A Star Is Born (1937)

A young woman comes to Hollywood with dreams of stardom, but achieves them only with the help of an alcoholic leading man whose best days are behind him.

Director:

William A. Wellman

Writers:

William A. Wellman (story), Robert Carson (story),

Stars:

Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou

Won 1 Oscar. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Janet Gaynor	...	Esther Victoria Blodgett, aka Vicki Lester
Fredric March	...	Norman Maine
Adolphe Menjou	...	Oliver Niles
May Robson	...	Grandmother Lettie Blodgett
Andy Devine	...	Danny McGuire
Lionel Stander	...	Matt Libby
Owen Moore	...	Casey Burke - Director
Peggy Wood	...	Miss Phillips - Central Casting Clerk
Elizabeth Jenns	...	Anita Regis
Edgar Kennedy	...	Pop Randall - Landlord
J.C. Nugent	...	Mr. Blodgett
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams	...	Posture Coach (as Guinn Williams)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Janice Hood

Storyline

Esther Blodgett is just another starry-eyed farm kid trying to break into the movies. Waitressing at a Hollywood party, she catches the eye of alcoholic star Norman Maine, is given a test, and is caught up in the Hollywood glamor machine (ruthlessly satirized). She and her idol Norman marry; but his career abruptly dwindles to nothing

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Plot Keywords:

hollywood | alcoholic | party | overheard conversation | self destructiveness | 

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Taglines:

Is the price of stardom a broken heart?

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

Nace una estrella

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,173,639 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Selznick International Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System Noiseless Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

"Academy Award Theater" broadcast a 30 minute radio adaptation of the movie on June 29, 1946 with Fredric March reprising his film role.

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Goofs

In the night court scene, the judge refers to the "commonwealth" but the movie is set in California which isn't one of the states to have commonwealth status. The judge should have referred to the "state" instead.

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Quotes

Grandmother Lettie: If you've got one drop of my blood in your veins, you won't let Mattie or any of her kind break your heart, you'll go right out there and break it yourself.

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Connections

Featured in Hollywoodism: Jews, Movies and the American Dream (1998)

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Soundtracks

"Dancing in the Dark"
(1931)
Music by Arthur Schwartz
(played at the Trocadero Club)

User Reviews

One Star Born, One Star Fades

A Star is Born has had two remakes since this 1937 version, but when this film is discussed this is usually the version that stands out.

I guess if the story has a moral to it, it's that for one star in 'shimmering firmament' to be born one has to die. It can be a funny end like what happens to Lina Lamont in Singing in the Rain or it can be a tragic tale as what happens to Norman Maine in this film. But Kathy Selden and Vicki Lester do go on.

Esther Blodgett as played by Janet Gaynor is a symbol for all the young people, women in this case, who dream of seeing themselves on the big screen. Encouraged morally and financially by her grandmother May Robson, Gaynor goes to Hollywood and experiences all the frustrations of a young hopeful. But fate is on her side in the person of leading man Norman Maine, played by Fredric March in one of his best screen performances.

Though Gaynor and March were both nominated for Gaynor the part of Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester was no stretch for her. She'd been doing the part of fresh small town girls for most of her screen career, this being the best of them. For March however, he has to play a weak character, something he had not really tackled before.

I guess Hollywood knows itself better than anyone else and films about the industry can be scathing. The star is a creature with a fragile ego, one moment a whim can move mountains, a slip in public affections and no one wants to know you. March as Maine has been slipping for some time and he catches on, way too late.

But as March is going down, Gaynor is on the up escalator and they meet mid point and fall in love. How they deal with their joint careers or lack thereof in one case is what A Star is Born is all about.

March and Gaynor get good support from Adolphe Menjou as an understanding producer, Andy Devine as Gaynor's fellow boarder at her place of residence and most of all from Lionel Stander as the cynical press agent who inadvertently puts the finish to March's career.

Gaynor's final moment on the screen is one of the great classic events as she proclaims to the world she's Mrs. Norman Maine. And why March does what he does is will start an endless discussion of speculation. Watch this film and come to your own conclusion.