at grand hotel they come and they go utters the house doctor play by lewis stone . indeed the lobby of the opulent berlin hotel be like the world in microcosm a traveler from all over hurry through it busy foyer . a series of their story be intertwine in which romance and suspense and tragedy await . over the year many film of this type ( dinner at eight and separate table and ship of fool and airport and ) have be produce with vary degree of success . none have ever equal grand hotel much to the credit of director william goulding who manage to evenly distribute role and get fine performance with a cast of the era mega star without have them bump into or upstage each other . greta garbo and john barrymore and joan crawford and lionel barrymore and wallace beery all deliver classic representation of what make them star of that period . the pace of the film move briskly and never slow a one major star replaces another in scene after scene . the overall story itself edit well into each segment due to the well define connection between the character . naturally the scenery and set design be plush and goulding present it well with control and unobtrusive camera work . but it be the star a a group glow brighter than ever in a time to quote norma desmond when picture be still big and the player large than life . the physiognomy and chemistry of icon garbo and barrymore and crawford before she harden and a the work class hero and beery at his surly best and lionel barrymore a the pathetic retiree steal every scene he be in . grand hotel still hold up today with it story line and performance but it be also an excellent example of a period that be about to come to an end ( 1932 ) . for just outside the door of this four star hotel national socialist be in the street unwittingly plot to end everything grand about the city of berlin .