"GRAND HOTEL."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21165, 23 April 1932, Page 10 (Supplement)

"GRAND HOTEL."

AN OUTSTANDING PRODUCTION. The filming; of " Grand Hotel " is practically completed at the Metro-Gold-wyn-Mayer studios with a cast headed by Greta Garbo. John Barrymore, Joan Crawford, Wallace Beery, Lionel Barrymore, Lewis Stone and Jean Hersholt. The part o: Grusinskaya, the. Russian dancer, played on the stage by Eugenie Leontovich, was given to Miss Garbo for the screen edition. John Barrymore has the role of Baron von Gaigern, his brother Lionel the part of the invalid Kringelein, Wallace Beery the role of the textile magrato Preysing, and Joan Crawford the part of the hotel adventuress Flaemmchen. This is the second time

that the Barryinore brothers have appeared together in a screen effort, as they recently completed " Arsene Lupin." " Of course, there will be a distinct Continental atmosphere about it," said Edmund Goulding, " but when completed, our ' Grand Hotel ' will virtually be a composite cf many renowned establishments in the great cities of the world. While the spacious lobby will perhaps be used for the greater part of the action, yet the camera will enter the elevator with the various central characters and follow then: to their rooms above, eavesdropping, peeping through one door and another, un;il we know just what is going on behind the blandly austere face of the building. " Many photographic and sound mechanical innovations will be utilised in the making; of the unusual shots for the production, but there will be no departure from book or play."