Romance

Elliottt Nugent wants to marry an actress and mama is very disapproving. She sends him to speak with her father, Bishop Gavin Gordon. When Nugent tells him he's too old to remember being young and in love, Gordon tells him of when he was 28 and in love with Greta Garbo, who was an opera singer (Gasp!).

Now that they had her talking, MGM wasted no time putting Garbo in this sentimental movie in which she's the kept woman of Lewis Stone with her best American director, Clarence Brown, and her preferred cinematographer, William H. Daniels. Miss Garbo's character is not as scorchin' as she had been in the silent era, but she is particularly lovely, especially in the final shot. It should be pre-code piffle, a story about a bad woman who done right in the end, but somehow it doesn't affect me that way. "It's Garbo" is the only explanation.

"Romance" is the story of a love that cannot last between a world famous opera singer, Rita (Greta Garbo), and a rector (a preacher), Tom (Gavin Gordon). They fall in love but their lives are too different...and she has a past. This past the film never says, but you can only assume this implies she was promiscuous and was probably Cornelius' (Lewis Stone) mistress.

I am going to say something very shocking to many readers. Although Greta Garbo is considered one of the screen's greatest artists, I cannot understand this...especially as I watched "Romance". "Romance" is a lovely film in many ways, but Garbo is the problem with the picture. Her acting just seems so dated and over the top. While it played well in 1930, here in 2021 she seems almost ridiculous in her overacting. Additionally, her accent is just bizarre...and captions really would have helped to make her understandable.

It is a real shame, as in many other ways the film is quite lovely and has the glossy MGM look. Some fine acting by the rest of the cast, lovely music and nice cinematography...it's a pretty and sentimental film but one that just didn't work for me due to Garbo's odd acting style.

Although Greta Garbo in her 17 year-long Hollywood career (1925-1941) made 7 movies with the director Clarence Brown, the ones that have remained popular till our modern era of technical effects and shallow actions are only three: FLESH AND THE DEVIL (1926), ANNA Christie (1930) and ANNA KARENINA (1935). Indeed, those movies deserve appreciation since each of them carries something special deeply associated with certain moments in both MGM's history and Garbo's career. Yet, the early talkie that Garbo made soon after her introduction to sound is almost a forgotten, yet a very beautiful movie, ROMANCE (1930).

It is a film loosely based on the life of the opera singer Lina Cavalieri (1874-1944), a film in which, perhaps, not much happens, yet the one that warmed my heart on a frosty winter day. It offers everything that may be considered subtle, genuine, touching and beautiful, everything that may supply us with an affectionate journey into the old days of cinema when the cast were a true elite of artists.

Garbo was Oscar nominated for this role in 1930 along with her role of Anna Christie, but, unfortunately lost to Norma Shearer, another female star of the time whose role in "The Divorcée" occurred to be a smashing success. As an opera diva, Signora Cavallini, you may find Garbo a bit unconvincing due to her looks that purely stress a beautiful gentle woman than a "well built" opera singer. Although Signora Cavalieri might have been an exception from the stereotype, Garbo is the least convincing as opera diva. Besides, for some people, she may occur a bit overemotional due to her lines being said with the utmost dramatization. Therefore, when you look at those certain flaws and inaccuracies, one would expect a failure rather than a success. However, that was never the case with great Greta!

When you watch Garbo carefully and trust her as a viewer, you will experience something wonderful that only Garbo had. She knew the very moment when to call viewers' attention, when to change the mood and highlight desirable emotions and you get rid of all possible doubts. What is left is a pure admiration. This skill that Garbo had is something that still touches us and proves the fact that her acting was something of a genius, something you never get bored with. She had that combination of dignity and a very humane, affectionate attitude. If you decide to see ROMANCE, pay attention to the growing feelings and changing emotions that Garbo beautifully depicts. Also, her witty moments with a pet monkey and the final moment when she stands upright at the fireplace are an absolute must see. It is possible to express with words only to a certain degree but you will never describe her unless you see her. The Garbo we find here is also a great job by cinematographer William Daniels who photographed the Swedish beauty as no one else could have ever done and the subtle direction by Clarence Brown, Garbo's favorite director. It is important to state here that these were the people, except for Salka Viertel of course, whom Garbo really trusted.

Garbo's leading man is, for the only time, Gordon Gavin. He is not bad as bishop Tom Armstrong who opens a little box with a perfume of romance before a young inexperienced man, Harry, who seeks advice in a desperate situation. The scenes of Gavin and Garbo are quite stagy, there is hardly any chemistry between them; yet some moments are worth attention. For instance, don't skip the sentimental moment when Tom shows Rita the souvenirs from his childhood days that his mother kept and cherished so much. This affectionate kiss...it was for the sweet boy in the picture, not for Tom... Sweet as it may seem, the both characters have something timeless in common: both of them find the first and true love and are so grateful to each other.

I think that a mention should be made of an exceptional actor, such a characteristic mainstay in Garbo's films, Lewis Stone. Again, he does a splendid job here as Cornelius, an elegant 51 year-old man who appears to be so experienced, who seems to have lived his life and thinks that life is so simple when one is 28... How practical he appears to be when he leaves Rita with no other choice: either Tom's happiness or heartbreak. Terrific portrayal!

ROMANCE is an underrated must see as yet another example of how charming the cinema was in the good old days. Don't lose it, dear viewer, whoever you are and whatever your movie preferences are. ROMANCE is something that can warm your heart, make your day as a story of the greatest thing in the world with the greatest queen of MGM. Don't lose it for you'll not regret.

Romance (1930)

** (out of 4)

An Italian opera diva (Greta Garbo) with a troubled past falls in love with a priest (Gavin Gordon). Like many early sound films this one here talks and talks and talks but sadly most of the talk isn't very interesting. Garbo is very good in her role, although it's a bit hard to believe her as an opera star. Gordon on the other hand is fairly weak and it's a shame Garbo couldn't get Gary Cooper like she wanted. The ending is so incredibly bad you can't help but laughs but hey, there's Garbo.

Inspiration (1931)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

A beautiful model (Greta Garbo) begins dating a good, shy guy (Robert Montgomery) but things hit hard times when he learns of her rather sluttish past. Once again Garbo is quite good and Montgomery is strong but the story lets both of them down. Things start off quite nice and move well but at the 45-minute mark things just fall apart because the story keeps repeating itself. He forgives her, learns something else, hates her, forgives her, learns something else and hates her again. A nice ending almost saves the film but not quite.

Cornelius Van Tuyl (Lewis Stone) is having a soiree, and in attendance is his mistress, the opera star Rita Cavallini (Greta Garbo). Also in attendance is the 28 year-old rector of his church, Tom Armstrong (Gavin Gordon). Tom does not know what Madame Cavallini looks like, so when he encounters her that night, alone, he does not know who she is, but he is immediately smitten. They begin to see each other and fall in love, but others are not exactly approving of the match.

How can Tom be courting Cavallini without betraying his friend Van Tuyl? Because one of the first conversations of the film is Van Tuyl telling Cavallini that he is an "old man" of 51 and that he has lived his life and that she should find a younger man. I realize that, today, for a 51 year old man to declare that he is in his dotage sounds ridiculous, but just go with it. This opens the door for the Tom/Cavallini pairing. But complications do ensue as these two - the rector and the opera star - come from very different worlds.

MGM had already debuted Garbo in a sound film, "Anna Christie", and it had been a success. So I guess they got a little careless the second time around, even though this film and Anna Christie had the same director, Clarence Brown, who definitely understood how to direct Garbo.

Among the problems - Garbo is hard to understand. It's not just the sound recording because Lewis Stone can be heard very clearly in the same conversation where Garbo's words are garbled. Also - I'm supposed to believe that Garbo chose Gavin Gordon's character over the distinguished Lewis Stone? I don't care how aged he says he is, Stone looks terrific. He always did. Gordon was probably picked because he had a good voice, and that counted for something in the first couple of years of talking film. But I just sense no chemistry between himself and Garbo.

Finally, the kinds of things that you could count on Golden Age MGM for, such as art design and cinematography, looks like they were skimped on here. I will say that for what is largely a drawing room drama it does not drag and kept my attention. Still, there is probably a 50/50 chance you would find this worth your while unless you are a Garbo completist.