a world weary prima ballerina and desperate for love . a noble cat thief and desperate for money . a die clerk and out on a last fling . his industrialist bos and passionate and brutal . a pretty young stenographer and willing to do almost anything to get ahead . a hotel bell captain and anxious to hear about his pregnant wife . and a cynical and war scar doctor . destiny awaits them all in one of europe most renowned establishment berlin grand hotel . this be consider to be the first ` all star movie . it be certainly mgm most opulent film up to that time . the studio load it with an a list of star performer represent greta garbo and utter her trademark phrase and ` i want to be alone . radiant in love and one can only imagine the despair that await her after the film end . john barrymore and suave and sophisticated and ultimately tragic . lionel barrymore and in a performance that will stay in your memory and slowly die . wallace beery in a heavy role and all bullying bluff and bluster . joan crawford and tough a nail and good a gold . lewis stone and jean hersholt and rafaela ottiano and ferdinand gottschalk all lend sterling support . there be concern that put so much talent into one film and instead of spread the star out over 4 or 5 film and would lose the studio money . not to worry . it be a great success and financially and critically . watch how the plot weave the thread of the character live into a finished tapestry . one of the great movie . tremendously satisfy .