Actor Greta Garbo, one of the first true screen icons, died on this day in 1990.
Garbo’s career straddled the silent film era and Hollywood’s Golden Age, and she became an inspiration to many artists who followed.
After retiring in the late 1940s, Garbo spent the next 40 years travelling and living a quieter life in New York. She is often quoted as saying, “I want to be alone,” though she clarified in a 1955 interview that what she actually said was that she wanted to be “left alone”.
Born Greta Louisa Gustafsson in Stockholm in 1905, she began acting in her native Sweden in 1924 in the film The Saga of Gösta Berling. Her performance caught the eye of Metro‑Goldwyn‑Mayer boss Louis B. Mayer, who brought her to Hollywood.
She quickly became one of MGM’s biggest stars, appearing in Flesh and the Devil (1926), A Woman of Affairs (1928), The Mysterious Lady (1928) and The Kiss (1929).
In 1930 she appeared in her first “talkie”, successfully making the transition from silent films when she starred in Anna Christie. More hits followed, including Romance (1930), Mata Hari (1931), Susan Lenox (Her Fall and Rise) (1931), Grand Hotel (1932), Queen Christina (1933) and Anna Karenina (1935).
Her final film was 1941’s Two‑Faced Woman, which was a box‑office flop but earned her a fourth Best Actress Oscar nomination. Garbo continued to be offered roles but turned them down, eventually announcing her retirement.
Garbo was famous for avoiding Hollywood functions and preferred spending time with friends. She never signed autographs, never answered fan mail and never attended the Oscars — even when she was nominated.
She favoured men’s clothing and shoes, often pairing a trench coat, trousers and shirt with a large hat and sunglasses. Historians recognise that Garbo was bisexual and had several romances. Silent film star Louise Brooks stated she had a liaison with Garbo, and Garbo had a long friendship with lesbian writer Mercedes de Acosta. The Rosenbach Museum and Library in Philadelphia holds Garbo’s correspondence, including 181 letters, cards and telegrams with de Acosta, of which only 97 have been made public.
Garbo spent her final years in New York collecting art, spending time with friends and famously walking in the city’s parks. She reportedly also suffered from long bouts of depression.
Garbo made a lasting mark on popular culture. Madonna name‑checks her in Vogue and has channelled her image in music videos and live performances. She is also mentioned in Cole Porter’s You’re the Top, Kim Carnes’ Bette Davis Eyes, and Freddie Mercury’s Living on My Own, which is widely interpreted as being inspired by Garbo’s reclusive lifestyle.
