History Trivia / GrandHotel

** Creator/JohnGilbert was up for the part of the Baron (which would've made him share scenes with his old friend and former lover Greta Garbo), but his career was circling the drain by this point and he lost out to John Barrymore.

** Creator/JohnGilbert was up for the part of the Baron, but his career was circling the drain by this point and he lost out to John Barrymore.

** Irving Thalberg wanted Creator/NormaShearer to play the secretary role. However, she got mountains of fan mail telling her not to do it, so she declined.

** Creator/BusterKeaton wanted to make an AffectionateParody set in a New York flophouse called 'Grand Mills Hotel'--with himself in the Creator/LionelBarrymore role, Marie Dressler as the ballerina, Jimmy Durante as a bogus count, [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Oliver Hardy]] as the industrialist, Polly Moran as the secretary and Henry Almetta as the hotel clerk. Irving Thalberg wanted to make it, but Keaton had been fired by MGM and didn't wish to return. Marie Dressler would later star in the SpiritualSuccessor ''Film/DinnerAtEight''.

!!For the 2019 TV series:

* HostilityOnSet: The reason Greta Garbo and Joan Crawford don't share any scenes together.

** Irving Thalberg wanted Creator/NormaShearer to play the secretary role. However, she got mountains of fan mail telling her not to do it, so she declined.

** Creator/JohnBarrymore signed a three-film deal with Creator/{{MGM}} just so he could star alongside Greta Garbo.
** The reason Wallace Beery signed on? He was told he'd be the only one in the cast that got to use a German accent.

* TheOtherMarty: Creator/ClarkGable was cast as Preysing, but then replaced with Wallace Beery - because they thought he was too young.

** Most of the stars actually turned down their roles at first - Creator/GretaGarbo not thinking she was young enough to play a prima ballerina, Creator/JoanCrawford not wanting to wear the one outfit for the whole film etc. But they were eventually all persuaded to sign on.
** Creator/BusterKeaton wanted to make an AffectionateParody set in a New York flophouse called 'Grand Mills Hotel' - with himself in the Creator/LionelBarrymore role, Marie Dressler as the ballerina, Jimmy Durante as a bogus count, [[Creator/LaurelAndHardy Oliver Hardy]] as the industrialist, Polly Moran as the secretary and Henry Almetta as the hotel clerk. Irving Thalberg wanted to make it, but Keaton had been fired by MGM and didn't wish to return. Marie Dressler would later star in the SpiritualSuccessor ''Film/DinnerAtEight''.
** Irving Thalberg wanted Creator/NormaShearer to play the secretary role. However she got mountains of fan mail telling her not to do it, so she declined.

* AllStarCast: The first film to do such a thing. Beforehand it was considered wise to only put two big stars in a film, to minimise production costs. This put five of MGM's top stars in a film, and thus became the TropeMaker.

** John Barrymore signed a three-film deal with MGM just so he could star alongside Greta Garbo.

* MethodActing: Greta Garbo got so into the kissing scene that she kissed John Barrymore for a full three minutes after the director called for cut. Incidentally Garbo and Barrymore ended up getting on very well, despite being wary of working with each other.
* TheOtherMarty: Clark Gable was cast as Preysing, but then replaced with Wallace Beery - because they thought he was too young.

** Most of the stars actually turned down their roles at first - Greta Garbo not thinking she was young enough to play a prima ballerina, Joan Crawford not wanting to wear the one outfit for the whole film etc. But they were eventually all persuaded to sign on.
** Buster Keaton wanted to make an AffectionateParody set in a New York flophouse called 'Grand Mills Hotel' - with himself in the Lionel Barrymore role, Marie Dressler as the ballerina, Jimmy Durante as a bogus count, Oliver Hardy as the industrialist, Polly Moran as the secretary and Henry Almetta as the hotel clerk. Irving Thalberg wanted to make it, but Keaton had been fired by MGM and didn't wish to return. Marie Dressler would later star in the SpiritualSuccessor ''Film/DinnerAtEight''.
** Irving Thalberg wanted Norma Shearer to play the secretary role. However she got mountains of fan mail telling her not to do it, so she declined.

* AwesomeDearBoy: John Barrymore signed a three-film deal with MGM just so he could star alongside Greta Garbo.