Garbo Talks (1984)

Director:

Sidney Lumet

Writer:

Larry Grusin (written by)

Release Date:

12 October 1984 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Sometimes you can catch a star...

Plot:

The son of a woman dying of a brain tumour tries to fulfil his mother's last wish - to meet Greta Garbo.

Plot Keywords:

Jail | Actress | Brain Tumor | Office | Animated Title Sequence

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Anne Bancroft	...	Estelle Rolfe
Ron Silver	...	Gilbert Rolfe
Carrie Fisher	...	Lisa Rolfe
Catherine Hicks	...	Jane Mortimer
Steven Hill	...	Walter Rolfe
Howard Da Silva	...	Angelo Dokakis
Dorothy Loudon	...	Sonya Apollinar
Harvey Fierstein	...	Bernie Whitlock
Hermione Gingold	...	Elizabeth Rennick
Richard B. Shull	...	Shepard Plotkin
Michael Lombard	...	Mr. Morganelli
Ed Crowley	...	Mr. Goldhammer
Alice Spivak	...	Claire Rolfe
Maurice Sterman	...	Dr. Cohen
Antonia Rey	...	Puerto Rican Nurse
Court Miller	...	'Romeo and Juliet' Director
Denny Dillon	...	Elaine
Karen Shallo	...	Harriet
Max Alexander	...	Roger Kellerman (as Maxwell Alexander)
Maxwell Alexander	...	Roger Kellerman
Peter Gumeny	...	Arrest Officer
Stephen Burks	...	Black Officer
Tony DiBenedetto	...	Construction Worker #1
Burtt Harris	...	Construction Worker #2
Mervyn Nelson	...	Movie Shop Owner
John Ring	...	Garbo Doorman
Anne Gartlan	...	Garbo Maid
José Angel Santana	...	Sanchez / Orderly (as Jose Santana)
Jennifer Ogden	...	2nd Nurse (as Jennifer M. Ogden)
David Hammil	...	Ferry Conductor
Roderick Cook	...	Von Klammer
Mary McDonnell	...	Lady Capulet
Leila Danette	...	Augusta
Nadine Darling	...	Flea Market Saleslady #1
Joan DeMarrais	...	Flea Market Saleslady #2 (as Joan deMarrais)
Ethel Beatty	...	Lady in Jail
Adolph Green	...	Himself
Arthur Schlesinger Jr.	...	Himself
Didi D'Errico	...	Actor's Equity Receptionist
Harry Madsen	...	Delivery Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Van Kaplan	...	Photographer
Andrzej Bartkowiak	...	(uncredited)
Cy Coleman	...	Himself (uncredited)
Betty Comden	...	Garbo (uncredited)
Greta Garbo	...	Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Michael Musto	...	Himself (uncredited)
Charles Pendelton	...	Construction Worker (uncredited)
George Plimpton	...	Himself (uncredited)
Sharon Porter-Phillips	...	(uncredited)
Stephen M. Silverman	...	Himself - journalist at Museum of Modern Art (uncredited)
Liz Smith	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Sidney Lumet

Writing credits
Larry Grusin		(written by)

Produced by
Burtt Harris	....	producer
Elliott Kastner	....	producer
Jennifer Ogden	....	associate producer (as Jennifer M. Ogden)

Original Music by
Cy Coleman

Cinematography by
Andrzej Bartkowiak		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Andrew Mondshein

Production Design by
Philip Rosenberg

Set Decoration by
Philip Smith

Costume Design by
Anna Hill Johnstone

Makeup Department
Joseph Cranzano	....	makeup artist (as Joe Cranzano)
Bob Grimaldi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Jennifer Ogden	....	unit production manager (as Jennifer M. Ogden)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alan Hopkins	....	second assistant director
Jay Tobias	....	dga trainee
Robert E. Warren	....	second assistant director

Art Department
John Oates Jr.	....	set dresser
Richard A. Ventre	....	master scenic artist
Joan Winters	....	graphic designer

Sound Department
Paul Coombe	....	sound recording mixer
Marko A. Costanzo	....	foley artist
Lee Dichter	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Gilroy	....	apprentice sound editor
Robert Hein	....	sound editor (as Bob Hein)
Marc Laub	....	supervising sound editor
Harry Peck Bolles	....	sound editor
James Sabat	....	sound mixer
Louis Sabat	....	boom operator

Camera and Electrical Department
Kerry Hayes	....	still photographer
Tom Kerwick	....	grip
Richard C. Kratina	....	camera operator (as Richard Kratina)
Billy Miller	....	key grip
Gary Muller	....	assistant camera
Hank Muller	....	assistant camera
Dusty Wallace	....	chief electrician

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Mark Burchard	....	wardrobe
Marilyn Putnam	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Sam Adelman	....	second assistant editor
Dennis McNeill	....	color timer

Music Department
Michael Farrow	....	music recording engineer (as Mike Farrow)
Walt Levinsky	....	conductor
Sonny Kompanek	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Sarah Carson	....	production office coordinator
Susan Metzger	....	unit publicist (as Susan Brockman Metzger)
Sandy Nelson	....	location coordinator
Martha Pinson	....	script supervisor
Michael Sporn	....	title designer
Chris Stoia	....	location coordinator
Mike Tremont	....	stand-in: Ron Silver (uncredited)

Production Companies

• United Artists

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• MGM/UA Entertainment Company (1984) (USA) (theatrical)
• ILC Prime (2003) (UK) (DVD)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (2011) (USA) (DVD) (DVD-R)

Other Companies

• Joy Todd Casting  casting
• Lightflex America Inc.  
• Madison Square Garden Network  New York Knicks footage courtesy of
• Metrocolor  prints
• Michael Sporn Animation  animation
• Michael Sporn Animation  titles
• Museum of Modern Art, The (MoMA)  this motion picture was filmed in New York with the cooperation of:
• New York City Mayor's Office of Film, Theater & Broadcasting, The  this motion picture was filmed in New York with the cooperation of:
• New York Convention Center Development Corporation, The  this motion picture was filmed in New York with the cooperation of:
• New York Police Department Motion Picture Unit  this motion picture was filmed in New York with the cooperation of (as The Police TV & Movie Unit)
• Panavision  panaflex camera and lenses by
• Trans World Airlines (TWA)  this motion picture was filmed in New York with the cooperation of

Also Known As:

"Garbo Talks!" - UK
"À la recherche de Garbo" - Canada (French title), France
"Buscando a Greta" - Peru (imdb display title), Spain
"És megszólal Garbo" - Hungary (imdb display title)
"Die Göttliche" - West Germany
"Garbo mówi" - Poland
"Garbo puhuu" - Finland (TV title)
"Jagten på Garbo" - Denmark
"La Garbo dice" - Italy
"Perimenontas tin Garbo" - Greece (transliterated ISO-LATIN-1 title)

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:L | USA:PG-13 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Fire Island, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

United Artists

Trivia:

This is the last film project for Howard Da Silva.

Goofs:

Continuity: The construction worker (Mr. Electric Tongue!) has his pop can in his right hand and a sandwich in his left. In the next shot, they are each in the other hands.

Quotes:

Estelle Rolfe:If your head's in the toilet, don't blow bubbles.

Movie Connections:

References Mata Hari (1931)

Bad title (how about "Looking for Garbo"?), good movie

Ron Silver's decision to try and grant his dying mother's wish to meet Greta Garbo becomes an all-consuming obsession in "Garbo Talks" (***1/2). This unusual story touches upon a theme that is seldom explored with much depth in films: the effect the movies or a particular star may have on our entire lives. How many of us have had the experience of watching a golden oldie that evokes a vivid memory of where we were and what our lives were like the very first time we saw it? Most of us, I'll bet. This thought is crystallized in the funny and touching monologue Anne Bancroft delivers in her hospital bed to her idol as she tells Garbo what her films have meant to her during key moments of her life. Ron Silver is effectively low-key as Bancroft's devoted son, and the telling cameos contributed by a great supporting cast playing assorted New York oddballs he meets during his odyssey are a special bonus (Hermione Gingold is a rare hoot). There are a few gaps that could probably have been filled in better between the vignettes (I would have been curious to know how Silver spent his night on Fire Island after missing the last ferry boat), but all-in-all this is a wonderful little sleeper. Those who are tuned into it will know what I mean.