The Basics – Grand Hotel (1932) – Director, Edmund Goulding; starring Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford; Run Time – 112 mins. – Drama, Romance
Prior Knowledge
Kristy – Once again, I know pretty much nothing about this classic flick. The lineup of stars is obviously stellar, though, so I am looking forward to the acting in this one.
Koob – Once again, I actually saw this movie around 15 or so years ago and don’t remember much about it other then that it’s about a bunch of lives and loves intersecting at a very glamorous hotel. I think I also remember there being some comic relief even though it is listed as mainly a drama and a romance. And of course it has the classic Greta Garbo line, “I vant to be alone.”
Fun Facts from IMDB
-There are no scenes where Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford are in the same frame. This was done to eliminate the possibility that one of the two great stars might upstage the other.
–Joan Crawford was irked by Greta Garbo‘s insistence on top billing and decided to take her revenge. Knowing that Garbo loathed tardiness and Marlene Dietrich in equal measures, Crawford played Dietrich records between shots and made sure to arrive late on set.
-The only Best Picture Oscar winner not to be nominated for any other Academy Awards.
-The original MGM Grand in Las Vegas (where Bally’s now stands) was built to resemble the design of this film.
Double Gobble 