Torrent

Three and a half minutes into Torrent, the camera discovers an actress, new to Hollywood, her hands clasped in prayer -- and an international screen legend is born. After appearing in only two films in her native Sweden, Greta Garbo starred in this tempestuous tale of the star-crossed romance between a Spanish nobleman (charismatic Ricardo Cortez) and a peasant girl (Garbo) who, even after finding fame as an opera star, can never forget the aristocrat she loves. In its review, Variety spoke for audiences enthralled by the lanky newcomer with the expressive, astonishingly beautiful face: "Greta Garbo, making her American debut as a screen star, might just as well be hailed here as the find of the year." Or any year.

• romance