Grand Hotel is a 1932 American pre-code drama film directed by Edmund Goulding and produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The screenplay by William A. Drake is based on the 1930 play of the same title by Drake, who had adapted it from the 1929 novel "Menschen im Hotel" by Vicki Baum.
The film features a star-studded cast and is known for its multiple intersecting storylines featuring different characters, which was a revelation in how to tell a cinematic story and had a huge influence on how films were made after its release in 1932.
It also won the Academy Award for Best Picture without being nominated in any other category, making it the only film to achieve this feat to date.
Plot
The film is set at Berlin's ritzy, opulent art-deco Grand Hotel, and tells the multiple-narrative story of the criss-crossing of the lives of five major guests whose fates intertwined for a two-day period at the hotel.
Its ensemble cast of stars were occupants of a between-wars German hotel, all struggling with either their finances, scandals, health, emotional loneliness, or social standing in multiple storylines.
Trailer
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Cast
- Greta Garbo as Grusinskaya
- John Barrymore as Baron Felix von Geigern
- Joan Crawford as Flaemmchen
- Wallace Beery as Preysing
- Lionel Barrymore as Otto Kringelein
- Lewis Stone as Doctor Otternschlag
- Jean Hersholt as Senf, the porter.
Director: Edmund Goulding
Writer: Vicki Baum
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Genre: Drama
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 1932
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 18, 2010
Box Office Gross: The film was a massive commercial success upon its release, earning $1,235,000 in the U.S. and Canada and $1,359,000 in other markets, resulting in a profit of $947,000.
Themes & Reception
The 1932 film Grand Hotel is known for its exploration of various themes such as the intertwining of lives, class struggle, loneliness, and the pursuit of happiness. The film portrays the lives of different individuals staying at a luxurious hotel in Berlin, each dealing with their respective dramas. The intersecting storylines highlight the human condition, the pursuit of love and happiness, and the impact of social and economic disparities on people's lives.
The film is praised for its superlative acting, Art Deco design, and appropriate music, and it continues to captivate audiences despite being described as "creaky" and old-fashioned. It is considered a classic of the bygone Hollywood era and has left a lasting impact on cinematic storytelling.
Setting
The film is set in Berlin at a luxurious hotel, where the lives of various characters intersect, each dealing with their respective dramas. The setting of the film provides a backdrop for exploring themes such as class struggle, loneliness, and the pursuit of happiness, as the characters navigate their challenges within the opulent and grand environment of the hotel.
