GRETA GARBO

GRETA GARBO  1925

Greta Garbo (1905-1990) born in Stockholm, Sweden. Her real name was Greta Lovisa Gustafsson and she was the youngest of three. Her alluring look made her famous and she became a Hollywood legend in the 1920.

When she was 14 years of age her father died and she had to go out to work.

Garbo worked in a few low paid jobs in Stockholm. The saying is that when she was 16, Garbo had to turn down her first offer staring in a feature film. The reason, she wasn't allowed time off from the department where she was selling hats.

Her first film appearance was in 1922 in a film called Peter the Tramp and she played a bathing beauty.

Then she enrolled for two years at the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. She met a director Mauritz Stiller who taught her how to act in front of the camera. In 1924 Garbo appeared in the film 'The story of Goesta Berlings'.

After that Stiller and Garbo went to Hollywood and were signed up by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1925. She appeared in 27 films. The most memorable ones are 'The Torrent' in 1926, 'Love' in 1927, 'Anna Christie' in 1930 her first talkie, 'Queen Christina' in 1933, 'Anna Karenina' in 1935 and 'Camille' in 1936.

GRETA GARBO WITH HER MOTHER IN 1939

After Garbo became more and more famous, it put a strain on her and Stiller. Stiller was sacked and went back to Stockholm. He died three years later.

After very bad critics for the film in 'Two-faced Woman' in 1941 Garbo decided to retire and she was only 36 yeas old. From thereon she lived as a reclusive and refused any interviews.

Garbo tried to keep away from fame but was voted 'The Best Silent Actress of the Century' in 1950.

Greta Garbo died at the age of 84 in 15 April 1990 and she was cremated. After a long legal battle her ashes were sent to Stockholm and buried there. She was very wealthy because of wise investments along Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills and left her $20 million to her nice Gray Reisfield.

GRETA GARBO'S GRAVE

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CHARLIE CHAPLIN -- Updated: 11 March 2014

CHARLIE CHAPLIN 
IN 1910 -- 
THE LITTLE TRAMP

UPDATE: 11 March 2014 -- It was hundred years ago, in February, when Charlie Chaplin made his first debut his first silent movie "Making a Living".


Charlie Spencer Chaplin was born on 16 April 1889 in London and died 25 December 1977 in ASwitzerland. He was 88 years old. He was mostly known as the little tramp. His comic genius and talent for mime made him one of the most famous actor, film director, composer and musician. He was one of the most successful actors of the silent movies.

His parents were both music-hall performers but separated when Charlie was three years old. Charlie Chaplin's life was not a bed of roses to begin with. His father was an alcoholic and died when Charlie was 12 yeas old. His mother was in and out of asylums. Eventually he was left in the workhouse. He and his older half-brother were much closed.

Charlie and his half-brother started to perform in music-halls at a very young age and they showed great talents. Charlie's films were all about his poverty, hopelessness, struggle, ups and downs many of Charlie Chaplin's own life.

When Charlie first went over to America he toured with the Fred Kamo troupe. There was also Arthur Stanley Jefferson who became later Stan Laurel. Charlie and Stan shared a room together.

Charlie made his mark in the fledgling film industries. In 1914 he made slap-stick films for Mack Sennett and the Keystone Company with his character of the little tramp wearing baggy trousers, bowler hat, big worn out shoes and a cane and it became a trademark.

In his first film 'The Kid' in 1921, Charlie Chaplin added pathos and sympathy for the under-dog to his role.

Charlie's mother died in 1928 in Hollywood after seven years living there. They found there was another half-brother from his mother's side of which they never knew because he was living with the boy's father. The two brothers brought him over and he worked with them.

He kept on making silent movies well after they developed talking movies, because he disliked them. In 1936 'the film 'Modern Times' was still made without a dialogue.

Charlie Chaplin's film 'The great Dictator' which was based on Hitler in 1940 was made with full sound.

During Wartime he still was a great favourite in the USA and Britain. Chaplin's popularity started to decline when his left wing opinion became known and during a visit abroad Hoover made sure that he was not aloud to re-enter the USA. Chaplin's patriotism was not enough for Hoover's communist witch-hunt. Furthermore, Charlie Chaplin practically built Hollywood and brought the USA a lot of revenue.

Chaplin settled in Switzerland. He made four more films which he directed, and wrote the music. Only 'Limelight' was a box-office success.

Charlie Chaplin's movies are so timeless that even today they are still in demand and now available as Charlie Chaplin's videos. Even with his horrific childhood ending up in the workhouse, the smile of Chaplin was always there.

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