How old was Greta Garbo when she retired from the movie business?

Greta Garbo, born Greta Lovisa Gustafsson (18 September 1905 – 15 April 1990), was a Swedish-born American film actress during the 1920s and 1930s. Garbo was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress and received an Academy Honorary Award in 1954 for her "luminous and unforgettable screen performances."

With George Cukor's 'Two-Faced Woman' (1941), MGM attempted to capitalize on Garbo's success in 'Ninotchka' by casting her in a romantic comedy which sought to portray her as a chic, modern woman. She played a "double" role that featured her dancing the rumba, swimming, and skiing. The film was a critical failure, but, contrary to popular belief, performed reasonably well at the box office. Garbo referred to the film as "my grave." 'Two-Faced Woman' was her last film; she was thirty-six and had made twenty-eight feature films in sixteen years.

Although Garbo was humiliated by the negative reviews of 'Two-Faced Woman', she did not at first intend to retire. But her films depended on the European market and when it fell through with the war, finding a vehicle was problematic for MGM. She signed a one-picture deal in 1942 to make 'The Girl from Leningrad' but the project quickly dissolved. She still thought she would continue when the war was over though she was ambivalent and indecisive about returning to the screen and never did.