Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-23

ment in the humble apartment
~ of Mr.. and Mrs. Gustafsson, at
80 Blekingegaten street, Stock
holm, Sweden.
| None of the other families in the five
story apartment building was greatly
concerned with what was happening in
the GustafsSon household. A new baby
neighborhood.
It was not until years later, when
! this baby had become known all over
the world as the great Greta Carlo,
that these neighbors remembered to
brag that they recalled the very day
little Greta was born.
Number 80 Blekingegaten street is
not a fashionable part OF Stockholm.
The playground of the children Is the
street and the back yard, where clothes
lines are always stretched overhead, or
in one of the vacant lots near by.
When little Greta GustafsSon grew
old enough to play with her brother
Sven and sister Alva she did not like
to romp with the neighborhood chill
dren as they did. When her mother
sent her outdoors to play she would
wander off in corner by herself or
slip away from the others down the
street.
Felt Out Of Place.
When she was sent to school she was
most unhappy. 1t wasn't the studying
she hated. It was beng compelled to
sit long hours before a desk. She
dreaded the recesses even more. She
felt so out of place among these little
bows and girls, even though they we're
her age. The other children often
whispered about her because she was so
tall At IL Greta was as tall as she Is
today.
When school was out, instead Of
hurrying home with her brother and
sister, Greta would steal away by her
self. There were several places she
loved to 90. One was the little bridge
that iutted out from the rocks OF south
Side. She liked to stand on this bridge
and look down on Stockholm az It lay
spread out below.
Near this bridge was a gate that led
into the courtyard of the Southslde
Theater. Greta would stand for hours
near this gate waiting to catch
glimpse of the actors and actresses as
they came and went into that mys.,
FERROUS region known as back stage.
When Greta was IA real tragedy en-
tered her life. Her father, whom she
loved dearly, died. Mrs. Gustafsson and
her two older children, Sven and Alva.
went to work. Greta was too young
she must be kept in school while
longer
Greta did not like to be the only one
not earning money. In Sweden BARRIERS
employ girls to make the lather ana
pat in on the customers face and dry
the razors and .ay out clean towels.
Greta found such work in little shop.
But she didn't like it. Neither did she
like the small pay that went with It,
one day she persuaded her mother
to allow her to apply tor a position IN
Paul Bergstroms department store.
When she got position in the women's
coat department Greta knew that the
hated school days were over.
Gets Permanent Job.
It was soon found that Miss Gus
tafsson was willing ana quick to learn
When there was an opening in the MIL
linery department Greta received per-
manent position there.
One day the head saieswoman asked
the new clerk to help her lay out the
hats to be used for illustrations in the
Fall catalogue. When the advertising
man came in to look them over Greta
was used as a model. Both the adver-
Using man and the head of the depart
ment remarked on the fact that any
style of hat seemed to become Miss
GustafSson. They decided it would be
a fine idea to have her pose for the
photographs.
one day the advertising manager
came hurrying into the millinery de-
partment. "Pick out your smartest
styles" he ordered. Capt. Ring and
two of his contract players are coming
in to select hats for the advertising film
they are making for the store"
But Capt. Ring was not interested.
He had selected actresses for all the
costumes he had in mind. However, the
next day it was decided that comedy
touch was needed. Then Capt. Ring
remembered the tall, awkward, yet
strangely attractive girl in the millinery
department who photographed so well.
Greta was put into checkered riding
habit, two sizes too large. She was told
to stand with her hands in her pockets,
her shoulders hunched up and her head
pulled to one side. She was so quick
and anxious to follow directions that
Capt Ring assured her he would use
her soon in another picture.
But it wasn't until the following year
that Capt. Ring asked Miss Gustafsson
to do more work for him. This was
a small part in a film to be released
in Japan showing the culture and in
dustry of Sweden.
In 1922 he again wanted Greta to
take part in an industrial film for a !
firm in the city Of Orehro This time