Many films have a convoluted history, but few so much as A STAR IS BORN. The basic story of a famous Hollywood alcoholic who promotes the career of an unknown--only to see her star rise as his falls--was based on the lives of a number of silent-era figures and first filmed in 1932 as WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD? After a number of plot changes, the story reemerged in 1937 as A STAR IS BORN starring Janet Gaynor and Frederic March. Then, in the 1940s, A STAR IS BORN was recycled into a radio play--and the leading lady was Judy Garland.Garland's private life was difficult, and in 1950 she made a highly publicized suicide attempt. When she proved unable to recover herself quickly, she was fired by MGM amid much negative publicity, and it was assumed her career was over. But within a few years Garland reemerged as a powerful concert performer, and momentum began to build toward a screen comeback. Garland, who recalled her radio presentation with fondness, suggested A STAR IS BORN.
The production was plagued with problems. A number of leading actors turned down the male lead before James Mason accepted. A considerable portion of the film was shot when Warner Brothers decided to present it in Cinemascope, and this entailed scrapping all previous footage reshooting from scratch. Garland herself proved typically highstrung, and her temperament led to numerous delays. The budget ran out of control, and by the time A STAR IS BORN arrived on the screen it had become the single most expensive film made up to that time.
The film's opening seemed to justify all the difficulty and expense. Critics were positive and the public was eager. But Warner Brothers remained concerned about the film's length--and although director George Cukor offered to recut the film gratis, the studio hacked it apart. It was soon apparent that critics and audiences alike were considerably less enthusiastic about the edited version, and the film ended its theatrical release with a whimper.
During the decades that followed the film gained a reputation as a mutilated masterpiece. A lackluster 1970s remake fueled interest in a restoration, but the missing footage could not be relocated. In 1983, however, the full, unedited soundtrack and many of the missing scenes were rediscovered. In working with the film, conservators pioneered the use of still photography to fill in the still-missing scenes, a technique that would be used to restore such classics as GREED, METROPOLIS, and LOST HORIZON. And upon release, A STAR IS BORN was once again hailed as a masterpiece.
Stylistically, A STAR IS BORN is an aggressive film filled with bright colors, bombastic music, and larger than life performances. As such, it seems typical of "blockbuster" films of the 1950s and 1960s. But A STAR IS BORN uses this "bigness" to a considerably different end than its counterparts: rather than containing garish display for its own sake, it contains it for thematic purpose.
The theme developed by writer Moss Hart and director Cukor (who considered this his masterpiece) is one of the various levels of artificiality intrinsic to show business, and differences between degrees of artificiality are carefully drawn in scene after scene. The audience enjoys a show--never knowing that the star is blind drunk. The set crew prepares to film an upbeat musical number--never aware that the leading lady is having hysterics in her dressing room. A wife watches a private screening of a film--not realizing that her husband is being quietly fired in an adjoining room.
The performances that drive A STAR IS BORN are perfectly in line with the film's juxtaposition of reality and artifice. Garland offers a justly famous bravado performance in broad strokes and with an undercurrent of artifice that becomes increasingly noticeable as the film builds, underscoring her gradual immersion in and consumption by the film industry. Mason, in equally brilliant fashion, contrasts her with a performance that becomes painfully realistic as the film progresses. The dissonance created is quite startling: it is easy to see why the two characters attract each other, but it is also easy to forecast how they will self-destruct.
Although musical numbers abound, A STAR IS BORN is not typical of the genre, for the music does not form the primary structure of the film. Still, like most other elements in the film, the songs feed into the film's themes--and always in the most ironic way possible. Near the film's conclusion, Maine ask Vicki to sing for him while he, unbeknownst to her, prepares for suicide. The song she sings is "A New World." And indeed after Maine's death it will be all of that, a world in which unreality will go unchecked and Vicki will win applause by introducing herself as "Mrs. Norman Maine," turning her private grief into box office salvation.
A STAR IS BORN is profoundly bitter film that for all its brashness operates in a remarkably subtle way to make a very dark statement about Hollywood fame: the entertainment we enjoy on screen is an illusion with a price, and that price is a confusion of reality and fantasy played out with stakes of life and death. The DVD offers the film in its restored state, in Cinemascope, and with television broadcast footage of the Los Angeles premiere. If you're serious about film, this is a must-own, must-see.
--GFT (Amazon.com Reviewer)--
In 1983, a partially restored, 170-minute-long version of A STAR IS BORN hit first-run movie screens after long and loving archival and editorial struggle. It was a matter of using anything available to make up for the scenes Warner Bros. had hacked out--stills, amateur home movies made from the set, audio tracks--anything. Most significantly, the restoration reinstituted the entire portion of the movie which appear in the DVD as all of Chapters 14, 15 and 16 in which Garland's character takes a long-shot chance at an acting career; but although that enhanced plot-line was reintegrated into the movie, the static and museum-like restoration was in many ways more admirable than lovable. Still, it gets across the idea that Judy Garland's character--singer Esther Blodgett--faced her own trials and tribulations on the way to becoming "Vicki Lester" the film star.
The current 1999 DVD goes the 1983 theatrical release two better: it incorporates even more material previously thought lost--in particular audio--and the newer computer technology was used for a thorough digital "scrub" of the already handsome restoration. Previous reviewers are right: the restored sequences can still be a bit off-putting, but the DVD now for sale at 176 minutes is a noticeable improvement over the 1983 release and probably the closest we'll ever get to Cukor's original masterpiece. Is the color perfect? No, 1954 Technicolor was still garish and candy-colored; interestingly, the scenes filmed outdoors at night come across as more realistic than some of the interiors, and the character's facial tones look more realistic. Is the sound perfect? It's a good 5.1 multitrack engineering that sounded good on my budget-level home theater, and it certainly holds better aural technology than was available in 1950s movie houses.
A STAR IS BORN is very much a movie about movies, a "backstage" musical something like CABARET where the singing and dancing occur as staged performances or otherwise make sense as something the screen characters would naturally do. (As opposed to the more impressionistic, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN type of movie where characters break character and burst into song artificially.) Judy belts Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin's unforgettable "The Man That Got Away" in an after-hours club, an impromptu performance later described by eavesdropping leading man Norman Maine (James Mason) as "singing just for yourself and 'the boys in the band.'" (And with those last five words, a play was born.)
The performance-within-a-performance element that any backstage music requires come from two indelible production numbers from Vicki Lester's films. "Born in a Trunk" is by far the better known but the restoration added the endearing "Lose That Long Face," in which another unsinkable Vicki character sings a message of undying optimism as she tap-dances and flat-foots through studio-set rainy streets (Hmm, wonder where they got that idea?)
But most of Garland's performances are in more intimate venues. After rising starlet Vicki Lester becomes Mrs. Norman Maine, her husband puts her to use as "my own little jukebox" as she sings hit songs from her movies. In a particularly charming sequence, Garland's character plays homage to--and gently spoofs--the Fifties penchant for grandiose fantasy production numbers by acting out the round-the-world extravaganza ("Somewhere There's) A Someone At Last" to a background record, using what's available in the living room to mimic props and delighting the sophisticated Mason. The message is clear: it's the star, not the production values, that matter most.
Indeed, Judy Garland IS the star who makes this movie; her fictional Vicki Lester comes alive when fused with elements of Garland's own poignant and turbulent life as an all-too-visible film personality. In this movie her performances--as actor and song stylist--were never better; volumes of praise have been written to which I happily agree. But those who surround "Vicki Lester" are a key component of the film's success, too: James Mason's "Norman Maine" confronts his wife's tendency to overdramatize with a subtle performance as the self-deprecating, self-loathing alcoholic who increasingly becomes the object of his wife's charity. Jack Carson the perennial WB "heavy" of the postwar years (recall him from "Mildred Pierce" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") is in full force as Matt Libby, the gladhanding and cynical studio publicist. Charles Bickford, perhaps best remembered today as father to Lee Remick's character in "The Days of Wine and Roses," adds humanity to the thankless role of the authoritarian film-studio owner Oliver Niles. And Tom Noonan is perfect as the buddy to impart real-life wisdom to "Mrs. Norman Maine."
People who love Judy Garland certainly should go for this improved and more watchable classic, even if they already have a prior version at home. I think lovers of musicals in general will agree that A STAR IS BORN deserves a place among the tip-top musicals of the 1950s, whether or not they are satisfied with the cardboardish ersatz for Chapters 14-16. Just hop over those with your DVD remote and find out what Warner Bros. left after its butchering! A great film at a great price; go for it.
Buy A Star Is Born (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2010) Now
Judy Garland, arguably the greatest female pop singer of the Twentieth Century, gives the performance of a lifetime in this 1954 musical remake of the 1937 dramatic film of the same name (also available on DVD in a superb transfer). This movie was perceived as Garland's comeback vehicle since she had not made a film for four years prior and she certainly delivers the goods both dramatically and vocally. Her singing here is in total service of the music rather than the audience, with none of the over the top indulgences evident in her stage appearances. The end result is mesmerizing. Garland's standout rendition of "The Man That Got Away" deserves special mention since it fully lives up to its hype as one of the greatest vocal performances of all time.James Mason matches Garland every step of the way and in some areas surpasses her in the role of her alcoholic husband whose star is waning as hers is rising. In fact, the entire cast, including Charles Bickford, Jack Carson and Tommy Noonan give excellent performances. Director George Cukor seems to have known just when to reign in Garland and exactly when to let her go and do what she does best. This is especially evident in the "Born In A Trunk" musical number. Cukor also shows a flair for getting the best out of the then new wide screen CinemaScope process. His framing of the scenes has an intimacy appropriate to the story but seems revolutionary for a wide screen picture even today. This DVD showcases the original 2.55: 1 aspect ratio in which A Star Is Born was shown for its initial theatrical presentation and a newly mixed soundtrack preserves the discrete multi-channel stereophonic sound as well. In fact, this DVD looks and sounds phenomenally good considering that this movie will be 50 years old in about 4 years.
Worth the price of the disc alone is the treasure trove of supplementary material, which includes vintage newsreels, a kinescope of live TV coverage of the Hollywood premiere and no less than four alternate takes of "The Man That Got Away."
Judy Garland never was able to equal or top her work on A Star Is Born. On the other hand, no one else has or could either because she was a one of a kind entertainer that only comes around perhaps once in a millennium.
Read Best Reviews of A Star Is Born (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2010) Here
ENHANCED CONTENTA Star is Born (1954) 2-Disc Deluxe Special Edition DVD Enhanced Content:
Introduction: Run time 3:01
The Man That Got Away Pink Dress: Run time 5:11 Additional Take
The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #1: Run time 4:49 Additional Take
The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #2: Run time 4:24 Additional Take
The Man that Got Away Brown Dress #3: Run time 4:00 Additional Take
The Man That Got Away Brown Dress #4: Run time 4:00 Additional Take
Here's What I'm here For Alternate Take: Run time 2:36 Additional Take
Lose That Long Face Alternate Take: Run time 4:55 Additional Take
Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo Alternate Take: Run time 1:24 Additional Take
When My Sugar Walks Down the Street Outtake: Run time 0:58 Additional Take
Suicide Scene Alternate Take: Run time 2:15 Additional Take
Film Effects Reel: Run time 0:54
A Report by Jack L. Warner: Run time 6:24 Vintage Featurette
Huge Premiere Hails 'A Star is Born' Newsreel Montage: Run time 7:49 Vintage Featurette
'A Star is Born' Premiere in Cinemascope: Run time 2:05
Pantages Premiere TV Special: Run time 29:30 Vintage Featurette
A Star is Bored (1956 WB Cartoon): Run time 7:00
A Star is Born (1937): Run time 2:46 Trailer
A Star is Born (1954): Run time 3:52 Trailer
A Star is Born (1976): Run time 3:46 Trailer
Audio Vault Oliver on the Phone with the Director Discussing Norman Outtakes: Run time 2:00 Audio Only
Audio Vault Norman and Esther on the Roof of the Hotel Lancaster Outtakes: Run time 2:00 Audio Only
Audio Vault 12/28/1942 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with Judy Garland and Walter Pidgeon: Run time 60:00 Audio Only
Audio Vault Judy Garland Radio Interview: Run time 4:00 Audio Only
Audio Vault Born in a Trunk: Run time 9:05 Audio Only
Audio Vault Someone At Last Rehearsal: Run time 10:34 Audio Only
Audio Vault Someone At Last: Run time 7:16 Audio Only
Audio Vault My Melancholy Baby: Run time 7:06 Audio Only
Audio Vault Black Bottom: Run time 1:48 Audio Only
Audio Vault Swanee: Run time 4:57 Audio Only
Want A Star Is Born (Blu-ray Book Packaging) (2010) Discount?
I have neither a Blu-ray player nor an HD TV so there was no reason to get the Blu-ray of this release. On my standard def TV the image is not as sharp and crisp as other recent Warner restorations such as My Fair Lady and Wizard of Oz. But, I've learned through some research that this is because ASIB was filmed in single-strip Technicolor and it is impossible to sharpen the image. Actually the print does look a bit cleaner than the old VHS version of the reconstructed film. Just don't expect sharpness throughout. The musical numbers look the best.Remember that almost 30 minutes of the film was cut after its theatrical release and it was through the efforts of Ron Haver who, in 1984, was able to find stills to fill in where soundtrack sections were located. That is what this version is and it really fleshes out the story. (And a great story it is!). And it is wide screen, not pan and scan.
What makes this version "deluxe" is the additional two hours of new supplemental material. These are all on the second disc which is NOT Blu-ray even in the Blu-ray set. Two hours are the same material as on the last release. The new material includes additional versions of some songs with different costumes and a lot of audio-only bonuses. The disc containing the feature film is double sided with half on each side.
You can see all the details of the bonuses in another "review" which copied the info from the press release.
As far as acting goes, James Mason is amazing and perfect for the part. Garland sings her heart out and this is, of course, a must for Judy fans... many of who can quote her lines from the film from memory.
Some day I'm sure Warner will issue the "Ultimate Edition" of ASIB but, sadly this is the best it is going to look on your TV. This is why film preservation is so important!
If you've not seen this film, or haven't seen it in years, watch it.. It will draw you in and show you why Garland and Mason were stars. This is a true Hollywood classic.
Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"
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