karl-Gerhard is also known for “discovering” the legendary Swedish Singer/Actress Zarah Leander. But Garbo may got “cold feet” and later declined the offering.

Greta's favorite songs

It is known that in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Greta often sang along to her favourite songs. Some of her favourite songs were:

 Daisy, you're driving me crazy

 Just the way you look tonight

 I get no kick from Champagne

 Songs from  Marlene Dietrich's The Blue Angel (Germany 1930).

 Songs from Fifi D'Orsay's They Had to See Paris (USA 1929).

 Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man (from the musical Showboat, USA 1928/29)

The Music on the Grand Hotel set

To help Garbo film her solo scenes in the hotel bedroom, a technician named Dominic McBride stood by with a gramophone and an assortment of records. Garbo had him play several songs for the tense, sad or love scenes.

 Peer Gynt Suite (for tense scenes)

 Tristan and Isolde  (for tense scenes)

 Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun  (for tense scenes)

 O Vermland (a Swedish folk song)  (for sad scenes)

 The Last Spring (by Grieg)  (for sad scenes)

 Der Rosenkavalier (by Richard Straus)  (for love scenes)

 On Wings of Song (by Mendelssohn)  (for love scenes)

 Albumblatt (by Richard Wagner)   (for love scenes)

 Vienna, City of My Dreams (by Rudolf Sieczynski)  (for love scenes)

Garbo sings with Cecil Beaton and Mercedes de Acosta

The trio met for breakfast on Christmas Day. “Mercedes, unable to hide her anxiety, was extremely preoccupied with the thought of having to prepare a meal. Greta, sensing the climate, at once took control and entertained us all with a most amusing and adroit performance,” Beaton recorded.

Part of her repertoire: a medley of Salvation Army hymns, including Nobody Knows the Troubles I've Seen But Jesus.

After such “random, higgledy-piggledy outpourings,” Greta tied a towel around her waist and cooked ham and eggs for everyone.