Grand Hotel

Grand Hotel (1932)

Timing: 1:52 (112 min)

7/10
295

7.215/10
4476

7.3/10
22000

• The film contains no scenes where Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford appear in the same frame. This was done deliberately to avoid a clash of the two stars in the film.
• However, conflicts on set could not be avoided. Crawford was irritated that Garbo was desperately hogging the spotlight in the film. Therefore, knowing how much Garbo hated tardiness and Marlene Dietrich, Crawford planned significant delays in filming, letting everyone know she had been spending the time with Dietrich.
• The role of Lionel Barrymore could have been played by Buster Keaton.
• Greta Garbo long refused the role of the Georgian woman, as she believed that at 27 years old, she was too old to play a prima ballerina.
• Garbo wanted to cast John Gilbert as her lover. The actor was not invited to the film because his recent work had performed rather poorly at the box office.
• John Barrymore agreed to a fee lower than usual, just to appear in a film with Garbo.
• Wallace Beery also initially refused the role of Praising. He only agreed when he was promised that Praising would be the only character speaking with a German accent.
• Garbo constantly demanded that the set always be lit with red light to enhance the romantic mood.
• The role of Suzette was specifically written for Pauline Frederick. The actress was unable to play it due to illness, and the role went to Rafaela Ottiano.