Grand Hotel (1932)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Edmund Goulding

Writers:

Vicki Baum (novel)
William A. Drake (play)
(more)

Release Date:

11 September 1932 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Thank The Stars For A Great Entertainment !

Plot:

Berlin's plushest, most expensive hotel is the setting where in the words of Dr. Otternschlag "People come...

Plot Keywords:

Baron | Hotel | Dancer | Doctor | Bookkeeper

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Greta Garbo	...	Grusinskaya - the Dancer
John Barrymore	...	The Baron Felix von Gaigern
Joan Crawford	...	Flaemmchen - the Stenographer
Wallace Beery	...	General Director Preysing
Lionel Barrymore	...	Otto Kringelein
Lewis Stone	...	Doctor Otternschlag
Jean Hersholt	...	Senf - the Porter
Robert McWade	...	Meierheim (as Robert Mc Wade)
Purnell Pratt	...	Zinnowitz (as Purnell B. Pratt)
Ferdinand Gottschalk	...	Pimenov
Rafaela Ottiano	...	Suzette
Morgan Wallace	...	Chauffeur
Tully Marshall	...	Gerstenkorn
Frank Conroy	...	Rohna
Murray Kinnell	...	Schweimann
Edwin Maxwell	...	Dr. Waitz
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joan Barclay	...	Young Girl in Lobby (uncredited)
Max Barwyn	...	Hotel Guest / Gambler (uncredited)
Mary Carlisle	...	Mrs. Hoffman - Young Honeymooner (uncredited)
John Davidson	...	Hotel Manager (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Clerk (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Edmund Goulding	...	Cameo Appearance (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Allen Jenkins	...	Hotel meat packer (uncredited)
Robert Lees	...	Bellboy (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Gambler (uncredited)
Philo McCullough	...	Hotel Guest / Gambler (uncredited)
Sam McDaniel	...	Bartender (uncredited) (unconfirmed)
Greta Meyer	...	Housekeeper in Room 174 (uncredited)
Sarah Padden	...	Chambermaid in Room 174 (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Edward Reinach	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)
Bodil Rosing	...	Nurse helping old lady into elevator (uncredited)
Dick Rush	...	Gendarme (uncredited)
Rolfe Sedan	...	Hotel Guest in Bar (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Hotel Porter (uncredited)
Florence Wix	...	Hotel Guest (uncredited)

Directed by
Edmund Goulding

Writing credits
Vicki Baum		(novel and play "Menschen im Hotel")
William A. Drake		(play "Grand Hotel")
William A. Drake		(adaptation) uncredited
Béla Balázs		uncredited

Produced by
Irving Thalberg	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
William Axt		(uncredited)
Charles Maxwell		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
William H. Daniels		(as William Daniels)

Film Editing by
Blanche Sewell

Casting by
Benjamin Thau		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons

Costume Design by
Adrian

Makeup Department
Cecil Holland	....	makeup department head (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Charles Dorian	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
Anstruther MacDonald	....	sound engineer (uncredited)
Karl Zint	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Fred Archer	....	still photographer (uncredited)
Milton Brown	....	still photographer (uncredited)
A. Lindsley Lane	....	second assistant camera (uncredited)
Charles W. Riley	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Albert Scheving	....	assistant camera (uncredited)

Music Department
Mildred Shay	....	singing voice: Greta Garbo (uncredited)
Herbert Stothart	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Paul Bern	....	supervisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corporation (MGM) (1932) (USA) (theatrical) (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1932) (UK) (theatrical)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1962) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1993) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (DVD)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2000) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Moldavia-Film (1935) (Czechoslovakia) (theatrical)
• Reserva Especial (????) (Brazil) (VHS)

Runtime:

112 min (Turner library print)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Portugal:17 (original rating) | South Korea:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) | Norway:16 (1933) | Sweden:15 | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | New Zealand:PG | West Germany:16 | Australia:PG | Portugal:M/6 (DVD rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #2276-R: 13 May 1936 for re-release)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The quote "I want to be alone" spoken by Greta Garbo in this movie was listed at #30 in AFI List of Top 100 Quotes From U.S. Films.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Although correctly signed with licence plates starting with an "I" for Berlin, all the cars are right-steered. In Germany they drive on the right (and ever did so), so the wheels should be on the left.

Quotes:

Dr. Otternschlag: Believe me, Mr. Kringelein, a man who is not with a woman is a dead man.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Apartment (1960)

Soundtrack:

Morgenblätter (Morning Papers), Op. 279

Lavish Early-Era Oscar-Winning Soap Opera

A drunk doctor, an eccentric dancer, a high-class thief, a businessman, his mistress and a terminally-ill bookkeeper cross paths in "Grand Hotel", the Best Picture Oscar winner from 1932. One of the first true soap operas ever produced by Hollywood follows an array of colorful characters as they all stay at a luxury hotel in 1930s Germany. Sub-stories, amazing performances and a clever screenplay keep this very large film above water. The film is also a strange footnote in Oscar history as it was only nominated for Best Picture and won that honor. Edmund Goulding became only the second of three people to direct a Best Picture winner and not be nominated himself (William A. Wellman for "Wings" in 1928 and Bruce Beresford for "Driving Miss Daisy" in 1989 are the only other two). The all-star cast acts as an ensemble with John and Lionel Barrymore making the biggest impressions on the audience. 4.5 out of 5 stars.