Oscar's Best Picture Winner of 1932, the film classic GRAND HOTEL delivers a terrific story in grand style.
In Berlin's most expensive and luxurious hotel, an array of guests come and go, eventually connecting in very entertaining ways.
Greta Garbo is Grusinskaya, a legendary dancer who would rather hide in her hotel room, which is frustrating to Baron Von Giegern (John Barrymore) who is only pretending to be wealthy and has designs on the dancer's incredible jewelry.
Rich businessmen and their assistants set up meetings, mistresses circle their lovers while falling in love with new acquaintances and a dying man just wants to soak up the luxury of the hotel in his final days, perhaps enjoying the good life while he still has time.
The cast is superb across the board, including Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery and Lionel Barrymore as our dying man.
This is the classic film in which the gorgeous Garbo sulks, "I'd rather be alone", surely hard for any man to accept.
For a film more than 80 years old, the camera movements and overhead shots are impressive, the pace is crisp and the acting is sometimes over-the-top by today's standards, but very entertaining.
One of MGM's biggest films of the day, GRAND HOTEL is still an entertaining classic. If you've never seen it, book a room and enjoy your visit.
We'll give it a B.
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