Pre-glamour Greta Garbo

The picture above is obviously Greta Garbo after her Hollywood make over. But how did she look as a curvaceous Greta Gustafsson appearing in Swedish commercials, early 1920's? The answer to that is to be found in the archives of Swedish Television.

If you have trouble recognizing her among the other models, she is the one with eyebrows painted with a piece of charcoal. Hideous. Sometimes a physical make over half a world away, obviously, can bring out the inner beauty of the Scandinavian womanhood.

In this 2:45 long (or short) clip, we see Greta "Garbo" Gustafsson in three different milieus: As a fashion model for the brand PUB, at the terrace of the Strand Hotel and at a picnic in the sweet green grass of the North.

The clip is silent, so you can always hum "Yes, We Have No Bananas" to yourself to liven it up a bit.

And yes: the Swedish word for "The End" really is "Slut"... It has amused many an international audience since the beginning of time. Or the beginning of  Swedish film, that is.

Basil Rathbone - a sellout?

As I've stated earlier, Basil Rathbone by the end of his career signed up for roles in films he was not particularly proud of later. The answer is supposed to be found in his wife Ouida's expensive taste in living that exceeded their income, and made Basil take whatever roles he could get.

I am a little sceptical, though, to put the blame entirely on Ouida. I can't imagine Basil did. From the look on their devoted marriage I can't really fit egoism into that picture. What wife would force his husband to work with something he really he detested?

I think a lot can be answered with Basil's sence of humour and will to work with variable roles. And if you take a look in film history - what kind of films were popular in the 1950's and 1960's? It was not Shakespeare and melodramas that attracted the attention of the every day audience, it was horror films. And it was in horror films you could get the parts. Therefore - The Black Sleep (1954), The Magic Sword (1962), Tales of Terror (1962) and Queen of Blood (1964). The title of The Comedy of Terrors (1964) is saying plenty of the serious intentions of that film.

Basil did not only appear in doubtful horror and fantasy films in his late career. Something that is shown all through his career is the commercials. Beer commercials, cigarette commercials... you name it. No, I name it. I'll post a lot of commercial photos after this bore of an entry...

What I want to say is - how can you blame a person making a lot of money and getting free beer and cigarettes by promoting a few brands? I sure as hell would do it, and it would keep me busy between the Shakespeare and Sherlock Holmes characterizations.
If you didn't see the stylish Leisy Beer commercial on TV (included it in my original Basil Rathbone post), you can watch it in YouTube here.

Chesterfield Cigarettes commercial with yours truly - Sherlock Holmes!
"Yes! it's Elementary"

Turkish long cigarettes - Rathbone smokes Fatima!

Even Sherlock Holmes fancy Gin Fizzes!

Basil Rathbone for Schaefer Beer.

Walker's DeLuxe - elegant is taste. Best of the straight bourbons!

So... what can one do commercials about, if not alcohol or tobacco? Let's see what Mr. Rathbone figured out... (just click on them to see a bigger picture)

Skippy peanut butter!

Aluminum utensils...

Calox toothpaste.

Personna precision blades - click on it and read the ad, it is wonderful!

Calgonite.

Van Heusen Century shirts - won't wrinkle... ever!

Shredded wheat...? You don't see too many commercials on that nowadays.

Stratford pens, anyone?

And the Swing King. I want one! They look comfy...