ABOUT THE BOOK
GRETA GARBO
A Cinematic Legacy
By Mark A. Vieira
250 duotone black-and-white photographs, 256 pages
ISBN: 0-8109-5897-X
$50.00
Harry N. Abrams, Inc.
With her breathtaking beauty and enigmatic persona, Greta Garbo is the ultimate Hollywood icon. Though many books have tried to unlock the mystique of the "Swedish Sphinx" by focusing primarily on her personal life, Mark A. Vieira’s Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy (Abrams, $50, September 1, 2005) is the first to pay serious attention to what made her an icon—her twenty-four Hollywood films, among them classics such as Grand Hotel, Flesh and the Devil, Queen Christina, and Ninotchka. The portrait that emerges is a new and equally fascinating one.
As MGM’s highest-paid star, Garbo had approval of story, costar, director and cinematographer, wielding power for fifteen years that few could match—yet she was often at odds with the system that made her a phenomenon. Mark Vieira’s painstakingly researched, lively, anecdotal text chronicles Garbo’s turbulent career from her American debut and overnight stardom in 1926 to her self-imposed retirement in 1941 at the height of her popularity. He draws on interviews, letters, and newly accessible M-G-M production files to trace each film from story conference to premiere, providing new insights into Garbo’s surprising career moves, unconventional working methods, and stormy relationships with Louis B. Mayer, John Gilbert, Mercedes de Acosta, Salka Viertel, Marlene Dietrich, and others.Lavishly illustrated with duotone film stills, portraits, and behind-the-scenes photographs—many previously unpublished—the book shows how Hollywood artists created a universe to showcase her unique persona. Vieira also advances new theories—for example, that Garbo’s 1927 strike was a ruse to hide a scandal—and uses production documents and photographs to reveal significant details about the making of her films.
It was this actress who inspired the critic Kenneth Tynan to declare: “What, when drunk, one sees in other women, one sees in Garbo sober.”— Elisa Urbanelli
A Milton Brown photograph of a two-shot being made on the set of Romance; left to right, Greta Garbo, Gavin Gordon, Clarence Brown, assistant director Charles Dorian, cinematographer William H. Daniels (seated at camera).
CENTENARY EVENTS INCLUDED:
New York, August 16 through September 25, 2005: The Walter Reade Theatre at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts presented a Garbo festival including a photographic exhibition printed by the author from original Greta Garbo negatives.
The press reception was held on August 16, 2005. Robert Osborne of Turner Classic Movies introduced Garbo, Kevin Brownlow’s new documentary. Entertainment was provided by pianist Peter Mintun. Photographs by Matias A. Bombal
Inside the Furman Gallery at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theatre
Mark signing books after the screening of Garbo
Mark with Peter Mintun and Philip Caggiano at the Walter Reade Theatre in New York City; Turner Classic Movies display at center.
Mark with Ben Carbonetto outside the Barnes and Noble window display for Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy at Lincoln Square in New York City. Photo by Carol Morgan.
San Rafael, California, September 6-15, 2005: The California Film Institute presented a Garbo mini-festival at the Smith Rafael Film Center.
On September 8, Mark introduced a screening of Two-Faced Woman and signed books.
Mark at the display for Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy at the Smith Rafael Theatre
Mark signing books at the Smith Rafael Theatre
Los Angeles, September 16 through October 30, 2005: The Hollywood Museum in the Historic Max Factor Building presented an exhibition of Garbo memorabilia which includes previously unseen Garbo costumes, a unique Anna Christie doll made in 1930, and rare documents. There was also a ceiling-high display of Garbo photographs printed by Mark from original nitrate negatives.
On Thursday, September 15, a preview party was hosted by Bronni Stein Connolly, Harry Abrams, and the Swedish Consulate. Refreshments were provided by Starbucks Coffee Liqueur and the Vanguard Club of Hollywood. Swedish delicacies were prepared by Andreas Volmefjörd, the Consulate’s in-house chef. More than two hundred people attended the event.
Mark signing his book for for Todd Nelson, Marketing and CommunicationsVice President of the AFTRA-SAG Federal Credit Union.
The late Johnny Grant, honorary mayor of Hollywood, listened as Tomas Rosander, Swedish Consul General of Los Angeles, welcomed guests to the event.
MORE GARBO NEWS . . .
Warner Home Video released “Garbo: The Signature Collection,” a DVD box set which includes Queen Christina, Camille, Anna Christie, Ninotchka, and Mata Hari. WHV is also releasing a box set of Garbo's silent films: Flesh and the Devil, The Mysterious Lady, and The Temptress (which includes an audio commentary by Mark A. Vieira). Kevin Brownlow's documentary Garbo is included with the set.
The book that he spent forty years preparing.
