Is this relly true about Greta Garbo? (1 Viewer)

[Junior_V]

Women Of Affairs
Two-Faced Woman
Mata Hari (Uncensored)

http://www.beepworld.de/members12/garbofan/neues.htm

 

[WadeM]

I consider Mata Hari as one of Greta's best. If it is true, then that's great news! It doesn't make sense that it wouldn't be true, but it makes me wonder why Warners wouldn't have known about this back in 2005 when they released it on DVD.

 

[Mike Frezon]

I'm kinda excited about the Greta Garbo hermit cookies (recipe at above link)!

 

[Richard M S]

I am really excited about the alternative verions of both Mata Hari and Two-Faced Women, if both indeed are true. The scenes cut from Mata Hari were considered to be daring and quite memorable, according to the well-researched biography that was published a few years ago of Ramon Novarro (Garbo's Mata Hari co-star) .

I just hope we do not have to wait until 2009 for the release.

 

[Corey]

I hope this is true. I had no idea an uncesored version even existed until last week. ditto for two-faced woman. i hope the rumor of susan lenox in gable vol 2 is true too.

 

[Nakis]

Hello

Regarding these Garbo films just a couple of things.
First, the uncensored versions of "Mata Hari" and "Two faced Woman" do exist indeed since I had the great luck to see them. I watched "Mata Hari" back in May 2005 at the Brussels Cinémathèque during a major retrospective for Garbo's centenary. The print I watched belonged to the Brussels Cinémathèque (it was shown with French and Dutch subtitles) and contained several scenes not included in the widely circulated version of "Mata Hari" that we have today on DVD and shown on TCM. The same goes with "Two faced Woman" which I watched in Lonfon at the NFT in 2004 during a Cukor retrospective.
Now, I have contacted various people to signal this and one responded. Mark Vieira who wrote the wonderful book on Garbo in 2005, who really expressed an interest. He confirmed from my description that the "Mata Hari" was indeed a most rare print. As for "Two Faced Woman" it seems that Turner have a print in their archives but for some strange reason they do not exploide it. Vieira has contacted Mr Feltenstein at Warner Bros with all the necessary information and is hoping that something will be done about these rare prints (that they will be released restored on DVD, especially "Mata Hari"). Up to now, we only have the confirmation that Mr Feltenstein is aware of the whole situation and that they will further examine the issue and see what they can do about it. However, to my knowledge there is still no official confirmation that they will issue these films on DVD (we are strongly hoping that they will and I am certain that Mr Vieira will do the best he can so that this will come true, but of course there is no garanty it is really up to the studio (Warner Bros). I hope this makes things more clear.

 

[Steve...O]

Thanks for the info on these films. What was in these scenes that caused them to be "censored"? Or is it a case where the scene just was cut after previews and left on the cutting room floor?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[WadeM]

Great! I'm glad Mr Feltenstein is aware of this. Thanks for the info.

 

[Nakis]

Hello again


You probably are familiar with the TCM version of « Mata Hari » which was released as well on VHS and on DVD as part of the « Greta Garbo signature collection ». I have read on various books how the film was a victim of censorship since it was re-released in 1939 I think and since the code Hays was at its peak at that moment they censored a couple of scenes (all the sensual scenes) , including the one which follows after the first seduction scene of "Mata Hari" when she draws the curtains, we see Novaro left behind and hesitate and then we see that wonderful close up of Garbo with the orchids. Well in this version (I believe it must be a copy of the Cinematheque of Brussels), we see the scene that follows, where Garbo changes into a most revealing negligee (you see that in a photo in Mark Viera’s book on Garbo) and we see a wonderful love scene. There was also another scene included in the copy I saw in Brussels which follows the celebrated scene where Garbo tells Novarro to put out the light (the Madonna) and Novarro obeys. After the light goes out, there is a fade out in the well known version, but in this one, there is much more. We see a wonderful close up of Garbo, the two lovers embrace and Novarro micks her up in his arms and carries her (lucky man) to his room.
It was with total amazement that I discovered also that Mata Hari's dance scene at the beginning is much longer than in the version most of us dispose. That is in the version shown by TCM she moves a bit, then we have a few close ups of her as she goes towards the statue of Shiva, then she kneels down and then applause. Well not in this one, the dance goes on and on, most revealing as Garbo wontinues in a frenetic dance to approach the statue of Shiva in such a suggestive way, that she seems to imply that she actually makes love with it and the last shot she takes the top off and we see her from behind topless.

As for "Two Faced Woman" when it first came out, the code Hays, censors, Catjolic church and various organizations protested accusing the film (and Garbo) of immorality, so MGM had to reshoot various scenes. The end result is quite different, since in the widely circulated TCM version Melvyn Douglas is well aware of the game Garbo is playing as her "twin" sister almost right after her arrival in New York (at the nightclub scene) thanks to the telephone scene which was added (and which Cukor refused to direct). Here is a description of the main differences:

« Two-Faced Woman »
- The first difference is visible in the scene after Larry (M.Douglas) and Karen (G.Garbo) got married.
They return to their chalet where they find Ronald Young and Ruth Gordon. Then we see the famous screaming scene of Griselda and Larry goes up to the room to join his wife.
When she asks for her pajamas, this scene is slightly different.In the uncensored version we see her hand suggestively coming out of the bathroom to pick up the top form of her pajamas.
- The second and more important significant difference occurs after Karen appears in New York where Miss Elli (R.Gordon) is advising Karen (Garbo) how to look more glamorous. Karren goes to
o the Broadway theater to surprise her husband and finds him with Griselda. When the rehearsal ends she actually sees them kissing from the paravan as they leave the theater (whereas in the censored version we do not see the kiss) and cries.
- There is no telephone scene of course where Larry at the nightclub scene calls Snow Lodge and finds out that his wife has left for New York.
- The confrontation scene in the powder room with Griselda (although the dialogues are pretty much the same is shot differently. Those are different shots and angles, the voice delivery is different, it was obviously re-shot for the censored version.
- The scene after the chica-choca when she goes with Douglas to her hotel room. The moment where she says : "Not even a sisterly kiss" . He approaches and says : "You are Karen ".
In the uncensored version, she says slyly : "You think so ? " and gives him a real sensual kiss which of course is missing from the censored version.
- In the same scene after she puts on her "serious" costume, Garbo is far more provocative (the way she lies down on the sofa, stretches her legs) it is really much more sensual and suggestive than in the censored version.Some of the lines are different, different close-ups etc, it was obvious that the scene was re-shot for the censored version and the same goes for Karen’s second visit at Larry’s apartment.
- The reunion scene at Snow Lodge between Garbo and Larry is very different. In the uncensored version we first see Douglas at the chalet actually rehearsing a speech of a break-up something like "Dear Karen, I think we made a mistake and must put and end to our marriage and so on" and then we see her and she is actually doing the same thing something like "Dear Larry our marriage was a mistake and we must put and end to it" it is really a wholly different scene concept. The two are there to admit that they made a mistake (he does not yet know that his wife is also the twin sister who has seduced him. Then he comes down and they end up sleeping together and it is only in the morning when he wakes up and she is still asleep that he sees her feet and realises that he is dealing with the same person.

 

[Richard M S]

Wow, Nakis, thanks for the detailed breakdown of the differences!

 

[WadeM]

It's going to seem like forever before we can see these, but thanks for the info!

 

[GarboForever]

Nakis is great ;-) we wrote a section and added pictures about it here on my GarboForever homepage.

See HERE: www.GarboForever.de.vu

 

[GarboForever]

The Susan lennox rumor is from early 2006.
A Gable Fan told me about it.I doubt that this will ahppen.Maybe it was planned.

 

[Charles Ellis]

Considering how L.B. Mayer and the Legion of Decency savaged the original artistic vision of Garbo, Cukor and screenwriter Salka Viertel, it's only fair that both versions of Two-Faced Woman be released in a special DVD package. The whole unhappy episode regarding the censorship of this film was a factor in Ms. Garbo's withdrawl from Hollywood. Something tells me once the pre-release cut becomes publicly available, the film's reputation as a career-ending flop will be changed quite a bit. Come on, Warner Bros.- do Garbo and Cukor justice the way Universal finally did Orson Welles with the DVD 'director's cut' of Touch of Evil!

P.S.- I'm also waiting for the silent Love with Garbo & Gilbert to r released on DVD!

 

[Nakis]

Thank you for your thoughtful insight on the subject. True, unfortunately the censors did play an important part in depriving us Garbo for doing more films after "Two Faced Woman". Having the opportunity to see both films "Mata Hari" and "Two Faced Woman" in uncensored prints, I can safely say that it makes all the difference to see them and appreciate them even more. The characters and motivations in these films as well as Garbo's divine and strange sensuality come out much more powerfully in the uncensored versions. Both films need to be re-evaluated by ciritcs and audiences alike.
Also very keen to see "Love" on DVD (it should have been included as a bonus in Garbo's "Anna Karenina" from her DVD signature collection). I do not quite understand how Warner Bros made us go through the experience as a "bonus" of Nazimova and her weird hairstyle in the silent "Camille" (1921) which was included as a bonus for Garbo's masterpiece "Camille" and did not think og including "Love" as a bonus for her "Anna Karenina".

 

[WadeM]

Thanks!

 

[GarboForever]

Your welcome ;-)

 

[GarboForever]

There were two more films restored, i heard, which are unreleased.
Coud be WOMAN OF AFFAIRS and PAINTED VEIL (Or Susan Lennox)

Also it wasn´t planned to release them in a box at all.It was planned to realease tehm seperatly from 2003 onwards, i heard.

Don´t if its true though.

 

[GarboForever]

I belive, i truly belive that TFW will come out in 2010.
This , with the right marketing, could be a seller.

A double DVD with a great docu and maybe the full screentests.


Here is a picture from a deleted scene from TFW:


Katherine Borg, back at the Snow Lodge.
More Infos HERE !

 

[GarboForever]

Greta Garbo UNCENSORED Versions MATA HARI and TWO-FACED WOMAN

THE PETITION

http://www.petitiononline.com/GarboDVD/petition.html

Please sign the petition.Its os important! This truyl helps us!