View source for Greer Garson

{{Short description|British and American actress (1904–1996)}}
{{Use British English|date=October 2017}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Greer Garson
| honorific_suffix   = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|commas=on|CBE}}
| image              = Greer Garson-publicity.JPG
| caption            = Publicity photo of Garson, {{circa}} 1940s
| birth_name         = Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson
| birth_date         = {{birth date|df=yes|1904|09|29}}
| birth_place        = [[Manor Park, London|Manor Park]], [[County Borough of East Ham|East Ham]], [[Essex]], England
| death_date         = {{death date and age|df=yes|1996|04|06|1904|09|29}}
| death_place        = [[Dallas]], Texas, U.S.
| resting_place      = [[Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery]]
| citizenship        = United Kingdom (1904–1996)<br />United States (1951–1996)
| alma_mater         = [[King's College London]]<br />[[Grenoble Alpes University|University of Grenoble]]
| party              = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse             = {{ubl|{{marriage|Edward Snelson<br />|1933|1943|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Richard Ney]]<br />|1943|1947|end=divorced}}|{{marriage|[[Buddy Fogelson]]<br />|1949|1987|end=died}}
}}
| years active       = 1932–1986
| occupation         = {{hlist|Actress|singer|philanthropist}}
}}

'''Eileen Evelyn Greer Garson''' (29 September 1904 – 6 April 1996) was a British and American actress and singer. Known for playing graceful, noble, and dignified women in period and war dramas, she quickly rose to popularity during the [[Classical Hollywood cinema|Golden Age of Hollywood]]. A top-star at [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer]] Studios (MGM), Garson was among the most popular stars of the 1940s, becoming one of the highest paid actresses in the [[United States]] and [[United Kingdom|Britain]]. From 1942 to 1946, Garson was consistently ranked by the ''[[Motion Picture Herald]]'' as one of America’s top box-office draws. 

Originally a stage and television actress in her native England, Garson signed a film contract in 1937 with [[Louis B. Mayer]], the then-president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). She found early critical success with her debut film, ''[[Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939 film)|Goodbye, Mr. Chips]]'' (1939), which earned her her first [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]. Following career-elevating performances in the romantic comedy ''[[Remember? (1939 film)|Remember?]]'' (1939) and the period drama ''[[Pride and Prejudice (1940 film)|Pride and Prejudice]]'' (1940), Garson starred in a string of commercial and critical successes that earned her a record five consecutive Academy Award nominations for ''[[Blossoms in the Dust]]'' (1941), ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]'' (1942), ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]'' (1943), ''[[Mrs. Parkington]]'' (1944), and ''[[The Valley of Decision]]'' (1945). She won once for ''Mrs. Miniver'', the [[1942 in film|highest grossing film of 1942]]. 

By the late 1940s, Garson’s career had begun to decline, though she remained somewhat prominent in film. Her successes during this period include the romantic drama ''[[Adventure (1946 film)|Adventure]]'' (1946), the romantic comedy ''[[Julia Misbehaves]]'' (1948), and the [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] adaptation of ''[[William Shakespeare's Julius Caesar|Julius Caesar]]'' (1953). She made a brief comeback in 1960 for portraying [[first lady]] [[Eleanor Roosevelt]] in the film ''[[Sunrise at Campobello]],'' for which she earned her final Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. She made sporadic appearances in film until her death in 1996. 

Garson received numerous accolades throughout her career. She garnered seven Academy Award nominations for Best Actress, the fourth most-nominated woman, and received a [[Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe]] for [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]. She received a star on the [[Hollywood Walk of Fame]] in 1960, and in 1993, [[Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] recognised Garson's achievements by investing her as Commander of the [[Order of the British Empire]] (CBE).

==Early life==
Greer Garson was born on 29 September 1904<ref name="troyan-8">Troyan, p. 8.</ref> in [[Manor Park, London|Manor Park]], [[County Borough of East Ham|East Ham]] (then in Essex, now part of Greater London), the only child of Nancy Sophia "Nina" (née Greer; 1880–1958) and George Garson (1865–1906), a commercial clerk in a London importing business. Her father was born in [[London]] to Scottish parents,<ref name="troyan-8"/> and her mother was born at Drumalore (usually spelled as "Drumalure" or "Drumaloor"), a [[townland]] near [[Belturbet]] in [[County Cavan]], Ireland.<ref name="troyan-10">Troyan, p. 10.</ref> The name Greer is a contraction of MacGregor, another family name.<ref name="troyan-9">Troyan, p. 9.</ref>

Her maternal grandfather, David Greer ({{circa}} 1848–1913; from [[Kilrea]], [[County Londonderry]]), was an [[Royal Irish Constabulary|RIC]] sergeant later stationed in [[Castlewellan|Castlewellan, County Down]]. In the 1870s or 1880s, he became a land steward to the wealthy [[Earl Annesley|Annesley family]], who built the town of Castlewellan. While there, he lived in a large detached house named Clairemount, which was built on the lower part of what was known as Pig Street, locally known as the Back Way, near Shilliday's builder's yard. It was erroneously reported Greer Garson was born there (''The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia'' gives her place of birth as County Down, and her year of birth as 1908).<ref>Ephraim Katz, ''The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia'' (1994)<!-- ISSN/ISBn, publisher, page(s) needed --></ref>

Garson read French and 18th-century literature at [[King's College London]] and did her postgraduate studies at the University of Grenoble. While aspiring to be an actress, she was appointed head of the research library of LINTAS in the marketing department of [[Lever Brothers]]. Her co-worker there, [[George Sanders]], wrote in his autobiography that it was Garson who suggested he start a career in acting.<ref>{{cite book |last=Sanders |first=George |title=Memoirs of a Professional Cad |publisher=Hamish Hamilton |year=1960 |page=54}}<!-- ISSN/ISBN needed --></ref><ref name="Troyan2010">{{cite book |last=Troyan |first=Michael |title=A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_IW__K6uOroC&pg=PA21 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |date=12 September 2010 |pages=21–22 |isbn=978-0-8131-2842-9}}</ref>

==Career==
Garson's early professional appearances were on stage, starting at [[Birmingham Repertory Theatre]] in January 1932, when she was age 27. She appeared on television during its earliest years (the late 1930s), most notably starring in a 30-minute production of an excerpt of ''[[Twelfth Night]]'' in May 1937, with [[Dorothy Black (actress)|Dorothy Black]]. These live transmissions were part of the BBC's pioneering television service from [[Alexandra Palace]], and this is the first known instance of a [[Shakespeare]] play performed on television.<ref>Troyan, Michael (1999), pp. 57–58, 380.</ref> In 1936, she appeared in the [[West End theatre|West End]] in [[Charles Bennett (screenwriter)|Charles Bennett]]'s play ''[[Page From a Diary]]'', and [[Noël Coward]]'s play ''Mademoiselle''.

[[File:Greer Garson in Pride and Prejudice.JPG|thumb|Garson in ''[[Pride and Prejudice (1940 film)|Pride and Prejudice]]'' (1940)]]
[[Louis B. Mayer]] discovered Garson while he was in London looking for new talent. Garson was signed to a contract with [[MGM]] in late 1937. The actress suffered a back injury during her first 18 months at MGM while waiting for a role Mayer deemed worthy of her, and she nearly was cut from her contract.

She began work on ''[[Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939 film)|Goodbye, Mr. Chips]]'', her first film, in late 1938, and she received her first Oscar nomination for the role. She received critical acclaim the next year for her role as [[Elizabeth Bennet]] in the 1940 film ''[[Pride and Prejudice (1940 film)|Pride and Prejudice]]''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Crowther|first=Bosley|date=9 August 1940|title=The Screen in Review; 'Pride and Prejudice,' a Delightful Comedy of Manners, Seen at the Music Hall-- 'South to Karanga' Given at the Rialto and 'Pier 13' at the Palace At the Rialto|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/08/09/archives/the-screen-in-review-pride-and-prejudice-a-delightful-comedy-of.html|access-date=7 May 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

Garson starred with [[Joan Crawford]] in ''[[When Ladies Meet (1941 film)|When Ladies Meet]]'', a 1941 poorly received and sanitized re-make of a [[Pre-Code Hollywood|pre-Code]] [[When Ladies Meet (1933 film)|1933 film of the same name]], which had starred [[Ann Harding]] and [[Myrna Loy]]. The same year, she became a major box-office star with the sentimental [[Technicolor]] drama ''[[Blossoms in the Dust]]'', which brought her the first of five consecutive Best Actress Oscar nominations, tying [[Bette Davis]]'s record from 1938 to 1942, which still stands.<ref>{{cite book|last=Leslie|first=Roger|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=C7UsDwAAQBAJ&q=greer+garson+oscar+nomination&pg=PA93|title=Oscar's Favorite Actors: The Winningest Stars (and More Who Should Be)|date=30 June 2017|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-1-4766-6956-4}}</ref>

Garson starred in two Oscar-nominated films in 1942: ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]'' and ''[[Random Harvest (film)|Random Harvest]]''. She won Best Actress for her performance as a strong British wife and mother protecting the homefront during the Second World War in ''Mrs. Miniver'', which co-starred [[Walter Pidgeon]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Tapert|first=Stephen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zeDBDwAAQBAJ&q=Garson|title=Best Actress: The History of Oscar®-Winning Women|date=10 December 2019|publisher=Rutgers University Press|isbn=978-1-9788-0806-5}}</ref> The ''[[Guinness Book of World Records]]'' credited her with the longest [[Academy Award|Oscar]] acceptance speech,<ref>{{cite book|last=Robertson|first=Patrick|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jYQqAAAAYAAJ&q=greer+garson+longest+acceptance+speech|title=Guinness Movie Facts & Feats|date=1988|publisher=Guinness Books|isbn=978-0-85112-899-3}}</ref> at five minutes and 30 seconds,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.infoplease.com/askeds/longest-oscar-acceptance-speech.html|title=The Longest Acceptance Speech|work=Infoplease|access-date=29 April 2007}}</ref> after which the Academy Awards instituted a time limit. Garson held this record until it was surpassed by [[Adrien Brody]]'s speech at the [[97th Academy Awards]], eighty-two years later.

[[File:Greer Garson in That Forsyte Woman 2.JPG|thumb|Garson in ''That Forsyte Woman''&nbsp;(1949)]]
In ''Random Harvest'' she co-starred with [[Ronald Colman]]. The drama received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Actor for Colman and Best Picture. The American Film Institute ranked it #36 on its list of 100 Greatest Love Stories of All Time, and it was one of Garson's favorite films.<ref name=":1">{{cite book|last=Crouse|first=Richard|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qIj5TpxXffoC&q=greer+garson+nomination+random+harvest&pg=PA111|title=Reel Winners: Movie Award Trivia|date=22 October 2005|publisher=Dundurn|isbn=978-1-55002-574-3}}</ref>

Garson also received Oscar nominations for her performances in the films ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]'' (1943), ''[[Mrs. Parkington]]'' (1944), and ''[[The Valley of Decision]]'' (1945). She frequently co-starred with Walter Pidgeon, ultimately making eight pictures with him: ''Blossoms in the Dust'' (1941), ''Mrs. Miniver'' (1942), ''Madame Curie'', ''Mrs. Parkington'', ''[[Julia Misbehaves]]'' (1948), ''[[That Forsyte Woman]]'' (1949), ''[[The Miniver Story]]'' (1950), and ''[[Scandal at Scourie]]'' (1953).<ref>{{cite news|last=Berger|first=Joseph|date=26 September 1984|title=Walter Pidgeon, Actor, Dies at 87 (Published 1984)|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/26/obituaries/walter-pidgeon-actor-dies-at-87.html|access-date=30 October 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

[[File:The Miniver Story 2.JPG|left|thumb|Garson and co-star [[Walter Pidgeon]] in ''The Miniver Story'' (1950), a sequel to the successful award-winning ''Mrs. Miniver'']]
Garson starred with [[Clark Gable]] after his return from war service in ''[[Adventure (1945 film)|Adventure]]'' (1945). The film was advertised with the catch-phrase "Gable's back, and Garson's got him!"<ref>Garnett, Tay, ''Light Your Torches, and Pull up your Tights'', New Rochelle, New York, Arlington House, 1973; {{ISBN|0-87000-204-X}}</ref> Gable argued for "He Put the Arson in Garson"; she countered with "She Put the Able in Gable!"; thereafter, the safer catchphrase was selected.

She injured her back again while filming ''[[Desire Me]]'' in Monterey on 26 April 1946 when a wave knocked her and co-star [[Richard Hart (actor)|Richard Hart]] from the rocks where they were rehearsing. A local fisherman and a film extra rescued Garson from the surf and potential undertow. She was bruised and in shock, and she required by doctors to rest for several days. The injury to her back required several surgeries over the coming years.<ref>Michael Troyan, A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson, The University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, Kentucky (1999), pp.198–200.{{ISBN|978-0813120942}}</ref>

Garson's popularity declined somewhat in the late 1940s, but she remained a prominent film star until the mid-1950s. In 1951, she became a naturalised citizen of the United States.<ref>Troyan, Michael (1999), pp. 240–241.</ref> She made only a few films after her MGM contract expired in 1954. In 1958, she received a warm reception on Broadway in ''[[Auntie Mame]]'', replacing [[Rosalind Russell]], who had gone back to Hollywood to make the film version. In 1960, Garson received her seventh and final Oscar nomination for ''[[Sunrise at Campobello]]'', playing [[Eleanor Roosevelt]].

Greer was a special guest on an episode of the TV series ''[[Father Knows Best]]'', playing herself.<ref>{{Citation|title="Father Knows Best" Kathy's Big Chance (TV Episode 1957)|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0578441/fullcredits|access-date=27 January 2019}}</ref> On 4 October 1956, Garson appeared with [[Reginald Gardiner]] as the first two guest stars of the series in the premiere of ''[[The Ford Show|The Ford Show, Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford]]''. She appeared as a mystery guest on ''[[What's My Line]]'' on 25 October 1953 and again on 6 April 1958 to promote her appearance on stage in ''Auntie Mame''. She also served as a panelist rather than a guest on the ''[[What's My Line]]'' episode that aired on 12 May 1957.<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/kDku13RPflI Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20190715221656/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDku13RPflI&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDku13RPflI|title=What's My Line? – Ziegfeld Girls; Walter Brennan; Adolph Menjou, Greer Garson [panel] (12 May 1957)|last=What's My Line?|date=11 January 2014|access-date=19 August 2017|publisher=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

She returned to MGM for a role in ''[[The Singing Nun (film)|The Singing Nun]]'' (1966), starring [[Debbie Reynolds]]. Her last film appearance was in the 1967 [[Walt Disney]] feature ''[[The Happiest Millionaire]]'', and she made infrequent television appearances afterward. In 1968, she narrated the children's television special ''[[The Little Drummer Boy (TV special)|The Little Drummer Boy]]''. Her final role for television was in a 1982 episode of ''[[The Love Boat]]''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Troyan |first=Michael |title=A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_IW__K6uOroC&q=greer+garson+love+boat&pg=PA383 |publisher=University Press of Kentucky |date=12 September 2010 |isbn=978-0-8131-2842-9}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Garson was married three times. Her first marriage, on 28 September 1933, was to Edward Alec Abbot Snelson (1904–1992), later Sir Edward, a British civil servant who became a noted judge and expert in Indian affairs. After a honeymoon in Germany, he returned to his appointment at Nagpur, a town in central India, and she chose to return to her mother and the theatre in Britain.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The life of Greer Garson|last=Troyan|first=Michael|publisher=The University Press of Kentucky|year=1968|isbn=0-8131-2094-2|pages=[https://archive.org/details/roseformrsminive00troy/page/33 33–34]|url=https://archive.org/details/roseformrsminive00troy/page/33}}</ref> Snelson reportedly grieved at losing her and would watch multiple screenings of any film of hers that played in Nagpur. The marriage was not formally dissolved until 1943.

Her second marriage, on 24 July 1943,<ref>{{cite web|title=24 July 1943|url=https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/K82N-6BY|publisher=FamilySearch.org|access-date=19 March 2013}}</ref> was to [[Richard Ney]] (1916–2004), a young actor who had played her son in ''Mrs. Miniver''. The relationship was under constant scrutiny owing to their 12-year age difference. MGM claimed that Garson was merely three years older than Ney and tried to portray them as a happy couple, but the marriage was troubled. They divorced in 1947, after several attempts at reconciliation.<ref name="RichardNeyObituary">{{cite news|title=Richard Ney Dies; Actor, Investment Adviser|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A4403-2004Jul21.html|access-date=16 February 2013|newspaper=The Washington Post|date=22 July 2004}}</ref><ref name="Life">{{cite magazine|title=Garson Hasn't Got Ney|magazine=Life (magazine)|date=6 October 1947|page=50|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MEgEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA50|access-date=22 March 2013}}</ref> Ney eventually became a stock-market analyst, financial consultant, and author.<ref name=RichardNeyObituary/>

[[File:Buddy Fogelson and Greer Garson, 1948.jpg|left|thumb|Buddy Fogelson and Garson in 1948]]
Her third marriage in 1949<ref name="flr">{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/peco/historyculture/forked-lightning-ranch.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831164917/http://www.nps.gov/peco/historyculture/forked-lightning-ranch.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 August 2006|title=Forked Lightning Ranch|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=16 April 2011}}</ref> was to [[Buddy Fogelson|E.E. "Buddy" Fogelson]] (1900–1987), a millionaire oilman and horse breeder. In 1967, the couple retired to their [[Pecos National Historical Park#Forked Lightning Ranch|Forked Lightning Ranch]] in New Mexico. They purchased the [[National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame|US Hall of Fame]] champion Thoroughbred [[Ack Ack (horse)|Ack Ack]] from the estate of [[Harry F. Guggenheim]] in 1971,<ref>{{cite book|last=Bowen|first=Edward L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=i7ilgwjwtN4C&q=thoroughbred+ack+ack&pg=PA88|title=Legacies of the Turf: A Century of Great Thoroughbred Breeders|date=2004|publisher=Eclipse Press|isbn=978-1-58150-117-9}}</ref> and were successful as breeders.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|title=Buddy Fogelson, husband of Greer Garson, dies|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1987/12/01/Buddy-Fogelson-husband-of-Greer-Garson-dies/5257565333200/|publisher=UPI|access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref> They also maintained a home in Dallas, where Garson funded the Greer Garson Theatre at Southern Methodist University.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Life and Theater of Greer Garson|last1=Anderson|first1=Porter|url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/1992/august/the-life-and-theater-of-greer-garson/|website=D Magazine |date=August 1992 |access-date=7 May 2020}}</ref> She founded a permanent endowment for the Fogelson Honors Forum at Texas Christian University (TCU), Buddy Fogelson's alma mater,<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|title=E. E. Fogelson; Oilman and Philanthropist|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-03-mn-26151-story.html|date=3 December 1987|website=Los Angeles Times|language=en-US|access-date=8 May 2020}}</ref> in nearby Fort Worth.

[[File:Forked Lightning Ranch Residence, Architect - John Gaw Meem, Pecos National Historical Park - panoramio.jpg|thumb|Residence at Forked Lightning Ranch, New Mexico]]
In 1951, Garson became a dual citizen of the United Kingdom and the United States. She was a registered [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], and in 1966, she was asked to run for [[United States Congress|Congress]] on the Republican ticket against [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Earle Cabell]] but declined.<ref>{{cite news|title=Greer Garson Nixes Political Career|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/?spot=627455&fcfToken=626361656c65766e34354859652b48442b73565a53786b6869765354684c2b546643784a686372476875576d536f4149624c35774b33754e696e48722f534f31|date=12 January 1966|agency=United Press International| newspaper=The San Bernardino Sun|url-access=subscription }}</ref> She was a devout Presbyterian.<ref>Michael Troyan, ''A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson'', University Press of Kentucky: Lexington, Kentucky (1999), pp. 8–9. {{ISBN|978-0813120942}}</ref>

During her later years, Garson was recognised for her philanthropy and civic leadership. She donated several million dollars for the construction of the Greer Garson Theatre at both the [[Santa Fe University of Art and Design]] and at Southern Methodist University's [[Meadows School of the Arts]] on three conditions: 1) the stages be circular 2) the premiere production be ''[[A Midsummer Night's Dream]]'' and 3) they have large ladies' rooms.<ref>Sarvady, Andrea (2006), p. 83.</ref>

===Death===
Garson lived her final years in a penthouse suite at the Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas, where she died from heart failure on 6 April 1996.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/07/us/greer-garson-92-actress-dies-won-oscar-for-mrs-miniver.html|title=Greer Garson, 92, Actress, Dies; Won Oscar for 'Mrs. Miniver'|newspaper=New York Times|date=April 7, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Pearson|first=Richard|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1996/04/07/1942-academy-award-winner-greer-garson-dies-at-age-92/70814d3a-9d63-4e24-8fb4-2a13c7fe90d1/|title=1942 Academy Award Winner Greer Garson Dies at Age 92|newspaper=Washington Post|date=April 6, 1996}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1996-04-07-mn-55931-story.html|title=Academy Award-Winning Actress Greer Garson Dies|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=April 7, 1996}}</ref> She was 91.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.apnews.com/871446ca863a999430cff58411fd9ee3 | title=Actress Greer Garson Dies After Lengthy Illness | date=6 April 1996 | work=AP News | first=Janine | last=Zuniga | access-date=30 September 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190930220759/https://www.apnews.com/871446ca863a999430cff58411fd9ee3 | archive-date=30 September 2019 | url-status=dead }}</ref> She is interred beside her husband in the [[Sparkman-Hillcrest Memorial Park Cemetery]] in Dallas.<ref>{{cite book|last=Wilson|first=Scott|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7-DgDAAAQBAJ&q=greer+garson&pg=PA591|title=Resting Places: The Burial Sites of More Than 14,000 Famous Persons, 3d ed.|date=22 August 2016|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-7992-4}}</ref>

==Honours==
Garson received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University in 1991.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sites.smu.edu/des/registrar/HonoraryDegrees/?a=year|title=SMU Honorary Degrees|website=sites.smu.edu|access-date=27 January 2019}}</ref>

In 1993, Queen Elizabeth II recognised Garson's achievements by investing her as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/garson-greer-1904-1996| title=Garson, Greer (1904–1996)|website=encyclopedia.com|access-date=21 February 2018}}</ref>

Garson received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on 8 February 1960 located at 1651 Vine Street in Los Angeles.

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="25%"| Title
! width="25%"| Role
! width="45%" class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| rowspan="2"|1939
| ''[[Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939 film)|Goodbye, Mr. Chips]]''
| Katherine Chipping
| Nominated – [[Academy Award for Best Actress]]
|-
| ''[[Remember? (1939 film)|Remember?]]''
| Linda Bronson Holland
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1940
| ''{{sortname|The|Miracle of Sound}}''
| herself
| color test for ''[[Blossoms in the Dust]]''
|-
| ''[[Pride and Prejudice (1940 film)|Pride and Prejudice]]''
| [[Elizabeth Bennet]]
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1941
| ''[[Blossoms in the Dust]]''
| [[Edna Gladney|Edna Kahly Gladney]]
| Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
|-
| ''[[When Ladies Meet (1941 film)|When Ladies Meet]]''
| Mrs. Claire Woodruff
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1942
| ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]''
| Mrs. Kay Miniver
| Academy Award for Best Actress
|-
| ''[[Random Harvest (film)|Random Harvest]]''
| Paula Ridgeway/Margaret Hansen
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1943
| ''{{sortname|The|Youngest Profession}}''
| herself
|
|-
| ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]''
| [[Marie Curie]]
| Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
|-
| 1944
| ''[[Mrs. Parkington]]''
| Susie "Sparrow" Parkington
| Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
|-
| rowspan="2"|1945
| ''{{sortname|The|Valley of Decision}}''
| Mary Rafferty
| Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
|-
| ''[[Adventure (1945 film)|Adventure]]''
| Emily Sears
|
|-
| 1947
| ''[[Desire Me]]''
| Marise Aubert
|
|-
| 1948
| ''[[Julia Misbehaves]]''
| Julia Packett
|
|-
| 1949
| ''[[That Forsyte Woman]]''
| Irene Forsyte
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1950
| ''Screen Actors''
| Herself
| short subject, uncredited
|-
| ''{{sortname|The|Miniver Story}}''
| Mrs. Kay Miniver
|
|-
| 1951
| ''[[The Law and the Lady (1951 film)|The Law and the Lady]]''
| Jane Hoskins
|
|-
| rowspan="2"|1953
| ''[[Scandal at Scourie]]''
| Mrs. Victoria McChesney
|
|-
| ''[[Julius Caesar (1953 film)|Julius Caesar]]''
| [[Calpurnia (wife of Caesar)|Calpurnia]]
|
|-
| 1954
| ''[[Her Twelve Men]]''
| Jan Stewart
|
|-
| 1955
| ''[[Strange Lady in Town]]''
| Dr. Julia Winslow Garth
|
|-
| 1956
| ''[[The Little Foxes]]''
| Regina Giddens
| TV movie
|-
| rowspan="3"|1960
| ''[[Sunrise at Campobello]]''
| [[Eleanor Roosevelt]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]<br />[[National Board of Review Award for Best Actress]]<br />Nominated – Academy Award for Best Actress
|-
| ''[[Pepe (1960 film)|Pepe]]''
| herself
| cameo
|-
| ''[[Captain Brassbound's Conversion]]''
| Lady Cicely Waynflete
| TV movie
|-
| 1963
| ''Invincible Mr. Disraeli''
| Mary Anne Disraeli
| TV movie 
|-
| 1966
| ''{{sortname|The|Singing Nun|dab=film}}''
| Mother Prioress
|
|-
| 1967
| ''{{sortname|The|Happiest Millionaire}}''
| Mrs. Cordelia Biddle
|
|-
| 1968
| ''[[The Little Drummer Boy (TV special)|The Little Drummer Boy]]''
| "Our Story Teller"
| credited as Miss Greer Garson
|-
| 1974
| ''Crown Matrimonial''
| [[Mary of Teck|Queen Mary]]
| TV movie
|-
| 1976
| ''[[The Little Drummer Boy (TV special)#1976 sequel|The Little Drummer Boy, Book II]]''
| "Our Story Teller"
| credited as Miss Greer Garson
|-
| 1978
| ''[[Little Women (1978 film)|Little Women]]''
| Aunt Kathryn March
| TV miniseries
|-
| 1986
| ''Directed by William Wyler''
| herself
| documentary
|}

==Awards and nominations==
Garson won an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] out of 7 nominations for [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]], including the most consecutive nominations, from 1941 to 1945, tied with [[Bette Davis]].

Garson was recognized by the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] for the following performances:
{|class="wikitable"
| Year
| Category
| Work
| Result
|-
| [[12th Academy Awards|1939]]
|rowspan=7|[[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| ''[[Goodbye, Mr. Chips (1939 film)|Goodbye, Mr. Chips]]''
|{{nom}}
|-
| [[14th Academy Awards|1941]]
| ''[[Blossoms in the Dust]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[15th Academy Awards|1942]]
| ''[[Mrs. Miniver]]''
| {{won}}
|-
| [[16th Academy Awards|1943]]
| ''[[Madame Curie (film)|Madame Curie]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[17th Academy Awards|1944]]
| ''[[Mrs. Parkington]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[18th Academy Awards|1945]]
| ''[[The Valley of Decision]]''
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[33rd Academy Awards|1960]]
| ''[[Sunrise at Campobello]]''
|{{nom}}
|}

===Box-office ranking===
{{See also|Top Ten Money Making Stars Poll}}
{{Unreferenced section|date=February 2022}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !!US Rank!!UK Rank
!Ref.
|-
||1942||9th||
| rowspan="5" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reel Classics: Article: Quigley's Annual List of Box-Office Champions, 1932-1970 |url=https://www.reelclassics.com/Articles/General/quigleytop10-article.htm |access-date=2025-03-27 |website=www.reelclassics.com}}</ref>
|-
||1943||6th||1st
|- 
||1944||6th||3rd
|-
||1945||3rd||3rd
|-
||1946||7th||4th
|}

==Television appearances==
{| class="wikitable sortable" width="100%"
|-
! width="5%"| Year
! width="25%"| Title
! width="25%"| Role
! width="45%" class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| rowspan="1"|1953<br />1958
| ''[[What's My Line]]''
| Mystery Guest
| airdates: 25 October 1953<br />6 April 1958
|-
| rowspan="1"|1955
| ''[[Producers' Showcase]]''
| Elena Krug
| Episode: "Reunion in Vienna"
|-
| rowspan="1"|1956–1960
| ''[[General Electric Theater]]''
| Various
| 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan="2"|1957
|''[[Telephone Time]]''
|Liza Richardson
|
|-
| ''[[Father Knows Best]]''
| Herself
| Episode "Kathy's Big Chance"
|-
|1962
| ''[[The DuPont Show of the Week]]''
| Juliette Harben 
|
|-
| 1965
| ''The Red Skelton Hour Christmas Special'' 
| herself and Old Granny
|-
| 1968–1970
| ''[[Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In]]'' 
| Guest Performer
| 5 episodes
|-
| 1970
| ''[[The Virginian (TV series)|The Virginian]]'' 
| Frances B. Finch 
| Episode: "Lady At The Bar” 
|-
| 1982
| ''[[The Love Boat]]'' 
| Alice Bailey
| Episode: "The Tomorrow Lady"
|}

==Radio appearances==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Program !! Episode/source
|-
| 1942|| rowspan="2" | ''[[The Screen Guild Theater]]'' || ''The Philadelphia Story''
|-
| 1945|| ''My Favorite Wife''
|-
| 1946|| ''[[Academy Award (radio)|Academy Award]]'' || ''[[Brief Encounter]]''<ref>{{cite news| title=Greer Garson Stars in 'Brief Encounter' On Academy Award—WHP|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3225864/harrisburg_telegraph|work=Harrisburg Telegraph|date=16 November 1946|page=17|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=14 September 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|-
| 1946|| ''[[Lux Radio Theatre]]'' || ''[[Mrs. Parkington]]''<ref>{{cite news|title='Lux' Guest|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3217198/harrisburg_telegraph|work=Harrisburg Telegraph|date=23 November 1946|page=19|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=13 September 2015}} {{Open access}}</ref>
|-
| 1952|| ''Lux Radio Theatre'' || ''[[The African Queen (film)|The African Queen]]''<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kirby|first1=Walter|title=Better Radio Programs for the Week|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2591748/the_decatur_daily_review|newspaper=Decatur Daily Review|date=14 December 1952|page=54}}</ref>
|-
| 1953|| ''[[Suspense (radio drama)|Suspense]]'' || ''Twas the Night Before Christmas''<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Those Were the Days |magazine=Nostalgia Digest |date=Autumn 2012 |volume=38 |issue=4 |pages=38–39}}</ref>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Sources==
*{{cite book|last1=Katz|first1=Ephraim|title=The Macmillan International Film Encyclopedia|date=1994|publisher=Pan Macmillan Limited|isbn=0-333-61601-4|pages=511}}
*{{cite book|last=Sarvady|first=Andrea|title=Leading Ladies: The 50 Most Unforgettable Actresses of the Studio Era|publisher=Chronicle Books|location=San Francisco|year=2006|isbn=0811852482}}
*{{cite book|last=Troyan|first=Michael|title=A Rose for Mrs. Miniver: The Life of Greer Garson|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|location=Lexington|year=1999|isbn=978-0813120942|url=https://archive.org/details/roseformrsminive00troy}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{IMDb name|0002093}}
* {{TCMDb name | 68970%7C63414 }}
* {{IBDB name}}
* {{Find a Grave|2465}}
* {{YouTube|KdhUN0mtxkc|Greer Garson test footage for ''Goodbye, Mr. Chips''}}
* {{YouTube|8irGzD7h_PE|Greer Garson interview, 1985}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060831164917/http://www.nps.gov/peco/historyculture/forked-lightning-ranch.htm Forked Lightning Ranch, Pecos National Historical Park]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20101230023132/http://missgreergarson.com/ Everything About Greer Garson fan website]
* [http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=21198/zz0002tbdz Image of Roddy McDowall, Julie Andrews and Greer Garson at the premiere of "The Greatest Story Ever Told" in Los Angeles, California, 1965.] ''Los Angeles Times'' Photographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Charles Edward Wilson (General Electric executive)|Charles Edward Wilson]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[List of covers of Time magazine (1940s)|Cover of ''Time'' magazine]]|years = 20 December 1943}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Sergius I of Moscow|Patriarch Sergius]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for Greer Garson
|list =
{{AcademyAwardBestActress 1941-1960}}
{{GoldenGlobeBestActressMotionPictureDrama 1943-1960}}
{{National Board of Review Award for Best Actress}}
}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Garson, Greer}}
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