GarboForever - A Man's Man - The lost cameo role

The film was a romantic drama starring William Haines and Josephine Dunn entitled A Man's Man. The scenario is worth noting because it is early evidence of Garbo's hypnotic effect on movie audiences. Remarkably, the story revolves around a young woman who imagines that she looks like Greta Garbo, and the man who fights to protect her from predators.

Gilbert and H. E. Edington had been in discussion with both Joseph and Nicholas Schenck, representing United Artists and Loew's Inc. respectively, regarding a new multimillion-dollar contract. A group of fans waits outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre for a glimpse of Garbo and Gilbert. A movie premiere is in progress. The crowd goes wild when the couple finally arrives in a limousine together. “And here comes Greta Garbo ... with John Gilbert!” Fred Niblo announces to radio listeners.

Niblo greets the couple and brings Garbo up to the microphone. “Hello, everybody!” her title card reads. “I'm very happy to speak to my friends of radioland –” Peggy, the naïve heroine played by Josephine Dunn, is ecstatic; she is so close to Garbo she can almost touch her. The would-be actress sneaks under the ropes separating the crowd and approaches John Gilbert. When Greta walks back to Jack, Peggy extends her hand and Garbo takes it. The fans surge forward.

Later on, Peggy tells her boyfriend (William Haines), “This has been the most perfect day of my life. Because I met Greta Garbo and John Gilbert.” Earlier treatments of the story had always put Gilbert's name first; the fans had come to see him and Greta Garbo was a bonus. By the time the film was released in 1929, Garbo took precedence.

A Man's Man - The lost cameo role
(USA 1929)
INTRODUCTION
The film included a short sequenz of Garbo, Gilbert and director Fred Niblo at a film premiere. It is not really a "Garbo" film but still many biographers and film historicans put this film into Garbo's Filmography. The sequence included in this movie was News-reel footage, filmed from the Flesh and the Devil movie premiere. The Flesh and the Devil movie premiere This comedy had the timely plot element of a girl (Josephine Dunn) who is obsessed with none other than Greta Garbo. She realizes her big ambition when she shakes hands with Garbo at a movie premiere.
ALTERNATE TITLE
Bancando o Trouxa (BRAZIL) Un Homme (France)
COMPANY
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
CREDITS
Directed by James Cruze. Produced by Harry Rapf (uncredited). Story adapted by Forrest Halsey, based on the play by Patrick Kearney. Titles by Joe Farnham. Photographed by Merritt B. Gerstad. Art Direction by Cedric Gibbons. Edited by George Hively. Wardrobe by David Cox.
TECHNICAL SPECS
80 minutes
CAST
William Haines – Mell Josephine Dunn - Peggy John Gilbert - himself Greta Garbo - herself Fred Niblo - himself
GARBO'S CHARACTER
Herself as Greta Garbo
SYNOPSIS
The film was a romantic drama starring William Haines and Josephine Dunn entitled A Man's Man. The scenario is worth noting because it is early evidence of Garbo's hypnotic effect on movie audiences. Remarkably, the story revolves around a young woman who imagines that she looks like Greta Garbo, and the man who fights to protect her from predators. Gilbert and H. E. Edington had been in discussion with both Joseph and Nicholas Schenck, representing United Artists and Loew's Inc. respectively, regarding a new multimillion-dollar contract. A group of fans waits outside Grauman's Chinese Theatre for a glimpse of Garbo and Gilbert. A movie premiere is in progress. The crowd goes wild when the couple finally arrives in a limousine together. “And here comes Greta Garbo ... with John Gilbert!” Fred Niblo announces to radio listeners. Niblo greets the couple and brings Garbo up to the microphone. “Hello, everybody!” her title card reads. “I'm very happy to speak to my friends of radioland –” Peggy, the naïve heroine played by Josephine Dunn, is ecstatic; she is so close to Garbo she can almost touch her. The would-be actress sneaks under the ropes separating the crowd and approaches John Gilbert. When Greta walks back to Jack, Peggy extends her hand and Garbo takes it. The fans surge forward. Later on, Peggy tells her boyfriend (William Haines), “This has been the most perfect day of my life. Because I met Greta Garbo and John Gilbert.” Earlier treatments of the story had always put Gilbert's name first; the fans had come to see him and Greta Garbo was a bonus. By the time the film was released in 1929, Garbo took precedence.
PREMIERED/RELEASED
Premiere Date: May 25, 1929 (Capitol Theatre in New York)
TRIVIA
This Film is believed to be “lost”. A short sequenz of Garbo ,Gilbert and director Fred Niblo at a film premiere. Greta had only a cameo.
BACKGROUND STORY Archieve footage or not?
It is not clear if A Man's man can be count as a "Garbo" film. Garbo and John Gilbert made a cameo appearance in this MGM production but it is not clear if their cameo was filmed especially for the film or if the producers used archive material from a filmed film premiere Garbo and Gilbert attended. The two most accurate Garbo books, Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy – by Mark A. Vieira and Garbo: Portraits From Her Private Collection – by Scott Reisfield & Robert Dance both state something different about this cameo and two versions of the background story exist.
The Garbo & Gilbert sequence
The sequence included was a movie premiere, with MGM co-opting newsreel footage taken in 1927 from the premiere of Flesh and the Devil . That event marked one of Garbo's rare public evenings out (which ended completely in 1929), as she had been convinced to come along by the extroverted Gilbert.
The Flesh and the Devil premiere
The premiere took place on February 3 in Hollywood, was also an occasion of reconciliation. After weeks of speculation about whether or not Gilbert and Garbo were still a team offscreen, the couple arrived at the gala opening together. Jack, having recovered from a recent automobile accident, flashed huge smiles for the newspaper and newsreel cameras as he put his arm protectively around Greta and entered the Forum Theatre; Garbo looked rapturous. After the show, they took their bows from the stage and were greeted with a tremendous ovation.
DVD/VHS
Not Available.
	SOURCE
	Greta Garbo: A Cinematic Legacy – by Mark A. Vieira (Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, New York 2005). This is the best and most accurate book about Garbo's-Films.
	OTHER SOURCES
	Karen Swenson – A life Apart Barry Paris – Garbo IMDB – International Movie Database plus many other books, magazines and internet sites.

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