Photoplay (Jul - Dec 1931)

The Man JVho Tried To Elope IVith Garbo LATE one evening last November, a few days before he was to sail for his home in Sweden — Wilhelm Sorensen dashed up to my house in his roadster. His face was flushed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. He asked if he might have a few minutes with me. I had not expected to see him again. Only the night before Greta Garbo's mysterious prince — as he was known around Hollywood— had bade me goodbye. For this tall, lean lad from Sweden, who had left the luxurious, easy life accorded a young son of a wealthy aristocrat of Stockholm, to follow Greta Garbo to Hollywood — was going back home. The night before he had admitted that he was tired of the film capital. That the glamorous, alluringly spicy Hollywood he had expected to find, where life would bring a continuous round of fascinating pleasure with the exotic Greta Garbo at his side, had proved to be a delusion and a snare. He said he had given up his room in the little hillside house that for nearly a year he had called home. That he had sold his roadster, packed his bags and engaged passage on a freight steamer bound for Sweden. It would take thirty -one days to make the ocean voyage. But he didn't mind that. He didn't care where he was, just so he got away from Hollywood and arrived home in time for the Christmas holidays. Soren was very blue that night he bade me goodbye. He frankly admitted that he was sick at heart at the thought of leaving Greta be anyone to take her place. A never-told story of a fellow countryman who was hopelessly in love with her He failed to make her Mrs. Wilhelm Sorensen so he sailed to Sweden, heartbroken, still dreaming of Greta That there could never I" WILL never forget the wonderful times we have had toJL gether," he said in reminiscent tones. " Especially those first days over in Sweden, when she came home that winter on her vacation. "And Greta liked me then! She had tears in her eyes when the boat sailed taking her back to America. Her first day out I had a cable from her asking me not to forget. For three days I was awakened each morning with a cable from her. A few words reaching out across the ocean that was fast widening between us, whispering that she had not forgotten. "As the days took her farther and farther away from me, I morning there came a cable asking me to come. It was sent from a little town in Arizona. Wild horses couldn't have stopped me then! I would have followed her to the ends of the earth! "My father and mother thought my infatuation — as they called my adoration for Garbo — would soon fade away. But I couldn't eat! I couldn't sleep! Finally they consented to let me make a trip to Hollywood. There was nothing else they could do. I would have gone, anyway. "Neither mother nor father had met Greta or even seen her on the screen. So they decided they must see this girl who had taken such a hold of their son's heart. They found a theater where one of her early pictures with Jack Gilbert was being shown. "T KNEW they wouldn't like J her in that heavy vamp role. But I couldn't help but laugh when father said he could not understand what I saw in that girl who looked like a dairy maid. I knew he didn't mean that! Imagine Greta Garbo looking like a dairy maid! "Soon after my arrival in Hollywood, I found that the Greta Garbo of Hollywood was quite a different person from the Greta Garbo of Stockholm. "At home she was a rollicking, mischievous girl, always ready for a lark on a minute's notice. "In Hollywood she was a solemn, quiet young lady, living the secluded life of a hermit. "In Stockholm she was eager and always ready to meet my friends and relatives. Her merriest days were spent at house parties at my cousin's castle near Stockholm. " In Hollywood I soon found that Greta knew only a handful of people and that she made no effort to have me meet those few. And she couldn't be dragged to a party! "Her home was lovely and it was always open to me. Her spacious garden — her swimming pool — her books. I spent many happy hours with her when she wasn't working. Then we walked. We drove. We swam. Always we were alone. Just we two. "But occasionally I longed to see the gay, glamorous Hollywood I had heard so much about. And I would have liked to meet some of the fascinating stars of the screen. " However, I found that I could never see or do anv of aim ianner awav irum me, i jj T) ' 1 J D D 1 I couia never see or uo anv u nearly went mad. Then one £> y K I I I a rage ralmOOrg [ please turn to page 114 ]