This chapter in Matthew Kennedy’s biography on Edmund Goulding goes into great detail about the production of Grand Hotel and Goulding’s personal life. Few other films demonstrated the inner workings and glamour associated with the Hollywood studio system of the 1930s and 1940s as Grand Hotel did, and Kennedy’s chapter goes into great detail describing the interactions between Goulding and the members of one of the first ensemble casts, featuring Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Lionel Barrymore, and John Barrymore. Kennedy also tracks the adaptation of the original novel into a play and MGM’s eventual screen adaptation of the story, as well as Goulding’s role as the “lion tamer” throughout the highly publicized production. In this chapter, Kennedy describes events demonstrating Goulding’s subtle diplomacy both on the set and during postproduction (like his avoidance of excessive close-ups so as not to put more emphasis on one actor over another): “Each star was an instrument subjugated to the score of the story: Garbo’s plaintiff [sic] legato – the staccato of Wallace Beery – the submerged, suddenly rising oboe of Lionel Barrymore – the muted, clear, insistent, polished brass of John Barrymore. These were my instruments and their themes.” Kennedy also demonstrates the impact that the film had on Hollywood: the publicity surrounding its production, casting, and release were unlike anything seen before, and the rumor mills were constantly turning due to the high wattage of the cast.

            This chapter is incredibly effective at painting a picture of a studio-system era Hollywood – from tales of Goulding’s hasty marriage and bisexuality to anecdotes of Garbo and Crawford’s interactions on the set and other casting politics, Kennedy’s biography provides vivid detail of the world that surrounded Goulding during the production of Grand Hotel and of the impact he made through the creation of his masterpiece.