How did Ninotchka change Greta Garbo’s screen image?

The 1939 film Ninotchka significantly altered Greta Garbo’s screen image by casting the famously solemn actress in a rare, lighthearted comedic role. Known previously for her mysterious, ethereal persona and portrayals of strong-willed, often tragic heroines, Garbo was marketed for this film with the tagline “Garbo Laughs!”123

Under the direction of Ernst Lubitsch, Garbo played a stern, committed communist functionary who gradually succumbs to the pleasures of Western life. This performance served as a self-parodying turn that proved her capability as a comic performer, successfully breaking away from her established dramatic image. Despite initial skepticism from MGM executives regarding whether audiences would accept her in a comedy, the film became one of her most enduringly popular works and earned her a final Academy Award nomination for best actress.123