HISTORY

Merry Christmas! (With A New Picture)

In my annual Christmas tradition, here is my all-time favorite USC picture.
Hollywood screen legend Greta Garbo was sent to USC in 1926 to pose for some publicity photos with the track team.

On February 15th, 1926, C. E. Carle got a call from MGM Studios. They wanted to Garbo pose with the USC track team. Carle was the director of sports publicity at the University of Southern California. He graduated from USC in 1922 and then worked as a reporter for the Pomona Progress in 1924 before getting hired at USC.

Carle went to Paramount Studios in 1927 and then worked for MGM and 20th Century Fox.

Don Gillum was the photographer.

Garbo initially refused until MGM deducted $25 from her salary, which convinced her to head to campus and don a USC track singlet.

She is with a USC track assistant coach in the above photo.

And here she is with some members of the track team.

  • And here’s a new Christmas picture with Jane Greer’s wish list.

22 thoughts on “Merry Christmas! (With A New Picture)”

  3. Ask and you shall receive! You can open presents now.

    Charlie Bucket

    December 25, 2025 at 6:50 pm

    wolfman, where’s the Greta Garbo pic with the leering trOXan coach pawing her arm??

    #WeCantOpenPresentsUntilThePicGoesUp

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    2. KAM: Jane Greer co-starred in arguably the greatest film noir of all time, “Out of the Past”, as the irresistible Bad Girl that will bring a man down.

      DON: I will take “Out of the Past” with Jane over “Ninotchka” any time.

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      1. Oh, me too! The last scene with the kid lying about Mitchum’s intentions [to let his girlfriend move on] is a killer.

        Beautiful, hard-edged film.

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    1. GEORGE —ANY DAME THAT KILLS KIRK DOUGLAS AND ROBERT MITCHUM IN THE SAME MOVIE [“OUT OF THE PAST”] IS MY ENEMY…..

      [I LOVE THE SCENE WHERE ROBERT MITCHUM, WORKING AS KIRK DOUGLAS’ PRIVATE DETECTIVE, CATCHES UP WITH HER IN HER HALTER TOP & SHORTS AFTER SHE’S STOLEN ALL OF KIRK’S MONEY & SHE SEZ SHE’S SORRY FOR WHAT SHE DID TO KIRK….MITCHUM LOOKS HER UP & DOWN & SEZ, “BABY, I DON’T CARE”]…..

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    1. WELL, HONESTLY…I HAD A BIT OF AN ARGUMENT WITH THE LITTLE WOMAN, GEORGE. SOMEHOW THE WORDS ‘I’D RATHER BE SPENDING CHRISTMAS IN SOMEBODY’S GARAGE, EATING STALE BREAD” SLIPPED OUT. OF COURSE, I INSTANTLY APOLOGIZED …BUT I KINDA THINK SUSAN WILL RECALL THOSE WORDS IN SOME MEDICAL EMERGENCY MOMENT….

      “HONEY, I DON’T HEAR THE AMBULANCE YET..”

      “OH, I FORGOT TO CALL. I’LL GET RIGHT ON IT.”

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      1. KAM: <spit take>

        DON: Once the publishing world comes back to normal I want to pitch a book on your life, MG. It will be a best seller!

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      2. It’ll only get me in more trouble with the little woman, Gabby [I’m currently trying to convince her “it was only the champagne talking”]….

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      3. MICHAEL. JUST TELL HER YOU ARE WRITING A SCREEN PLAY AND YOU WANTED TO HEAR HOW THE WORDS SOUNDED WHEN SPOKEN ALOUD. SUSAN STILL LOVES YOU. AND ALWAYS WILL.

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      4. THAT’S THE TICKET! YEAH…THE OLD ‘SCREENPLAY’ ROUTINE!

        #…THAT ONE IS GOOD FOR ALL KINDS OF NAUGHTINESS….

        #…”THE BLOND YOU SAW ME WITH? I WAS JUST RESEARCHING HOW CERTAIN ACTIONS WOULD PLAY OUT FOR A SCREENPLAY I’M SECRETLY WORKING ON…”

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    1. EXACTLY, GEORGE. THE WORDS CAME OUT…ALMOST AGAINST MY WILL, AS IF I’D BEEN SLIPPED A MEDIEVAL TRUTH POTION BY MERLIN THE MAGICIAN…AFTER LISTENING TO ONE OF SUSAN’S COUSINS DO A ONE HALF HOUR, UNINTERRUPTED STORY OF HIS “LIFE IN SALES”……

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