Greta Garbo - Hollywood Movie Star - Famous Guest at Hearst Castle

The attraction of Hearst Castle extends far beyond that of tourists, collectors, and architects. In its heyday, it was a fanciful playground for Hollywood elites of the 1920s and 30s. Perhaps the most complex and mysterious of them all was none other than the Swedish sphinx, Greta Garbo. She's one of the most popular and glamorous Hollywood movie stars of all time, best known for her portrayals of strong-willed heroines, most as compelling and enigmatic as Garbo herself. She's born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, September 18, 1905, in Stockholm, Sweden, to an impoverished family. Her father died when she was only 14, so she got a job in a barbershop to help support the family. Soon after, she'll secure a position modeling hats for a department store, where she performs in a silent film advertisement and is immediately interested in film acting. She'll get her big break when she receives a scholarship from Stockholm's Royal Dramatic Theatre Academy. It is there she'll be recognized by Morit Stiller, esteemed Swedish director. He'll mentor and mold her into one of the most desirable and sought-after actresses, and features her in a silent film known as The Saga of Gasta Berling. It's MGM's Louis B. Mayer that notices her in that film and entices her to move to LA, just shy of her 20th birthday. They didn't quite know what to do with her at 5 feet 7 inches, 126 pounds. She's actually mocked by the media as having an androgynous physique. However, plastic surgeons described her face as having quite possibly the most perfect bone structure and proportions bestowed upon a human being, claiming it the hallmark of perfection. Her success in silent films from 1925 to 1929 enabled her to dictate the terms of her own contract. Capitalizing on her melancholic nature, she'll be featured in many seductive and tragic roles. She's one of the last to transition from silent films to talkies. Because so many successful actors were unable to make the transition, there were concerns that her silent screen allure was nothing more than photographic trickery, and that her Swedish accent might pose a hindrance. But she surprised them all. She looked and sounded just like her image portrayed, and it catapulted her career. Her first talkie, Anna Christie, was a huge box office sensation. She'll receive the nickname the Swedish Sphinx because of her beauty and the mystique surrounding her. She's described as aloof and reclusive, yet mystical and enchanting, with a whimsical attitude and an amazing ability to avoid the press. Finally, she'll earn the nickname to encompass it all, the Divine Garbo. She represented a new kind of actress, one whose style and sexuality were passionate yet vulnerable, making her alluring to both male and female audiences. She was most comfortable performing with actor John Gilbert. He had a very passionate on-screen chemistry, which carried itself off screen. He repeatedly proposed marriage. She repeatedly declined. And although she had many relationships with both men and women, she never married nor had children, and was considered to be unconquerable. It appeared as though her love life was as intriguing as the rest of her persona. Despite her physique, she even changed the course of American fashion. She preferred menswear-inspired styles, favoring flat shoes, trousers, trench coats, turtlenecks, and polo-neck sweaters. As a non-conformist, she'll pave the way for other great female leads like Marlena Dietrich, Joan Crawford, and Katherine Hepburn. She'll give her last public American interview in 1927. After a few contract disputes and roles she didn't prefer, she chose to retire on her own terms. It was a relatively short 20 years in the spotlight, in comparison to the almost 50 years following, when she'll live discreetly in her New York apartment. On occasion, she'd be noticed wearing large hats and scarves and dark sunglasses in an attempt to protect her privacy. An obsessed fan base known as Garbo Maniacs will focus their curiosity around what not only landed a poor girl from Stockholm to number five on the American Film Institute's list of top female screen legends, but she'll also be honored by her own country, Sweden, in 2015 when she's featured on the 100-krona note. In 1955, she'll receive an Honorary Academy Award for her lifetime achievements in film, but in classic Garbo style, she did not attend the ceremonies. Greta Garbo lived to be 84 years old, but the mystique surrounding her remains a phenomenon to this day, creating an unforgettable intrigue for generations to come. Thank you, Greta Garbo, for your contribution to the world of entertainment, film, and fashion.