1932: Grand Hotel

FILM: Grand Hotel

YEAR: 1932

DIRECTOR: Edmund Goulding

STARRING: Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, 

Lionel Barrymore, John Barrymore, Wallace Beery

PRODUCTION COMPANY: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

AWARD(S): Best Picture Winner, 1932

"I want to be alone" are the famous words uttered by Greta Garbo in the 1932 production of Grand Hotel. As a glamorous ballerina (and somewhat complicated woman), Garbo is just one of the many star actors that plays a role in Grand Hotel, in what has become known as the first film with an "all star cast."  Garbo plays opposite John Barrymore, a suave man known as the Baron von Geigern who also happens to be jewel thief, and who brings us to

 the character played by Joan Crawford, a young stenographer whose motives are also dictated by a need for money. In addition to these three characters, we also have the dying and very kind Otto Kringelein played by Lionel Barrymore, along with his once boss, the General Director Preysing, a very unkind man who is at the hotel to finalize a business deal. In the course of two hours, we watch as the lives of these characters become tangled under the luxurious roof of the Grand Hotel, in ways that are somewhat predictable in the beginning, but ultimately quite surprising in the end.

Watch the trailer here:

  

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH IT: Mainly the cast, but also the cinematography done by William Daniels, who worked in Hollywood for more than 40 years. You've most assuredly seen his work on other films and not known it, such as on Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), or Ninotchka (1939), The Shop Around the Corner (1940), or Marie Antoinette (1938) etc, etc, etc.

WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH IT PART II: GOWNS BY ADRIAN. He knew how to dress a ballerina. All hail Adrian! Best costumer designer of the age.

WHEN YOU SHOULD WATCH IT: This is one to watch with a group of people on a Saturday night during prime time. It's a film with lots of characters that should be enjoyed with lots of fellow viewers.

1934: Of Human Bondage

FILM: Of Human Bondage

YEAR: 1934

DIRECTOR: John Cromwell 

STARRING: Bette Davis, Leslie Howard

PRODUCTION COMPANY: RKO Radio Pictures

Based on the W. Somerset Maugham book of the same title, Of Human Bondage tells the story of a shy and crippled medical student who is infatuated with a vile waitress named Mildred. It's a dark tale that explores obsession and the despair that often follows suit. Leslie Howard, known to all for his performance of Ashley in Gone with the Wind, a part that would come several years later, plays the heart-struck Philip Carey, who beyond all logic, pines after the contemptuous Mildred, who is played by a young Bette Davis. Though Davis belonged to Warner Brothers, the studio company ultimately allowed her to play the part for their rival, RKO.  And what a part it was. Davis is a force in this film, meeting the demands of the character with courage and grit. She is not a character to like, but is certainly one that's fun to watch. Howard excels as Philip Carey in a very different sort of way, with a melancholy and desperation that the part requires, and the viewer is left haunted by both. 

What I find most thrilling about this film, besides the acting, which is more than enough to recommend it, is the camerawork. Throughout the film, the actors look straight at the camera, forcing an intimacy that feels raw and at times uncomfortable. However, this intimacy allows viewers to embrace the full force of emotion to which the characters feel and the actors demonstrate. I rarely see it in films from the early 30s. The film would look and feel much different without that approach. 

You can watch the entire film on Netflix or Youtube (here and here). 

 WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH IT: The acting! 

WHEN YOU SHOULD WATCH IT: It's a quiet film with a lot of power. Perfect for a Sunday night when there are no football games on. 

FINAL POINT(S): Shout-out to Max Steiner who did the score. He's a favorite of mine from the era. Later remakes were done, but this version was by far the best.