Grand Hotel

Edmund Goulding, USA, 1932, 115 minutes

MGM really pushed the boat out with this, perhaps the film of the year. Transferring audiences from the depression to the plush luxurious hotel of the title, where the rich and prominent play out a series of related, interweaving playlets.

The awesome cast was guaranteed to pull the audiences, and left the studio trying to balance the star's egos: after all, only one could get top billing.

Eventually, Greta Garbo got first place, as the highly emotional ballet dancer with a penchant for smartly-dressed men as well as histrionics. Garbo's role is not as large as that given to some of the other cast members, though her perfomance is unforgettable. This is the film which donated the catchphrase to her: "I want to be alone..."

John Barrymore gives a performance representative of his many great roles, as a suave jewel thief romancing both Garbo and young stenographer Joan Crawford, whilst trying to keep certain 'undesirable elements' off his back. Crawford is here before her ultra-hard-boiled phase, and somehow walks away with all her scenes, though she is unfortunately never matched against Garbo.

Wallace Beery is fantastic as the bad-guy, an amoral business man desperately trying to get his deal through, and just as desperately pursuing Crawford, whilst managing to thoroughly upset terminally-ill Lionel Barrymore.

Lionel, John's brother, delivers the performance that has to be picked out as his best, but to choose between the stars is too difficult. Its box office success should speak more for the film's worth than any superlatives; and it deservedly won the year's best picture Oscar.

Review by Martin Hunt
Taken from EUFS Programme 1993-94