GREER GARSON C.B.E. - 29th September 1903 - April 6th, 1996

 

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 29^th 1903 in London, England.

 

So Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson was born in London, on September 29^th 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 28^th 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”.

Still in 1939, In order to capitalize of the success of Goodbye Mr. Chips and Greer Garson’s popularity MGM hastily cast her opposite Robert Taylor and Lew Ayres in a romantic comedy called “Remember?” And turned out to be a film people would rather forget and the film was a flop.

 

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 24^th 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 15^th 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 6^th, 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.