Garbo References Pop Culture

Can't Stop the Music (USA 1980)

Can't Stop the Music is a musical comedy film directed by Nancy Walker in 1980. It is a pseudo-biography of disco's Village People which bears only a vague resemblance to the actual story of the group's formation.

In one scene one charcter sais "She's the Garbo of music".

Thanks to Werner and Christoph

The Dreamers (England 2003)

This is a movie about teens who play mind games and sex games with each other and who also are obsessed with movies.It's situated in France in may 1968,during a very revolutionary time.

The Garbo reference refers to a scene where the girl, Isabelle, acts out a scene from Queen Christina. She touches objects in her bedroom as she wakes up and sais: “In the future, in my memory, I shall live a great deal in this room.”

 Thanks to Isaura and RubyRed

Black Book (Netherlands 2006)

In the dutch film Zwartboek (Black Book, Netherlands 2006), there is a scene were they mention Garbo.

The main character and another woman are in the bathroom and they are mentioning being a spy and one says "Oh like Greta Garbo in Mata Hari."

Thanks to Isaura

Charly Chaplin's The Great Dictator

The most haunting scene in Charles Chaplin's The Great Dictator (1939)  is the ‘globe ballet', in which Adenoid Hynkel cavorts choreographically with a balloon of the world.

Less remembered is the preceding scene between Chaplin and Henry Daniell as ‘Garbitsch', at the end of which the dictator dismisses his stooge with a line of unmistakable origins: "Leave me – I want to be alone."

The chuckle was at Garbo's expense, of course, at a time when the world had precious little to laugh about. "I don't think many people have seen Garbo cry, but I did," recalled Walter Reisch.

Wild Orchids (USA 1929)

Featured in:
Garbo (2005)
- excerpt in Garbo documentary

The Kiss (USA 1929)

Featured in:
Garbo (2005)
- excerpt in Garbo documentary

Anna Christie (USA 1930)

Featured in:
Without Lying Down: Frances Marion and the Power of Women in Hollywood (2000) TV

Garbo (2005)
- excerpt in Garbo documentary

Inspiration (USA 1931)

Featured in:
Complicated Women (2003) TV

Susan Lenox (USA 1931)

Referenced in:
What Price Hollywood? (1932)

Bombshell (1933)

Featured in:
MGM When the Lion Roars (1992) mini
- This documentary about MGM has a clip from this film

Clarke Gable: Tall, Dark and Handsome (1996)

Mata Hari (USA 1931)

Edited into:
Hollywood: The Dream Factory (1972)

TV Referenced in:
The Story of a Dress (1964)

Casino Royale (1967)

Garbo talks (1984)
- Anne Bancroft's character purchases, from a second-hand store, a still photograph taken from that movie

Sunny Side Up (1994)

Zwatboek (2006)
- Mentioned by Ronnie

Featured in:
Harriet the Spy (1996)

Greta Garbo: A Lone Star (2001) TV

Complicated Women (2003) TV

Grand Hotel (USA 1932)

Film is edited into:
Hollywood: The dream factory ( 1972) TV

Film is referenced:
A Night at the Opera (1935)

Candid Cameramaniacs (1937)

Polar Pals (1939)

Ninotchka (1939)

Double or Not scenes shown hing (1940)

Week-end at the Waldorf (1945)
- Chip recites lines from Grand Hotel to Irene, pretending that they're his, and Irene recognizes them and says,
  "That's 'Grand Hotel'!"

The Apartment (1960)

They Shoot Horses Don't They? (1969)  

Hitler-ein Film aus Deutschland (1978)
- There's a reference on a Grand Hotel in Berlin

Zelig (1983)

Mannequin (1987)

I Vant To be Alone (1988) TV
- title is a line from this movie

Kansas City (1996)

Mystery Science Theatre 3000: The deadly Manti s(9.4 ) (1997)
- Crow: Grand Hotel, please hold.

AFI's 100 years. 100 'Movie Quotes': The greatest lies from American Film (2005) TV

Lassie (2005)
- "I think she vants to be left alone."

Bobby (2006)

Film is featured:
Some of the Best (1943)
Some of the Best (1949)
- clip shown.

That's Entertainment part II (1976)

The 53rd Annual Academy Awards (1981) TV

MGM. Greatest moments: A Video Sampler (1987)TV

MGM: When the Lion Roars ( 1992) mini TV series

100 years at the Movies (1994)

Greta Garbo: a Lone Star (2001) TV

Joan Crawford: The Ultimate movie Star (2002) TV

The 75th Annual Academy Awards (2003 TV)

Complicated Women (2003) TV

Biography: The Barrymores (2004)
- The title card from this film is shown.

Irving Thalberg:The Prince of Hollywood (2005) TV
- scenes shown

AFI's 100 Years. 100 'Movie Quotes' The greatest Lines from American Film (2005) TV

Garbo (2005)
- excerpt in Garbo documentary

Spoofed in:
Blondie of the Follies (1932)
- Davies and Durante imitate Garbo and John Barrymore's famous Grand Hotel love scene.

Nothing Ever Happens (1933)
plot, characters

The Merry Widow (1934)
- On the terrace in the beginning, Chevalier imitates John Barrymore's plead to Greta Garbo in GRAND HOTEL,
   saying "Let me stay, just for a little while."

Transatlantic Merry-Go-Round (1934)

A Star is hatched (1938)

Mother goose Goes to hollywood (1938)
- Spoof of Greta Garbo on see-saw, saying she 'vants to be alone'

The flying Deuces (1939)

Granite Hotel (1940)

Biblioteca di Studio Uno: Al Grand Hotel (1964) TV

As You Desire Me (USA 1932)

Film is edited into:
Visions of Light ...The Art of Cinematography (1992)
– Film is edited into

Film is referenced:
Howling III (1987)

Va savoir ( 2001)
- The theatrical company in this film is rehearsing a production of As You Desire Me.

Queen Christina (USA 1933)

Film is referenced:
Double or Nothing (1940)
- Greta Garbo's double wears an outfit like the one worn by Garbo at the end of that movie.

Cinema Europe: The Other Hollywood (1996) (mini)

Titanic (1997)
- Standing up on the prow of the ship with arms out stretched.

Gossip (2000/II)

Anita no perd el tren (2001)
- includes one scene re-enactment.

Cleopatra: The Film That Changed Hollywood (2001) (TV)

King Kong (2005)
- seen on marquee in Times Square

Anna Karenina (USA 1935)

Film is referenced:
The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)

Network (1976)

Fedora (1978)

Only Love (1998) (TV)
- When Evie is reading the book 'Anna Karenina' in bed, Matthew comes and tells her the story has an unhappy ending.
  She replies she knows, she saw the movie.

Glorious Technicolor (1998) (TV)

Camille (USA 1936)

Film is referenced:
The Band Wagon (1953)

Sista paret ut (1956)

Welcome to L.A . (1976)

The 53rd Annual Academy Awards (1981) (TV)

Moonlighting: Camille (#2.18) (1986)
– title reference only

The Silent Feminists: America's First Women Directors (1993)

Last Action Hero (1993)
– mentioned by Nick

Sobreviviré (1999)

Isn't She Great (2000)

Moulin Rouge! (2001)

Shirtless: Hollywood's Sexiest Men (2002) (TV)

Sunset Tuxedo (2004)
- The main character, Walter, reveres Greta Garbo. He bases his suicide on the way Garbo's character does – a la Camille.

Conquest (USA 1937)

Film is referenced:
The Autograph Hound (1939)
- A cartoon version of Charles Boyer appears dressed as Napoleon from Conquest.

Dad's Army: A Soldier's Farewell (#5.3) (1972)
- The film is mentioned and a reconstruction is shown on a cinema screen.

Zodiac (USA 2007)

Ninotchka (USA 1939)

Film is referenced:
Grand Hotel (USA 1932)

Electrical Power (1938)

Il Compagno Don Camillo (Italy 1965)

Film is mentioned:
Lugosi: The Forgotten King (1985) (TV)
- Film is mentioned and artwork for it is shown.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: 50 Years of Magic (USA 1990) (TV)

AFI's 100 Years, 100 Laughs: America's Funniest Movies (2000) (TV)

The Making of a Legend: Gone with the Wind (1988) (TV)

Film is spoofed:
Domicile conjugal (1970)
- Whenever the weird neighbour passes by, a mysterious background music starts and everyone stops talking;
  it's similar to the scene when the peculiar roomate of Ninotchka passes by.

Two - Faced Woman (USA 1941)

Film is referenced:
3rd Rock from the Sun (USA TV series 1996-2001)
- One Episode was called Two-Faced Dick (1999) (this is a title reference only)

Mannequin (USA 1987)

Mannequin is a 1987 romantic comedy film, starring Kim Cattrall, Andrew McCarthy, Meshach Taylor, James Spader, G. W. Bailey, and Estelle Getty. The main character,Jonathan "proves" he knows who Greta Garbo is.

Murder on the Orient Express (England 1974)

Murder on the Orient Express is a 1974 feature film directed by Sidney Lumet and based on the 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie.

The Garbo spoof:
Mrs. Hubbard: What's the matter with him? Train-sick or something?                             
Hercule Poirot: Some of us, in the words of the divine Greta Garbo, want to be alone.

Victor/Victoria (USA 1982)

Victor/Victoria is a 1982 musical comedy film, which involves transvestism and sexual identity as central themes. It stars Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston, Lesley Ann Warren, Alex Karras and John Rhys-Davies.

Chorus Boy [#1]: [watching "Victor' rehearse] He's fantastic.                                
Chorus Boy [#2]: He's a phony.                                                                                  
Admirer at rehearsal: What do you mean?                                                              
Chorus Boy [#2]: If he's a Polish count, I'm Greta Garbo.                                      
Admirer at rehearsal: [cooing] Well, Greta, whatever he is, I think he's divine.

Valley Of The Dolls (USA 1967)

Valley of the Dolls is a 1967 American drama film based on the 1966 novel of the same name by Jacqueline Susann.

(Background: Anne, one of the novels' main characters, goes to an employment agency in New York. The girl there sends her to see a man whose secretary, she informs Anne, just married one 'John Walsh')

”His secretary just married John Walsh.” When Anne failed to react , the girl said, “Now don't tell me you never heard of John Walsh! He's won three Oscars and I just read he's gonna get Garbo out of retirement and direct her comeback picture.”

Call of Duty 2 (USA 2005)

Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and sequel to the critically acclaimed game Call of Duty. In the game a British sherman tank in Call of Duty 2 was named Greta Garbo.

Manfred Mann My Name is Jack (?)

Manfred Mann was a British Beat, R&B and pop band of the 1960s, named after its South African keyboard player and founder, who later led the successful 1970s follow-on group Manfred Mann's Earth Band.

In Manfred Mann's song My Name is Jack,  the chorus goes, "My Name is Jack, and I live in the back of the Greta Garbo's Home for wayward boys and girls..."

More Info  HERE!

Van Morrison Just Like Greta Garbo (2005)

Van Morrison is a Grammy Award-winning Irish singer, songwriter, author, poet and multi-instrumentalist.

A song on  his 2005 album Magic Time by Van Morrison is titled, Just Like Greta Garbo. It was inspired by Garbo's seclusion.

More Info  HERE!

Madonna's Vogue (1990)

In superstar Madonna's 1990 released song, Vogue, Garbo was the first named in the famous rap: “Greta Garbo and  …” The song was a worldwide megahit.

More Info  HERE!

Nanci Griffith 's Late Night Grande Hotel (??)

In Nanci Griffith's song Late Night Grande Hotel, the chorus contains the line, "I feel like Garbo in this late night grand hotel..."

Kim Carnes Bette Davis Eyes (1981)

The song Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes also contains the line, “She's got Greta Garbo stand-off sighs, she's got Bette Davis eyes…”

Giant Robo (Japan 1992-1998)

In the 1992-1998 Japanese anime OVA series, Giant Robo, the Experts of Justice's airship fortress is called Greta Garbo.

The Kinks

The Kinks Celluloid Heroes b-side single, The Ballad of Michael Valentine,  pay homage to Garbo.

The Sopranos (1999-2007)

The Sopranos is an award-winning American television drama series created by David Chase and originally broadcast on the HBO network.

In the episode The Strong, Silent Type of the HBO series The Sopranos, Tony says the following to his soon-to-be lover, Svetlana: "You should see yourself now, in the shadows there, with the smoke all around you. You're beautiful. You remind me of that movie star... Greta Garbo."

America's Right Before Your Eyes (1982)

The song Right Before Your Eyes by American rockband America contains the line, “And then just like Greta Garbo you stare like there's no tomorrow…”

The song was an homage to silent movie stars better known to listeners as "Rudolph Valentino" due to its memorable refrain.

Death Becomes Her (USA 1992)

In the movie Death Becomes Her (USA 1992), Isabella Rossellini's character alludes to Garbo as one of the clients who has taken her immortality potion by claiming her client said, in a marked accent, "I want to be alone."

At the end of the film a Garbolook-alike appears as one the guests at a party. 

More Info   HERE!

Ernest Hemingway 's For whom the bell rings (1940)

For Whom the Bell Tolls is a 1940 novel by Ernest Hemingway. Garbo and Jean Harlow are both mentioned in the classic.

Once is not Enough by Jacqueline Susann (1973)

Once Is Not Enough is a 1973 novel by Jacqueline Susann. It was the #2 best-selling novel of 1973 in the United States. It was made into a 1975 film, Jacqueline Susann's Once Is Not Enough, starring Kirk Douglas, David Janssen, and Brenda Vaccaro.

In the novel, a lesbian character is based on Garbo.  

Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (USA 2004)

Tarantino's Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (USA 2004) – The camera tracking in slowly into the final black-and-white closeup of Uma Thurman as she's driving is clearly a reference to the famous final close-up of Garbo at the ship – Tarantino has often compared the two actresses.

Lassie (USA 2005)

In the movie Lassie (USA 2005), Lassie was given the name "Miss Garbo" by Rowlie, the gypsy man.  The film also references Grand Hotel (1932) -  "I think she vants to be left alone."

Garbo jokes

Greta Garbo dreamed she was eating a bag of grass seed. She woke up and said, "I vant to be a lawn."