Ain't She Grand

Full disclosure: Before Grand Hotel, the only Joan Crawford film I'd ever seen was Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?  To be perfectly honest, I had to double-check to make sure I was watching the same Joan Crawford in Grand Hotel. She is so perfectly sweet and sarcastic that she steals every scene she's in, and when she's not on screen, I found myself wondering when she'd be back. Not a small feat, considering the other names she's up against (Greta Garbo, John Barrymore).

Plot-wise, I'm happy to report that most of the action was unpredictable, a nice departure from the films I've seen so far. It starts as a kind of lighthearted, romantic romp -- but then there's a twist that brings everything way, way down. I'm not sure if I liked the story, ultimately, but I'm happy to have seen the other side of Joan.

Best Picture Death Race: 4 films seen; 78 to go.

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