A Star Is Born
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Movie Reviews of A Star Is Born
Movie Review: Garland's Best Work and a True Classic
Summary: 5 Stars
The story is conventional, the idea isn't new (it was a remake, in fact), but the true victory of this film lies in the creative power and talent behind it. George Cukor behind the camera, Judy Garland in front of it, and Moss Hart penning the words; one could hardly go wrong. Mix with it dazzling performances by the lead and supporting characters, plus the magnetic pull of Judy Garland's mere presence, and you've got yourself an instant classic.
The film opens to all the glitz and glamour that Hollywood provides, with an annual benefit for the Academy. Ester Blodgett performs a number with her band and is suddenly interrupted when drunk superstar Norman Maine staggers onto the stage. Ester makes the most of the situation and comically incorporates him into her act so the audience wouldn't suspect he is drunk. This opening song shows the sheer performance power of Judy Garland and makes it clear why she's labeled "The World's Greatest Entertainer."
Norman quickly seeks her out and pushes her to pursue a bigger dream with her remarkable dream, and soon she is a huge star, eclipsing his own. His alcoholism and bitterness, not towards Ester but the industry, soon gets the better of him. Ester and Norman, meanwhile, have fallen irrevocably in love, and it is on the strength of this connection that much of the plot centers around.
Garland's innate vulnerability, as she is so often described, is so fitting to this character that I found myself with moist eyeballs many a time throughout the film (and I'll concede that my eyeballs are loathe to get the least bit wet). Her quavering voice and large dewy eyes ring up a host of emotions that makes you wonder how in heck the Academy could have overlooked this performance.
The musical numbers in this picture are also memorable, the most important of which is "The Man That Got Away." Judy Garland doesn't look like she is singing for a camera, but for herself and herself alone. And the audience almost feels the moment is too private to intrude upon. But we quickly forget about that as we're frozen, riveted by Garland's magic. The "Born in a Trunk" sequence is elaborate and looks like it took quite a bit of green. And I must say it is a pleasure to see Garland perform "Swanee" on a stage, complete with dancers and singers. Another one of those 'little jabs of pleasure' as Norman Maine would say.
Oftentimes when creative heavyweights are mixed together in a venture, the end result is not miraculous. 'A Star Is Born' however, has none of that voodoo. It is a sensational artistic achievement in every department.
Movie Review: Affair of the Heart
Summary: 5 Stars
Essential viewing. Quite simply, this is the best thing Judy Garland ever did, and that's saying something. While "Wizard of Oz" and "Meet Me in St' Louis" show none of the "worse-for-wear" qualities Garland displayed by this point, she had clearly deepened as an artist and actor. She understood this role as few others could, and she summoned all of her considerable powers in overwhelming style for one of the greatest performances ever committed to film. But this is hardly Garland's show. James Mason offers a career-defining performance as Norman Maine, and his understated, finely nuanced performance nicely complements Garland's supercharged emoting. Their different styles actually mesh in a cohesively specific way, making you believe in their tragic relationship. George Cukor's direction (his first in widescreen) betrays none of the ineptitude so many early Cinemascope directors displayed in not knowing how to fill up the expansive screen. This "Star..." is filled with rich, colorful textures, with the deeply neurotic color schemes matching the intensity of the dramatic moments. Just watch "The Man That Got Away", as the burnished reds and blues visually play out what the song plays out emotionally, and you'll realize how textured Cukor's work is here. Of course, he gets fine performances out of the ensemble, that's a given with this director. But the framing of the scenes make this long film flow like a shorter one, and shows a director who is a stylist deeply in tune with emotional life of the story he depicts. This is Cukor's finest hour (or three hours) and here he displays a cynicism just right for the film, and rare in his body of work.That leaves the music, and while some of the songs here are far from top-notch ("Here's What I'm Here For" and "Lose That Long Face"), Garland's renderings are classic. "The Man That Got Away" and "Born in a Trunk" are deservedly legendary, but "It's a New World" is prime Garland and a touching ballad, while "Gotta Have Me Go With You" displays the swinging concert syle Garland would perfect on the world's stages. The restoration of this film is nothing short of phenomenal. While the reconstructed scenes (some of the original scenes have been lost) are a bit jarring, one soon gets caught up in the action and forgives these lapses. The rich Technicolor print is stunning in its sumptuousness and the restored stero sound lets Judy's voice sing out like never before. "A Star is Born" is unforgettable, and surely the sound of Judy Garland's voice is one of the most memorable sounds of the 20th century.
Movie Review: There was only one JUDY....Only one STAR!
Summary: 5 Stars
A STAR IS BORN was/is the ultimate Hollywood movie.......as ALL ABOUT EVE is the ultimate Broadway movie. And in both cases, the leading ladies were cheated of the Oscars they so richly, honestly deserved. But to concentrate on this classic.......to a certain group, Judy Garland will always be represented by THE WIZARD OF OZ, as a young, innocent girl. At the opposite extreme, her singing and style in her final movie, I COULD GO ON SINGING, eximplify the Ultimate Garland.......over the hill, ravaged by time and circumstances, but still able to absolutely knock you over with belting renditions of 'Hello, Bluebird' and 'By Myself.' In WIZARD she was a sweet child, in SINGING she was a staggering Legend. But ah, that beautiful in-between role in STAR! At the pinnacle of her acting and singing abilities, she did it all.....to perfection. Legs crossed on the edge of the stage, tuxedo and top hat, 'Born in a Trunk at the Princess Theater....' Her voice never had more depth, more perfection. But the acting was perfect too.....painful acting that left her raw and the audience too. Begging the head of the studio to re-hire her alcoholic husband; Trying to cheer up that husband with musical numbers after she's had a hard day at the studio and he's been sitting at home taking her messages; humbly standing up to the Judge swearing to take responsibility for his future; sweetly singing 'their' song from somewhere in the house while he is out on the beach, preparing himself for the ocean and her ultimate freedom; the scene when an old friend urges her to leave the house, and she simply stares into the fireplace.....and finally when she proudly announces to the world that she is still "Mrs.....Norman.....Main." I doubt if Judy garland ever gave as much of herself to a part, a character, as she did in A STAR IS BORN. James Mason certainly never came close to this great a performance in his career, either. The absolute Hell he goes through in the bedroom, recovering from his latest drunk while he can hear Vicki in the living room renouncing her own career for his, was worth at least 6 or 7 Oscars......which means Judy should have won 19 or 20. So many great stars and great roles have been overlooked in Hollywood's history...James Mason in this movie, Bette Davis in ALL ABOUT EVE, Jane Wyman in THE BLUE VEIL, Lana Turner in MADAME X...but no robbery short of Brink's compares to Judy Garland's lost Oscar for A STAR IS BORN!Movie Review: JUDY GARLAND DELIVERS THE GOODS IN "A STAR IS BORN"
Summary: 5 Stars
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.
Movie Review: The Greatest Judy Garland Film Ever Made In Her Adult Life.
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the best and greatest movie Judy Garland has ever made in her adult life. This is the newly restored version and to this viewer it appears that two lost scenes have been found and replaced from those photo stills we have seen in prior restored prints. The new scenes have been included within the film.
On this one disc, Side A is the Widescreen version, the other side, Side B, are the Special Features.
In the Special Features section/ Backstage, you will find three major outtakes of Judy Garland singing "The Man That Got Away". This is a gem because you will get to hear Judy sing this wonderful song three different times as only Judy can sing it. Another outtake is from the "Born In A Trunk" segment. Documentary footage includes the Hollywood Premiere Newsreel, Pantages Premiere TV Special (ATTN: Lucy & Desi fans), and the Cocoanut Grove Premiere Party. Also included is the 1954 Warner Brothers Exhibitors Reel and a couple of audio outtakes. When I watch this film in DVD I prefer to watch the musical numbers in Widescreen and for the dramatic story , I watch it in Zoom 2X.
What I personally appreciate in this film is there is a scene where Judy Garland enters a building titled "Hotel Lancaster". I just wonder how that came to be and who was nice enough to call that set "Hotel Lancaster"? You see, Judy Garland was once known as Frances Gumm when she lived in Lancaster, California, I believe before she did the "Andy Hardy" movies and The Wizard Of Oz. She later moved and probably thankfully to Los Angeles to be closer to her work.
This remake version of "A Star Is Born" was tailor-made for Judy Garland and is the decided and widely-accepted version of A Star Is Born. Nothing else compares. Judy Garland was nominated for Outstanding Actress, but she did not win the Academy Award. She should have. September 4, 2008, was the 55th Annniversary since Judy Garland pre-recorded the song "The Man That Got Away" for A Star Is Born (1954). Septmenber 29, 2009, will be the 55th Anniversary of "A Star Is Born" (1954).
John Saxon can be seen as the Premiere Movie Usher.