A Star Is Born (1937)

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

Directors:

William A. Wellman, Jack Conway (uncredited)

Writers:

Dorothy Parker (screen play), Alan Campbell (screen play)

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)

Storyline

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

---

Plot Keywords:

fictional awards show | tragic romance | drowning | suicide | stage name | 

---

Taglines:

Lights- Camera- Action!

---

Genres:

Drama | Romance

---

Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

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

---

Goofs

The Justice of the Peace pronounces the county name of Los Angeles as "Anjeliss," as is common nowadays. In the 1930s, English-speaking locals preferred to say it as "Angle-iss", a bit closer to the Spanish sound. To say "Anjeliss" (or "Anjeleez" as was also common) was to be marked as an outsider, until the immigration waves of the 1950s and '60s caused "Anjeliss" to win out over the other forms.

---

Quotes

Danny McGuire: The program tonight's gonna be swell. Take this fella Beethoven: I'm a pushover for him. And Chopin - well, he's not so dusty, either.

---

Alternate Versions

Also available in black and white

---

Connections

Featured in Precious Images (1986)

---

Soundtracks

Auld Lang Syne
(uncredited)
Scottish traditional music
(played as background music when Esther and Granny say goodbye at the railway station and when Granny meets Esther in Hollywood)

User Reviews

Flawless Masterpiece

This is perhaps my favorite movie from the thirties. The writing, the acting, the directing, the music are virtually perfect. It is a rare kind of movie. The dialogue is sharp, smart, witty, compassionate, mature and incredibly contemporary. It could have been written last week. It is not afraid to deal with real life: alcoholism, drunk driving, failure, success, suicide. The characters are real. The drama is firmly anchored in real life. The writers are obviously good people who feel and think deeply. This movie was blissfully free from the usual contrived plots. What a breath of fresh air! The music alone makes it worth HEARING again and again.

I loved the fact that the movie didn't try prove anything. It just tells a story in an esthetically satisfying manner. It is of the same high quality as "The Best Years Of Our Lives". I haven't seen subsequent versions, but they cannot possibly be as good.

This the the most wonderful homage Hollywood ever paid to itself, to all those ordinary folks who became stars, or who valiantly tried and failed, or whose goals were more modest, and who achieved fulfillment behind the scenes.

This is the Hollywood epic standing proud and tall, and it is impossible not to shed a tear of admiration and affection.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 April 1937 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Star Is Born

Filming Locations:

Janss Estate, Holmby Hills, Westwood, Los Angeles, 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