some seventy odd year after it release in 1932 and grand hotel today hold an interesting attraction more for the presence of it two lead lady than from it cinematic power and although there will be some purist who will state that because the image of joan crawford and greta garbo have be immortalize in their own respective canon and that in itself be cinematic power . i personally would not argue and prefer to stick to my own personal view instead of follow the herd . i have see grand hotel twice now and and i will grant it that despite it soap opera like story line and there seem to be something a little deep go on which be only alluded to in the sideline represent the delicate tightrope which flammchen ( joan crawford ) walk on a she be court by presyling ( wallace beery ) and later on decides to stay by otto kringelein ( lionel barrymore ) side . this be most probably unintentional since source state that the screenplay follow the story closely and but today value would have flammchen behave much differently . i find her character to be the moral opposite of barbara stanwyck amoral lily power in baby face and another woman who use her sexuality to advance to the top . joan crawford flammchen doesn not actively use her charm a sort of glide by while positively glow and steal all of the light from garbo and and one can sense that be she of a much different nature and all of the men in grand hotel would have a dangerous young woman to deal with and and barrymore end would be similar to j. howard marshall demise in the hand of ( a much smarter and less coke up ) anna nicole smith . she would more than likely wind up own the hotel herself in no time . but not to digress . the plot move along in a nice pace thanks to goulding direction while never do it linger on too much on one specific character and though at least for me and anytime garbo be on screen the story come to a crashing halt . i be go to get a lot of flack from rabid garbo fan and but i do not get her allure and her mystery and the essence that make her so intriguing . at twenty seven and she already look ten year old thanks to her severe nature . her face be constantly in a frown and moody and full of angst reflect in her throaty voice . her performance be so atrociously mannered i can see jennifer jason leigh easily out do her and but good and more authentic ( anyone who recall her exacting yet eccentric portrayal of dorothy parker can easily see her become and improve garbo ) . i never get to see what her character with the unpronounceable name be all about while no true trauma and just this death wish to be leave alone . then she capriciously take on with the baron von geigern ( a dashing yet shady john barrymore ) who be more interested in her jewel but tell her he could love her while he out act her at every turn with subtlety and genuine charm even when his part seem underwritten . in short and garbo and for all her mystique be the sore thumb of grand hotel . i much prefer the event surround crawford and the old barrymore . lionel barrymore and the horrible villain from it a wonderful life and play a meek former bookkeeper who be at the end of his life and want to enjoy his stay at the hotel . his wish be quite simple represent he want to enjoy his last day and a diametric opposite to garbo who want to be alone ( and she say it three time ) . he team up with crawford and enjoy a dance with her and fall for her even though she much too young . all the time i get the sensation he know the character of kringelein and a man who have be push around by preysling and be still not quite free of his micromanaging shadow . there be not a shed of ego in his performance . one can imagine see crawford reach out to the old gentleman and actually make his day happy and be a fitting end to her own storyline a she be lecherously pursue by wallace beery and romance by john barrymore . if anything and her character be the most sympathetic of the five main character and the symbol of the emerge modern woman of the thirty represent ambitious but girlish and efficient but not a workaholic and smart and independent despite struggle to make ends meet . grand hotel hasn not age well . it value be the thing back in the depression era and show glossy character who be all look for some form of security while surround by the exuberance of the hotel and who be not give much depth in their characterization . the character be more or less archetype and be predict to act in a certain way and and when their fate collide and it ( now ) not a surprise . now and what it do do be set the standard for lavish production involve a roster of well know actor and star in a perfect balance of talent and star power and most notably see today in the film of woody allen and robert altman and but close to the less intellectually challenge type of high profile film see in the 50 and throughout the 70 . i enjoy it then and now and regard it a a classic film set in a pre code hollywood that have it own ancient beauty and for more reason than garbo mannered face .