Oscar, Golden Globes... awards! We celebrate "...artists who have over years added so much to our lifes through their works." (Olivia De Havilland-Oscar 75th ceremony)
It was February 8, 1960... and on the Hollywood Walk of Fame appeared the star dedicated to Greta Garbo, one of the few silent movie actresses to successfully negotiate the transition to sound, she remained an icon of style and glamour.
Greta Lovisa Gustafsson was a swedish actress, and one of the most famous movie icon from 30's to 50's. She was born in 1905 in Stockholm. she had an amazing imagination and she always dreamed of becoming an actress. In 1922 she joined the Kungliga Dramatiska Teaterns Elevskola, a dramatic acting school in Stockholm.
Greta Garbo at Kungliga Dramatiska Teaterns Elevskola 1922 (third from right)
In 1924 she started her career in silent movies working with Mauritz Stiller (one of the most important sweden directors), acting in "Gösta Berlings saga" based on a sweden book of the Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf. At that time L.B. Mayer (vice president and CEO of MGM) was looking for new talents, and Garbo was introduced to Mayer thanks to Mr. Victor Seastrom, swedish director at MGM and friend of Stiller. Stiller and Garbo were introduced to Mayer that was impressed by Garbo's appeal and trapped in her sensual eyes...
Not sure about that but after Mayer saw Greta Garbo he said: "I can make a star out of her." and "I’ll take her without him. I’ll take her with him."( referring to Stiller).
She moved to L.A. where she started to work in several silent movies (The Temptress, Flesh and the Devil, The Kiss).
In 1930 she started acting in talkies and she received her first nominee as Best Actress for her role in Anna Christie. At that time the enthusiasm for Garbo was also present on magazine's covers, with a very curious title referring to Greta Garbo acting in her first talkies: "Garbo Talks".
Anne Christie (1930)
Other important movies are: Mata Hari with Ramon Navarro, Romance, Queen Christina and Grand Hotel, but the movie that perfectly showed her capability to attract the public also in comedy was Ninotchka, written by Billy Wilder, and directed by Ernst Lubitsch, starring Bela Lugosi and Melvin Douglas. Also for Ninotchka, another expression was invented to underline that was Garbo's first comedie and she laughed: "Garbo laughs".
Ninotchka "Garbo laughs" (1939)
Pure divertissement...
Ninotchka: Why should you carry other people's bags?
Porter: Well... That's my business madame
Ninotchka: That's no business, that's social injustice...
Porter: That depends on the tips...
Ninotchka arrives in Paris
Indeed Greta Garbo determined style, fashion and glamour, she loved being different. Her androgyn style reflected her personality... which was not so common... she was like a tornado... Garbo was actually "the style", she was THE DIVINE...
After being the Queen of MGM for more than 10 years, she decided to retire from her acting career during the 40's, but she remained an inspiration for the next generations.
Garbo died in 1990, Garbo never married, she never won an Oscar but she was awarded with an Academy Honorary Award "for her luminous and unforgettable screen performances" in 1954, and she was the youngest actress receiving an Academy Honorary Award, anyway she didn't go to get it that night... Garbo style... never dies... rebel, genius, unpredictable...
The 3rd Academy Award... November 1930. George Arliss' Disraeli.
Fiesta Room, The Ambassador Hotel
It was the second time in the same year...November 5 1930... the Academy was honoring movies released from August 1, 1929 to July 31, 1930. The location was the same, The Ambassador Hotel, Fiesta Room.
The Stock market crashed a year before, Mickey Mouse had just made his first appearance in January.
That year the nominations and winners were voted on by the entire Academy membership, not just by a board of judge, and Academy members, were charged a $10 fee to participate at the banquet, the event sold out anyway. The ceremony was hosted by Conrad Nagel, actor of the silent era, but also known for his performances in radio and tv. He has been honored with three stars on the Hollywood walk of fame in the three categories. Nagel will host 3 editions of the Academy Awards, 1930, 1932 and 1953 and this gap between '32 and '53 is a record in the Oscar History. Nagel, six feet tall, blond hair with blue eyes, embodied American charm and sex appeal, and he played roles that cemented his unspoiled lover image.
The beautiful Conrad Nagel
The Academy introduced the first new category since the beginning, the award for Best Sound Recording.
All Quiet on the Western Front, war movie about World War I, was the first movie to take home both Best Picture and Best Director
The Love Parade, didn't won any Oscar but was the first movie to receive 6 nominations, the greatest number till the ceremony began.
Disraeli, was the remake of 1921 movie with Arliss acting in the same role. George Arliss was the first british actor winning an Oscar, and also the first winning actor for portraying a real person. Arliss pushed himself so hard trying to be as equal as possible to the real Disraeli , the British Prime Minister and one of history's best manipulators.
George Arliss, Disraeli
Arliss' performance Wanna laugh..... watch that
Family Guy
Winner List
Actor
George Arliss in "Disraeli" WON
George Arliss in "The Green Goddess"
Wallace Beery in "The Big House"
Maurice Chevalier in "The Big Pond" "The Love Parade"
Ronald Colman in "Bulldog Drummond" "Condemned"
Lawrence Tibbett in "The Rogue Song"
Actress
Nancy Carroll in "The Devil's Holiday"
Ruth Chatterton in "Sarah and Son"
Greta Garbo in "Anna Christie" "Romance"
Norma Shearer in "The Divorcee" WON
Norma Shearer in "Their Own Desire"
Gloria Swanson in "The Trespasser"
Art Direction
"Bulldog Drummond" (William Cameron Menzies)
"King of Jazz" Herman Rosse WON
"The Love Parade" (Hans Dreier)
"Sally" (Jack Okey)
"The Vagabond King" (Hans Dreier)
Cinematography
"All Quiet on the Western Front" (Arthur Edeson)
"Anna Christie" (William Daniels)
"Hell's Angels" (Gaetano Gaudio, Harry Perry)
"The Love Parade" (Victor Milner)
"With Byrd at the South Pole" Joseph T. Rucker, Willard Van Der Veer WON
Directing
Clarence Brown "Anna Christie" "Romance"
Robert Leonard "The Divorcee"
Ernst Lubitsch "The Love Parade"
Lewis Milestone "All Quiet on the Western Front" WON
King Vidor "Hallelujah"
Outstanding Production
"All Quiet on the Western Front" Universal WON
"The Big House" Cosmopolitan
"Disraeli" Warner Bros.
"The Divorcee" Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
"The Love Parade" Paramount Famous Lasky
Sound Recording
"The Big House" Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Sound Department, Douglas Shearer, Sound Director WON
"The Case of Sergeant Grischa" (RKO Radio Studio Sound Department, John Tribby, Sound Director)
"The Love Parade" (Paramount Famous Lasky Studio Sound Department, Franklin Hansen, Sound Director)
"Raffles" (United Artists Studio Sound Department, Oscar Lagerstrom, Sound Director)
"Song of the Flame" (First National Studio Sound Department, George Groves, Sound Director)
Writing
"All Quiet on the Western Front" (George Abbott), (Maxwell Anderson), (Del Andrews)
Unfortunately he died in 1926 at the age of 31... but his name is still a legend... the first sex symbol of the movie era... one of the most beautiful guys of all times... Rudolph Valentino. His mother was french and his father was italian, he was born in a small town in Puglia, Castellaneta.
It was may 6, 1895 when.... Rodolfo Alfonso Raffaello Pierre Filibert Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguolla was born.
In 1913 Rodolfo Guglielmi arrived at Ellis Island...
He started as a "taxi dancer" and he was paied proportionally to the time he spent dancing with customers. In 1917 he moved to L.A. where he joined an operetta company, and he continued to dance in smaller theatres. Valentino was building his reputation as a "latin lover", and with the movie "The son of The Sheik" he concretized his presence in the silent era. Unfortunately he died so young and he couldn't came out of the silent era expressing himself as the great actor he was, but he still remains an icon; an icon of sexuality, passion, beauty and love.
