Thursday Movie Picks-Intersecting Stories

This week it is story-lines that intersect. I expect Crash to be popular as well as Love, Actually but I went the oldie route (big surprise). Head on over to Wandering Through The Shelves to check out what the others have chosen.

1. GRAND HOTEL-1932

An oldie but a fun one. This old man (Lewis Stone) is the head guy over at the Grand Hotel in Berlin who claims nothing ever happens...people come and people go. That might be true until this bunch arrives. You have the suave, debonair Baron played by (hiccup) John Barrymore. Lionel Barrymore is a poor older man who is dying. Wallace Beery is an A-Hole rich brute with his "secretary" played by the up and coming Joan Crawford(who steals the show) and, wait for it, Garbo as a Russian Prima Ballerina-hahahahaaa. She is about as dainty as a Clydesdale horse going through a crystal store. All these people have stories to share and love to give but how will they all end up? It is one of the first talking all star films.

2. DINNER AT EIGHT-1933

This has the best  double take ever done in my opinion and it is all Marie Dressler. Again this has a huge array of big name stars, some that were in Grand Hotel a year earlier. A rich family, headed by Lionel Barrymore and his wife, played by Billie Burke(Glenda the Good Witch fame), plan to have a dinner party. Actually it is more his wife's idea since the richest English couple(think Downton Abbey style) have agreed to attend her dinner. The daffy wife wants to have all the big people there from a Countess who is a famed actress(Marie Dressler) to a once famous silent film star who is now a drunk(any guess??) ...John Barrymore. The bad boy is, once again, Wallace Beery who is married to the white on white, Jean Harlow. This actress was famous for her platinum hair(not just on her head). Sadly she died in 1937 at the age of 26. This is a another fun film to watch that I like even better than Grand Hotel

3. IF IT'S TUESDAY, THIS MUST BE BELGIUM-1969

I love this movie....I mean I really love it. First it has the beautiful scenery of Europe that you experience with them as they travel through all the countries. Second, I love the cast because they are not huge names but mainly are a cast of characters that are usually supporting characters in other movies or even TV Shows(Norman Fell from three's Company). It starts off in London where a young man who loves the fun life and women, meets his cast of American tourists since he's a tour director. I have a friend who does this but works in BC and is the tour director for Banff, Jasper and Lake Louise(you have the right to curse him). This American lot is headed by the wonderful Suzanne Pleshette (Bob Newhart Show) whom the tour director(played by Ian McShane) really wants to get to know. There is a married couple with their teenage daughter who would rather be home(why do all teens rather be home than touring Europe..I never got that). A man who wants to meet his Italian family he never knew and another who wants to retrace is WW2 days. There is even a creepy man who takes something from each hotel. Donovan is one of many guest cameos who sings the title song. I picked up a tour guide a couple of years back and found that the itinerary has not changed in all these years! They still check out the cheese in Holland(or is it Belgium??) and one stills sees tours headed by some middle aged nut lady holding an umbrella.


I have to add this and, don't worry, even though it is at the end, it gives nothing away...