Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson (September 29, 1904 – April 6, 1996) was a British and American actress and singer. Known for playing graceful, noble, and dignified women in period and war dramas, she quickly rose to popularity during the Golden Age of Hollywood. A top-star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios (MGM), Garson was among the most popular stars of the 1940s, becoming one of the highest paid actresses in the United States and Britain.
Garson began her professional acting career on the stage in England. In 1932, she made her debut with the Birmingham Repertory Theatre and soon established herself as a popular ingénue and leading lady in London’s West End. She performed in various plays, including a production with Laurence Olivier, and even appeared in some of the earliest television broadcasts for the BBC in the late 1930s.
In 1937, Louis B. Mayer, the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), saw her performance in a play called Old Music while in London. Impressed, he signed her to a contract with the studio. After arriving in Hollywood, Garson spent over a year waiting for a role that MGM deemed worthy of her. This period was reportedly discouraging for her, and she nearly had her contract terminated.
Garson’s first film role came in 1939, when she was sent back to England to film Goodbye, Mr. Chips. Her performance as Katherine Chipping, the charming wife of a beloved schoolteacher, was a critical and popular success. The role earned her an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, launching her career and setting the stage for her stardom in the 1940s.
She also appeared in the film Remember? (1939) at the end of the decade, solidifying her place as a new face in Hollywood.
The 1930s were crucial for Greer Garson, as they marked the transition from a well-regarded British stage actress to a rising star in the Hollywood studio system, all thanks to her acclaimed film debut at the very end of the decade.
Leave a Reply