Stars: Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine, Lionel Stander, Owen Moore

Director: William A. Wellman

Summary: Starry-eyed Esther seems destined to be another Hollywood never-was after continued knocks leave her having to scrape a living as a waitress. A chance encounter with movie idol Norman Maine leads to romance, fame and fortune, but with Maine's drinking on the steady increase and the cynical glamour machine in overdrive Esther begins to realise how cruel and vicious the Hollywood system can be.

The beautifully shot A STAR IS BORN recounts a tragic Hollywood tale of fame and misfortune. As young Esther Blodgett (Janet Gaynor) rises to stardom, her husband, former leading man Norman Maine (Fredric March), is in the midst of a heartbreakingly rapid decline. Gaynor is both genuine and funny as the small-town girl who loses her one great love while she pursues another, and March is perfect as the passe alcoholic has-been. The film received six Academy Award nominations and won a special award for its colour cinematography.

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A musical remake of the classic 1937 film of the same name, A Star is Bornwas designed as Judy Garland's comeback vehicle after she had been cruelly axed by MGM studios for professional unreliability. Her erratic moods caused serious production delays this time around, too, but the behind-the-scenes turmoil was certainly worth it--Garland gives just about the greatest one-woman show in movie history. The story is the stuff of pure Hollywood legend. Aspiring actress-singer Esther Blodgett meets fading matinee idol Norman Maine (James Mason), who navigates her to stardom under the more melodious handle of Vickie Lester. As she rises meteorically, he declines into alcoholic self-pity--and the result, if you haven't guessed, is plenty of heartbreak. Mason lends subtle support in a role Cary Grant refused as too downbeat for his image, but Garland grabs centre stage with an all-out emotional performance that rivets the attention.

Director George Cukor was famous for coaxing the very best out of screen divas, and A Star is Bornmust be counted as his crowning achievement. The lush visual style that he contributes provides a suitable setting for Garland's deep, rich voice--throbbing with melancholy in the Harold Arlen-Ira Gershwin ballad "The Man That Got Away", then capering joyfully in the gargantuan musical number "Born in a Trunk". Moss Hart's script takes many cynical swipes at the pretensions of Tinsel Town--perhaps too many for the taste of studio boss Jack Warner, who ordered drastic cuts in the film after its premiere. --Peter Matthews

Aspect Ratio:	4:3
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 0
Year:	1937
Release Date:	June 21, 2004
Runtime:	111 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	E A S Y D V D004
Label:	Easy Entertainment Group Ltd.
Keywords:	Star, Born, General, Drama
Genre:	Drama