Post by Miss Retro on Oct 4, 2007 13:12:04 GMT -5
Greer Garson was born in County Down in Northern Ireland on September 29, 1904. Her childhood was a normal if not non-descript life. Greer showed no early signs of interest in becoming an actress.
She was educated at the University of London with the intentions of becoming a teacher. Instead she opted to work with an advertising agency. During this time she appeared in local theatrical productions gaining a reputation as an extremely talented persona. She was 'discovered' by Louis B. Mayer while he was on a visit to London who, it is said, was looking for new talent.
Greer was signed to a contract with MGM and appeared in her first American film in 1939. The movie in question was GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS which won rave reviews and garnered her first nomination as Best Actress.( She would receive six more nominations!) Already she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
The following year would see Greer in the highly acclaimed PRIDE AND PREJUDICE as Elizabeth Bennet. 1941 saw her get a second nomination for her role as Edna Gladney in BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST.
In 1942, Greer won her first Academy Award in MRS. MINIVER, a role which she would forever be known by. As Marie Curie in MADAME CURIE (1943), she would get another nomination and the same the next year in MRS. PARKINGTON. It seemed that any movie she was a part of would surely be a success! Sure enough, in 1945, she won, yet, another nomination for her role as Mary Rafferty in THE VALLEY OF DECISION.
But through the 1940's she was constantly typecast in the roles that didn't allow for a lot of creativity. MGM felt that the roles she played were sure winners and for the time being they were right, but that didn't make Greer feel any better about it. (She would stay with them until 1954).
In 1946, Greer appeared in ADVENTURE which was a flop at the box-office. 1947's DESIRE ME was no less a disaster. Her downward spiral stopped in the hit THAT FORSYTE WOMAN (1949). The next year she reprised her role as Kay Miniver in THE MINIVER STORY. Unfortunately it didn't fare too well.
For the remainder of the 1950's she endured several less than appreciated films. Then 1960 found her cast in the role of Eleanor Roosevelt in SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO. This film was, perhaps, her finest work and landed her seventh Academy Award nomination. Her final appearances on the silver screen was in THE SINGING NUN as Mother Prioress in 1966 and THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE in 1967.
After a few TV movies Greer retired to New Mexico on the ranch she shared with her husband, millionaire Buddy Fogelson. She then concentrated on the environment and other various charities. By the 1980's she was suffering from chronic heart problems prompting her to slow down. That was the cause of her death on April 6, 1996 in Dallas, Texas. Greer was 92.
[/center]She was educated at the University of London with the intentions of becoming a teacher. Instead she opted to work with an advertising agency. During this time she appeared in local theatrical productions gaining a reputation as an extremely talented persona. She was 'discovered' by Louis B. Mayer while he was on a visit to London who, it is said, was looking for new talent.
Greer was signed to a contract with MGM and appeared in her first American film in 1939. The movie in question was GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS which won rave reviews and garnered her first nomination as Best Actress.( She would receive six more nominations!) Already she was a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood.
The following year would see Greer in the highly acclaimed PRIDE AND PREJUDICE as Elizabeth Bennet. 1941 saw her get a second nomination for her role as Edna Gladney in BLOSSOMS IN THE DUST.
In 1942, Greer won her first Academy Award in MRS. MINIVER, a role which she would forever be known by. As Marie Curie in MADAME CURIE (1943), she would get another nomination and the same the next year in MRS. PARKINGTON. It seemed that any movie she was a part of would surely be a success! Sure enough, in 1945, she won, yet, another nomination for her role as Mary Rafferty in THE VALLEY OF DECISION.
But through the 1940's she was constantly typecast in the roles that didn't allow for a lot of creativity. MGM felt that the roles she played were sure winners and for the time being they were right, but that didn't make Greer feel any better about it. (She would stay with them until 1954).
In 1946, Greer appeared in ADVENTURE which was a flop at the box-office. 1947's DESIRE ME was no less a disaster. Her downward spiral stopped in the hit THAT FORSYTE WOMAN (1949). The next year she reprised her role as Kay Miniver in THE MINIVER STORY. Unfortunately it didn't fare too well.
For the remainder of the 1950's she endured several less than appreciated films. Then 1960 found her cast in the role of Eleanor Roosevelt in SUNRISE AT CAMPOBELLO. This film was, perhaps, her finest work and landed her seventh Academy Award nomination. Her final appearances on the silver screen was in THE SINGING NUN as Mother Prioress in 1966 and THE HAPPIEST MILLIONAIRE in 1967.
After a few TV movies Greer retired to New Mexico on the ranch she shared with her husband, millionaire Buddy Fogelson. She then concentrated on the environment and other various charities. By the 1980's she was suffering from chronic heart problems prompting her to slow down. That was the cause of her death on April 6, 1996 in Dallas, Texas. Greer was 92.
