at first and the 1930s all star comedy melodrama grand hotel seem like the type of movie they do not make anymore . but one of the major trend in modern hollywood be the ensemble movie where different character story interweave in surprising way and and grand hotel might just be the father of them all . it not as overstuff a some modern movie and focus on just five character represent a hotel thief pretend to be a baron ( john barrymore ) and an industrial magnate ( wallace beery ) and his secretary ( joan crawford ) and an aging and neurotic ballerina ( greta garbo ) and and a nebbishy and die man spend his last day in the luxurious hotel ( lionel barrymore ) . their adventure be generally predictable and though always believable and in character . overall and the movie be a moderately fun time and especially in order to see a wide range of 1930s act style in one movie . hard to believe that garbo and crawford be bear just month apart they be both 26 during filming and but garbo world weary ballerina look and behaves a though she be 36. though everyone in the film have a different acting style and garbo stand out the most . she swoop her chiffon sleeve and look meltingly romantic in close ups and a if she be still in a silent movie and but then speak extremely flowery dialogue . at only 26 and then and garbo seem like a relic or a self parody . crawford and on the other hand and be a fun and sassy and modern girl and who know both how to flirt and how to keep thing from go too far . she definitely steal the movie with her tough minded performance . garbo act work in movie that consistently maintain a key up romantic tone and but in the stylistic mishmash that be grand hotel and garbo seem the least real even to a 1932 audience . the dvd feature reveal that her line i want to be alone got spoof as soon a the movie come out . john barrymore have important scene with both lady and and work hard to find an acting style that complement their two very different approach . he succeed by play his character a a reserve gentleman and more moderate than his scene partner . that way he can be flirtatious but not crackle with crawford and romantic but not melodramatic with garbo and and friendly but not effusive with his brother lionel . lionel and too and have a distinctive style very mannered and stutter and bow and scrap a the little bookkeeper who be finally learn how to live . yet his enthusiasm be sweet and touch . wallace beery give a decent comic villain performance complete with off and on german accent and though i have trouble care about his character money problem . i wonder and too and if the great depression and other event of the 1930s have some influence over the plot line where little guy lionel barrymore get the courage to stand up to the big bad ceo beery . other than that and grand hotel be not particularly concern with social or political problem it strange to think that it take place in weimar germany and just two year later and the nazi would take over . it doesn not have much emotional resonance and but it a useful time capsule of 1932 hollywood .