considered too young and was replaced by Wallace Beery, with Lionel Barrymore taking over for Buster Keaton (whose consumption of alcohol had made him "undisciplined," said L. B. Mayer).
A month before
Grand Hotel
was scheduled to begin production, an article in
Screenland
magazine questioned the choice of Joan Crawford for the role of the slut-stenographer, Flaemmchen. "Having donned the manner, voice and personality of a great young lady in her private life," said the magazine, it remains to be seen whether she can unbend sufficiently to become the shabby, tragic little Berlin secretary." A few days later Joan attempted to withdraw from the cast. Garbo had all the glamour and the love scenes, while she had to shlep through the entire picture wearing one dress. Thalberg told her she was a fool to pass up the role of the money-hungry stenographer.
"You said you wanted to be an actress in prestige pictures," he told her.
"Yes," said Joan, "but why must I look so shabby, with only one dress?"
"Adrian will make you
two
dresses, and a peignoir," Thalberg promised.
"Okey-doke," said Joan.
On December 30, 1931, rehearsals for
Grand Hotel
commenced on soundstage five at M-G-M. A long table and chairs had been set out for the principals, and the first to arrive was Miss Crawford. She swept onto the soundstage with her dog, Woggles, and seemed upset when she learned she had preceded the other stars. "Her habit of punctuality cheated her of a good entrance," said director Edmund Goulding. When John and Lionel Barrymore entered, followed by Wallace Beery and Lewis Stone, Goulding distributed the updated revised scripts and called the cast to order. They would read the script straight through, he said. "But Miss Garbo has not arrived," said Joan. "Miss Garbo has been excused from all rehearsals," Goulding announced.
Joan was crushed. She had mentally rehearsed a little routine for this, her introductory meeting with her idol. Her disappointment turned to anger when she learned that she had no scenes in the film with the great Garbo and that, furthermore, all of the leading star's major scenes would be shot on a separate soundstage, on a set closed to visitors. There would be no intimate chats for Joan, no posing together for publicity stills. As she would intone three times throughout the picture, the elusive Swede "vanted to be left alone."
On January 14, 1932, Los Angeles newspapers covered two unusual events. Snow fell in Hollywood, and "John Barrymore met Greta Garbo for the first time on the set of
Grand Hotel."
Barrymore had arrived early, before Garbo, who positioned herself by the main gate and waited to pay Barrymore the honor of escorting him to the set. 'A half an hour went by before the situation was straightened out," said a reporter. After their opening scene, the usually reserved Garbo impulsively kissed her costar. "You have no idea what it means to me, to play opposite so perfect an actor," she said. Introduced to a Barrymore friend, Arthur Brisbane, Garbo was shocked to learn that the man was a member of the working press, the editor of the New York
Journal.
"But I used to work for him," said Barrymore. "You? A member of the press?" said the horrified Greta. "I was a cartoonist," he explained. ''Aaaah,'' she sighed with relief. "That's better. Much better."
During the last week in January, the opening and closing hotel lobby scenes of the film were shot on soundstage six. All of the principals and sixty-five extras were on call to make their entrances and exits through the gigantic Art Deco foyer designed by Cedric Gibbons. To avoid contact with her costars, Garbo's scenes were scheduled after lunch, so on the morning of the shoot Crawford called in sick and had her scenes rescheduled for the afternoon. As the director rehearsed the extras, whose shoes had been soled with cork to prevent noise on the marble floors, Garbo sat apart in the spacious lobby, dressed in
A month before
Grand Hotel
was scheduled to begin production, an article in
Screenland
magazine questioned the choice of Joan Crawford for the role of the slut-stenographer, Flaemmchen. "Having donned the manner, voice and personality of a great young lady in her private life," said the magazine, it remains to be seen whether she can unbend sufficiently to become the shabby, tragic little Berlin secretary." A few days later Joan attempted to withdraw from the cast. Garbo had all the glamour and the love scenes, while she had to shlep through the entire picture wearing one dress. Thalberg told her she was a fool to pass up the role of the money-hungry stenographer.
"You said you wanted to be an actress in prestige pictures," he told her.
"Yes," said Joan, "but why must I look so shabby, with only one dress?"
"Adrian will make you
two
dresses, and a peignoir," Thalberg promised.
"Okey-doke," said Joan.
On December 30, 1931, rehearsals for
Grand Hotel
commenced on soundstage five at M-G-M. A long table and chairs had been set out for the principals, and the first to arrive was Miss Crawford. She swept onto the soundstage with her dog, Woggles, and seemed upset when she learned she had preceded the other stars. "Her habit of punctuality cheated her of a good entrance," said director Edmund Goulding. When John and Lionel Barrymore entered, followed by Wallace Beery and Lewis Stone, Goulding distributed the updated revised scripts and called the cast to order. They would read the script straight through, he said. "But Miss Garbo has not arrived," said Joan. "Miss Garbo has been excused from all rehearsals," Goulding announced.
Joan was crushed. She had mentally rehearsed a little routine for this, her introductory meeting with her idol. Her disappointment turned to anger when she learned that she had no scenes in the film with the great Garbo and that, furthermore, all of the leading star's major scenes would be shot on a separate soundstage, on a set closed to visitors. There would be no intimate chats for Joan, no posing together for publicity stills. As she would intone three times throughout the picture, the elusive Swede "vanted to be left alone."
On January 14, 1932, Los Angeles newspapers covered two unusual events. Snow fell in Hollywood, and "John Barrymore met Greta Garbo for the first time on the set of
Grand Hotel."
Barrymore had arrived early, before Garbo, who positioned herself by the main gate and waited to pay Barrymore the honor of escorting him to the set. 'A half an hour went by before the situation was straightened out," said a reporter. After their opening scene, the usually reserved Garbo impulsively kissed her costar. "You have no idea what it means to me, to play opposite so perfect an actor," she said. Introduced to a Barrymore friend, Arthur Brisbane, Garbo was shocked to learn that the man was a member of the working press, the editor of the New York
Journal.
"But I used to work for him," said Barrymore. "You? A member of the press?" said the horrified Greta. "I was a cartoonist," he explained. ''Aaaah,'' she sighed with relief. "That's better. Much better."
During the last week in January, the opening and closing hotel lobby scenes of the film were shot on soundstage six. All of the principals and sixty-five extras were on call to make their entrances and exits through the gigantic Art Deco foyer designed by Cedric Gibbons. To avoid contact with her costars, Garbo's scenes were scheduled after lunch, so on the morning of the shoot Crawford called in sick and had her scenes rescheduled for the afternoon. As the director rehearsed the extras, whose shoes had been soled with cork to prevent noise on the marble floors, Garbo sat apart in the spacious lobby, dressed in
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