Greer Garson

Biography Picture Titian haired Greer Garson was one of the most popular actress during the 1940s. Unlike most young actresses beginning their careers in Hollywood, Garson was already in her mid-thirties when she made her first film. Her elegant and intelligent demeanor struck a cord with the movie going public and her popularity soared at MGM. She possessed a beautiful speaking voice and her refined acting style earned her six Academy Award nominations. She also appeared in five films that earned Best Picture nominations. She was born Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson on September 29, 1904 in London although she always claimed that she was born in Ireland in 1908. Her father died during an appendectomy when Greer was only two. Greer's mother, Nina (who was from Scotland) provided a living for them by managing townhouses that her husband had owned. Greer was a sickly child, suffering from bronchitis, and spent most of her winters in bed. She was not one to be idle with discouragement, however, and she passed the time by reading and studying. Summers were spent at her grandparent's home in Ireland and it was there in the green countryside that her imagination flourished. She did not have any clear-cut career goals but her mother felt that her future lay in academia due to Greer's intelligence and book sense. She entered the University of London in 1921 and spent five years there, earning a Bachelor's degree in 1926. It was at the university that she discovered the theater and a passion for acting. Following graduation, she worked in a research library for an advertising agency and participated in local theater productions whenever she could. In 1931, Greer was accepted at the Birmingham Repertory Company and she quit her job at the ad agency. She performed in small roles in a variety of productions for two years before a long bout with pneumonia forced the company to terminate her contract. While recuperating, Greer was courted by a childhood friend, Alec Snelson, who eventually proposed to her. She accepted due to the advice from family and friends although deep down inside she knew that she did not love him. The marriage proved to be disastrous. Snelson took Greer on a honeymoon trip to Germany where she learned that he was a jealous and extremely possessive man. Snelson traveled on to India where he would work, but Greer, who was ill again, stayed with her mother in London. It would be a year before she saw Snelson again and they would never spend any more time together. He refused a divorce and it would be years later, when Greer was pursuing a successful career in Hollywood, before the divorce would be final. Greer returned to acting when her health improved. She eventually landed a role in a play with Laurence Olivier called "The Golden Arrow" and it proved to be her breakthrough. She was suddenly very popular throughout London and play offers poured in. She acted in a variety of plays, ranging from Shakespeare to costume dramas, but none of them were huge hits. In 1937, while performing in a play called Old Music, she was noticed by MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer, would was in London seeking new talent. Greer was actually not that interested in a film career because she felt that she did not photograph well. However, the lure of money and a nice climate for her mother, convinced her to change her mind. In September of 1937, she signed a seven year contract with MGM. See Greer Garson: Obituary.