Garbo Talks

Garbo Talks
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Sidney Lumet
Written by	Larry Grusin
Produced by	Burtt Harris Elliott Kastner
Starring	Anne Bancroft Ron Silver Carrie Fisher Catherine Hicks Steven Hill Howard Da Silva Dorothy Loudon Harvey Fierstein Hermione Gingold
Cinematography	Andrzej Bartkowiak
Edited by	Andrew Mondshein
Music by	Cy Coleman
Production company	United Artists
Distributed by	MGM/UA Entertainment Company
Release date	October 12, 1984 (1984-10-12)
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Box office	$1,493,782

Garbo Talks is a 1984 American comedy-drama film directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Anne Bancroft, Ron Silver and Carrie Fisher, with a cameo appearance by Betty Comden as Greta Garbo.

The movie was written by Larry Grusin and also stars Catherine Hicks and Steven Hill. It also featured the final screen appearance of veteran actor Howard Da Silva. Bancroft was nominated for a Golden Globe.

Greta Garbo's low, husky voice and Swedish accent was first heard on screen in Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie (1930), which was publicized with the slogan "Garbo Talks."

Despite many favorable reviews from critics, the film failed at the box office.

Plot

Estelle Rolfe's social activism and quick temper cause a lot of inconvenience for her grown son Gilbert, who often must go to a New York City jail precinct to pay her bail.

Gilbert is willing to go to great lengths for his mother, though, after a doctor's examination diagnoses a terminal brain tumor. Estelle's last wish is to meet the movie star she has idolized all her life, the reclusive Greta Garbo.

Lisa Rolfe sympathizes, but when husband Gilbert abandons his job to devote his days to the search for Garbo, she can't take it anymore and abandons him. An aspiring actress in Gilbert's office, Jane Mortimer, takes a liking to Gilbert and a romantic interest seems entirely possible, but first comes Gilbert's increasingly futile search for a famous woman who does not care to be found.

Leads eventually take Gilbert to an elderly actress, Elizabeth, who once knew Garbo, and to an aging paparazzo, Angelo, who is somewhat acquainted with Garbo's habits and whereabouts, but neither is able to get Gilbert to her. Estelle's estranged husband, Walter, visits the hospital to say an emotional goodbye.

With little time to spare, Gilbert is finally able to meet Garbo face-to-face and explain his mother's situation. Without a word, Garbo goes straight to Estelle's hospital room for a bedside chat, where Estelle herself ends up doing all of the talking.

Gilbert is at peace with how his mother's life came to an end. As he strolls with Jane in the park, she and others are startled by the sight of Garbo walking by. Even more startling to Jane is when Garbo catches a glimpse of Gilbert and says hello.

Cast

• Anne Bancroft as Estelle Rolfe
• Ron Silver as Gilbert Rolfe
• Carrie Fisher as Lisa Rolfe
• Betty Comden (uncredited) as Greta Garbo
• Catherine Hicks as Jane Mortimer
• Steven Hill as Walter Rolfe
• Howard Da Silva as Angelo Dokakis
• Dorothy Loudon as Sonya Apollinar
• Harvey Fierstein as Bernie Whitlock
• Hermione Gingold as Elizabeth Rennick
• Alice Spivak as Claire Rolfe
• Mary McDonnell as Lady Capulet
• Adolph Green as Himself
• Andrzej Bartkowiak (uncredited)
• Cy Coleman (uncredited) as Himself
• Greta Garbo (uncredited archive footage) as Herself
• Charles Pendleton (uncredited) as Construction worker
• George Plimpton (uncredited) as Himself

Reception

Vincent Canby of the New York Times in his Oct. 12, 1984 review wrote of the film having "a number of comic scenes and lines that are played with great verve by Miss Bancroft and Mr. Silver."

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times on the same day panned the film, awarding it one star of a possible four. Ebert wrote: "Garbo Talks starts out as a great idea for a movie, and when it's over, it's still a great idea for a movie, but the problem is, there are no great ideas in between."

External links

• Garbo Talks at IMDb
• Garbo Talks at Box Office Mojo
• Garbo Talks at Rotten Tomatoes
• Garbo Talks at AllMovie