*THE TEMPTRESS (1926) Greta Garbo Seduces Antonio Moreno Ibáñez Silent Film

Description

Vintage original 8x10 in. British double-weight "front of house" card/photograph
from the classic 1920's silent film drama/romance,
THE TEMPTRESS
, released in 1926 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and
directed by Fred Niblo
. B
ased on a novel by Vicente Blasco Ibáñez and adapted for the screen by Dorothy Farnum,
a
n architect (Antonio Moreno) tries suppressing his passion for a seductive woman (Greta Garbo).
The image features an exterior shot in a wooded setting and depicts beautiful Elena (
Greta Garbo
) as she gazes downwards into the face of Manuel Robledo (
Antonio Moreno
), who is transfixed by her beauty and power over him. This particular image effectively conveys the film's entire theme, as Garbo is seen in the dominant (control) position, sitting higher up than Moreno, and he is gazing upwards into her face as her arm is wrapped around his neck. Printed for the film's original theatrical release in Great Britain/United Kingdom, this vintage original "front of house" card is unrestored in fine+ condition with a light 1.25 in. diagonal crease on the top border immediately to the right of the credits; random signs of wear in the borders; and various small and tiny creases in the image area that are unobtrusive.
In her fourth film and only second film for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Garbo plays the title role, a vamp who inadvertently destroys many men who come in contact with her.
Mauritz Stiller was originally set to direct Greta Garbo's second film for MGM. However, he was
was fired after 10 days of production (
his command of the English language was poor at the time)
and replaced with Fred Niblo.
Stiller was unhappy with his dismissal, which affected Garbo during the four months of production
.
Just four days into filming, Garbo was notified that her sister Alva had died.
Actual footage of the dam being built is of the St. Francis Dam in Los Angeles County, which was completed May of 1926 and then failed March of 1928, killing over 400 people.
After studio head Louis B. Mayer viewed the finished picture, he was so depressed by the ending that he ordered an alternate, happier ending to be made. Theaters at the time had the option of which ending to show, depending on what they felt were the tastes of their audience. Film critic Mordaunt Hall said, "In many respects, this picture is a distinguished piece of work, wherein Fred Niblo, the director, keeps the audience on the qui vive. It is a photodrama in which the producers do not pander to popular appeal by portraying a happy ending."
Despite its filming difficulties,
The Temptress
proved to be a success, showing early signs of Garbo’s career potential. Its worldwide gross was 5,000.