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.

“"(Troyan) successfully evokes the enormous drive, self-awareness and capacity for kindness of an actress who, inevitably, was more complex than her screen image indicated.-- Dallas Morning News" -- Dallas Morning News”

MGM's great lady was a bit of an Irish cutup, radiant, funny, brave, and smart. Michael Troyan knows that, and has written a most entertaining book about my friend, Greer. - Gregory Peck ""Film buffs will enjoy learning the inside story behind Garson's many memorable performances, including Pride and Prejudice, Random Harvest, and That Forsyte Woman."" - New York Times Book Review ""In a definitive biography, Troyan takes readers from Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson's birth in London in 1904 to her death in Dallas in 1996 as she held the hand of her good friend, the pianist Van Cliburn."" - Publishers Weekly ""A sweet, contained view of Louis B. Mayer's favorite actress and Hollywood's icon of WWII fortitude."" - Kirkus Reviews

Michael Troyan contributed to Disney A to Z: The Official Encyclopedia and wrote the script for a documentary about Garson that premiered at the 1997 Taos Film Festival. He lives in California.

In the darkest days of World War II, English-born Greer Garson became Hollywood's most inspiring icon of strength and courage. 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. She 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. In this first-ever biography of 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'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 the family, Troyan explores the triumphs and tragedies of her personal life, a story more colorful than any role she played on screen.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.