GRAND HOTEL

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 365, 29 October 1932, Page 7

GRAND HOTEL

MOST COSTLY PIECE OF FILM EVER MAHE. i I j What is believed to be the most | eostly pieee of motion picture film | ever made is a 600ft continuous scene j screened hy Edmund Goulding for I "Grand Ilotel," the spectacular screen' version of the Vicki Baum stage suc- ; cess. Into this footage was crammed the | essence of many pages of dramatic | action and dialogue at the desk of ! the Berlin Hotel, in which the story is unfolded. The stars and players taking part in this scene were Joan Crawford, John and Lionel Barrymore, Wallace Beery, Lewis Stone, Jean Hersholt, Purnell Pratt, Frank Conroy, Ferdinand Gottschalk and numerous players filling roles of lesser importance, including several huni dred bit" people who strolled about 1 the background for atmosphere. j This assemblage of talent for this | single scene is' said to represent the' greatest payroll total ever placed on a production schedule. Because of the importance of the 600ft scene, nearly . an entire day was given to rehearsal | so that it could be taken on a continu- [ ous shot and remain intact upon the i screen without cutting. Greta Garbo, who plays the part of the Russian dancer in "Grand Hotel," was the only star in the cast missing from the scene.