5. Grand Hotel (1932)

Director: Edmund Goulding

Starring: Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Lionel Barrymore

Other Oscar Wins: N/A

Other Oscar Nominations: N/A

Favourite Line: "Grand Hotel... always the same. People come, people go. Nothing ever happens."

A scene from Grand Hotel.

Grand Hotel  is an exceptional picture. The set and costumes look absolutely beautiful, and the star-studded cast is incredible. The film is the story of the comings and goings of the patrons of a high class Berlin hotel.

I've seen this film before, and I think I appreciated it considerably more the second time around. I found the plot rather difficult to follow the first time, as there are so many things going on at once, but in watching it again, it's much easier to understand and to appreciate the incredible jobs that all of the actors really do.

Art by Olly Moss.

I have to say, the two most incredible pieces of acting in the film, in my personal opinion,  go to the stunning Greta Garbo, as Grusinskaya, the dancer, and to Lionel Barrymore as the terminally ill Kringelein. John Barrymore and Joan Crawford were also very good, but these two really stood out to me. Greta Garbo is incredible to watch, not only because she is absolutely gorgeous, but also because she is constantly in character, and you can see every thought that she has cross her face as she has them. It's absolutely brilliant. As for Lionel Barrymore, I am a huge fan of It's a Wonderful Life, and would go as far as to say it is one of my all time favourite films. Because of this, I know Lionel Barrymore as the rich, mean, Mr. Potter, and in Grand Hotel he is so staggeringly different that I hardly realized that it was the same man. He is so invested in his role, and so endearing, and I just thought he was wonderful.

 A few fun facts about Grand Hotel. Grand Hotel is the only best picture winner not to be nominated for any other Academy Awards. As well, three of the lead actors initially turned down their roles. Greta Garbo was 27 at the time, and turned down her role because she believed that she was to old to be playing a prima ballerina. Joan Crawford was worried that a lot of her character's scenes would be cut for being too scandalous. Both were eventually convinced to take the roles. Wallace Beery turned down his role as well, but took it when he was told he was the only lead in the picture who would actually use a German accent.

Grand Hotel  is a wonderful film, and one that I would definitely recommend. The acting is superb, and the story is very intriguing. It is definitely one worth seeing.