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Greta Garbo: The Temptress and the Clown

  • TV Movie
  • 19851985
  • 2h
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
113
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • IMDbPro
  • Documentary
  • Biography
Two part biography of Greta Garbo - 1. The Temptress 2. The Clown. Reminiscences of her early life in Stockholm, with excerpts from her films. Narrated by Bibi Andersson.Two part biography of Greta Garbo - 1. The Temptress 2. The Clown. Reminiscences of her early life in Stockholm, with excerpts from her films. Narrated by Bibi Andersson.Two part biography of Greta Garbo - 1. The Temptress 2. The Clown. Reminiscences of her early life in Stockholm, with excerpts from her films. Narrated by Bibi Andersson.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
113
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Dan Säll
  • Writer
    • Åke Whilney
  • Stars
    • Bibi Andersson(voice)
    • Renate Brausewetter(archive footage)
    • Edward Connelly(archive footage)
Top credits
  • Director
    • Dan Säll
  • Writer
    • Åke Whilney
  • Stars
    • Bibi Andersson(voice)
    • Renate Brausewetter(archive footage)
    • Edward Connelly(archive footage)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 3User reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos

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    Top cast

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    Bibi Andersson
    Bibi Andersson
    • Narratoras Narrator
    • (voice)
    Renate Brausewetter
    • Self as Frauas Self as Frau
    • (archive footage)
    Edward Connelly
    Edward Connelly
    • Self as Pedro Morenoas Self as Pedro Moreno
    • (archive footage)
    Ricardo Cortez
    Ricardo Cortez
    • Self as Don Rafael Brullas Self as Don Rafael Brull
    • (archive footage)
    Greta Garbo
    Greta Garbo
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    John Gilbert
    John Gilbert
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Lillian Gish
    Lillian Gish
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Louis B. Mayer
    Louis B. Mayer
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Antonio Moreno
    Antonio Moreno
    • Self as Manuel Robledoas Self as Manuel Robledo
    • (archive footage)
    Victor Sjöström
    Victor Sjöström
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Mauritz Stiller
    Mauritz Stiller
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    Irving Thalberg
    Irving Thalberg
    • Selfas Self
    • (archive footage)
    • Director
      • Dan Säll
    • Writer
      • Åke Whilney
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

    Storyline

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    User reviews3

    Review
    Top review
    6/10
    Tepid bio of the famous Swedish actress...
    Painfully slow Garbo biography is narrated in dull fashion, tracing her early years as a rather overweight young woman with teeth in need of straightening, to the young and more attractive slimmed down woman who decides to do some modeling and ends up doing film work.

    What makes her a fascination for the slack-jawed admiration of men who stop dead in their tracks to stare at her, remains a mystery to me. I never found Garbo's type of beauty (thin lips, heavy-lidded eyes, mannish features) even remotely beautiful. But with great cameramen behind the lens, she eventually was discovered by MGM and brought to America.

    It covers the on again/off again romance with John Gilbert--but Garbo runs hot and cold, never turning up for the double marriage ceremony supposed to take place uniting her with Gilbert. She remains an enigma then and now. No new insight into her psyche is given here--just a slow and torturous account of Garbo as the object of desire (the temptress) for many leading men. The public knew about her hot romance with Gilbert which made their films a "must see" at the time because of their screen chemistry.

    "I have the amazing feeling that I've lived before. I'm a very simple person. I like the beach. I like to walk alone." These are quotes she gave in her only interview to Photoplay magazine. We never really get to know her at all. There's brief mention of her affair with a Russian woman writer and then we get to the advent of "talkies" and her talking debut in "Anna Christie." ("Give me a visky and don't be stingy, baby," she tells the waiter. "Should I serve it in a pail?" is his comeback).

    The film clips at this point become more interesting. But still, it the sort of documentary that will appeal mostly to Garbo fans. Others will be less than impressed.
    helpful•2
    2
    • Doylenf
    • Sep 18, 2009

    Details

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    • Release date
      • 1986 (Sweden)
    • Countries of origin
      • Sweden
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Greta Garbo
    • Production companies
      • Sveriges Television (SVT), Malmö
      • MGM/UA Television
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      2 hours
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

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