Celebrity Drama and Hollywood Icons: Brando, Gable and Garbo

A few weeks ago, after reading the most recent celebrity news, I found myself wondering when things had gone so far down hill with the public figures of today. In the wild world of young celebrities, a trip to rehab seems to have become as common as a trip to the grocery store. Considering the dysfunctional relationships, cheating, childish tantrums, overdoses and nervous breakdowns - all combined with large sums of money - it's no wonder many Americans find their drama entertaining in comparison with our more mundane lives. But the question remained - has celebrity behavior really changed for the worse? After doing some research on www.wikipedia.com, here is information on three screen legends who prove that some things really don't change.

Greta Garbo (September 18, 1905 - April 15, 1990)

A well-known darling of Hollywood's silent film era, Garbo may have been the original celebrity diva. After becoming an actress, she began a tumultuous love affair with John Gilbert, her co-star in many silent films. After the couple moved in together (a comparatively scathing move for the 1920s), he proposed to her three times, after which she finally accepted. This would have been wonderful - had she actually shown up for the wedding. Garbo left Gilbert standing at the altar, and remained unmarried for the rest of her life. One of the possible reasons later became apparent. Greta Garbo was bisexual. Letters to her drama school sweetheart, Mimi Pollak, were later released to the public, expressing Garbo's belief that the two had always belonged together. Garbo was also romantically linked to a woman by the name of Mercedes de Acosta. She was also known for her tantrums, having individuals from MGM executives to visitors ejected from the movie sets on which she was working if they displeased her.

Clark Gable (February 1, 1901 - November 16, 1960)

Best known for his role in the movie Gone With The Wind, Gable had a distinguished career as an actor and led an interesting life. He was married five times, with his third wife having died in a tragic airplane accident. But that wasn't the full extent of his romantic life - after he began an affair with actress Loretta Young on the Set of The Call of The Wild, Young became pregnant. She went to great lengths to hide this indiscretion, taking an "extended vacation" to Europe and then claiming to have adopted the child. During their lives, Gable and Young never admitted their child's parentage. Young did admit the obvious truth eventually - but only on condition that it not be printed until after her death.

Marlon Brando (April 3, 1924 - July 1, 2004)

Although the star of The Godfather never discussed his wives or children in interviews, he didn't hesitate to discuss his many affairs, which he claimed included Marilyn Monroe. His off-screen antics were the stuff of legends. He was a notoriously difficult actor to work with, often demanding huge sums of money and refusing to read the scripts, opting instead for a prompter off camera. For his role in 1978s Superman, he suggested that Superman's father, Jor-el, be depicted as a suitcase or bagel. He finally agreed to do the film, to the tune of $3.7 million for two weeks work. His sexuality was also a matter of debate. In his 1976 biography The Only Contender, Brando admitted to having "homosexual experiences"; in fact, his ashes were eventually scattered with those of alleged lover Wally Cox.

After doing this research, I have to say I was surprised. In terms of drama and gossip, some screen actors of more than fifty years ago can give today's crop a run for their money. This information (all of which was obtained thanks to www.wikipedia.com) shows that human nature largely remains the same, and that some things really don't change.