The Divine Woman
Encyclopedia
The Divine Woman is an American silent film
directed by Victor Sjöström
and starring Greta Garbo
. Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, it was Garbo's fifth Hollywood film. Only a single nine-minute reel is currently known to exist of this otherwise lost film
.
, the plot is loosely based on stories of the early life of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt
. Marianne (Greta Garbo) is a poor French girl who goes to Paris in the 1860s to seek her fortune as an actress. As she rises to success in the theatre, she must choose between the romantic attentions of two men: Lucien (Lars Hanson), a passionate young army deserter who goes to jail after stealing a dress for her, and Henry Legrand (Lowell Sherman), a Paris producer who offers her fame and fortune.
. This film fragment has been released on DVD with a collection of Garbo films and broadcast on Turner Classic Movies
, with Russian subtitles translated into English. In this section, the film shows Marianne living in Paris in modest rooms. After briefly talking with Mme. Pigionier, Marianne is joined by Lucien. The two lovers share a few poignant minutes as the time approaches for him to return to the army.
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
directed by Victor Sjöström
Victor Sjöström
Victor Sjöström was a Swedish actor, screenwriter, and film director.- Biography:Born in Silbodal, in the Värmland region of Sweden, he was only a year old when his father, Olof Adolf Sjöström, moved the family to Brooklyn, New York. His mother died when he was seven years old in 1886...
and starring Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo
Greta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
. Produced and distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, it was Garbo's fifth Hollywood film. Only a single nine-minute reel is currently known to exist of this otherwise lost film
Lost film
A lost film is a feature film or short film that is no longer known to exist in studio archives, private collections or public archives such as the Library of Congress, where at least one copy of all American films are deposited and catalogued for copyright reasons...
.
Plot summary
Adapted from the 1925 play Starlight by Gladys Unger which starred Doris KeaneDoris Keane
Doris Keane was an American actress.She was born in the USA but educated largely in Europe.Her first professional role was in Whitewashing Julia in 1903. This was a small role but she went on to play leading roles in The Happy Marriage in 1909 and The Lights o' London in 1911.In 1913, she played...
, the plot is loosely based on stories of the early life of the French actress Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt
Sarah Bernhardt was a French stage and early film actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress the world has ever known". Bernhardt made her fame on the stages of France in the 1870s, and was soon in demand in Europe and the Americas...
. Marianne (Greta Garbo) is a poor French girl who goes to Paris in the 1860s to seek her fortune as an actress. As she rises to success in the theatre, she must choose between the romantic attentions of two men: Lucien (Lars Hanson), a passionate young army deserter who goes to jail after stealing a dress for her, and Henry Legrand (Lowell Sherman), a Paris producer who offers her fame and fortune.
Cast
- Greta GarboGreta GarboGreta Garbo , born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson, was a Swedish film actress. Garbo was an international star and icon during Hollywood's silent and classic periods. Many of Garbo's films were sensational hits, and all but three were profitable...
as Marianne - Lars HansonLars HansonLars Hanson was a Swedish film and stage actor, internationally mostly remembered for his motion picture roles during the silent film era.-Biography:...
as Lucien - Lowell ShermanLowell ShermanLowell Sherman was an American actor and film director....
as Henry Legrand - Polly MoranPolly MoranPolly Moran was an American actress and comedian.Born in Chicago, Illinois, Moran started out in vaudeville, and widely toured North America, as well as various other locations that included Europe and South Africa...
as Mme. Pigonier - Dorothy CummingDorothy CummingDorothy G. Cumming was an actress of the silent film era. She appeared in 39 American, English, and Australian films between 1915 and 1929, notably appearing as the Virgin Mary in Cecil B. DeMille's 1927 film The King of Kings and the jealous wife in Lillian Gish's 1928 The Wind. She also appeared...
as Mmme. Zizi Rouck, Marianne's Mother - Johnny Mack BrownJohnny Mack BrownJohnny Mack Brown was an All-American college football player and film actor originally billed as John Mack Brown at the height of his screen career.-Early life:...
as Jean Lery - Cesare GravinaCesare GravinaCesare Gravina was an Italian actor of the silent era. He appeared in 60 films between 1912 and 1929.He was born in Naples, Italy.-Selected filmography:* The Fatal Ring * Madame X...
as Gigi - Paulette DuvalPaulette DuvalPaulette Duval was a French dancer and actress of the silent film era and early sound motion pictures. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1900 and raised in France. She was considered one of the most beautiful women in Paris in the early twentieth century...
as Paulette - Jean De BriacJean De BriacJean De Briac was a French film actor. He appeared in 122 films between 1920 and 1962.He was born in France and died in Los Angeles, California.-Selected filmography:*Around the World in Eighteen Days...
as Stage Director
Existing reel
The one reel that exists from The Divine Woman (nine minutes) was discovered in 1993 at the Gosfilmofond, a film archive in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
. This film fragment has been released on DVD with a collection of Garbo films and broadcast on Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies is a movie-oriented cable television channel, owned by the Turner Broadcasting System subsidiary of Time Warner, featuring commercial-free classic movies, mostly from the Turner Entertainment and MGM, United Artists, RKO and Warner Bros. film libraries...
, with Russian subtitles translated into English. In this section, the film shows Marianne living in Paris in modest rooms. After briefly talking with Mme. Pigionier, Marianne is joined by Lucien. The two lovers share a few poignant minutes as the time approaches for him to return to the army.