JAKE AND BOOMER'S SILVER SCREEN HOMEPAGE

Hello, fellow movie buffs. This page is our tribute to the ground-breaking work of film makers of the 1920's and 1930's. We will offer our views and reviews of selected films from those eras, and at the same time give you the opportunity to tell us what you think. Take a second to check out our links section.

ABOUT US

Well, we have graduated and found jobs. I understand that this page fell somewhat by the wayside over the last 4 or 5 months, but that is about to change. This page will feature regular updates beginning very soon. I am also toying with ideas about new looks--we will see. Anyway, we are back and ready to review!

ABOUT THE PAGE

You will notice that several changes have been made to this page. They have been made in the hopes of making this a better, more interesting site. As always, this page will contain film reviews and links. However, I have also added a few more features which I hope you will enjoy. Specifically, I have added a games and trivia section. I have also added a mailbag section in which I will reprint any and all e-mails that I receive about this page. In any event, tell me what you think of these ideas. By the way, have you checked out the links section yet? Oh one more thing, is the larger text in the body of the reviews better or is the old way better??

   Abysmal. Complete trash-- bad acting, writing, cinematography, etc.

   Bomb. One or two redeeming qualities, but inferior overall.

    Average. Not outstanding in most respects, but worth checking out.

    I had a ball. Solid acting, writing, cinematography, etc. Superior in many respects.

...And now our feature presentation

Grand Hotel (1932)

Cast                                                                               Credits
Greta Garbo . . . . . Grusinskaya                                      Studio . . . . . . . . . . . MGM
John Barrymore . . . Baron Felix von Geigern                   Director . . . . . . . . . .Edmund Goulding
Joan Crawford. . . . .Flaemmchen                                    Based on novel by. .  Vicki Baum
Wallace Beery . . . . Preysing                                           Cinematography. . . . William H. Daniels
Lionel Barrymore. . .Otto Kringelein                                Edited by . . . . . . . . . Blanche Sewell
Lewis Stone. . . . . . .Dr. Otternschlag                              Sound by. . . . . . . . . Douglas Shearer
Jean Hersholt . . . . . Senf                                                                                                                                        Running Time: 113 minutes.

TAKE ONE: BOOMER

         Grand Hotel is the story of a varied cast of characters who all are spending time at the hotel for one reason or another. There is a balerina (Garbo) whose career is fading and is afraid to dance anymore for fear of nobody showing up. There is a secretay (Crawford) desperate for adventure. There is a bookkeeper (L. Barrymore) looking for one extravagant fling before he dies. There is an unethical businessman (Beery) who is there to finalize a big business deal. There is a gambler/thief (J. Barrymore) there to steal some jewels to pay off gambling debts. And, there is a doctor (Stone) who is always there. Through a series of coincidences, these lives become intertwined, and the people themselves will never be the same.

          Let me start off by commenting about what I like with the film. The set was beautifully decorated. Some of the early shots really show the grandness of the Grand Hotel. Unlike many films of the era, the set had the feeling that we were really in a hotel and not just on a back lot in Hollywood. I also thought the lighting and sound were first rate.

          Now I would like to talk about what I didn't like about the film. the premise of the film is very good and has been done many times. It could have worked if we had been given some interesting people to follow throughout the hotel. I found all of the characters boring and stereotypical. We knew from the very beginning that there would be a confrontation between the bookkeeper and the industrialist, and we knew that in the end, the bookkeeper would prove to be morally superior and would end up doing greater things while the industrialist ended up in disgrace--saw it coming like a freight train in the night. The only real surprise is with the thief, and to be honest, I'm rather glad he did die, because he surely would have broken the dancer's heart eventually.I disagree with the doctor's statement that "people come, people go, nothing everhappens." things happend at the Grand hotel, you just really don't much care about them. you want a better view of more interesting people in pre-WWII Germany, see The Blue Angel.

          With a cast like the one in this film, one would expect that they could elevate the most poorly written material to something interesting. Sadly, this is not the case. Almost all of the performances are mailed in. Especially bad is Beery. I did, however, like Lionel Barrymore's performance. For those of you who don't know, Lionel Barrymore is most famous as "Potter" in It's aWonderful Life. His performance here as a mild-mannered office slave is absolutely charming. I am firmly convinced that Lionel Barrymore may be the very best actor from the era.

          I would have given this film the lowest rating bur for Lionel Barrymore's perfromance. However, I so like him in this film that my rating is: --he's one redeeming quality, the set and lighting is the other.          

TAKE TWO: JAKE

TAKE THREE: THE BELLETIN BOARD--YOUR CHANCE 

          We are trying to create a bulletin board for you folks to commuicate with us and between yourselves. This section is experimental. If you like it and it is utilized, we will keep it up; otherwise, we will take it down. It only takes a few momennts to register. 

PAST REVIEWS

      Intermezzo                The Littlest Rebel             Beau Geste                      The 39 Steps

  Destry Rides Again        The Gold Rush           The Jazz Singer

FUN AND GAMES

NONE THIS WEEK

LAST WEEK'S ANSWERS

        6 Degrees of  Al Jolson--- Can you link Al Jolson with Jerry Seinfeld in four steps??? Not all of the links are movie related. I will have the answer for you next time. E-mail me the answer if you know!!

          1) Al jolson starred in Swanee River with Don Ameche. 
          2) Don Ameceh starred in Harry and the Hendersons with John Lithgow.
          3) John Lithgow stars with Wayne Knight in Third Rock from the Sun.
          4) Wayne Knight also plays Newman on Seinfeld with Jerry Seinfeld.

        Here are 5 words/phrases associated with Al Jolson, can you unscramble them??? I will have the answer for you next time. E-mail the answer if you now!!

1) ggseuayon= synagogue
2) lievdveua=Vaudeville (sorry-not enough "L's")
3) rntcao= Cantor
4) mymam=Mammy
5) slaktie =talkies                          

    Trivia: What was Al Jolson's birth name???? I will have the answer for you next time. E-mail the answer if you know!! Answer=Asa Yoelson
                    

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