Barnes & Noble

During the Great Depression, MGM had many of Hollywood's top talents under contract, and the studio's slogan was "More stars than there are in the heavens." Producer Irving Thalberg certainly gave moviegoers something heavenly in Grand Hotel, a Continentally flavored drama boasting a magnificent cast and glamorous settings. Vicki Baum's bestselling novel -- remade, reworked, and plagiarized many times in later years -- provided the basis for this 1932 story set in a posh Berlin hotel where, as one character observes, "nothing ever happens." Greta Garbo, at that time the screen's most alluring and enigmatic female star, portrays a lonely, mercurial ballerina who is drawn to debonair jewel thief John Barrymore. Joan Crawford delivers what is arguably her first great performance, portraying an ambitious stenographer working for hard-hearted businessman Wallace Beery. Rounding out the quintet of stars is Barrymore's older brother Lionel, sublimely moving as the mild-mannered hotel clerk who goes on a spree when he finds out that he's dying. Others passing through the hotel include Lewis Stone and Jean Hersholt, who were stars in their own right but nowhere near as prominent as the five principals. The seamless integration of several subplots can be attributed to Edmund Goulding's smooth direction, just as credit for the production's general opulence goes to Thalberg, whose judgment was as sound as his taste was extraordinary. He championed lavish expenditures on films as a means of making them larger than life, and thus more appealing to Depression-weary audiences looking for a couple hours' escape. Thalberg succeeded admirably with Grand Hotel, which not only proved critically and commercially successful but also won that year's Best Picture Oscar. In format and style it's often been imitated but rarely equaled, and even today Grand Hotel remains a powerful viewing experience. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Based on Vicki Baum's novel and produced by Irving Thalberg, this film is about the lavish Grand Hotel in Berlin, a place where "nothing ever happens." That statement proves to be false, however, as the story follows an intertwining cast of characters over the course of one tumultuous day. Greta Garbo is Grusinskaya, a ballerina whose jewels are coveted by Baron von Geigern (John Barrymore), a thief who fancies Flaemmchen (Joan Crawford), a stenographer and the mistress of Preysing (Wallace Beery), businessman boss of Kringelein (Lionel Barrymore), a terminally ill bookkeeper who is under the care of alcoholic physician Dr. Otternschlag (Lewis Stone). Grand Hotel won Best Picture at the 1932 Academy Awards. Matthew Tobey

Product Details

• UPC: 012569675162
• Source: WARNER HOME VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Presentation: Pan & Scan, Wide Screen
• Language: English, Français, English
• Subtitles: Français, Español
• Time: 1:52:00
• Sales Rank: 10,380

This DVD is also available as part of a box set:

• Garbo - The Signature Collection

Features:

DVD MENU