This episode explores the creation, context, and legacy of Grand Hotel (MGM, 1932), the groundbreaking ensemble drama adapted from Vicki Baum’s novel and stage play. Set amid the political and economic instability of the Weimar Republic, the film captures a society on the verge of collapse, its characters driven by desperation, illusion, and the pursuit of one final chance at meaning. The discussion traces the work’s journey from Baum’s innovative Broadway staging—where intersecting lives were first introduced through telephone booths—to Irving Thalberg’s visionary MGM adaptation, which united Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and the Barrymore brothers under one lavish roof. Behind-the-scenes accounts reveal both the collaboration and rivalry that defined the production, including Garbo’s now-legendary line, “I want to be alone.” The episode concludes by considering the film’s singular Oscar triumph and its enduring influence in establishing the ensemble format as a lasting narrative tradition in Hollywood cinema.