Grand Hotel Makes History | Oscars 1932

In 1932, the Best Picture Oscar went to Grand Hotel, a film that wasn't nominated in any other category. In this video, I break down the 5th Academy Awards ceremony and discuss how Grand Hotel made Oscar history. #oscars #academyawards #bestpicture #grandhotel #brianrowevideo
Written and Produced by Brian Rowe
/ mrbrianrowe
/ mrbrianrowe
For all inquiries:
[e-mail]
MUSIC
Parting of the Ways - Part 1 by Kevin MacLeod
Link: incompetech.filmmusic.io/song...
License: filmmusic.io/standard-license
PODCAST
filmatfifty.com/
bit.ly/3dEqeV9

[@lonellfletcher]

Truly one of the few true star-studded films that holds up in quality and material.

[@TheAwardsContender]

Agreed!! Thanks for watching!

[@calebcostigan2561]

I love how you’ve stared with the Academy’s beginnings. These years at the Oscars aren’t covered as much and I’m learning a lot.

[@TheAwardsContender]

I’m so glad you’re enjoying the videos about the early days of Oscar, I’m learning a lot in my research as well. Thanks for watching!

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

It’s actually low key frustrating how MGM low key sabotaged Joan Crawford to be taken seriously as a actress bc grand hotel is one of her best performances for someone like Joan who had little acting experiences prior to breaking out in Hollywood she showed how naturally gifted she was to the medium while using experiences and new resources to grow and become an exceptional master at your craft. I feel Joan should’ve been nominated for best actress and if the supporting actress category was there before the Bette Davis of human bondage snub Greta definitely should’ve gotten nominated in that category

[@TheAwardsContender]

Absolutely!! Love Joan so much. Thanks for watching!

[@rosemaryfranzese317]

I love Five Star Final and Edward G Robinson who was never even nominated for a single performance, the subject is as relevant today as when it was made. Having said that, Grand Hotel deserved to win. It has aged extremely well and is still worth watching, I thought it was based on the novel by Vicki Baum. Joan Crawford is exceptionally good, she is acknowledged as as a great star but I don’t think she has ever received her due as an actress

[@monicamerle1417]

I thought I'd watched Grand Hotel now I'm not sure 🤔..ohh the golden days of Oscars (keep these videos coming please), when the movies awarded were crowd pleasing ones and hits and no one got slapped 😂

[@TheAwardsContender]

Absolutely! Thanks for watching!

[@flavorconnect]

Crawford stole the show! Had the supporting awards existed then she would have been a lock. MGM still could have easily pushed her as lead with her stellar reviews, but they were too busy pampering Garbo.

[@TheAwardsContender]

So true!! Thanks for watching!

[@kellie8468]

I have watched it two or three times and it’s interesting how all the stories are interwoven and none of them are shortchanged. People always talk about Garbo but it’s Crawford I like here . She has so much energy and has a contemporary sense to her at that time. I actually prefer early Crawford to the later image she developed. Interesting I have watched all the winners including Music Box and Disney. One thing that really stands out is the pre code tone in these movies. The one with Maurice Chevalier and Bad Girl wouldn’t have passed the Hayes Code . I doubt Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde would either.

[@chriswald7700]

I believe one newspaper reported that there must have been "some Swedish swearing" because Crawford outshone Garbo. This is especially interesting since Crawford always felt that the prestige roles were given to Garbo or Norma Shearer but Crawfords films brought in the money. I think "Grand Hotel" was the movie that established Crawford in the talkies and showed that she really had talent.

[@kellie8468]

@@chriswald7700 yes I enjoyed Crawford in Grand Hotel. Honestly she would have been my choice for best actress that year. I know she wasn’t nominated but it’s a performance that holds up.

[@chriswald7700]

​@@kellie8468 Yes, I think that she was underrated then and unfortunately since "Mommy Dearest" the majority doesn't remember her as the full-blooded actress she was. I'm always impressed by the intensity of her acting.

[@TheAwardsContender]

I just adore Joan Crawford, especially in this film. And you’re right, the pre code tone is so evident. Thanks for watching!

[@000_leo]

Grand Hotel is really fun and I think it totally deserves the praise. One thing I still can't understand though is why was it only nominated for Best Picture when it had the perfect potential for getting at least Art Direction, Cinematography, and several acting nominations. Since these categories had only 3 possible nominees at the time, do you think it's possible that the Academy members just agreed to "spread the wealth", knowing that Grand Hotel would win Best Picture anyway? [Excited to learn about the Best Assistant Director race in the next video hahah!]

[@arthurgearheard4701]

It's generally agreed that Joan Crawford stole the 📽️! She should've at least received a Best Actress Nomination!

[@RhaegarTargaryen1st]

"I think Suzette... I've never been so tired in all my life."

[@marcor7044]

Thanks for making this video, I always wanted to hear more about this win now that Grand Hotel and CODA are the two best picture winners with the least nominations in any other category. And thanks for mentioning the Best Actor tie

[@TheAwardsContender]

Of course, thank you for watching!!

[@marya5925]

This channel is just amazing! I see you are pretty new to this platform; please keep on doing these videos and I promise you it will all pay off because you have something special going on here. Just be patient and with your great work, the audience will come in larger numbers naturally. I love all of your videos, from Oscar commentary to your predictions and reviews. Your commentary is great, thorough research and, I assume, you do your own editing? I am also so happy that, it seems, you put out videos pretty frequently, I am looking forward to the next one already! 💖

[@TheAwardsContender]

Oh my gosh, thank you for your comment!! It means the world to me that you took the time to write it. Sometimes I’m not sure if these videos are connecting, but your comment inspires me to keep up the hard work. And yes, I do my own editing. Thanks again, you are awesome!

[@astroboyfan12]

I would have liked to see scenes between Crawford and Garbo, but sadly this did not happen. Thank you for sharing this.

[@TheAwardsContender]

Thanks for watching!

[@Shah-of-the-Shinebox]

Films like Grand Hotel are almost the epitome of they don’t make them like they used to.

[@TheAwardsContender]

Very true!

[@andreiiliepopescu6393]

Thank you for giving us all the Oscar analysis we all need. You're wonderful. You complement Bekindrewind.

[@TheAwardsContender]

Oh my gosh, thank you so much, your comment made my day! ❤️

[@user-ux2rs1vh2s]

Thomas Mitchell, won a best supporting actor Oscar in 1939 for Stagecoach. The same year he played Gerald O'Hara, Scarlett's father in Gone with the Wind, the best picture winner in 1939. Like Wallace Beery, he won an acting Oscar in one movie and was also in the best picture winner in the same year.

[@larrydirtybird]

Joan Crawford should’ve been nominated for best actress for this movie, and she should have won. She gave a beautifully real performance. I have read that she was intimidated by the acting clout of her fellow costars, the Barrymores, Beery, Garbo, etc. But in my opinion they all overreacted and she was so natural in her role.

[@TheAwardsContender]

Yes, she’s great in that film!

[@solo13th]

Another great video!! I love your Oscar content, keep up the great work.

[@TheAwardsContender]

Thank you so much!! You’re the best!

[@nic4319]

Great video 👏👏

[@TheAwardsContender]

Thank you!

[@rudilogan4175]

Reason No. 4: "Grand Hotel" was a premiere MGM picture. Dunno if the other nominees were from MGM. At the time, MGM was the biggest studio in Hollywood and often "directed" the votes of its employees who were Academy members. If they voted as a bloc for a Metro picture, it was likely to win. In the early years of the Oscars, MGM won the lion's share of the awards. (Pun not intended.) For comparison, Warner Bros. didn't score a Best Picture until 1943 with "Casablanca".

[@TheAwardsContender]

Excellent point! Thanks for watching!

[@rudilogan4175]

@@TheAwardsContender I must correct myself. While my comments about MGM's influence at the Oscars is true, Warners won its first Best Picture in 1937 with "The Life of Emile Zola" -- a very good movie not many people think about these days. My apologies.

[@etherealtb6021]

I don't understand how Lionel Barrymore and Crawford weren't nominated!

[@sharonalbanese8084]

Loved this video. ❤️

[@nediaelifra721]

Coda run is the most unprecedented even parasite and moonlight couldn't

[@Jared_Wignall]

Such an interesting year for films that Oscar season. First time two performances tied and the only time a film wins Best Picture without another nomination. I think the whole two people tying when it comes to an Acting category is interesting. Sometimes, there are two performances in a category that are deserving of an Academy Award where both winning would be both understandable and acceptable. But it seems the Academy has it now where such ties don’t happen anymore regarding acting. Maybe two films can tie when it comes to a technical award, but that’s really it. Excellent video Brian, keep up the great work!

[@TheAwardsContender]

Thanks, means a lot you’re enjoying my videos, Jared!

[@calvinnme2]

What is really strange about Grand Hotel today is that it shows a hotel in Berlin right before Hitler comes to power.

[@chriswald7700]

Fun fact: This animation short "Parade of the Award Nominees" was made by Disney exclusively for showing to the guests of the 5th Academy Award banquet: kzbin.info/www/bejne/inu0hKSXoruie6s The clip features animated versions of all the six acting nominees in their roles: Wallace Beery with (Jackie Cooper) for "The Champ", Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt for "The Guardsman", Helen Hayes for "The Sin of Madelon Claudet", Fredric March for "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde"and Marie Dressler for "Emma"

[@000_leo]

That's so cool!

[@TheAwardsContender]

So cool, thanks for sharing!

[@arthurgearheard4701]

Joan Crawford stole the 📽️ from these more established Actors! She should've at least received at least received a Best Actress Nomination!

[@flavorconnect]

Agreed! It still holds up well to this day.

[@TheAwardsContender]

I know!! What happened there? She absolutely deserved a nom for this. Thanks for watching!

[@mattbernabe]

In 1934, if they created the Best Supporting Actress category at the Oscar, I wouldn't doubt and hoped Joan got a nomination for this film. As well as a Best Actress nomination for her work in Rain. It would have been cool to see her getting nominations for Best Actress and Supporting Actress

[@matiaspereira9382]

Grand Hotel was the only movie in history to win Best Picture without being nominated for nothing else

[@kristofthibaud8491]

Was Nathaniel West writing about Hollywood @ this time? Day of the Locust?

[@TheAwardsContender]

Possibly! Thanks for watching!

[@sel3248]

Miss Joan Crawford 👄

[@TheAwardsContender]

One of the greatest!

[@glennmalimban5256]

I have watched this movie a couple of times and I definitely think it was a good movie. Probably, the best movie of its time because of the ensemble cast of superstars of the 1930s...

[@TheAwardsContender]

I love the film too. Thanks for watching!

[@suk6323]

Great stuff! Do you plan on covering the next 90 years? ;)

[@TheAwardsContender]

Thanks so much! I'm covering all sorts of Oscar years on my channel, just take a look around. Enjoy!

[@mikedelong1207]

Maybe I need to watch this again, but I don’t remember it keeping my attention very well.

[@tricorntom2254]

This piece should be retitled. It is about the 5th Academy Awards and not so much about Grand Hotel.

[@stardusth2o]

Ahhhhh!!!!

[@alexanderv9357]

Спасибо!

[@avraampavlidis2862]

I think the question is: Why was Grand Hotel not nominated for any other award?

[@TheAwardsContender]

Yep, exactly. Thanks for watching!

[@etherealtb6021]

Boggles the mind!

[@carlosalonsoperezsosa8162]

Coda over The power of the Dog Come on!!!!

[@segunsaba7646]

Yes. Only Grand hotel is the movie that won best picture yet had just one nomination

[@johnyzero2000]

Shah-vell-yay.

[@stevenstanley3157]

Shi-VALL-yay

[@tomsperduti2967]

Joan Crawford stole the movie.

[@TheAwardsContender]

Absolutely. Thanks for watching!

[@JimBobH13]

Sorry. Frank Borzage is pronounced "Bor ZAY ghee."

[@cristinawilligs]

i dont even feel inclined to watch Grand Hotel

[@catlover34fl]

Joan Crawford deserved at least a nomination for best actress. I suspect it's because she came from a very poor background and had no stage experience. Sad and so unfair.

[@TheAwardsContender]

Would’ve been a great nod!

[@user-gj3zl6de8g]

there is no main character in this film, all the roles are more or less equal, and therefore the award for the best female / male role in the grand hotel is inappropriate...

[@alexanderv9357]

Грета Гарбо тоже из бедной семьи и что из этого?