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A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson
In this first-ever biography of Greer Garson, Michael Troyan sweeps away the many myths that even today veil her life. The true origins of her birth, her fairy-tale discovery in Hollywood, and her career struggles at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer are revealed for the first time. Garson combined an everywoman quality with grace, charm, and refinement. She won the Academy Award in 1941 for her role in Mrs. Miniver , and for the next decade she reigned as the queen of MGM. Co-star Christopher Plummer remembered, "Here was a siren who had depth, strength, dignity, and humor who could inspire great trust, suggest deep intellect and whose misty languorous eyes melted your heart away!" Garson earned a total of seven Academy Award nominations for Best Actress, and fourteen of her films premiered at Radio City Music Hall, playing for a total of eighty-four weeks―a record never equaled by any other actress. She was a central figure in the golden age of the studios, working with legendary performers Clark Gable, Marlon Brando, Elizabeth Taylor, Errol Flynn, Joan Crawford, Robert Mitchum, Debbie Reynolds, and Walter Pidgeon. Garson's experiences offer a fascinating glimpse at the studio system in the years when stars were closely linked to a particular studio and moguls such as L.B. Mayer broke or made careers. With the benefit of exclusive access to studio production files, personal letters and diaries, and the cooperation of her family, Troyan explores the triumphs and tragedies of her personal life, a story more colorful than any role she played on screen.
520 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1998
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160 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 5, 2016
The author relied too much on old source materials with virtually no interviews from those who knew her best, which doesn't give the reader any real insight. It glossed over any difficult times in her life, and perhaps presented her too much through rose-tinted glasses (pun intended). The book also got bogged down with at times with tedious plot breakdowns of her films.
February 6, 2008
I'm probably one of about 5 people who read this book. I used to have a HUGE thing for Greer Garson movies when I was in my early adolescence. As a librarian, finding out that Garson began her adulthood as a researcher for Encyclopedia Britannica was pretty cool! A well-educated, strong woman, Greer Garson had a full career in film and went on to help fund a theater in Santa Fe, her adopted home. There's not a lot of dirt here, but maybe she didn't have much dirt in her life anyway?
April 22, 2019
The title tells all. It's a love letter to Greer Garson who in the 40s was the queen of the MGM studio
with a string of hits and Oscar nominations. She copped the big prize for Mrs. Miniver, Best Actress
for 1942. Her fiery red hair denoting her Irish background plus her dignified demeanor on screen,
that was her image. She was every inch a lady on and off the big screen.
She was born in the United Kingdom, but was proud of her Irish background saying that as a lass she
visited County Down every summer where her people came from. She studied theater at King's
College in London and in France at the University of Grenoble. She learned her craft in small theatrical companies in Great Britain and eventually making it to the London stage where a visiting
Louis B. Mayer signed her for MGM.
She made her debut in a classic in the short but prominent role as Robert Donat's wife in Goodbye
Mr. Chips. She did Pride And Prejudice opposite Laurence Olivier and teamed with Walter Pidgeon
for the first of 8 films. The second time was for Mrs. Miniver for which she won her Oscar. It's
a wonderful film that holds up beautifully today about the trials of Mr.&Mrs. United Kingdom dealing with war on the homefront. That same year she starred with Ronald Colman in Random
Harvest about a WW1 veteran with amnesia and the woman who loves him though he can't quite
remember her. It's my favorite film for Garson and Colman.
She did a more G rated version remake of When Ladies Meet co-starring with Joan Crawford, Robert
Taylor, and Herbert Marshall. She feuded with Crawford and got the upper hand in the picture and
the feud. Joan was on her way out and Garson was the new queen. As Garson was a rock ribbed
Republican in her politics she and LB Mayer were more in sync than he was with Crawford.
In 1945 she was teamed with Clark Gable in his first film after war service. "Gable's back and Garson's got him" was the line that brought folks to the theater. It was far from the best for
either of them. In 1947 she had the biggest floperoo in her career Desire Me. The accounts in both
this book and Lee Server's book on Robert Mitchum give accounts of the making of this plodding
mess of a movie. Set on the Brittany Coast, Garson almost drowned in the Pacific making Desire
Me. About 7 directors worked on it and it lists no director, no one wanted to claim it. And Garson
truly disliked Mitchum and vice versa.
She was fond of Errol Flynn however with she made The Forsyte Saga also with Walter Pidgeon and
Robert Young. She wrote a beautiful tribute to him for the Citadel Film Series book on The Films
Of Errol Flynn.
Garson's MGM contract was up in 1954 and she made only a small handful of films after that. I
first saw her on the big screen in 1960 in Sunrise At Campobello playing Eleanor Roosevelt. She
got a final 7th Oscar nomination for Best Actress and that was something as Eleanor Roosevelt
herself was still alive to critique. Eleanor found nothing wrong with Greer's performance.
Her last big screen appearance was in the Walt Disney film The Happiest Millionaire. She had hoped to work with Walter Pidgeon again, but Disney used his reliable leading man Fred MacMurray. It's a good film, but nothing close to her glory years in the 40s at MGM.
Greer was married three times, the third being to oil millionaire Buddy Fogelson. After The Happiest Millionaire she spent her time living in both Dallas and Santa Fe and became a society
matron and patron of the arts in both places. Fogelson died in 1987 and Greer at the age of 91.
An accomplished actress with never a hint of scandal about her Greer Garson deserves a dozen
roses for Mrs. Miniver and the other characters she brought vividly to the screen.
with a string of hits and Oscar nominations. She copped the big prize for Mrs. Miniver, Best Actress
for 1942. Her fiery red hair denoting her Irish background plus her dignified demeanor on screen,
that was her image. She was every inch a lady on and off the big screen.
She was born in the United Kingdom, but was proud of her Irish background saying that as a lass she
visited County Down every summer where her people came from. She studied theater at King's
College in London and in France at the University of Grenoble. She learned her craft in small theatrical companies in Great Britain and eventually making it to the London stage where a visiting
Louis B. Mayer signed her for MGM.
She made her debut in a classic in the short but prominent role as Robert Donat's wife in Goodbye
Mr. Chips. She did Pride And Prejudice opposite Laurence Olivier and teamed with Walter Pidgeon
for the first of 8 films. The second time was for Mrs. Miniver for which she won her Oscar. It's
a wonderful film that holds up beautifully today about the trials of Mr.&Mrs. United Kingdom dealing with war on the homefront. That same year she starred with Ronald Colman in Random
Harvest about a WW1 veteran with amnesia and the woman who loves him though he can't quite
remember her. It's my favorite film for Garson and Colman.
She did a more G rated version remake of When Ladies Meet co-starring with Joan Crawford, Robert
Taylor, and Herbert Marshall. She feuded with Crawford and got the upper hand in the picture and
the feud. Joan was on her way out and Garson was the new queen. As Garson was a rock ribbed
Republican in her politics she and LB Mayer were more in sync than he was with Crawford.
In 1945 she was teamed with Clark Gable in his first film after war service. "Gable's back and Garson's got him" was the line that brought folks to the theater. It was far from the best for
either of them. In 1947 she had the biggest floperoo in her career Desire Me. The accounts in both
this book and Lee Server's book on Robert Mitchum give accounts of the making of this plodding
mess of a movie. Set on the Brittany Coast, Garson almost drowned in the Pacific making Desire
Me. About 7 directors worked on it and it lists no director, no one wanted to claim it. And Garson
truly disliked Mitchum and vice versa.
She was fond of Errol Flynn however with she made The Forsyte Saga also with Walter Pidgeon and
Robert Young. She wrote a beautiful tribute to him for the Citadel Film Series book on The Films
Of Errol Flynn.
Garson's MGM contract was up in 1954 and she made only a small handful of films after that. I
first saw her on the big screen in 1960 in Sunrise At Campobello playing Eleanor Roosevelt. She
got a final 7th Oscar nomination for Best Actress and that was something as Eleanor Roosevelt
herself was still alive to critique. Eleanor found nothing wrong with Greer's performance.
Her last big screen appearance was in the Walt Disney film The Happiest Millionaire. She had hoped to work with Walter Pidgeon again, but Disney used his reliable leading man Fred MacMurray. It's a good film, but nothing close to her glory years in the 40s at MGM.
Greer was married three times, the third being to oil millionaire Buddy Fogelson. After The Happiest Millionaire she spent her time living in both Dallas and Santa Fe and became a society
matron and patron of the arts in both places. Fogelson died in 1987 and Greer at the age of 91.
An accomplished actress with never a hint of scandal about her Greer Garson deserves a dozen
roses for Mrs. Miniver and the other characters she brought vividly to the screen.
June 27, 2020
I have always loved the films of Greer Garson and, after watching Mrs Miniver for the umpteenth time, I decided to look for a biography of the actress to find out more about her life. On the positive side, this is a well researched and very detailed book. It made me buy DVDs of some of her films that I hadn't previously seen. There is a lot of information in it, and full cast lists of every play, film and TV programme that she was in, etc. On the negative side, I have to admit that I found the writing rather dull. It is a chronology of her life from start to finish and it is a bit like reading a very long Wikipedia entry - has all the information in great detail, but it's not exactly thrilling to sit and read. In the end I found myself skipping through pages. I am a fast reader and get through a lot of books, particularly biographies and autobiographies, but this I read alongside other books and just a few pages a day over about five months. My partner kept saying "That book's taking you a long time... I've never known you take so long". It still made me love Greer Garson and there was nothing in it to make me dislike her, in fact she came across as a strong woman with a very kind heart, but the book is very much one to keep on the shelves as an "encyclopaedia" of Greer Garson - to dip into if you want to find out a specific bit of information, the date of a film or who she starred with - but sadly a I did not find it enjoyable as a biography.
October 29, 2017
Loved reading about Greer Garson's life, before, during and after the main Hollywood period. I learned a lot and wish it could have gone on even longer, although clearly the author had to do a ton of research to include as much as he did. It was well written and very interesting! She was a fascinating and impressive person/actress who I wish were better known among other Hollywood elites! Highly recommend if you are a fan of Greer Garson and/or Hollywood 1940s for sure.
July 28, 2021
A Rose For Mrs. Miniver was a very interesting biography of Greer Garson. I loved reading about Greer Garson, one of MGM’s favorite leading ladies in the 1940s. She was a natural actress with little training when she made her mark on Hollywood. This biography was exactly what a Hollywood fan like me needs to read.
To be honest, the first few pages were a bit dense and clunky. I was so excited when the writing picked up just as Greer’s career also took off. I really enjoyed reading about Greer’s experiences- all of which gave a total overview of her life. There were enough quotes to understand Greer’s personality, and enough facts to understand how the landscape of Hollywood impacted her. I especially liked reading about how decisions by other actors to take or leave a part impacted Greer, and left notable roles open for her.
I could have used a little more attention to her personal life. Most of what was described related to the movies she made. Even her relationship with her husbands were barely included. Aside from the cattle and horse racing with her third husband, I couldn’t tell you one thing Greer did for enjoyment during her life. There were also no personal relationships described, so Greer’s personal life was overshadowed by the information about her movies and her career.
I liked this, but did feel like the descriptions were very heavy in her career. She seemed like a lovely person and I am eager to rewatch a few of her films!
To be honest, the first few pages were a bit dense and clunky. I was so excited when the writing picked up just as Greer’s career also took off. I really enjoyed reading about Greer’s experiences- all of which gave a total overview of her life. There were enough quotes to understand Greer’s personality, and enough facts to understand how the landscape of Hollywood impacted her. I especially liked reading about how decisions by other actors to take or leave a part impacted Greer, and left notable roles open for her.
I could have used a little more attention to her personal life. Most of what was described related to the movies she made. Even her relationship with her husbands were barely included. Aside from the cattle and horse racing with her third husband, I couldn’t tell you one thing Greer did for enjoyment during her life. There were also no personal relationships described, so Greer’s personal life was overshadowed by the information about her movies and her career.
I liked this, but did feel like the descriptions were very heavy in her career. She seemed like a lovely person and I am eager to rewatch a few of her films!
March 17, 2024
Very thorough biography encompassing her entire life and career, an additional section at the end lists all of her films and stage performances. I really enjoyed this book but it did take me over a year to finish, it's very interesting but not gripping, the writing style is somewhat scholarly which makes some areas a bit dry and tedious. But a great book on the whole on one of my top favourite actresses.
November 10, 2021
It probably tells you more than you care to know. A real door stop of a book. However I stuck with it as GG was a great actress and had an interesting life. Well written, easy to read.
If you are of that period 1930 - 1950' s interesting remembrance. If you are younger and yearn to learn more about that period then read this book.
If you are of that period 1930 - 1950' s interesting remembrance. If you are younger and yearn to learn more about that period then read this book.
December 22, 2017
A wonderful biography of Greer Garson, one of Hollywood's biggest stars in the 1940s
June 30, 2019
Greer Garson was the star of many of my favorite movies so it was fascinating to read this well written, well researched account of her life.
December 13, 2014
Greer Garson was a class act and her biography, A Rose for Mrs. Miniver, accentuated that. I have nothing profound to say about the book, but the quotes below show some of the reasons why I admire her:
"But there were fewer opportunities in the 1970’s for her. Filmmakers rarely made the sophisticated, romantic comedies or dramas that she preferred, and she refused to join her Hollywood peers like Joan Crawford, Olivia de Havilland, and Bette Davis who were making horror films like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Lady in a Cage, and Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte. “I’ve been offered nymphomaniacs, kleptomaniacs, pyromaniacs, homicidal maniacs and just plain maniacs,” she reported. “I think producers felt that after playing a long series of noble and admirable characters there would be quite a lot of shock value in seeing me play something altogether different. But I prefer upbeat stories that send people out of the theater feeling better than they did coming in.”
"During interviews, she frequently and sharply criticized current films and filmmakers. “I’m no a keyhole peeper in real life, so why should I go to the cinema to be a keyhole peeper?” she said. “Producers should have more courage. People will respond to stories with love and courage and happy endings instead of shockers. I think the mirror should be tilted slightly upward when it’s reflecting life - toward the cheerful, the tender, the compassionate, the brave, the funny, the encouraging..." (p. 327)
"But there were fewer opportunities in the 1970’s for her. Filmmakers rarely made the sophisticated, romantic comedies or dramas that she preferred, and she refused to join her Hollywood peers like Joan Crawford, Olivia de Havilland, and Bette Davis who were making horror films like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, Lady in a Cage, and Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte. “I’ve been offered nymphomaniacs, kleptomaniacs, pyromaniacs, homicidal maniacs and just plain maniacs,” she reported. “I think producers felt that after playing a long series of noble and admirable characters there would be quite a lot of shock value in seeing me play something altogether different. But I prefer upbeat stories that send people out of the theater feeling better than they did coming in.”
"During interviews, she frequently and sharply criticized current films and filmmakers. “I’m no a keyhole peeper in real life, so why should I go to the cinema to be a keyhole peeper?” she said. “Producers should have more courage. People will respond to stories with love and courage and happy endings instead of shockers. I think the mirror should be tilted slightly upward when it’s reflecting life - toward the cheerful, the tender, the compassionate, the brave, the funny, the encouraging..." (p. 327)
February 3, 2009
I met the author, Mike Troyan, at a book signing event I did at a Barnes & Noble in Citrus Heights, where Mike serves as the community relations manager. Mike and I share a love for classic movies, and Greer Garson is one of the actresses who brought class to the classics. Mike's biography of Garson is comprehensive and illuminating, not only providing a great portrait of the actress but also wonderful details about the films she made. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves films and film history.
July 21, 2010
I have seen four of Greer Garson's movies: "Mrs. Miniver", "Goodbye, Mr. Chips", "Random Harvest" and "Pride and Prejudice". I was curious to learn of her life so I read this biography. It was refreshing to read about an entertainer with good morals. She led a very interesting life and achieved her dreams.
March 13, 2016
Excellent biography of one of the brightest lights in the movies. It's incredible that this is the first and only biography of Greer Garson, but it is so well-researched, so complete and so glowing that we don't need any others. Well done, Michael Troyan!
June 15, 2016
I bought this book at Pecos National Monument after a visit there. Interesting about this movie star's life and her and her husband's interest in saving this Pecos Pueblo, which was on their ranch, for future generations to enjoy.
November 19, 2008
I'm a big fan of Greer Garson. I feel like we have a lot in common.
April 29, 2009
A real tome of a book, yikes. Interesting but not one of my favourites - at times it was just TOO long.
July 27, 2011
a very close look at the stars life, very good.
June 20, 2013
Good insights on one of the classic actresses of the Golden Era. Well written and enjoyable read for those who enjoy film star biographies. Read Irene Dunne's and Jimmy Stewart's after this.
October 2, 2016
Greer Garson is my absolute favorite actress, but the book was a slow read. Very thorough in telling of her life. So enjoyed learning new tidbits I did not know about her
Gift from my husband.
Gift from my husband.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews