Legendary Actress Greta Garbo to Appear on Dual Stamp Issuances: USA and Sweden

Legendary Actress Greta Garbo to Appear on Dual Stamp Issuances: USA and Sweden

Limited New York Release Friday Marks First Day of Issue

U.S. Stamp Available Nationwide Saturday

NEW YORK, Sept. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Postal Service joins Sweden Post for joint stamp issuances commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of legendary film actress Greta Garbo on Friday, September 23, at Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave (between 37th & 38th) in Manhattan. The brief 11:00 a.m. ceremony celebrates Garbo, one of the greatest movie stars, also known for her beauty, artistry, and sensuality, which continue to resonate with film audiences. The event is free and open to the public.

Both the United States and Sweden will issue "First Day" stamps. The single U.S. design is an elegant black-and-white image of Garbo made during the filming of "As You Desire Me" (1932). Sweden will issue two stamps. The first is a similar design to the U.S. The second is a graphic depiction of the actress.

The U.S. stamp will be available only in New York on Friday, and will be released nationwide on Saturday, September 24. The Sweden Post stamps will be available at the New York event.

Born Greta Lovisa Gustafson on September 18, 1905, in Stockholm, Sweden, Greta Garbo would overcome her modest background to pursue her dream of becoming an acclaimed actress. European film critics praised her as "a soul- revealing Nordic princess." In July 1925, Garbo arrived in America with a contract to star in MGM films. She was nineteen years old.

With the very first of her 26 Hollywood films for MGM, The Torrent (1926), Garbo proved a sensation. Beautiful and mysterious, she often played weary women of the world who found themselves in tragic relationships. Death, or at least bitter disappointment, usually followed, while enthralled audiences flocked to the theaters to watch.

Throughout most of her screen career, Garbo pressured her studio bosses for greater artistic control over her films and career. She refused to cooperate in publicity stunts or to give interviews. When her films' sold-out engagements demonstrated her value at the box office, Garbo fought a long hard battle for higher compensation that was in line with her talent and popularity. By the 1930s, her salary had soared to about $250,000 per film.

Among Garbo's finest films are Queen Christina (1933), Anna Karenina (1935), Camille (1936), and the comedy Ninotchka (1939). Twice Garbo won the New York Film Critics Award for Best Actress. She also received four Academy Award nominations.

In 1955, four years after becoming a U.S. citizen, Garbo received a special Oscar for "her unforgettable screen performances." She died in her adopted hometown of New York City on April 15, 1990.

Source: The U.S. Postal Service

CONTACT: Pat McGovern of The U.S. Postal Service, +1-212-330-3167

Web site: http://www.usps.com/

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