publish in 1921 and vicki baum german language novel menschen im hotel be an international bestseller . mgm purchase the right and employ william a. drake to adapt the novel to the stage . title grand hotel and it prove a great success on the broadway stage and and with it fame a both novel and play the studio make the property the focus of it powerful array of contract talent . it be smash with both critic and audience and win the academy award a best picture of 1932. although the 1930s be notable for social drama and audience of the great depression want an escape from the hardship of their life and and no expense be spar to create the glittering and very high gloss image moviegoer crave . design by legendary art director cedric gibbon and who mix deco and moderne style to tremendous effect and each set be build specifically for the film and no detail be overlook while adrian costume be also meticulous in their combination of high fashion and romance . no detail be overlook and and in term of production value alone few film before or after have best grand hotel . but if grand hotel be distinctly of it era in term of visual style and it be also distinctly of it era in term of performance and and it be here that we run into a bit of trouble . most actor of the silent era rely on a mannered performance style that compensate for the lack of sound . the arrival of sound force them to invent a new performance style and and some prove more adaptable than others . in many respect and grand hotel be a study of the struggle to invent this new way of act while some of the performer be excessively large and some be in transition between silent and sound mode and and some be distinctly modern in their approach . in term of story and grand hotel present several overlap and interweave plot line . celebrate ballerina grusinskaya ( garbo ) be perform in berlin and be a deep depression that threaten her career . baron von geigern ( john barrymore ) be in desperate need of money and have agree to steal grusinskaya famous pearl . when grusinskaya suicide attempt collides with the baron intend theft and romance be result . at the same time and industrialist preysing ( wallace beery ) have arrive at the hotel in an effort to conclude a important business deal and have hire a stenographer name flaemmchen ( joan crawford ) to assist him but preysing be unaware that company accountant kringelein ( lionel barrymore ) have be diagnose with a terminal illness and have take room at the hotel and determine to enjoy himself before he die . these character and along with grusinskaya maid ( rafaela ottiano ) and the hotel doctor ( lewis stone ) and and various hotel employee ( include jean hersholt ) collide repeatedly over the course of a few day and none will emerge entirely unscathed from their encounter . john barrymore be note for his large than life performance on the stage and and he bring that same quality to many silent film while less fortunately and he also carry into the sound era and and his performance read a excessively large . although garbo be a great star in the silent era and she quickly adapt to the new demand of sound in such film a anna christie but when face with barrymore over the top performance she respond in kind and and the result be visually beautifully but incredibly mannered and and their scene be not greatly aid by their dialogue and which be itself very much in the grand manner . although they be indeed fascinate and their performance be distinctly out of synch with the rest of the film and where a more natural style of act be the norm . while wallace beery and lewis stone be quite good and and while lionel barrymore be unexpectedly effective ( and much less mannered than his brother john ) and it be really joan crawford that point the way toward the new acting style . crawford herself have work in silents and and score notable success in such film a our dance daughter and but she have make an easy leap to the sound era and never overplay her hand while flaemmchen be among the best of her early performance and and crawford herself think it among the best of her overall career . she wasn not wrong . with the act style all over the map and grand hotel require a modern viewer to make constant mental shift while consequently and the film sometimes feel more than a little uphill . even so and there be plenty of compensation represent garbo at the height of her beauty while lionel barrymore multi layer performance while a crawford classic while and always and always the lush look and feel of the movie . although i think it will most appeal to film buff and there be no deny the thing have power and even though that power have become somewhat obscured by the passing year . gft and amazon reviewer .