Grand Hotel** (1932)

Hard as I try to put older films in their proper context, sometimes I’m left feeling as if I missed something. Such is the case with Grand Hotel. It’s one of those early Oscar winners that no one really talks about anymore. Depending on what you look for in a film, you might feel that this fact is either a real shame or perfectly understandable.

Set in the Grand Hotel in the heart of post-World War I Berlin, this ensemble feature plays out a series of interconnected storylines. Having blown away his wealth and living as a charming but petty thief, Baron Felix von Geigern (John Barrymore) moves in on an all-too-trusting Otto Kringelein (Lionel Barrymore). The terminally ill Kringelein is dying and has come to the Grand Hotel to spend his last days in luxury. Sure enough, Kringelein’s cold-hearted employer, General Director Preysing (Wallace Beery) is at the Grand Hotel as well. Using an attractive stenographer named Flaemmchen (Joan Crawford), he seeks to close a very important and lucrative business deal.

The Grand Hotel is also abuzz over a celebrity guest. The Russian ballerina sensation Grusinskaya (Greta Garbo) does her best to keep up appearances while suffering anxiety over the decline of her young career. All of these characters and their motives intertwine over the course of 48 hours. Friendships are made, tempers flare, and romance is in the air, resulting in events that will change attitudes and outlooks on life forever.

While doing a little background research on this film I found that it was among Hollywood’s first star-studded ensemble films. To be sure, of the five main characters, Wallace Beery is the only one who lacks instant name recognition for me. The rest are obvious A-listers from Hollywood’s Depression era. This almost certainly worked in the film’s favor when drawing audiences in. Who wouldn’t want to see several of the best actors in the business on screen together?

This hodge-podge of the acting elite also works against the film in unexpected ways. Nowadays ensemble films are commonplace and many of the finest actors have been in one or two. Top billing on a film was everything back in the day, however, so being part of an ensemble cast must have been a little awkward for this group. At times it seems as if each of these five stars overacts a little, especially when sharing moments with one or more of their co-stars.

Perhaps the members of the Academy saw this unspoken competition to be the audience’s favorite for what it was. Despite all the star talent, Grand Hotel received zero acting nominations. In fact, it has the dubious honor of being the only Oscar winning film to receive no other nominations besides Best Picture. The acting snubs I can understand but I am astounded that this film failed to earn any technical nominations.

Five main characters and a number of interconnected storylines add up to a lot of editing. The icing on the cake comes with the cinematography though. A large lobby set was constructed, allowing crane cameras to swoop up, down and around to follow characters or move seamlessly between them. A conversation plays out between two characters by the railing and we pan a few feet away to see another character listening in on the conversation. Then the camera cranes up to join another character as they head back to their room. It’s these clever techniques that really give the film a sense of flow and hammer home the interconnectedness of the hotel patrons.

Does the story hold your interest? That depends on how much you love old Hollywood acting. A number of plot elements had been done before and have been done since. This familiarity of the plotlines makes it difficult to fully immerse yourself into the film. I would hope, however that viewers take note of all the intricate camera work for a film made in 1932.

If you like ensemble films, this one should be on your list simply because it’s one of the first. Comparing it to more recent ensemble productions shows you how far we’ve come in this interesting sub-genre but it will also show how much current all-star vehicles owe to their predecessors. Grand Hotel is more of a thrill for those who watch film for the technical aspects. Those who watch for entertainment and performance might come away underwhelmed.

RATING: 3.5 out of 5