Indianapolis Times, Volume 48, Number 2, Indianapolis, Marion County, 13 March 1936 — Page 25

MARCH 13, 1936.

GARBO THE MYSTERIOUS ♦

CHAPTER THREE GR?A ONTS A NEW NAME IT was Just before her seventeenth birthday t.hat Greta prepared to face the examination committee at the Roval Dramatic Theater. Her brother Sven got a day's leave from hi* baker shop in order to accompany her to the theater. Twenty Judges—teachers, actors, critics, dramatists—sat in the darkened stalls to decide the fate of the trembling aspirants before them. Greta was so nervous that only willpower kept her from collapsing. With quaking knees she stepped on to the flood-lit stage when her turn came. She does not remember how she got through her lines. Her recitation over, she literally ran from the theater. She convinced herself in agony that she had probably spoiled everything. For three nays she scarcely stirred. She was beyond consolation. On the third day there came a message. She had passed! Never had she experienced a thrill like this one. The excitement that surged over her, she says, is a thing she will never forget. At last she vould enter the Royal Dramatic School, one of the finest organizations of its kind in Europe! The Baroness Cederstrom. who sat on the board of judges, said long afterward that the moment Miss Gustafsson stepped on the stage, she was impressed with her unusual charm, and formed the opinion that things could be done with this unusual raw material. The Baroness’s opinion was worth listening to. This lovely woman had not always been a woman of title. Before her marriage she was Ellen Hartmann, one of the most popular ingenues on the Stockholm stage. a a a ANOTHER star, Maria. Schildknecht, who taught drama and I diction at the dramatic school, gave me the following account of the young student: “Greta was more beautiful in those days than she is now. She seemed a promising actress, but had no exceptional gifts. Indolence was her outstanding characteristic, and one noticed it at once, too, that she was exceptionally shy. “She did not speak much, but when in class paid close attention to her work, on the other hand, she hated to rehearse in front of her fellow-students. She was always finding excuse to get out of rehearsals. But I had the impression that she did a great deal of work on her parts in private. She once was given a role in Selma Lagerlof's ‘The Unseen One,' and played it very well indeed.” The head of the dramatic school was Gustaf Molander, whose wife, the delightful Karin, after a divorce from Gustaf, married Lars Hanson, and became Greta's close friend, both in Stockholm and in Hollywood. The teaching staff included Dr. Sven Soderman. pArfessor of literature and history: Elisabeth Hjortsberg. in chargp of the department for movement and gesture, and the late Nils Personne, who specialized j in comedy and burlesque. a a a THE years at the dramatic school. though among the happiest in Greta's life, were never free from: financial worry. There was always the specter of poverty in the background. Her home was very poor; the family continued to live in the little one-room fiat and it must have been a squeeze! There were many things Greta

§L suits or * P rou d to get this m a JBS|Pw& jBT> JBL important quality fashion SB Ux I to you at a sale price C I *ilr I''iP**wil that is astonishing. I ytUtlA SUITS HR a+ut topcoatsßSMi *#• this collection to- |||QP *^lfPfjraMTTT morrow and how you 111 jj 7THT'} # j %, will change your Ideo* T H■■ T* oboutwhotyou hoveto H pay *•' quality. | Jft * :^i A l nB PICTURE OF love AND ROMANCE/ I i(

,K: 4|Ha ***■ "• ' w % | I \ _jppHw^^P’ F

It was in the film version of Selma Lagerlof’s story “Gosta Berling. that the young actress theretofore known as Greta Louisa Gust.ilsson had her first big role. She is seen above, at the right, in a scene from the picture. At a preliminary showing the director, Maurice Stiller, pointed out the newcomer to a friend. He said. That girl will one day become one of our most marvelous actresses. Her name is Greta Garbo.”

needed to keep up her new position. although the scholarship was free—smarter clothes, silk stockings, make-up and various other i items, which, while not costly in ! themselves, simply swallowed up money. Miraculously, however, the money was found. Fru Gustafsson worked hard and managed the household on so very little that the loss of Greta's contribution was not too greatly felt. Uva. and Sven were able to contribute to Greta's personal expenses from their own small earnings. From unexpected quarters, too. help came. There was a certain Herr Bruno, who supplied readymade clothing wholesale to Bergstrom’s. He had made Greta's acquaintance at the stockroom entrance, and when he heard that her big chance had come, he chivalrously advanced her a loan to tide her over the difficult period until she could start earning again. His interest in her continued until she left Sweden to seek her fortune in America, and Greta in return gave him a good deal of her company. a a a IT was Greta's turn to be proud in those early, struggling days. All the help her well-meaning friends and relatives could give was not sufficient to hide her poverty from fellow-students. Tact forbade them to intrude upon her private affairs, with the result that she was often alone while the others were indulging in little extravagances. She walked every morning all the way from Soder in order to save tram fares—and, of course, was nearly always late! Here we have the origin of another well-known Garbo habit! How

often has she repeated this trick in public places, arriving after the start of a show, creeping away before the end. in order to cheat her admirers of the chance of mobbing her! Curiously, her first speaking parts at the Royal Dramatic Theater were of all those oid women! She was just 19 when, in February, 1924, they selected her to play the mother in a drama called “Daniel Hjort.” and old Katri in a Danish piece called “The Blind,” in which she gave a very notable performance. “She was as good as a Katri,” wrote Bo Bergman, the famous critic, “as one could expect a 20-year-old girl to be. But her feminine charm would be better suited to younger parts.” a a a THIS performance marked a turning point in her career as a student. It was the direct cause of her being raised to the position of “premiere elevc.’ which meant that in the future she could take '•mall parts in ordinary public productions at the Dramatic Theater, and at the same time complete her studies. The position carried with it a salary of iso kroner (about s4o> a month—not a princely sum. but sufficient to relieve her of financial worry for the time being and to pay off a few small debts. Discussing her appearance and general characteristics at the time of her student days, Holger Lowenadler said: “The thing I most vividly remember about Greta is her voice. She seemed to take a special delight in pitching it very low. It, was vibrant and beautiful. On the stage she had what we call a good presence. When you saw her walking along the street in her own rather shabby clothes, you could not help wondering what she would look like dressed in the height of fashion and luxury. “Some people imagine that Greta's mysterious charm is put on. that she has acquired it along with her success. I can assure you that is not the case. She possessed, even in her student days, that remoteness which acted like a magnet. “We took it for granted, as .something peculiar to Greta, and I am not even sure whether we considered it an asset or a disadvantage on the stage. It never really occurred to us that some clever producer would come along and develop Greta’s aloofness to spellbind the world! ” a a a A LIGHTER side of Greta’s talents made itself known about this time. It was the gift of mimicry. In this talent all her admiration for the idol of her childhood, the actress Naima Wifstrand. found expression. She would take the floor, walking, as Naimi walked, talking as Naima. talked, throwing out her arms with the singer’s sweeping gesture warbling a thrill of notes with the singer’s fearless bravado. Miss Wifstrand herself eventually heard of it. She, at that time, reigned like a queen at the Oscar's Theater—the whole world at her feet. It amused her to near of the little dramatic student's clever imitation, but tributes of all kinds came so thick and fast that she gave the matter no further thought. Nor did she associate it in any way with the tiny nosegays of fieldflowers which were frequently left for her with the stage-door concierge by a young girl named “Greta.” who would shyly run away before any one could question her. Though Greta was m arly always ; shy and reserved, there were times when she would throw herself heart and soul into the spirit of a party, I and hold her own with the liveliest! On these occasions Greta had a habit of throwing out her arms as if she would like to take the whole ! world into her embrace. She was full of personality, and many of her colleagues tried seri- j ously to persuade her that her talrein* Jfc. : JAN! WYATT §^V: : .S'i JA** OIIAION J ftA&JO A—PI.IS WALTER CONNOLLY In “SOAK THE RICH" £8 ladies tonight *lrf #’ f Service Charrr I.V Ka (Including Checkin*! IM Ivjf Gentlemen 2Sc Before 9 uj

THE INDIANAPOLIS TIMES

ents lay in the direction of cabaret and revue. a a a BUT one day she appeared no more. It haDpened so suddenly that they had not even time to remove her name from the bills and programs. She simply did not turn up. Fcr the very simple reason that she was already on the train for Berlin, where fresh adventures awaited her. The decisive factor in Greta Garbo's life was Maurice Stiller. Queer, quixotic Stiller! He came to Sweden from Russia, via Finland, as a young man. He spoke Yiddish, Russian, Finnish and perhaps a little German He did not acquire the Swedish language until well on in his ’teens. Yet the time was to come when famous Swedish writers would submit their manuscripts for his correction and judgment! His mind was so brilliant that he had no difficulty in mastering anything he wished to learn. The year 1912 found him taking small character parts in d'alect comedies and farces at Stockholm s "Little Theater.” He was himseif, badly in need of being “discovered.” Stiller had a passion for creating. He could never touch a thing without wanting to make it perfect. He was a convivial soul, and loved to have crowds of friends around him. His parties were always the talk of the town. But in all things he was a producer. Once an effecr seemed complete, offering no further chance of improvement, he lost all further interest in it, and turned to something fresh. a a HE was always looking for a perfect woman. As early as 1920. before he had really begun to make

Don’t Shampoo Your Hair Again Without the Grand Comfort of this After-Treatment! . .aw. Jr This is the heated, itching scalp that, dulls new hair hy- the hair and even taints it. giene women The new Danderine Spray / \/___£*. a [ e all keen carries proper medication to ( a h° ee every pore of the scalp —in a Pxs~ ~~ , e air . an< * fine mist that penetrates every--1 tYn the , sca, P 50 where. than just washing, and keeps , ls trea-tment takes hair from going “helter-skelter” ? n , •' a s . eco . n^s - P ower " after a shampoo. f ’ l! s P rf 7 15 > invigorating - just r. j • , n ... the feel of it tells you it is Danderine s fine mist is gone effective 7 a moment after its fragrant * stimulus is felt. But not the Get the new Dapdenne Spray effect! Hair arranges better, h e Si n using today, accordlooks better all day. And an- in ? l ? the thoroughly tested other dash of Danderine after directions. One week will bring your hair is arranged for the results you simply wouldn t evening is the finishing touch believe now. And one 75c spray in making yourself attractive, bottle of Danderine will last Your hair will be radiant, but - vou ree months. Spraying not artificially so. doesn't waHe a drop. And takes Washing And combing won’t 50 little Un: * that check dandruff. This treatment woman can -' w y s use ll ’ will. And the condition that’s just as bad for women a druggists' , now DANDERINE | SPRAY x^ooiT\ X VALUES X / ON CREDIT \ / W CLOTHING \ / and JEWELRY jajPs\ 1/ I If NPW Spring Merchandise arrivIt Ikjf ingrieily! Buy vour new SPRING outtit no. ~ and r.v Until \ aIOTHING AND 50 c 9 V'-JEWELRY SHOPS Pe p IP. M. 43-45 South Illinois Street Weekl 2* TEARS IN SAKE LOCATION i

a great name as a producer, he had such confidence in his powers that, he approached Naima Wifstrand. who was undoubtedly the most outstanding figure on the Stockholm stage at that time. What were these little Scandinavian successes to her? he demanded. Why not put herself into his hands? He would make her really famous! But Naima Wifstrand, who prided herself that she had never broken a contract, remained loyal to the managements which had engaged her. Lacking Stiller’s vision, she threw away her chance. Meanwhile, a little unknown shopgirl, studying her from afar, basing all her own ideas of acting, of facial expression, of vocal qualities and charm upon the Wifstrand model, ! was quietly preparing to become the j feminine ideal which the great producer needed to fulfill his dream. Stiller’s mind was in the throes of planning “Gosta Berling.” This classic tale of Swedish life in the early nineteenth century by Selma Lagerlof. had been his favorite work from the very moment he started to read Swedish. He had long toyed with the idea of making a film of it. Stiller did nothing by halves, and an immense amount of time and money was spent in perfecting his plans. After much controversy Lars Hanson consented to play the muchdiscussed title role. a a a II THEN the picture waff finished. Y the first person whose opinion Stiller sought was the artist. Cinar Nerman, whose illustration had in- i spired him to make the picture. He took Nerman round to the com- ;

pany’s offices, and in the tiny projecton room the film was run through. Stiller behaved like a bear! As the showing proceeded, he grew more and more angry. Nothing suited him. He thought the printing was bad and the cutting atrocious. The great fire scene, on which he had lavished so much ingenuity, was completely ruined, he stormed. He talked so loudly and so vehemently that his companion had no chance to get in a word about the players and the acting. He recognized several of the artists, of course—Gerda Lundquist, Jenny Haselquist, Lars Hanson and others. But he could not remember having seen before the young, blond girl who gave such a beautiful portrayal of Elisabeth, Countess Doha. Finally a lull occurred in Stiller's raging, and he ventured to ask for information. “Oh, that girl! She will one day niQinn Tnnieht. B:2n l3kimKl*S Tnmorrn " a * 2:2ll and HliyjßFlßl 8:20 e DIRECT >-80M 2 TEAM IN NEiV mu AND 3 MONTHS IN CHICA6# MAX CORDON prMnt* WALTER HUSTON PERSONALLY IN SINCLAIR LEWIS VODSWORTH DRAMATIZED BY SIDNEY HOWAAO Eve*., 55c to $2.75. Mat., 55c to $2.20. Including Tax. Seats now on sale. 3 Days, Com. Times., March 19 Matinee Saturday 3>Srsl Eves., 55c, sl.lO, $1.65, s2.^o Sat. Mat., 55c, sl.lO, $1.65 Inc. Tax Seats Now

Important Announcement M PftoiUHSffiW 43 WEST WASHINGTON ST. “ Are Now Indianapolis Distributor For “MODERNISTIC TAILORED CLOTHES" SOLD EVERYWHERE FOR $25.00 j I SAVE *9- 12 ff 4L ON YOUR EASTER SUIT I I FABRICS MODELS If IH j • All Wool Serges _ , If WSBm JmSU I • Fine Wool Twists •Rouble and S.nglel I • All-Wool Worsteds Breasted. II MjMMJ j • Unfinished Worsteds • Newest Sport Backs. 1/ I • Finest Wool Cassi- • Young Men's or con-11 meres. servative models. 11 tf&jjSßißur J • You have choice of I . 500 New Spring Suits *" I 'VTtLOTHES Stouts, Competition 1 LS • SHOP* •£ ,orTheM WEST WASHINGTON ST. Fin,Sui,s Open Saturday Until BP. M. * ll,ratiß " >!

become one of our most marvellous actresses. Her name is Greta Garbo.” said Stiller. And that was the very first time Greta Louisa Gustafsson's new

' - It will take you a very ahnrt time to pay for <h cyegla-.sc-; w hich may civc you the assurance of a lifetime of clearer vision and herter yeneral health! See- our Registered Opt<> >ie(rist today a_nd he examined for the eyeglasses which will Improve your sight —and a*ppearan'e. DR. WEST, Registered Optometrist 29 ON THE CIRCLE Co s.

Come Direct to Radio Headquarters! cC toS Cfl trade-in I” vyll ALLOWANCE FOR YOUR OLD RADIO! BBle Beautiful Sew Vidor It A It IO sr AA ard Broad ■■ uaPITOL CITY RADIO CO. 139 W. Maryland St. At Capital Ave. rhnne RI-615?

PAGE 25

name was ever mentioned to the outside world. iCopyrlaht. 193*. bv United rettura Bvndicate lnc.l Tomorrow; Sucre**—and Failure.