Country: USA
Release Date: 9 January 1927 (USA)
Director: Clarence Brown
Stars: John Gilbert, Greta Garbo and Lars Hanson
Leo and Ulrich are life long friends. Home, on leave from their military training, Leo sees the beautiful Felicitas at the railroad station. Awed by her beauty, they meet again at the ball and quietly leave together. In her room, her husband, about whom she has neglected to inform Leo, comes in and challenges Leo to a duel. The duel is done, the Count is killed, and Felicitas is a widow. Leo, however, is 'requested' to serve 5 years in Africa and he tells Ulrich to watch over Felicitas while he is gone. After 3 years, Ulrich is able to get a pardon for Leo, and all that Leo thinks about on the way home is Felicitas. When he arrives, he learns that Felicitas has married Ulrich. Felicitas likes that Ulrich is rich and she never told Ulrich the truth about Leo and her. Leo is crushed and does not visit them which saddens Ulrich as he does not know the reason why. Leo tries to stay away from her...
The first scene between John Gilbert and Greta Garbo, in the train station, was also the first time Gilbert every saw Garbo. He falls in love on camera, so completely in love that he never went back home to his wife.
According to Barry Paris's commentary on the 2005 DVD release, Garbo initially refused to do this film, which was scheduled for production immediately following her last picture, and also not long after the death of her sister from cancer. MGM sent her a sternly worded telegram, and she capitulated.
MGM denied Greta Garbo's request for bereavement leave to attend the funeral of her sister in Sweden. Garbo reluctantly continued production after rumors of deportation arose if she refused to work.
The film was such a commercial success for MGM Studios and such a breakout film for Greta Garbo, that she was considered 12% of the entire studio's value by 1927.
Director Clarence Brown was so overawed by the developing romance between Gilbert and Garbo that at the end of one particularly passionate scene he did not even call "cut," instead motioning the lighting and camera crews to stop filming. They withdrew from the set and, after a few hours, had dinner sent in.
Felicita's role was first conceived for Lillian Gish, but at the time she was getting $1 million per picture. The role was assigned to the recently-hired Greta Garbo, who was contracted at $450/week.
During the "cigarette lighting" scene in the garden, the "match" cupped in Leo's hand is actually a very small carbon arc lamp built for the scene - very hot, very dangerous, but providing a remarkable visual effect.
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