IMDb > A Star Is Born (1976)
A Star Is Born
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summarysynopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

A Star Is Born (1976) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 13 | slideshow)

Overview

User Rating:
6.1/10   2,357 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 9% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
William A. Wellman (1937 story) and
Robert Carson (1937 story) ...
more
Contact:
View company contact information for A Star Is Born on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
17 December 1976 (USA) more
Genre:
Plot:
A has-been rock star falls in love with a young, up-and-coming songstress. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations more
User Comments:
The Ultimate Wallow for Barbra-philes...Watch Closely Now as the New DVD Has Solid Extras more (42 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Barbra Streisand ... Esther Hoffman

Kris Kristofferson ... John Norman Howard

Gary Busey ... Bobbie Ritchie
Oliver Clark ... Gary Danziger
Venetta Fields ... One of the Oreos
Clydie King ... One of the Oreos
Marta Heflin ... Quentin
M.G. Kelly ... Bebe Jesus
Sally Kirkland ... Photographer
Joanne Linville ... Freddie
Uncle Rudy ... Mo
Paul Mazursky ... Brian
Stephen Bruton ... Speedway
Sammy Lee Creason ... Speedway (as Sam Creason)
Cleve Dupin ... Speedway
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
Rainbow Road (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
139 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Color (Metrocolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Company:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
The version of "Evergreen" during the recording studio scene is a live recording, filmed in a single take. This was done at the insistence of Barbra Streisand: she hates doing lip sync work; she wanted to be able to have closeups during the scene (which would expose any flaws in lip sync); and she wanted a more "natural" feel to that version (as evidenced by the kissing and laughing). Kris Kristofferson, however, was very reluctant about singing live on screen, and had to be talked into it. A more formal studio recording was used for the final credits and soundtrack album. more
Goofs:
Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): In the swimming pool scene after the motorcycle accident at the stadium concert, John N Howard has Ace bandages on his foot and right hand. Yet, he is shown using the right hand to use a pair of crutches (would be too painful with a wrist sprain). He is also shown swimming, which is also painful to sprained joints. He is not shown wincing at all while swimming. He also puts weight on his right hand as he is getting out of the pool, pushing up on his fingertips on a straightened wrist. This would not be possible without severe pain, if the wrist is in fact damaged enough to require an Ace bandage. more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
LOST INSIDE OF YOU more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful.
The Ultimate Wallow for Barbra-philes...Watch Closely Now as the New DVD Has Solid Extras, 29 November 2006
7/10
Author: Ed Uyeshima from San Francisco, CA, USA

Thirty years after its initial release, the third version of "A Star Is Born" finally comes to DVD in a package that should please the most devoted fans of Barbra Streisand. That would include me since I just saw her in concert singing among other numbers, the feminist anthem "Woman in the Moon" from this 1976 film. Easy to dismiss, the movie's career-polarizing story is such a sturdy pile of Hollywood-style clichés that variations of it exist in other films including Streisand's own "Funny Girl". This time reset to the then-contemporary music scene, the timeworn plot follows self-destructive rock star John Norman Howard on his deep-dive career descent just as he meets club singer Esther Hoffman who is awaiting her big break.

Troubles dog their courtship from the outset, as John Norman (both names please) responds to grasping fans and bloodless DJs with random acts of violence (from which he inexplicably escapes prosecution). To John Norman, Esther represents his last shot at happiness, and in turn, she is drawn to the innately decent, creative musician underneath the façade. In the movie's most pivotal scene, he gives Esther her big break at a benefit concert, and her career takes off. Inevitably, he can't handle the failure of his career in light of her meteoric success, and if you are familiar with any version of this story, you know the rest. Directed by Frank Pierson (although Streisand's budding directorial talents are obviously on display), the film still manages to draw me in, even though I know it is shamelessly contrived and manipulative. It still has a certain emotional resonance despite its numerous flaws.

Although Streisand in her prime seems like the ideal choice to play a rising singing star, her screen persona is simply too strong and predefined to play Esther credibly. The same can be said for her performing style since the script seems to make allowances for her softer Adult Contemporary-oriented material to be accepted within the otherwise hardened world of arena rock. From the moment she pops her head up as the middle of the Oreos, she can't help but come across as an established star. I can forgive the lapse simply because she is an unparalleled vocal talent, but what becomes less forgiving is how she makes Esther more strident than poignant when John Norman's woes become overwhelming. This creates an oddly discomfiting dynamic in the last part of the film when it becomes less about what caused the climactic event than Esther's response to it. This is capped off by an uninterrupted eight-minute close-up of her memorial performance - great except when she regrettably mimics John Norman's style toward the end.

Kristofferson, on the other hand, gives a superb performance throughout, managing a level of honesty that grounds the film and makes palpable his concurrent feelings of love, pride and resentment toward Esther. He makes his vodka-soaked onstage growling work within this context. Otherwise, what always strikes me as strange about this version is how all the supporting characters are relegated to the background as if they didn't exist unless they were interacting with the two principals. The only ones who register are Paul Mazursky as John Norman's level-headed manager Brian and Gary Busey as his cynical band manager Bobbie. Veteran cameraman Robert Surtees provides a nice burnish to the cinematography though a level of graininess persists in the print. A big seller in its day, the soundtrack is a hodgepodge of different styles from the 1970's - some songs still quite good ("Everything", "Woman in the Moon", "Watch Closely Now"), some that have moved to kitsch ("Queen Bee", Kenny Loggins' "I Believe in Love") and of course, the inescapable "Evergreen".

The print transfer on the 2006 DVD is clean and the sound gratefully crisp thanks to digital remastering. Streisand's participation is the chief lure of the extras beginning with her feature-length commentary. She gives insightful information about the genesis of the film, the casting and the reportedly troubled production. She is also refreshingly candid about the megalomania of Jon Peters, her hairdresser boyfriend who became the movie's producer, and her dissatisfaction with Pierson as a director. I just wish she could have provided more scene-specific comments that directly relate to what is on screen. She also tends to repeat the same anecdotes when the mood strikes her, e.g., it gets tiring to hear for the third time how the person playing the chauffeur was a friend of Peters. I think having a second commentator could have drawn out other nuggets from her.

There is a wardrobe test reel that shows some amusing 1970's clothes, especially Kristofferson's mixed-fabric poncho and orange polyester shirt. There are also twelve deleted scenes included with Streisand's optional commentary. One is a comic bread-baking scene which reminded me how much I like Streisand in farcical comedies. Another is an extended scene in which she plays "Evergreen" on the guitar in front of an awestruck Kristofferson who then falls asleep. The most interesting is an alternate take on the musical finale incorporating fast cuts, which I agree with Streisand should have been used. Fittingly, the theatrical trailers for all three versions of "A Star Is Born" are also included.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (42 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for A Star Is Born (1976)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Did the character, John Norman Howard kill himself on purpose? kikilibra72
I just watched the DVD of A Star Is Born - AWESOME! booey-2
Ms. Streisand - Please Do Make Remake of Great Movies! Vertigomovie
Proof Positive of Cocaine's Influence on Hollywood mkpicazred
Anybody know the name of the song played when... walkinweiner
Trivia: Cher and Neil Diamond reedsbite
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
A Star Is Born A Star Is Born The Bad and the Beautiful Funny Girl Lolita
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.