Loving Garbo by Hugo Vickers

Author:Hugo Vickers [Hugo Vickers]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Random House
Published: 1995-03-02T05:00:00+00:00

Cecil monitored Garbo’s movements closely. He noted her departure from New York and presently her arrival in France. This was reported in the press. Garbo was wearing ‘a wool coat, shapeless slacks, and something that looked like bedroom slippers’.7 When a photographer approached them, she seized Schlee’s hat. She was too late to escape the photograph. Schlee looked startled.

Garbo and Schlee proceeded to Aix-les-Bains to take the waters. Here too the press were on to them. A journalist called Henriette Pierrot followed Garbo for several days and filed a report to Elle magazine about her stay. The whole operation was carried out like a wartime campaign. The journalist used an old carte d’identité describing her as an artist, and even took her paints to add verisimilitude. She booked into the same hotel and prised from the chambermaid the information that Garbo went to the Thermes each day to take the waters. Her vigil commenced.

At 9.30 a.m. she awaited Garbo’s possible arrival in the park. This occurred at 9.46, but she was too afraid to take a photograph. She secured her first one at 11.10 of Garbo and Schlee coming out of the Thermes, Garbo with hand in front of face. The journalist then pursued her like a fan, and asked permission to take a photo, but Schlee said in English: ‘It’s impossible, impossible.’8 Bravely she attempted some more snaps until a disapproving look from Schlee hastened her retreat.

The next day, differently disguised, the journalist took up her vigil in the garden once more. She even climbed a tree but was spotted by someone. There was no sign of Garbo there or anywhere else. The whole day passed in vain. On the third day she met another photographer who had enjoyed some success the previous week and obtained a good pose. They shared the stalking, and two successful snaps were taken soon after ten o’clock.

The journalist then set about trying to find out about Garbo’s lifestyle. This did not prove rewarding. The chambermaid said Garbo was very tidy, but did not read, smoke or speak. She always wore the same clothes, never took the lift and existed on a diet of vegetables with lemon and sugar. The journalist asked about autographs, and the chambermaid replied that Schlee refused to let her sign any: ‘It is he who decides that. She is basically kind. She always smiles, but she does not understand a word of French. So it is he who translates and gives the orders.’ The journalist concluded that Schlee was her ‘impresario, interpreter, secretary, body guard, and also probably washer and ironer’.9

In a letter to Garbo, Cecil remarked on the ‘great quaffs of evil tasting waters which will restore your Lordship to great well being’.10 Accompanied by David Herbert, he motored to Marseilles on 4 August on his way to Tangiers, regretting only the lost summer that Garbo could have shared with him. Shortly after he departed, a confused letter from Garbo arrived at Pelham Place. The gist of it was that she had been the victim of some strange occurrences and needed to get well quickly.

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