There is something of a discrepancy about Greer Garson’s date and place of birth as it has been given with equal credibility as London and Liverpool in England and County Down in Ireland on dates between 1903 and 1908.
For
the purpose of this biography and based on consensus we have settled on the
date of September 29th 1903 in London, England.
So
Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson was born in London, on September 29th
1903. The name Greer was a contraction of her maternal ancestral surname,
MacGregor.
When Greer was only two her father died during an
appendectomy and her mother, Nina, provided for them by managing the properties
left her by her husband.
The
most remarkable part of her childhood was her weakness toward bronchitis and spent most of her winters in bed where she passed the time by reading and studying.
Her summers were spent in Ireland at her
grandparent's home and her imagination flourished amidst the glory of the green
Irish countryside.
None of which gave any indication that she would pursue a career as
an actress in fact
Greer had no clear goals but her mother felt her
future lay in teaching due to Greer's intelligence and with that intention in
mind she entered the University of London in 1921 and after five years
graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 1926.
However
after graduation instead of pursuing a teaching career she opted to work at an
advertising agency working in the
research library.
While
Greer was working she developed the passion for the theater that she
discovered while she was at university and she dabbled in amateur
dramatics in her spare time.
In 1931, Greer was accepted at the Birmingham
Repertory Company and she quit her job at the ad agency.
Then
in 1931 she decided to start a career as a full-time actor and she left the
agency and made her professional debut with the Birmingham Repertory company.
After
two good years with the Birmingham Repertory company performing small roles in a variety of productions she was struck with a
long bout of pneumonia and the had no alternative but to terminate her contract.
Greer returned to London to recuperating and was
courted by, Alec Snelson, a childhood friend who in time proposed.
Family and friends advised her to accept which she
did know deep down that it would not work because she didn’t love him.
On
the 28th of September 1933 she married Edwin A. Snelson, The marriage proved to be disastrous and the
marriage ended in divorce in 1937.
In
1934when her health improved Greer returned to acting and eventually landed a
role, On the London stage, in a play with Laurence Olivier called "The
Golden Arrow".
She
received some Tutoring from Laurence
Olivier during those theatre days which proved invaluable in the
future.
This
proved to be her breakthrough and she was suddenly very popular throughout
London and play offers poured in. Over the next three years she worked
very hard at her craft and acted in a variety of plays, ranging from
Shakespeare to costume dramas, but no big hits.
Then
in 1937 she was cast in three British films, Twelfth Night, The School for
Scandal and How He Lied to Her Husband.
But
it was while she was performing in 'Old music' that she was spotted by MGM's
Louis B. Mayer while he was on a visit to London.
Mayer
had been searching for a high caliber leading lady to fill a void which would
soon be created by the impending retirement of both Greta Garbo and Norma
Shearer.
When
Meyer saw Greer Garson he knew straight away that his search was over and
offered her a contract.
Greer wasn’t interested in a film career because she
didn’t feel she was photogenic. However, the money coupled with a kinder
climate for her mother, convinced her to change her mind.
, she signed a seven year contract with MGM the following day that was In September of 1937.
After
the exceptionally productive year of 1937 when she was fully employed on stage,
made three films and got divorced Greer
Garson's first year in Hollywood was a great disappointment.
She had hoped to get to work immediately but it was
not to be for a number of reasons, firstly Louis B. Mayer was unsure how to
cast her, secondly he didn’t have many parts in the pipeline and thirdly
Garson’s refusal to play supporting roles as She felt that she had been signed
as a leading lady to play starring roles and she was adamant that she would do
so and she would just have to be patient.
Finally her patience paid off and she was given the
leading role in a film called “Dramatic School” but Greer had a horse riding
accident and hurt her spine aggravating an old injury which occurred after a
diving accident when she was a child.
The part went
to Louise Rainer and Greer found herself clicking her heels once again.
Then just when Greer was beginning to give up hope
she was offered the part of Katherine in the 1939
adaptation of James Hilton's story “Goodbye Mr. Chips”.
When she first read the script she was disappointed
because the part was so small but she was afraid that refusal would be the
final nail in her Hollywood coffin.
The film was made in England with a British cast
that included Robert Donat, who played Mr. Chips.
Garson still had reservations about her part and
felt it would probably be the only Hollywood film she would ever do.
By the time the film was completed she was already
planning to resume her career on stage.
However when “Goodbye Mr. Chips” was released it
received glowing reviews and her performance was critically acclaimed.
In addition to the many Accolades she received over
the coming months she also received a nomination for the Best Actress Academy Award and Robert Donat was nominated for Best Actor.
It
was a testament to the strength of her performance that she received her Oscar
nomination and this was a high honor
indeed considering that her part was more of a supporting role.
Robert Donat won the Best Actor award for his part
as Mr. Chip but Greer Garson lost out to Vivien Leigh who won the Oscar for her
role as Scarlet O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind”.
Mayer
had to find the perfect vehicle for Greer’s next film in order to undo the
damage caused by “Remember?”
He
chose the prestigious 1940 adaptation of Jane Austen's “Pride and Prejudice”
casting her as Elizabeth Bennett opposite her mentor from the London stage
Laurence Olivier who played Darcy.
The
film was favorably reviewed by the critics and it was a moderately though not a
huge box office success.
In
1941 she received her second best actress nomination for her role as Edna
Gladney in “Blossoms in the Dust”.
The film was notable for two other reasons firstly
she was cast opposite
Walter Pidgeon for the
first of many pairings and the film was made in vivid Technicolor which showed off Greer's flaming red
hair to audiences.
“Blossoms”
was followed in the same year by “When Ladies Meet” in which she co starred
with Joan Crawford and Robert Taylor.
It
is her sixth film at MGM “Mrs. Miniver” made in 1942
for which she is best remembered.
It was based on the book by Jan Struthers and Produced
by Sidney Franklin who had wanted to make the film for several years and Greer
played opposite Walter Pidgeon who played her husband.
The film depicted a typical middle class English
family and the way their lives are affected by war.
When
“Mrs. Miniver” was released it caused an instant sensation and broke box
office records across the United States.
President Roosevelt and Winston Churchill applauded
the film and urged the public to see it and called it an excellent morale
booster.
The film received 12 Academy Award nominations and
went on to win Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress Teresa Wright, Best
Director, William Wyler, Best Screenplay, and Cinematography and of course best
actress Greer Garson.
Its true to say that in Hollywood Greer Garson is
equally remembered for her record breaking acceptance speech which lasted a
staggering 5 1/2 minute and you might think that that is a mere blink of an eye
by modern standards but apparently its still a record.
It
was ironic that Mayer brought Garson to Hollywood as a long term replacement
for Norma Shearer and “Mrs. Miniver” was turned down by Shearer and her
replacement went on to win the best actress Academy Award.
There
was something of a scandal when in was made public that Garson was dating the twenty three year old actor, Richard Ney, who
played her son in “Mrs. Miniver”.
MGM
feared this liaison might damage the film or the studio but it didn’t and they were married on 24th
July 1943.
Her
next outing also in 1942 was in another James
Hilton adaptation this time of his novel “Random Harvest” in a film she would always refer to as her favorite.
It was a romantic drama and she co-starred with a
screen idol of her youth Ronald Colman.
Despite Colman being a bit long in the tooth to play
the romantic lead his performance was outstanding and he was magnificent and
went on to receive an Oscar nomination for it.
Greer relished the chance
to play a contemporary figure and she even gave us a song and dance number and
good look at her great legs.
Her
next outing was in 1943 film “The Youngest Profession” where she made a Cameo
appearance along with Lana Turner, Walter Pidgeon, Robert Taylor and William
Powell.
Also
in 1943 she played the title role in Madame Curie which earned Greer Garson’s fourth for
Best Actress Oscar nominations among the seven received in total, but Jennifer
Jones pipped her at the post for her performance in “The Song of Bernadette”.
In
1944 she was nominated again this time “Mrs. Parkington” and the following year
“The Valley of Decision” which saw her nominated for the sixth time but neither won
her a second Oscar.
Her sixth Nomination for an Academy Award meant she
had been nominated five years in a row from1941 to 45 which is a record she
holds jointly with Bette Davis.
By the mid forties she was
tiring with being typecast in the same dramatic roles and she longed to do
comedy but the MGM studio executives would not relent and kept casting her in
serious dramas she said
that she would have liked to appear in more comedies rather than dramas and was
jealous Of Lucille Ball the new redhead on the block who was getting the comedy
roles.
Ironically
Lucille Ball was jealous of Greer Garson getting all dramatic roles.
"Gable's
back and Garson's got him," was the trailer slogan for the 1946 romantic
film “Adventure” but even pairing Clark Gable and Greer Garson wasn’t enough to
prevent it from being a flop at the box office.
Then
it was Robert Mitchum’s turn to star opposite her in “Desire Me” made in 1947
and was no less a disaster this was also the year when her marriage to Richard
Ney ended in divorce.
It
was back to Walter Pidgeon in the 1948 film “Julia Misbehaves” but even that
didn’t help but when they paired again in 1949 in “That
Forsyte Woman” stopped the downward spiral which meant that she ended the
decade with a hit.
Later
that year she married for the third time when on the 15th July she
married oil magnate, rancher and lawyer Colonel E.E. (Buddy) Fogelson and this
time the marriage lasted until his death on December 1st 1987.
The
fifties began with her reprising her role as Kay Miniver in “The Miniver Story”
with Walter Pidgeon again playing her husband but it didn’t fair well.
But
this did tend to set the trend for the decade were she had a succession of
mediocre roles beginning with “The Law and the Lady” in 1951 with Michael
Wilding, “Scandal at Scourie” with Pidgeon and Julius Caesar with Brando both
in 1953.
1954
saw her back on the big screen with Robert Ryan in the male lead in “Her Twelve
Men” and then her last big screen performance of the decade came in “Strange
Lady in Town” where she co starred with Dana Andrews in 1955 this marked the
end of her MGM contract.
In
1953 when Perhaps seeing the writing on the wall as far as the big screen was
concerned and with her MGM contract nearing its end Greer began appearing on
the small screen in "What's My Line?" and "Toast of the
Town" both in October 1953.
Then
after her last movie she made a flurry of TV appearances
In
April 1955 “Producers' Showcase” then 1956 saw her in
“Star
Stage”, “The Bob Hope Show” and “Hallmark Hall of Fame”
1957
she was back on “What's My Line?” and was twice seen on “General Electric Theater”
then “Telephone Time” and “Father Knows Best".
The
following year, 1958, saw her as a Mystery Guest on “What's My Line?” before
taking over from Rosalind Russell in her Broadway role in “Auntie Mame”.
In late 1958, her beloved mother Nina Garson passed
away she had been a constant source of support throughout her life and career
and she was always by her side and they had always lived together.
Greer even got Nina supporting roles in several of
her films.
Her mother’s death was a great loss to Greer.
The
sixties began with her making a big screen comeback when she excelled in the
role of Eleanor Roosevelt opposite Ralph Bellamy in “Sunrise at Campobello” in
1960.
This
was arguably her finest screen work and deservedly landed her a record seventh
Academy Award nomination though not deemed good enough to give her the award.
She
also made a Cameo appearance in the same year in “Pepe” along with her
husband Buddy.
This
was followed in 1963 “The Invincible Mr. Disraeli” a movie for television.
The bulk of her time was spent in Santa Fe where she
immersed herself in charity work.
Greer
and Buddy Donated millions to the College of Santa Fe and were themselves
rewarded when in 1965 the Greer Garson
Theatre was built but Greer insisted that It had to be a working
circular stage, the first play had to be “A Midsummer's Night Dream” and it had
to have decent sized ladies restrooms.
Later, the E.E. Fogelson Library was dedicated and
Greer also received an honorary doctorate an award that she cherished more than
her Oscar.
“The
Singing Nun” in 1966 and “The Happiest Millionaire” the following year marked
the end of her career on the silver screen.
This
was not the end of Greer however she kept up a variety of parts through out the
remainder of the decade in “General Electric Theater”, “This Is Your Life”,
“Hallmark Hall of Fame”, “The Little Drummer Boy” and
“The DuPont Show of the Week”, as well as repeated spots on “The Red Skelton
Show” and she was a regular on “Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In”.
She
continued in the same vain In the 70’s making “The Little Drummer Boy Book II” and "The Virginian" plus old favorites "Hallmark
Hall of Fame" and "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In" then the film
“That's Entertainment, Part II in 1976.
But
it was the 1978 TV film “Little Women” that marked the end of an era.
In
1975, Greer appeared at the Greer Garson Theatre at the College of Santa Fe in
“The Madwoman of Challiot” this would
prove to be her final stage performance.
She
made a couple more TV appearances firstly in “A Holiday Tribute to Radio City
Music Hall” in 1978 and the Perry Como Christmas show in
1979 but to all intents and purposes mainly due to her chronic heart
problems she had retired Spending her time at Forked Lightning Ranch in New
Mexico, near Santa Fe, she shared with her millionaire husband Buddy Fogelson.
In 1980 Greer suffered a minor stroke but just to show there was life in the old dog
yet she popped up again on TV guesting in three episodes of "The Love
Boat" in 1982
And then four years later she appeared in a television
documentary “Directed by William Wyler”.
Greer
would doubtless have done more if Buddy Fogelson had not been diagnosed with
Parkinson’s disease in 1982 and she declined all engagements to be by his
side.
Her
association with the Academy was not restricted to her seven best actress
nominations and the Oscar for "Mrs. Miniver"
On
the contrary she was always a popular choice to present awards.
In
1953 at The 25th Annual Academy Awards she presented
Best
Supporting Actor award then in 1961) it was Best Actor.
In
1962 she collected the Best Actress Award on behalf of Sophia Loren.
While
in 1965 it was back to presenting with the award for Best Costume Design.
As
the years went by she slipped further down the ladder and presented the Best
Art Direction and Set Decoration award in 1973 and again in 1978.
During
the years of her retirement she became a great campaigner on the environment
and was active in aid of various charities educational and cultural
institutions. Easter Seals, Christmas Seals, the Heart Fund and Cancer Crusades
of California to name but a few of her causes.
Greer
and her husband were devoted to wildlife protection and environmental preservation
and they donated more than 300 acres of land north of Santa Fe which became
part of the Pecos National Monument.
Buddy’s
health steadily deteriorated throughout the 80's.and Greer’s health was very
delicate and it was recommended by her doctor that the altitude of Santa Fe was
not helping her heart condition.
Apart
from the ranch in New Mexico they also had homes in Dallas and Los Angeles and
it was to their Dallas home that they moved to and it was where Buddy died on
December 1, 1987.
Greer
continued to administer the Fogelson fortune Following Buddy's death she gave
generously to various charities in Texas and New Mexico and The College of
Santa Fe and Buddy's alma mater, the Southern Methodist University in Dallas
were particularly favored.
Miss
Garson was recognized in 1987, by New Mexico Governor Garry Caruthers when she
was given the Governor's Award for Excellence and Achievement in the Arts.
The
original Oscar she had won for best actress in Mrs. Miniver 1942 was destroyed
in a fire at her home but the Academy later sent her a replacement.
The
Women's International Center bestowed the “Living Legacy Award” on her in 1990.
Greer
had to move into a suite at the Dallas Presbyterian Hospital, in 1992, where
she continued to see friends and family but where her health could be monitored
continually as her heart was very fragile.
Also
in 1992 a second Greer Garson Theatre was unveiled at the Southern Methodist
University in Dallas but sadly, Greer was unable to attend the dedication
ceremony due to her frail health.
In
1993, in acknowledgment of Miss Garson's distinction in public service, Queen
Elizabeth II recognized the English born actress by naming her Commander of the
Order of the British Empire.
Other
awards include for her contributions to the arts in Dallas the prestigious
TACA/Neiman Marcus Silver Cup.
She
also received four New York Film Critics' Awards and dozens more professional
honors.
Titian haired, English born, Greer Garson, One of most popular and successful leading
ladies of the 1940s who never gave a bad performance.
A
beautiful woman a great
actress blessed with the ability to rescue a mediocre script
just by appearing in them and whose
films are a joy to watch even today.
The
gracious and beautiful Greer projected
a persona of easy grace only surpassed by the friendliness and warmth of her
off screen personality, “The First Lady of the Screen”, died on April
6th, 1996 in Dallas of heart failure aged 92.
Greer
Garson’s papers and personal effects were donated to the Jake and Nancy Hamon
Library at the Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
At
The 69th Annual Academy Awards in 1997 Greer Garson was honored by a Memorial
Tribute.
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