# Ideal Beauty: The Life and Times of Greta Garbo - Hardcover

by **Lois W. Banner** (Author)

One of the silver screen's greatest beauties, Greta Garbo was also one of its most profound enigmas. A star in both silent pictures and talkies, Garbo kept viewers riveted with understated performances that suggested deep melancholy and strong desires roiling just under the surface. And offscreen, the intensely private Garbo was perhaps even more mysterious and alluring, as her retirement from Hollywood at age thirty-six only fueled the public's fascination.

_Ideal Beauty_ reveals the woman behind the mystique, a woman who overcame an impoverished childhood to become a student at the Swedish Royal Dramatic Academy, an actress in European films, and ultimately a Hollywood star. Chronicling her tough negotiations with Louis B. Mayer at MGM, it shows how Garbo carved out enough power in Hollywood to craft a distinctly new feminist screen presence in films like _Queen Christina_. Banner draws on over ten years of in-depth archival research in Sweden, Germany, France, and the United States to demonstrate how, away from the camera's glare, Garbo's life was even more intriguing. _Ideal Beauty_ takes a fresh look at an icon who helped to define female beauty in the twentieth century and provides answers to much-debated questions about Garbo's childhood, sexuality, career, illnesses and breakdowns, and spiritual awakening.

### Author Biography

LOIS W. BANNER is a Professor Emerita of History at the University of Southern California. She was the first female president of the American Studies Association. Her many books include _Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox_ and _American Beauty_.

**Number of Pages:** 286

**Dimensions:** 1.18 x 9.37 x 6.14 IN

**Publication Date:** September 15, 2023

## Details

- **Price:** 34.95 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 34.95 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Ideal Beauty: The Life and Times of Greta Garbo - Hardcover

---

> Source: [Smart supply deals](https://smartsupplydeals.com/products/ideal-beauty-the-life-and-times-of-greta-garbo-hardcover)
> Updated: 2026-07-23