Harry Brown

Every year, on Christmas Eve, Clifton and Mabelle received a holiday telegram from Harry Brown.

Now, there are several Harry Brown's with credits on IMDB.com. Harry C. Brown, was an actor who appeared in silent movies from 1914 to 1921. Harry Brown shows 4 acting credits between 1934 and 1939. Another Harry Brown appeared in movies and television between 1941 and 1956. Harry Joe Brown was a prolific producer, and Harlequin of The Masquers, who worked from 1924 to 1967.

The sender of the telegram, however, was not any of these Harry Browns. It wasn't even from Harry Brown. This AKA Harry Brown was actually a woman, who was so famous in her time, that when she traveled, she used the pseudonym of Harriet Brown. She abandoned her film career in 1941, and retired to her apartment at 450 East 52nd Street in New York City.

Along the way, it was natural that her path would cross with Clifton Webb's. They moved in the same circles, and had many friends in common. Clifton took the pseudonym of Harriet Brown and converted it to his own nickname for her, Harry Brown, which she embraced.

Harry Brown was, of course, the one and only Greta Garbo.

Clifton not only shared friends with Garbo, he was also a long time friend of one woman who became Garbo's enemy.

The famous dress designer, Valentina Nicholaevna Sanina Schlee, was known simply as Valentina. She married the financier George Schlee, and became a successful Madison Avenue designer. In addition, she became a costume designer for such Broadway productions as "The Philadelphia Story." She dressed Cornell, Fontanne, Swanson, Hepburn, and Whitneys and Vanderbilts, and many, many others.

George Schlee was a Russian millionaire, and he met Garbo in the early 1940's. He became a close friend and advisor to Garbo for the rest of his life. Garbo moved into her

apartment on 52nd Street in 1951, a building where Valentina and Schlee already lived.

Before Schlee's death in 1964, Valentina developed a strong jealousy of Garbo's long friendship with Schlee. After Schlee's death, and before Valentina's own death in 1989, a 25 year pas de deux took place in the lobby of 450 East 52nd Street. Neither Valentina nor Garbo cared to face each other, so they memorized each other's schedules so they would never accidentally run into each other in the lobby or elevator.

There's no record if angry stares were ever exchanged, but can you imagine the tension when the poor doorman saw either woman headed his way?