1932
#60
Starring:
Greta Garbo
John Barrymore
Joan Crawford
Wallace Beery
Lionel Barrymore
Directed by:
Edmund Goulding
1931-1932 Academy Awards
Winner: Best Picture
It should be noted that as of 2012, it is the ONLY picture to win Best Picture without anyone else involved in the production or the production itself being nominated for other awards.)
Arrowsmith
Bad Girl
The Champ
Five Star Final
One Hour With You
Shanghai Express
The Smiling Lieutenant
The film is based on a stage play of the same name which, in turn, is adapted from the 1929 German book Menschen im Hotel by Vicki Baum.
We begin...
The phone bank. Lots of calls, each operator very busy.
We are in the lobby areas of a very large hotel, with visitors as well as semi-permanent residents all bustling about.
So this will be an anthology film - multiple stories that are woven together by some point shared by all. The hotel. (According to Wikipedia, this may be the first.)
Story 1 - Door man - wife having baby
Story 2 - Sick man - spending all his money before he dies
Story 3 - The general director (the businessman) calling home on business. He's there for a business meeting. He's asked for a stenographer.
Story 4 - The maid for the ballerina. She cannot rehearse today.
Story 5 - The baron, plotting something and in need of money
The doctor, he laments that nothing ever happens here.
The stenographer comes a little to early. Oops.
Our stories begin to cross. To weave together. The baron talking to the sick man, the stenographer talking to the baron. The baron talking to the stenographer. They flirt. Life in the hotel.
We aren't above the innuendo... "Would you take dictation from me someday?"
The ballerina that doesn't want to go on. She is weary and tired of it all. There is no applause any more. She doesn't think it worth it anymore to go on, but when told there is an audience, she will go on
Turns out our baron - he's after the ballerina's pearls that she's left behind.
Our stenographer is working for the businessman. But maybe his business isn't going the way he wants to.
And now our baron is going in for the heist...
Only to be stuck and having to hide because the maid comes in.
Oh but now the ballerina is back. Seems she didn't actually go on. And they are worried about her. We see just how weary she is here. (Her apparently famous line) "I just want to be alone."
Meanwhile, trapped in the closet...
She finds that someone went on in her place. The show must go on. Maybe she isn't the best anymore. Maybe she is done. Its over. She contemplates killing herself.
But the baron stops her. He cant let her end it. He confesses his want to hold her in his arms (the old euphemism for love and sex lol)
He knows she really doesn't want to be alone. She needs someone.
The sick man and the doctor have had a good time, living it up!
The business meeting. But the businessman isn't saying that the merger with the other company is off...he's trying to make things happen without needing them. But the others aren't buying it.
Our ballerina and baron are chatting...and he reveals himself. He is a thief...but he is in love with her.
She loves him back anyways
She tells him about heading to Vienna and he vows to be on that train with her
The business meeting has devolved into arguing about who was the one that approached who about the merger. A stalemate.
The deal is off.
So he lies and says the other merger is on. These men change their tune! But they don't know the lie - and only then does he tell his partner! They will have to figure out how to keep it secret. But what about that stenographer? She knows!
The sick man has had the time of his life. Plenty of alcohol and adventures!
Our baron is now stepping out with the stenographer. But he's changed. He's in love!
The the businessman doesn't recognize our sick man - but the man works for him. No matter, the man needs to go off and dance with the stenographer.
But now there is an altercation. The businessman is rude to the sick man - but now it comes out. The horrible treatment of the workers. He's working himself to death! He tells the man off after he tries to fire him.
"No one can discharge me now I am my own man!"
The businessman wishes to employ the stenographer on a trip. But she will need money.
The baron promises the ballerina he will be there...but he is broke.
The sick man asks if he can help. But of course its not enough. But maybe they can get a game going...
But the sick man is a better gambler. He wins, the baron loses
"Oh gentlemen, please don't go. Be my guest. Be my guest! I beg of you, don't go I know I oughtn't to presume, but I'm so grateful to ya, you've been so marvelous. For the first time in my life, I've gambled and I've drank! Oh you gentlemen can laugh, but for the first time in my life I've tasted life! Life is wonderful but its very dangerous! If you have the courage to live it's marvelous! You don't know anything about that, you're all healthy and happy but I, believe me, if a man doesn't know death, he doesn't know life!"
The baron sees the sick man's wallet...he takes it.
But the man realizes its gone.
Baron lies. The man is distraught. The baron can't keep it. His conscious can't let him hide it.
The businessman...maybe this hiring the stenographer isn't just business...he tries to get handsy...but she easily brushes him off...and he sees in the next room...
The Baron is trying to rob him...
He threatens to arrest him. They fight and the stenographer hears it...the baron...he is...
dead
she screams
runs out for help
the ballerina and party don't know there is anything wrong
she gets the sick man
the businessman tries to get away
he is for sure dead
the businessman blames it all on him he tried to rob me! And where is the girl? She's in on it that's it! she lured me to her!
we need to get our stories together! I cant have scandal!
my life is in your hands!
ah yeah but what about when it was the other way around?
but but I can help you! Give you a good position!
"NO! I'm never going back! Worry about yourself!"
The staff is alerted
The ballerina is giddy.
But its too quiet...
"All these flowers make me think of funerals..."
She rings the baron. He isn't there to answer. But she doesn't know he won't ever be.
Where can he be?
They take him away...
The businessman is arrested
There's been a murder? Oh no not him! Why? No I can't believe it!
Madam mustn't know!
The sick man, the stenographer, they grieve.
"You loved him didn't you.
Me too. He was my friend when no one else was. He was just desperate."
Oh let me help you. We can travel!
You can have the rest of the money when...when I'm gone.
NO! We'll find a doctor. They can cure anything
First train to Paris! We'll go
The ballerina, she is leaving. But yet they say nothing.
"Where is he?"
"He...left about an hour ago."
"Forget it I will ask myself."
"Have you seen him?"
"He is not here madam."
"Is he gone?"
"Yes madam"
Oh come now. We have a rehearsal! We must get to the train
The Grand Hotel! We've made it!
The hospital! What? What? WHAT? Its a boy! My wife is well!
We're gonna miss the train! I'm coming!
'The Grand Hotel. Always the same. People come, people go, nothing ever happens.'
Films like this can be hard to follow. It takes a good story and the right people,acting and behind the camera, to make it work right. Is it any wonder that "Grand Hotel theme" was used to talk about films in this style? I admit though, I needed to write down all of what was going on so I could pay attention and not miss anything!
(Forgive me please how this came out as a blog. With all the story lines, this kind of came naturally as a recap of it.)
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