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David Bret
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Greta Garbo: A Divine Star Kindle Edition

by David Bret (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.2 out of 5 stars 58 ratings
In the male-oriented studio system, Greta Garbo wielded a power no other actress has ever possessed, before or since. Be it producer, director, lover or journalist, Garbo called the shots, and when she decided that she was done with the whirlwind of life as Hollywood's darling she withdrew completely, leaving her public begging for an encore that never came. Though there have been numerous biographies of Garbo, this is the first to investigate fully the two so-called missing periods in the life of this most enigmatic of Hollywood stars: the first during the late 1920s, forcing MGM to employ a lookalike to conceal what was almost certainly a pregnancy; the second during World War II when Garbo was employed by British Intelligence to track down Nazi sympathisers. It also analyses in detail the original, uncensored copies of Garbo's films - with the exception of The Divine Woman, of which no complete print survives - and offers substantial evidence that John Gilbert was not, in fact, the great love of her life. Rather her true affections lay with the gay, Sapphic and Scandinavian members of her very intimate inner circle. Using previously unsourced material, along with anecdotes from friends and colleagues that have never before been published, David Bret paints a rounded portrait of Garbo's childhood in Sweden, her rise to stardom and her all-too-brief reign as queen of MGM. Hers is a truly remarkable story, recounted here with warmth, intensity and unique insight.
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  1. Print length
    569 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    The Robson Press
  4. Publication date
    June 25, 2012
  5. File size
    2.9 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David Bret: David Bret is a leading show business biographer. He has written many highly successful books on subjects including Edith Piaf, Doris Day, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow and Errol Flynn.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0087GJX0C
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ The Robson Press (June 25, 2012)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ June 25, 2012
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 2.9 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 569 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 58 ratings

About the author

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David Bret

David Bret

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Born Paris, 8 November 1954, David Bret is Britain's foremost authority on the French chanson, and a leading celebrity biographer and broadcaster. His first book, "The Piaf Legend", was published to huge critical acclaim in 1988, since which time he has published over forty books, most of them best-sellers. He has a large celebrity following. He has made over 600 radio and television appearances, and appeared in fifteen television documentaries.

DIARY

December 2016 "Dorothy Squires, Tortured Diva: An Intimate Portrait By Her Friend & Confidante" (DbBooks)

"Edith Piaf: Find Me A New Way To Die", Oberon, (paperback)

March 2017: "British Divas of the 1960s: Marianne Faithfull, Sandie Shaw & Lulu" (DbBooks)

July 2017: Currently under wraps, "The Blond Bombshell", a major biography of an A-lister film star.

David Bret's website is www.davidbretindependent.co.uk

He also has a Blog: http://davidbretbiographer.com

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
58 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Lee E. Blasingame
    5.0 out of 5 stars a new Garbo book from England no less
    Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2013
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    a wonderful even great new biography of Greta Garbo. written by David Bret of England. i have over 40 biographies on Garbo all from the USA, this is now my first one from out of the country. their are stories in here that i have never heard of before. Garbo pregnant and sexually active with a whole lot of gay men in her life. i haven't finished it yet but i love it so far. this is one of the very best biographies on Garbo that i have ever read. she is my favorite actress of all time. this is so different that it is like finding a new love life for a girl that i have known for close to 40 years now. that is how long i have been collecting Garbo memorabilia. and in my circles i am the expert.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • peter mcnally
    4.0 out of 5 stars garbo star still shines
    Reviewed in the United States on February 14, 2014
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    Bret's book on Garbo is full of fascinating info about Garbo's personal life, also full of unsubstantniated opiniions sprinkled throughout the book that the author claims he knows because he interviewed Garbo himself. Bret's comments about Garbo's films and acting are the best part of the book and does allow the reader to decide for himself whether or not he agrees.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Sylvia Fowler
    5.0 out of 5 stars Greta Garbo, One of the Most Fascinating Stars of early Hollywood
    Reviewed in the United States on February 7, 2019
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    She made the transition from silents to talkies. Honestly one of the most beautiful and talented women to ever hit the silver screen. What a transformer~ I wish she had continued longer.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Michael E. Hitt
    3.0 out of 5 stars It depends on what you want to know about Ms. Garbo...
    Reviewed in the United States on January 13, 2014
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    There is no doubt that Garbo was one of the most fascinating screen legends of all time and the subject of many publications on her life. I have read all the most noteworthy of these (and a few that were not-so-noteworthy) and my opinion of "Greta Garbo: A Divine Star" sort of falls in the mid-range of what is or isn't 'noteworthy'. People interested in the body of work that such an artist leaves behind will find little here that is new...there are descriptive paragraphs on each of Garbo's film plots including some interesting blunders revealed. The main focus of this book seems to be about how many film personalities from the 1920s through 1940s were either gay, bisexual and/or slept with Ms. Garbo. I am sure this type of information makes good reading for fans of scandal sheets and tabloids but could be of little interest to students and followers of film as an art form. Ms. Garbo may have been a promiscuous, bisexual nymph but who would be interested had she not been such a luminous vision on screen? Of much more interest (at least to me) are the behind the scenes anecdotes on the sets of her films...her interaction ( or lack thereof ) with her co-stars, directors, etc. Her steadfast refusal to give in to the front office where her career or privacy was concerned is interesting reading in itself. In all fairness this book does have a more detailed account of Garbo's early days in Sweden than most of her biographies along with some rather amusing commentaries on her film plots, a sprinkling of critical reviews and insight into her feelings about certain directors and other actors. But, ultimately, we hardly turn a page without finding some reference to homosexuality, bisexuality, who was in a 'lavender marriage', abortions and even an unsubstantiated revelation of a possible child being born to our "Divine Star". An interesting if not fulfilling read.
    22 people found this helpful
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  • grale
    5.0 out of 5 stars b e a u t i f u l
    Reviewed in the United States on January 19, 2014
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    I just love anything to do with Greta - she was intriguing, beautiful and such and amazing lady.
    this is another good book for your collection
    One person found this helpful
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  • Deeper Learning
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good but read more
    Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2016
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    A good biography. But don't settle for this one portrait. Greta was a complex woman. I feel that this biography does not capture the full essence of who she was. I suggest Conversations with Garbo by Broman as a complimentary read to this biography.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • toby
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating
    Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2013
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    The author researches his subject thoroughly and provides insight into his subject. Must read if you want to know Ms. Garbo. Would have liked more pictures.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • cboth
    2.0 out of 5 stars not interesting, too long
    Reviewed in the United States on November 13, 2013
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    too much of the same information, over and over again.. it seemed like reading the same thing over and over.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Paola Zuffinetti
    5.0 out of 5 stars Greta herself
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 8, 2024
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    Published in 2012 in Great Britain, written by David Brett, an authority on biographies of show business stars.
    Miss Garbo's film plots are all analysed in depth; the author also expands extensively on her childhood, relationships, close friends, stardom and her life after retirement. As we go on reading, we see her descend the pedestal of fame, which had never fascinated her, and emerge as individual searching for that ordinariness that she so highly valued, protecting her privacy and trying to live her life according to what she really needed. Her childhood, jobs and perceptiveness provided her with the right equipment to perceive people for what they were under the cloak of wealth or their influential roles in society; and once she liked them, they were welcomed into her inmost, private world, but on one condition: LOYALTY. More, living her adult life in a world trapped between the two world wars, it's understandable that she grew suspicious, wary. But she was Not, to me, a recluse at all. She valued privacy - like the rest of us, of course - but she had a marvellous sense of humour, loved company, travelling, going to parties, to the theatre and to the cinema, appreciated art. Finally, what I perceive after reading the whole book is a faithful portrait of an enchanting Swedish lady and I have the precise impression that this great lady had always been the Greta Lovisa Gustafsson of Blekingegatan 32, Sodermalm, Stockholm. And to her beloved Sweden her ashes rest - according to her wish.
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  • Elisa
    2.0 out of 5 stars Niente di nuovo
    Reviewed in Italy on March 8, 2020
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    Poche nuove informazioni spesso confuse raffazate. Tutto trattato con estrema superficialità. Non consigliato per chi ama la Garbo. Ci sono biografie sicuramente migliori
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  • Michael
    4.0 out of 5 stars Greta Garbo, an enigmatic star...
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 7, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I have read reviews about this author before and the majority say his writing is poor ,not factual enough and too speculative. After I read this biography of the great Greta Garbo I could not see what all the bad mouthing was about. The only critic I would have is that the descriptions of the films she starred in are too long and in depth when it is the readers responsibility to watch them. I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed this biography of a woman who in my opinion is one of the most fascinating and talented figures of the 20th century. The authors enthusiasm for the subject is immediately apparent and he makes Garbo's interesting story leap off the page. Her family life,relationships,discovery,famed elusiveness,fear of crowds and enigmatic personality are all discussed in detail. One is left with the sense that it must have been an incredibly lonely life for one of the most celebrated women ever.
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  • Ian M L
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very good read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    T!his latest biography of Greta Garbo is very good read although not much more has been revealed about the star's life. Bought, for the first time, the Kindle version. Excellent value . Easy to purchase and to install. Highly recommended!
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  • Mr. Robert Socha
    5.0 out of 5 stars Greta Garbo.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 29, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I'm a big fan of Greta Garbo, so her latest book is a really good book even though i'm only half way through it.
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