From director George Cukor (The Philadelphia Story, Born Yesterday, My Fair Lady), the leading actress of this film retired at the age of thirty five after only thirty eight films, but of all of them this is considered by many her most memorable role, so I looked forward to seeing it. Basically, in the year 1847, during the days where met and women met in certain theatre, balls and gambling clubs, Marguerite Gautier (Oscar nominated Greta Garbo) was born into a lower class family, and started out as a courtesan, i.e. a prostitute. Her life changes though when breaks away and climbs higher in society, becoming the well known Dame Camille, Baron De Varville (Henry Daniell) is the man covering her finances, her looks are specifically what have earned her all the money over the years, but then her life takes another turn. Camille meets and falls in love with handsome young man Armand Duval (Robert Taylor), he is equally attracted to her, and she is prepared to give up some of her reputation and the Baron to be with the new man in her life. Armand's father Monsieur Duval (It's a Wonderful Life's Lionel Barrymore) knows about her past and is sure that being with her son will ruin his future in Paris, so he begs the woman to turn away, and realising the pain of his advice he does reject the young man. Armand without knowing much about the situation does continue to pursue her hoping to win her back, but Camille contracts a serious case of tuberculosis, and the film ends tragically with her dying from the disease in his arms. Also starring Elizabeth Allan as Nichette, Jessie Ralph as Nanine, Henry Daniell as Baron De Varville, Lenore Ulric as Olympe, Laura Hope Crews as Prudence, Rex O'Malley as Gaston and Russell Hardie as Gustave the Bridegoom. Garbo gives a fantastic leading performance as the woman who turns from little known heroine to doomed high class lady, the story is relatively simple, it may not be easy to follow with political moments, but the moving material works, and the death scene is certainly one of the finest, it is an interesting romantic drama. Greta Garbo was number 5 on 100 Years, 100 Stars - Women, and she was number 44 on The World's Greatest Actor, and the film was number 33 on 100 Years, 100 Passions. Very good!