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.

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

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:

pacific ocean | reference to shirley temple | reference to mae west | reference to greta garbo | aspiring actress | 

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Taglines:

Is the price of stardom a broken heart?

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

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)

Gross USA:

$4,360,000

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

The celebrated final line of the film was an afterthought. The original scene had Esther arriving at the Chinese Theater and collapsing in the forecourt sobbing, "Oh, Norman! Norman!" The scene was reshot two ways: with the familiar "Mrs. Norman Maine" tagline and the oddly irrelevant "Hello, everybody, this is Vicki Lester."

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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

[last lines]
Vicki Lester: Hello, everybody. This is Mrs. Norman Maine.

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Connections

Referenced in Petticoat Junction: A Star Is Born? (1967)

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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

Superb and Memorable

When you see this masterpiece, remember that more than 65 years have passed since it debuted on the big screen. How many contemporary films will dazzle and delight in 2065?

Sure, we have seen this story before, but this was the first incarnation. Sure all films are in color today, but notice the rich, full-rigged use of color here, only a decade after talkies began. Dialogue sound familiar, well many of the lines originated here (thanks Dorothy Parker).

First caught this in the movie theatre around 1975 as this David O. Selznick production had been out of circulation. Judy Garland's troubled but ultimately engrossing and hugely entertaining remake was already familiar to me. So how does a classic compare to its first version. To me, it is one of the 1930's masterworks.

How perfect to cast Janet Gaynor in the role, an Oscar winner herself at 20 --- that child-like voice unforgettable. Fredric March, like Gaynor already a star and early Oscar recipient, world weary and helpless. The art deco, lavish production, haunting music, and scene after scene of "behind the scenes Hollywood", well they sure worked for me. "Kitsch" an old friend labeled it, but to me, memorable.

I love watching this movie --- hope you enjoy it as well.