The Cuban lover of Greta Garbo A Santiago Cuban descent, born in New York, was the lover of Greta Garbo. It was also Marlene Dietrich and Isadora Duncan, two of the most prominent names in the long list of his relationships to spread its tentacles throughout the Hollywood stardom. Showed preference for actresses and writers. They could be young or old glories promises as Pola Negri, Rudolph Valentino's supposed girlfriend. Were tormenting her love affair with the actress Eva Le Gallienne, Basil's fiancee Rathbone, who became famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, and only the Russian ballerina Tamara Karsavina Plaronovna remained his friend once the passion. It was, say those who knew her, a captivating personality, jealous and possessive, a woman who never hid his sexual preference. "You can not get rid of it so quietly, has had two of the most important women in the United States: Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich," wrote the famous American writer Gertrude Stein to fellow writer Anita Loos. Mercedes de Acosta dabbled as a designer in the fashion world, published several poems and some other novel, written for the film and theater ... The literary and artistic fame and financial success they have always been elusive. Succeeded in his private life. Boasted of being able to snatch the woman to any man. And he succeeded. He was a Don Juan in reverse.
In a display of fine strategy, the fund was launched Garbo and an unexpected way at the time were circulated. Years before, since I first saw in the lobby of a hotel of Constantinople, he felt that this woman, looking distant and body of a goddess, had to be part of your life. I did not know who it was for sure. The looked so distinguished that he took for an exiled Russian princess, but the clerk of the establishment he said that although his name unknown, was a Swedish actress. Days later reunited in the street and Mercedes came to feel troubled by those eyes and not have the courage to address it.
"I weighed having to leave Constantinople without having spoken, but sometimes fate is kinder than we think maybe we can not escape our destiny," Mercedes wrote many years after those chance encounters, because luck is not delay in returning to them face to face. Occurred in 1931, Mercedes newcomer to Hollywood to begin his work as screenwriter. It was the Ukrainian actress Salka Viertel, Garbo's confidante and screenwriter some of his films, which insisted that the Swede had known and terms presented.
"When we shook hands and smiled at me I felt I had known all my life, in fact, in many previous incarnations," he wrote. The filing did not give much more possibilities, but it was enough for Mercedes to have a detail with the Garbo to join two women for three decades. The actress commented on the beautiful bracelet that looked the writer. Mercedes did not delay their response. He pulled out and extended to Garbo. He said: I bought in Berlin for you.
Here lies the heart
This story was Mercedes de Acosta in his memoirs. The New York published in 1960 under the title Here lies the heart. A relatively aseptic book, but supported by facts, which meant that many famous, anxious to keep secret their sexual preferences, you withdraw friendship. Eva Le Gallienne, in particular, was so furious that destroyed everything they kept as souvenirs of their old romance. Garbo was less explosive, but told in letters that did not want to talk ever. There are those who accused the author of lying and said he had fabricated stories to get fame. Specialists, however, do not share these views since many of the affair narrated in private letters are confirmed and not a few of them were once the talk of everyone in Hollywood, but film production companies prevented from reaching the media not to damage the reputation and careers of actors and actresses . Only Greta Garbo, Mercedes de Acosta donated to a museum in Philadelphia about 55 letters, with the requirement that were not published until after ten years of the death of the actress.
These letters, to the disappointment of those who like to rummage through dirty sheets and more if they are women, say less than expected. Although Mercedes calls Garbo "Honey," "Small", "Dear Boy", "Dear / a Sir / Madam "... lacks the explicit details of an affair, as if the actress, elusive to posterity, were calculated, says his biographer Karen Swenson, how to protect your privacy even after death. Discreet is also Mercedes de Acosta in his Herein lies the heart. There are few who say that Greta was the great love of his life. But it seems strange that the actress shared that sentiment with equal intensity. Weeks' vacation spent isolated in remote locations of the Sierra Nevada, which were followed by long periods in which there was little treatment for them and in which Garbo refused even met her. It was that relationship that the Swedish controlled at will, and everything went in her under his control. Mercedes and Salka, on the other hand, it would take to become rivals both in the heart of the actress as the privilege of writing their scripts. In the early 40's, Salka wins the battle. Mercedes out of the game and goes to live in New York. There will write the Garbo. But just to entrust certain tasks, such as slippers or entrust a particular dye. Fire and ash was left. Mercedes is going to live in Paris and has a new girlfriend, Poppy Kirk. With discretion and tact, Garbo then reproached the "Dear Boy" the new romance.
Salka Viertel, who were also in love affairs, a strategist at height had made a masterstroke: Mercedes made contact Marlene Dietrich. Marlene and Greta met in Germany in 1925, when - were the beginning of their careers-assumed roles in the street without joy, film director GW Pabst, on prostitution in Vienna during the First World War. In the film, Garbo, faint with hunger, falls into the arms of Marlene, the strokes so that the scene was deleted from the copies for commercial distribution of the film. Weeks later, both women lived a torrid romance in the German capital.
Swede went to live and work in Hollywood and when Marlene was presented with the same opportunity, both denied knowledge of before and barely tried to avoid his past was discovered. The silence became critical when the famous writer Erich Maria Remarque, the author of All Quiet on the front, which held a stormy relationship with Marlene, became entangled with Garbo. Marlene learned of the lapse, erupted in anger and jealousy dam, called the Swedish arrogant, selfish and untrustworthy woman, which deepened the gulf that separated them. Mercedes
's relationship with Marlene did not please the Garbo. 1944 corresponds to the last love poem that he dedicated writer, though it is said was in love with her until the last day of his life in 1968.
I want to be alone
Mercedes de Acosta was born on March 1, 1893. His father, whom she called El Soldado, Cuba had to leave because of his support for independence. Mother's side was related to the English ducal house of Alba. He spent his childhood in a big house in the most aristocratic of New York, close to that of Teddy Roosevelt and next to the British ambassador. A house full of books where, in a romantic, he lived with wealthy landowners, uncles and relatives twisted ruined. His family was prone to depression and suicide. Soldier depriving the ending of life and his death was a shock to the child while the mother was disappointed that at the birth of a boy waiting Mercedes, insisted dress and treat it as such and given the name of Rafael. On one occasion, a boy next door called "little woman" and Mercedes suffered another trauma in finding their true condition. Mused his mother and then returned to call her name.
met Queen Marie of Romania, the French writer Anatole France, the sculptor Rodin ... The composer Igor Stravinsky was his intimate friend. One of his sisters would become an important model. Mercedes had a talent for acting, but not bow to the scene.
A girl in her condition needed social marriage. His mother, concerned as much by the celibacy of the daughter as for the money that he vanished, he thought the painter Abram Poole, handsome, rich, famous and spoiled by his four sisters, would be a good match. A Mercedes is not disliked, but was quick to make clear that the marriage would not change their way of life and predilections, of which Poole was conscious. He married in gray and spent their wedding night at home mother, hugging her mother. Would divorce in 1935, after fifteen years of marriage, when the Mercedes relationship with Greta Garbo was at its climax. Mercedes longed
screenwriting. Someone recommended the KRO and producer contracted to undertake the script of a film Pola Negri. Hollywood knocking on his door and the job offer closer to Greta Garbo. The comment that Sweden was not a lesbian, but I could be, did you assume that it was not because others had failed. She would not fail. Garbo would get if you kept putting one foot in the door. There was one drawback: Salka Viertel was the guardian of the door.
Mercedes de Acosta died in New York, ignored and poor. Sweden's long survived her. In his sixteen years in Hollywood, Greta Garbo filmed 24 films, fourteen of them shot with sound. Never signed autographs, attended premieres or letters answered fans, customs that remained after his early retirement in 1942 at age 36. His phrase "I want to be alone" identified it as a brand, isolation did not stop him being a bold investor, able to multiply more than their capital, estimated at the time of his death at age 84, at 285 million dollars, and he bequeathed to a niece and sole heir.
During his last years he spent in Paris, their output is limited to the Luxembourg park. Was busy feeding the pigeons and watching children play. Never allowed to be photographed so that fans would not notice the process of aging that deteriorated the enigmatic face which fascinated a time.
Source: Breaking the Silence
0 comments:
Post a Comment