Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel – the classic story of a single day in the famous Berlin hotel, where people’s lives interact to tell a great story …

Grand Hotel (1932) starring Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery

Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, John Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore and Wallace Beery star in this winner of an Oscar for Best Picture — Grand Hotel.In a single day in Berlin’s Grand Hotel, jewel thief Baron Felix von Geigern (John Barrymore) covets both prima ballerina Grusinskaya’s (Garbo) jewels and the beautiful Flaemmchen(Joan Crawford), who is the mistress of the Preysing (Wallace Beery), boss to the terminally ill Otto Kringelein (Lionel Barrymore). Now, in just 24 hours, the lives of these people will change forever in this Hollywood classic.

Review of Grand Hotel

Remember when the phrase “all star cast” meant “people who were very good actors”? That’s what happens in Grand Hotel. It’s the story of one day at a prestigious hotel, with a cast of interesting characters. They’re all related to other members of the cast in one way or another. And each has they own mini story that combines to tell the overarching story. It’s funny, sad, serious, and wonderfully done.

Cast of characters

• John Barrymore (Counsellor at Law) … Baron Felix von Geigern. A titled blue blood, who squandered his fortune. He supports himself by card playing and, secretly, a cat burglar. But he’s not a complete villain. He even does a “heroic” sacrifice toward the end.
• Greta Garbo (Ninotchka) … Grusinskaya. World-famous dancer. More than a little neurotic. She’s consumed with the fear that her career’s winding down. Geigern, hiding in her room that he was going to burgle, overhears her thinking of suicide. He talks her out of it, and they become lovers. She expects him to accompany her to Vienna.
• Joan Crawford (Dancing Lady) … Flaemmchen. Preysing’s stenographer, who wants her to be his “personal” assistant. She has to decide between her dignity, and her employment.
• Wallace Beery (The Champ) … General Director Preysing. A thoroughly unlikable man. He’s totally self-centered, cares about no one and nothing but himself.
• Lionel Barrymore (On Borrowed Time) … Otto Kringelein. A terminally ill man. He simply wants to spend his remaining time living the high life. After a lifetime of working and scraping by for his boss, Preysing. He loses his wallet in a card game with Geigern, but the soft-hearted burglar returns it to him.
• Lewis Stone (Love Laughs at Andy Hardy) … Doctor Otternschlag. A disfigured veteran of World War I and a permanent resident of the Grand Hotel in Berlin. He makes the famous statement, “People coming, going. Nothing ever happens.” Of course, he’s totally wrong.
• Jean Hersholt (Marooned 1969) … Senf
• Robert McWade … Meierheim
• Purnell Pratt … Zinnowitz
• Ferdinand Gottschalk (Les Miserables (1935)) … Pimenov
• Rafaela Ottiano (The Devil-Doll) … Suzette
• Morgan Wallace … Chauffeur
• Tully Marshall (HE Who Gets Slapped) … Gerstenkorn
• Frank Conroy (The Kennel Murder Case) … Rohna
• Murray Kinnell … Schweimann
• Edwin Maxwell (Ninotchka) … Dr. Waitz

Secondary characters

• Mary Carlisle (Kentucky Kernels) … Mrs. Hoffman – Young Honeymooner
• John Davidson (A Tale of Two Cities) … Hotel Manager
• Allen Jenkins (Five Came Back) … Hotel Meat Packer
• Greta Meyer (Suzy) … Housekeeper in Room 174
• Rolfe Sedan (Ninotchka) … Hotel Guest in Bar
• Mike Tellegen … Taxi Driver
• Leo White (The Champion) … Hotel Porter