A Star Is Born (1937)

Director:

William A. Wellman
(more)

Writers:

William A. Wellman (story) and
Robert Carson (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

27 April 1937 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Fate Raised Her To Fame - and killed the man she loved !

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Hollywood | Alcoholic | Party | Overheard Conversation | Self Destructiveness

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 7 nominations

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
Jean Acker	...	Woman at Preview (uncredited)
Eric Alden	...	Niles' Assistant (uncredited)
Irving Bacon	...	Station Agent (uncredited)
Jane Barnes	...	Waitress #1 (uncredited)
Vince Barnett	...	Otto (uncredited)
Clara Blandick	...	Aunt Mattie (uncredited)
Wade Boteler	...	Santa Anita Cop (uncredited)
Sidney Bracey	...	Burke's Butler (uncredited)
Harry C. Bradley	...	Niles' Assistant (uncredited)
Lynton Brent	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Blanche Bush	...	(uncredited)
Helene Chadwick	...	Woman at Preview (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	Deliveryman (uncredited)
Billy Coe	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Virginia Dabney	...	(uncredited)
Billy Dooley	...	Film Crewman with Spray Gun (uncredited)
Dora Early	...	(uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Burke's Bartender (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	(uncredited)
Pat Flaherty	...	Cuddles (uncredited)
Francis Ford	...	William Gregory (uncredited)
Trixie Friganza	...	Mabel (uncredited)
Jean Gale	...	(uncredited)
Joe Gray	...	Garcia (uncredited)
Harrison Greene	...	Chubby Previewer (uncredited)
Carlton Griffin	...	Cameraman (uncredited)
Jonathan Hale	...	Judge George J. Parris (uncredited)
Sherry Hall	...	Court Clerk (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Cop Outside Courtroom (uncredited)
Lillian Harmer	...	Wardrobe Woman (uncredited)
Grace Hayle	...	Woman in Funeral Mob (uncredited)
Edward Hearn	...	Sanitarium Attendant (uncredited)
Leon Holmes	...	(uncredited)
Robert Homans	...	Bailiff (uncredited)
Kenneth Howell	...	Milton Rails (uncredited)
Olin Howland	...	Judd Baker (uncredited)
Arthur Hoyt	...	Assistant Makeup Artist (uncredited)
Mary Jane Irving	...	(uncredited)
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Boxing Ringside Spectator (uncredited)
Armand Kaliz	...	(uncredited)
Eddie Kane	...	Burke's Party Guest (uncredited)
Matty Kemp	...	Preview Reporter (uncredited)
Claude King	...	John (uncredited)
Carole Landis	...	Girl in Beret at Santa Anita Bar (uncredited)
Myra Marsh	...	John's Assistant (uncredited)
Chris-Pin Martin	...	José Rodriguez (uncredited)
Edwin Maxwell	...	Vocal Coach (uncredited)
Buddy Messinger	...	Boy Delivering Fan Mail (uncredited)
Willy Morris	...	Niles' Secretary (uncredited)
Ferdinand Munier	...	Burke's Waiter (uncredited)
Marshall Neilan	...	Bert (uncredited)
David Newell	...	Sam (uncredited)
Robert Emmett O'Connor	...	Santa Anita Clubhouse Bartender (uncredited)
Dennis O'Keefe	...	Burke's Party Guest (uncredited)
Ted Oliver	...	Santa Anita Cop #2 (uncredited)
Renee Orsell	...	(uncredited)
Franklin Pangborn	...	Billy Moon (uncredited)
Harvey Parry	...	Boxer (uncredited)
Bob Perry	...	Boxing Referee (uncredited)
Lee Phelps	...	Bailiff #1 (uncredited)
Jed Prouty	...	Artie Carver (uncredited)
Sally Raynor	...	(uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Ray (uncredited)
Adrian Rosley	...	Makeup Artist (uncredited)
Kathryn Sheldon	...	Funeral Spectator (uncredited)
Marla Shelton	...	(uncredited)
Paul Stanton	...	Academy Award Presenter (uncredited)
Vera Steadman	...	(uncredited)
Kay Sutton	...	(uncredited)
A.W. Sweatt	...	Aleck Blodgett (uncredited)
Margaret Tallichet	...	Marion (uncredited)
Fred 'Snowflake' Toones	...	Black Witness (uncredited)
Leonard Walker	...	Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Luana Walters	...	(uncredited)
Cynthia Westlake	...	(uncredited)
Gayne Whitman	...	Grauman's Chinese Theater Radio Announcer (uncredited)
Charles Williams	...	Hanley (uncredited)
Clarence Wilson	...	Justice of the Peace (uncredited)

Directed by
William A. Wellman
Jack Conway		(uncredited)

Writing credits
William A. Wellman		(story) and
Robert Carson		(story)
Dorothy Parker		(screenplay) &
Alan Campbell		(screenplay) &
Robert Carson		(screenplay)
Ben Hecht		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Ring Lardner Jr.		(contributing writer) uncredited and
John Lee Mahin		(contributing writer) uncredited and
Budd Schulberg		(contributing writer) uncredited and
David O. Selznick		(contributing writer) uncredited
Adela Rogers St. Johns		uncredited

Produced by
David O. Selznick	....	producer

Original Music by
Max Steiner

Cinematography by
W. Howard Greene		(photography)

Film Editing by
James E. Newcom
Anson Stevenson		(uncredited)

Casting by
Charles Richards		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Lansing C. Holden		(as Lansing Holden)

Art Direction by
Lyle R. Wheeler		(as Lyle Wheeler)

Costume Design by
Omar Kiam

Makeup Department
Elizabeth Arden	....	makeup artist: screen and stage (uncredited)
Paul Stanhope	....	makeup artist (uncredited)
Eddie Voight	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
Ray Flynn	....	production manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eric Stacey	....	assistant director

Art Department
Edward G. Boyle	....	associate art director
Harold Fenton	....	construction supervisor (uncredited)
Robert Lander	....	props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Oscar Lagerstrom	....	sound recordist (as Oscar Lagestrom)

Special Effects by
Jack Cosgrove	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
James Potevin	....	chief electrician (uncredited)
Cliff Shirpser	....	assistant camera: Technicolor (uncredited)
Melbourne Spurr	....	publicity photographer (uncredited)
Fred Williams	....	grip (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Eugene Joseff	....	costume jeweller (uncredited)
Eddie Schmidt	....	wardrobe designer: Adolphe Menjou (uncredited)
Eddie Schmidt	....	wardrobe maker: Adolphe Menjou (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Hal C. Kern	....	supervising film editor
Val Lewton	....	editing assistant: David O. Selznick (uncredited)

Music Department
Hugo Friedhofer	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Bernhard Kaun	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Natalie Kalmus	....	technicolor color supervisor
Russell Birdwell	....	press representative (uncredited)
Barbara Keon	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Corynn Kiehl	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Mason N. Litson	....	location manager (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Selznick International Pictures

Distributors

• United Artists (1937) (USA) (theatrical)
• United Artists (1937) (Argentina) (theatrical) (as Artistas Unidos)
• Les Artistes Associés (1937) (France) (theatrical)
• Film Classics (1945) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Kino Video (1997) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Master Movies (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Simitar Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Ventura Distribution (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Ventura Distribution (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Navarre Entertainment (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2004) (USA) (VHS)
• Vidtape (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Adams Filmi (1937) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Dr. Hauser & Company (1937) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Castle Communications (1993) (Finland) (VHS)
• Epoca (????) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Finnkino (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• IndieFlix (2010) (worldwide) (all media)
• Mistar (1990) (Finland) (VHS)
• Reel Media International (2007) (USA) (all media)
• Warner Bros (1953-1965) (worldwide) (all media)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1987) (Finland) (TV) (TV1)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1995) (1996) (2007) (Finland) (TV) (TV2)

Other Companies

• Western Costume Company  costumes supplied by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

Finland:S | Australia:G | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #2968) | UK:U (DVD) | USA:Not Rated | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Selznick International Pictures

Trivia:

Plans were announced in 1938 for a sequel entitled Heartbreak Town, about a child actor but it was never made.

Goofs:

Factual errors: 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.

Quotes:

Grandmother Lettie:Esther, everyone in this world who has ever dreamed about better things has been laughed at, don't you know that? But there's a difference between dreaming and doing. The dreamers just sit around and moon about how wonderful it would be if only things were different. And the years roll on and by and by they grow and they forget everything, even about their dreams. Oh yes, you want to be somebody, but you want it to be easy. Oh you modern girls give me a pain!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Nanny: A Star Is Unborn (#2.7)" (1994)

Soundtrack:

Les Préludes

The best version

Fredric March gave a magnificent performance, probably the best of his career, as Norman Maine, the actor whose career is in the descendant as that of his wife, Vikki Lester, is in the ascendant in this, the first 'official' version of "A Star is Born", (the 1932 film "What Price Hollywood" roughly told the same story). March displays just the right degree of brashness, of knowingness, and a combination of ego and a real actor's almost complete lack of ego. It's a miraculous piece of work.

As Lester, Janet Gaynor is touchingly blank but the star quality she is meant to display seems conspicuously absent; (in the 1954 musical remake Judy Garland was almost too much a star). It seems inconceivable that she could eclipse March on screen (even with his drinking). If Lester is a star and possibly a great actress Gaynor keeps the secret to herself.

The script for this version was partly written by Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell and it shows. It's an acerbic and, at times, savage movie about the movies, quite cynical for a major studio picture of it's day. It is very well directed by William Wellman who draws first-rate performances from the supporting cast, in particular Lionel Stander as a heartless, slime-ball studio hack. This remains the best of the three versions to come thus far.