Garbo

The extraordinary double agent at the center of the artful documentary "Garbo: The Spy" never comes into sharp focus as a definable character — and that makes perfect sense for one of the 20th century's masters of deception. The inspiration for Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" and a key engineer of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, Juan Pujol is nothing less than fascinating. "Garbo: The Spy" takes a fittingly inventive approach to the story of an operative whose MI5 code name reflected his supreme talents as an actor.

The former retreat of silent and talking movie star Lewis Stone, who was cast with film giant Greta Garbo in a series of films, is on the market in the Valley Glen area at $1.75 million. Constructed in 1930 as the main house at his 500-acre ranch in the San Fernando Valley, the 6,500-square-foot residence features a walk-in film vault, six fireplaces, cast-iron chandeliers, six bedrooms and 31/2 bathrooms. The half-acre-plus lot includes a tiki bar, a saltwater swimming pool, a brick courtyard and fruit trees.

True, we all get old. But let us remember Garbo the way she was instead of printing a picture fit for publication in the Enquirer. DAVID TODD Los Angeles

I must recommend the 400-year-old historic La Casa del Garbo bed-and-breakfast on the Piazza della Signoria across from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. We stayed there for two weeks for less than 100 euro a night (about $132). The staff - Natalia, Virgilio, Bobby and all - were great. What a great location. We traveled in November and not a crowd anywhere. La Casa del Garbo, 8 Piazza della Signoria; 011-39-055-293366, http://www.casadelgarbo.it . High-season rates from $117 for rooms and from $166 for suites.

The extraordinary double agent at the center of the artful documentary "Garbo: The Spy" never comes into sharp focus as a definable character — and that makes perfect sense for one of the 20th century's masters of deception. The inspiration for Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" and a key engineer of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, Juan Pujol is nothing less than fascinating. "Garbo: The Spy" takes a fittingly inventive approach to the story of an operative whose MI5 code name reflected his supreme talents as an actor.

I must recommend the 400-year-old historic La Casa del Garbo bed-and-breakfast on the Piazza della Signoria across from the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy. We stayed there for two weeks for less than 100 euro a night (about $132). The staff - Natalia, Virgilio, Bobby and all - were great. What a great location. We traveled in November and not a crowd anywhere. La Casa del Garbo, 8 Piazza della Signoria; 011-39-055-293366, http://www.casadelgarbo.it . High-season rates from $117 for rooms and from $166 for suites.

What a pity that the new format for the Oscar presentations precludes the appearance of the great actresses of the past--active or otherwise! Surely Davis, De Havilland, Garbo, Hepburn, Stanwyck, Young, Wyman, Lupino, Loy, Sidney, Rogers, Colbert, Dunne, Dietrich and many others can't all be dead! Shame on you, Mr. Peck and Co., for your sexism! GERARD RUSSAK Sepulveda

NOTHING new. Hollywood never controlled its money ["When the 'Yes' Becomes a 'No,' " on studios getting skittish about high-budget films, July 9]. Louis B. Mayer paid Greta Garbo $12,500 a week (52 weeks a year) in 1930 money. That $12,500, according to the Federal Reserve, is $146,000 in 2005 dollars and was paid at a time when income tax was 3%. AXEL MADSEN Hollywood Hills Madsen has written several books, including "Chanel: A Woman of Her Own" and "Gloria and Joe."

Jean Batten, an aviator who 50 years ago was nearly as widely known around the world as Amelia Earhart, died in obscure poverty five years ago and is buried in a pauper's grave in Spain, the Times of London reported this week. The woman who once shared the International League of Aviators (Harmon) Award with Howard Hughes was believed to have been 73 when she died.

Coincidence stretches credulity in "Vivere," a small German film about three women whose lives intersect over one fateful Christmas Eve. Francesca (Esther Zimmering) is the elder daughter of a histrionic Italian father and a German mother who left the family when Francesca was a child. She lives with her father and younger sister, Antonietta (Kim Schnitzer), in a small apartment on the outskirts of Cologne, where Francesca dutifully waits on her family and drives a cab at night.

The extraordinary double agent at the center of the artful documentary "Garbo: The Spy" never comes into sharp focus as a definable character — and that makes perfect sense for one of the 20th century's masters of deception. The inspiration for Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" and a key engineer of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, Juan Pujol is nothing less than fascinating. "Garbo: The Spy" takes a fittingly inventive approach to the story of an operative whose MI5 code name reflected his supreme talents as an actor.

The extraordinary double agent at the center of the artful documentary "Garbo: The Spy" never comes into sharp focus as a definable character — and that makes perfect sense for one of the 20th century's masters of deception. The inspiration for Graham Greene's "Our Man in Havana" and a key engineer of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France, Juan Pujol is nothing less than fascinating. "Garbo: The Spy" takes a fittingly inventive approach to the story of an operative whose MI5 code name reflected his supreme talents as an actor.

Not many superstars retire from the screen while in their 30s, but Greta Garbo did just that. She turned her back on Hollywood after the release of the 1941 romantic comedy "Two-Faced Woman. " It really wasn't her swan song; it was more of a swan dive, with critics and audiences turning their nose up at MGM's attempt to make the Swedish star of such dramas as "Grand Hotel" and "Camille" into a va-va-va vamp. Though she won an Oscar nomination for her first comedy, 1939's "Ninotchka," the Ernst Lubitsch comedy co-written by Billy Wilder was sophisticated and smart.

The Malibu property known as La Esperanza, the beach retreat of actress Greta Garbo in the 1930s, is on the market for $12.6 million. Completely restored in 2000, the Mediterranean villa has been a local landmark for decades. Designed for entertaining, it includes a great room with a 30-foot-wide panoramic window, a commercially equipped kitchen, five bedrooms, 5 1/2 bathrooms and 5,350 square feet of living space. An outdoor bar sits off the ocean-view deck. Garbo's successful transition from silent films to talkies was promoted by the MGM '30s catch-phrase "Garbo talks.

Designer Brogan Lane has listed her 1924 Spanish-style boutique hotel and rental property in Hollywood at $1,098,100. Villa Delle Stelle, meaning the House of the Stars, has five themed residential quarters in about 4,400 square feet. Lane, former wife of the late actor Dudley Moore, bought the property in 2004 for $995,000 and renovated it into an all-suites hotel, designing each one with a Hollywood legend in mind. The Parisian Suite was inspired by Grace Kelly and was the home of actress Abby Brammell of "The Unit" (2006-09)

Coincidence stretches credulity in "Vivere," a small German film about three women whose lives intersect over one fateful Christmas Eve. Francesca (Esther Zimmering) is the elder daughter of a histrionic Italian father and a German mother who left the family when Francesca was a child. She lives with her father and younger sister, Antonietta (Kim Schnitzer), in a small apartment on the outskirts of Cologne, where Francesca dutifully waits on her family and drives a cab at night.

Gussie Moran had legs that went on forever. She walked, the late designer Ted Tinling said, as if she were tiptoeing across tennis balls. She was a California girl with a California tan. She was a jock, she was beautiful, it was 1949 and Gussie Moran showed her lace panties at Wimbledon. "Gussie was," says Jack Kramer, part of Los Angeles tennis royalty, "the Anna Kournikova of her time. Gussie was a beautiful woman with a beautiful body.

I am writing a book about Greta Garbo and would appreciate hearing from anyone who has stories about Mercedes de Acosta, Gayelord Hauser, George Schlee or Salka Viertel. Please write: KAREN SWENSON Post Office Box 461303 Los Angeles, CA 90046

Aug. 15, 1930: The new "Talkie Season" in Hollywood began with a contest sponsored by West Coast Theaters, The Times reported. "Hollywood motion-picture stars never realized ... there are so many of their doubles in existence," the newspaper said. "Between 600 and 700 who believe they resemble in appearance some film celebrity appeared on the scene."

NOTHING new. Hollywood never controlled its money ["When the 'Yes' Becomes a 'No,' " on studios getting skittish about high-budget films, July 9]. Louis B. Mayer paid Greta Garbo $12,500 a week (52 weeks a year) in 1930 money. That $12,500, according to the Federal Reserve, is $146,000 in 2005 dollars and was paid at a time when income tax was 3%. AXEL MADSEN Hollywood Hills Madsen has written several books, including "Chanel: A Woman of Her Own" and "Gloria and Joe."