Flesh and the Devil
"Flesh and the Devil", produced in 1926, premiered at New York's Capitol Theater on January 9, 1927) and marked a turning point for Garbo's personal and professional life. Initially, she refused to participate in the film. She had just finished "The Temptress" and was tired, plus her sister had recently died of cancer and she was upset that her contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer did not allow her to take the long trip back to Sweden. A sternly worded letter from MGM (read by Garbo biographer Barry Paris on the audio commentary for the 2005 DVD release of the film) warned her of dire consequences if she did not report for work. This was a rehearsal of sorts for a pitched battle Garbo would fight against studio heads after "Flesh and the Devil" was completed, which ended up with Garbo becoming one of the highest-paid actresses in Hollywood up to that time.