(There are Spoilers) Being told by his doctor that he hasn't got long to live meek and kindly bookkeeper Otto Kringelein, Lionel Barrymore, decides to go out in grand fashion. Taking his life's savings with him, some 11,000 Marks, Otto is to spends his last days on earth in the most expensive hotel in Berlin the aptly named "Grand Hotel".<br /><br />It's at the Grand Hotel Otto gets to meet his abusive boss, at the textile factory, Preysing, Wallace Beery, who treats him with total destine. Preysing is certain that the only way Otto can afford to stay at that swanky and expensive joint is that he embezzled his business. Otto gets his by now hot in the collar boss even madder at him by stealing his pretty stenographer Flaemmchen or Flaem for short, Joan Crawford, who sees what a creep her, like Otto's, boss the Iron Prussian-like Preysing really is.<br /><br />The movie "Grand Hotel" also has as one of its guests the flat broke and compulsive gambler Baron Felix Von Geigern, John Barrymore. Baron Felix lost his entire fortune playing baccarat and is now in danger of getting his legs broken if he doesn't come up with the cash, 5,000 Marks, that he owes the "Boys" who've been backing up his losing bets. Baron Felix now on his last legs which he'll need crutches for if the "Boys" don't get their money is planning to rob the Great Grusinskaya, Greta Garbo, the worlds greatest ballerina who's also a guest at the hotel. The Baron concocts a plan to rob the Great Grusinskaya of her pearl necklace while she's at the Berlin Theater doing her thing: Dancing her heart out for the audience there.<br /><br />Baron Felix who's only friend on earth up to that time is his cute and faithful Dachshund Adolphus, or Adolph for short, will later "make it" with that cold fish of a woman Grusinskaya while in the process of burglarizing her hotel suite! Catching Baron Felix off guard, by coming back to her suite early, Grusinskya is charmed by the handsome rogue who sweet talks her right out of her dance costume and into her bed; With him joining it.<br /><br />It's later that the Baron after confessing his love for Grusinskaya, and returning her stolen pearl necklace, decides to use the naive Otto in a card game of baccarat he set up. This is done by Baron Felix in order to get back the money he owes the "Boys" before the "Boys" who've just about had it with him, in his stalling to pay them back their money, end up making him a cripple. The card game goes good for first-time gambler, beginners luck?, Otto who breaks the bank walking away with another, to his already 11,0000, 3,500 Marks.<br /><br />With time running out on him in paying the "Boys" back their money a desperate Baron Felix grabs Otto's, who's dead drunk for drinking champaign, wallet with some 15,000 Marks for him to finally pay back the "Boys" before they pay him, in working the Baron over, back with compounded interest and fractures. ***SPOILERS***It's then that Baron Felix finally sees the light and gives up his life of a cat burglar and con-artist but only after one last fling, in robbing Preysing room, which turned out to be fatal for him.<br /><br />Despite the major and established stars in the film, Greta Garbo the Barrymores and Wallace Beery, it was Joan Crawford, compared to the quality of acting talent she was up against, in a more or less supporting role who stole the films acting honors. Being both wholesome and sensuous Miss. Crawford was able to put the grubby and aggressive Preysing in his place. This was by showing him that the person whom he held in contempt, and was a rival for her affections, the sweet and soft speaking Otto was a bigger success, as a human being, that he'll ever be. <br /><br />In the end the so sure of himself Preysing ended up being lead out of the Grand Hotel in handcuffs and going to jail for crimes committed by him on and off the premises. As for the meek and sensitive Otto, whom Preysing stepped on for some 30 years, he also left with Flaem for Paris to spend his last, and extremely happy, days with her at that city's "Grand Hotel".