A Star Is Born

Starring:Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine, Lionel Stander, Owen Moore, Peggy Wood, Elizabeth Jenns, Edgar Kennedy, J.C. Nugent, Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams, Jonathan Hale, Buddy Messinger, Rex Evans, Ferdinand Munier, A.W. Sweatt, Bob Perry, Dennis O'Keefe, Marshall Neilan
Director: Jack Conway, William A. Wellman
Studio: D3k
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com essential video

This film actually began with the idea of remaking A Star Is Born with the then-hot couple James Taylor and Carly Simon. Eventually, it evolved into this vanity production for Barbra Streisand, with Kris Kristofferson as the designated stud muffin. The story remains the same: A superstar on the decline meets a young singer on the way up. They marry as their career trajectories intersect, and his eventual demise is meant as a sacrifice to further boost her career by ridding her of the burden of him. Kristofferson's rock & roll numbers are decidedly lousy--Hollywood's idea of rock music--and Streisand looks good and always sounds fine (she won an Oscar for cowriting the song "Evergreen"). But you can feel her heavy hand guiding every shot; she seems to serve as puppet master for director Frank Pierson, framing every image of herself for maximum glow. The ultimate date flick (if the guy can sit still through it). --Marshall Fine

Description

The fire of Barbra Streisand. The magnetism of Kris Kristofferson. The reckless world of big-time rock 'n' roll. All three bring a new passion and timeliness to A Star Is Born, one of the screen's classic love stories (previously filmed in 1937 and 1954) and winner of five Golden GlobeO Awards, including Best Picture, Actress and Actor (Musical/Comedy). Paul Williams, Kenny Loggins, Leon Russell and others worked with Streisand on one of the most popular song scores ever, topped by the Streisand/Williams Evergreen winning the Academy AwardO and Golden GlobeO Award as 1976's Best Original Song. Their teamwork resulted in a box-office triumph as well as "a considerable achievement" (Clive Hirschhorn, The Hollywood Musical).

DVD Features:
Additional Scenes:Additional Scenes/Alternate Takes
Audio Commentary:Commentary by Barbra Streisand
Other:Wardrobe Tests
Theatrical Trailer:A Star Is Born Trailer Gallery

Customer Reviews:

Prefer the Judy Garland one.......2007-06-30

I am a great fan of Barbara Streisand but I prefer the Judy Garland version.

Evergreen..........2007-05-30

Barbra Streisand plays a singer who is discovered by a superstar, performed by Kris Kristofferson, whose career is going down the tubes because of his alcohol and drug dependency, combined with a reckless personality.

They soon initiate a relationship and fall madly in love with one another. They get married but he continues to diminish his stature while she gains in popularity. While his songs and music are decreasing in popularity and quality, her voice is capturing the hearts of fans everywhere, and the melodies she produces start to win awards.

Both performances are superb and the magnetism of both stars makes this movie a rather interesting story to watch. Evergreen shall forever enchant audiences, and owning a DVD where it is performed by Barbra Streisand and then hummed by her is simply... magnificent. Don't miss it!

Barbara is amazing.......2007-05-12

The films in itself isn't the best, but her singing simply draws you into the story in such a way that in the end, I cried! snif. Yep, it was gooooooooood.

Go babara!

A star is born.......2007-05-12

I saw this movie the first time it came out in 197? I loved it then and have waited along time for it to come out in DVD it is just as good as I remeber LOVE IT !!! LOVE IT !!! if you have never seen it and you are a romantic it is well worth the money and then some .........

When Streisand Sings Rock, It's Also Great........2007-05-12

We normally are familiar with Barbra Streisand singing ballads. But, when she does rock 'n' roll, she delivers it with another effect, which is also terrific. Personally, I don't think this one is my favorite movie by Streiand, but, it is a remake of a classic ... so, I should have it in my collection. Streisand fans should obtain this DVD because it features some deleted scenes and Streisand's commentary.

Average customer rating:

Good Or Bad, Garland's Talent Can't Be Ignored
A tribute to the talent of Judy Garland
Garland's Shining Hour in a Pristine Print of Her Legendary Vehicle
Garland Is Great, Mason Still Greater
A Star is Born Fails to Capture Audience's Sympathy

A Star Is Born
Starring: Judy Garland , James Mason , Jack Carson , Charles Bickford , and Tommy Noonan
Director: George Cukor
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $7.49 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00000JQU9
Release Date: 2000-09-19

Amazon.com essential video

"This is Mrs. Norman Maine": Could these be the most heartbreaking words Judy Garland ever uttered? George Cukor directed and Moss Hart wrote this film, a musical remake of the 1937 original. The story is a show-biz classic: He (James Mason) is a major movie star who is past his prime and on the way down; she (Garland) is an aspiring singer who, with his help, becomes a bigger star than he was. Their marriage becomes a seesaw of success and failure, as he slowly drinks himself to death out of bitterness at the fickleness of fame, until his bad behavior begins to threaten the career of his long-suffering and loving wife. Mason and Garland are both terrific, with her singing "The Man That Got Away" among others. Remade in a 1976 Barbra Streisand vanity production. --Marshall Fine

Description

A Star is Born marked Judy Garland's return to movies after a four-year absence, director George Cukor's first musical and first color film, and a showcase for great Harold Arden/Ira Gershwin songs in state-of-the-art stereo. One of the most beloved show-business stories of all time, it represents a career peak for many involved. Garland is singer Esther Blodgett, an undeniable talent on the rise. She catches the eye of Norman Maine (James Mason), an alcoholic actor in career decline. Their intense love transforms them both. Only one will survive Hollywood's slings and arrows. Shortened in response to exhibitor complaints after its premiers, the movie underwent one rebirth in 1983 when film historian Ronald Haver found almost all the cut sequences and supervised a reconstruction to near its original length. Its new rebirth is this breathtaking digital surround stereo track and incorporating picture and musical material recently found in the vaults. Star always had a shine to it. Now watch it sparkle as never before.

Customer Reviews:

Good Or Bad, Garland's Talent Can't Be Ignored.......2007-05-18

This is the darnedest movie to rate. I usually don't judge musicals the same way that I judge other movies. I just rate their production value, since that's often the only reason to see a musical. (Who rates an Arnold Schwarzeneger movie for its screenplay?) But when I first saw "A Star Is Born" I had mixed opinions. Great acting, great directing, great screenplay (for what could be done with such a story), and even the cinematography seemed two decades ahead of its time. And of course, there were great production numbers. All this, it seems, was tragically sunk by a hackneyed, thrice-filmed story. Can I really enjoy a feel-bad musical? And what of its ending? After three hours of being Judy Garland's hate letter to Hollywood, why the schmalzy conclusion?

Nevermind. After my first analysis, I've been drawn back to the movie time and time again, and I think I know why. Judy Garland's colossal talent is unparallelled. Not only was she a great actor, not only was she an above average dancer and funny raconteur, not only was she the greatest singer I have ever heard -- she was a legend, clearly in her own time.

The fifteen-minute born-in-a-trunk segment reveals the core of her amazing legacy: in only four years she went from being a drug-addicted has-been who was fired from MGM to being "Miss Show Business", who can sing a fifteen-minute homage to herself in her own movie. ("Born In a Trunk" could be retitled "The Myth of Judy Garland Put to Song.")

Her acting here is very different from her MGM acting, now that she is no longer playing the glossed-over characters of Metro's escapism days. The scene late in the movie where she as Ester recovers her emotions just in time to get in a filmed shot for a musical comes almost as a physical shock. Norman Maine and Esther Blogett seem like they are both projections of different angles of the real Judy Garland. Or is that just more of the legend? On one hand there is the very charming and talented starlett whose limit is the sky, and on the other hand there is the polarizing, self-destructive, addict. Every now and then the movie shows little hints of Norman Maine's brilliance shining through the surface, a credit to Mason's acting abilities.

And then there is the production value. Unlike her earlier musicals, she does all the singing here, in multiple styles and multiple settings, from "The Man That Got Away" in closing-for-the-night cafe to "A New World," sung entirely a capella while the audience watches the ocean waves. (Another shock. Was this a first for a musical?) The movie has my favorite performance of "Swanee," and a joyful (in an otherwise unhappy movie) costume number "Lose That Long Face." I wonder how much of the tap-dancing was choreographed and how much was improvised. Garland wasn't noted for being the greatest dancer, but Gene Kelly said, "What you could give her she could learn like that." My favorite number is the one where Garland mimicks cliches from Fifties musical production numbers using only her living room props. (And the movie still cost six million dollars?)

Should I recommend this movie? I think yes. Even if you might not like it, it is important enough of a movie that you should see it at least once. You may get the same original impression that I got, but I was driven to think about it long after it was over, and like I said, I've seen it many times since.

A tribute to the talent of Judy Garland.......2007-04-10

A Star Is Born explores the dark underbelly of a ruthless Hollywood. Judy Garland plays Esther Blodget whose star is on the rise while her famous husband played by James Mason is on the way down.

Garland is superb in the musical numbers but struggles with some of the dramatics. To be fair director Cukor places huge demands on her with many long scenes. It's ironic that Garland plays the wife of a fading alcoholic star...

In its restored version this film is very long at 3 hours, and the photographs used to fill in the gaps where the film is missing is rather off-putting.

For its time this is quite a hard-hitting film, unglamorous in its depiction of an unforgiving business. There is very little musical score -outside of the musical numbers - of course, which makes this film seem more modern. Cukor lets the actors tell the story.

The film's musical numbers are superb and the film is a great tribute to the talent of Garland. George Cukor's direction is also striking. Visually the film is superb. Definitely worth seeing.

Garland's Shining Hour in a Pristine Print of Her Legendary Vehicle.......2007-01-29

Marked by a pervasive sense of melancholy, the 1954 musical version of the familiar Hollywood warhorse will forever be remembered as Judy Garland's most acclaimed work in films. Even though she would go on to a handful of films in the early 1960's, this was her last leading role in a major Hollywood production, an ironic point since she plays an emerging movie star on the rise. True, she doesn't look her best in the film, but her fulsome talent is on full, heart-wrenching display as Esther Blodgett, an obscure but thriving band singer who becomes movie star Vicki Lester thanks to Norman Maine, an alcoholic has-been actor in career free-fall. Their love story and the opposing trajectories of their careers are tracked meticulously by Moss Hart's shrewdly observed screenplay and George Cukor's sensitive direction.

The double-sided 2000 DVD provides the 176-minute restored version, which is just five minutes less than what was shown at the original premiere. Until 1983, the half-hour of footage excised after the premiere was thought lost, but film historian Ron Haver found much of it and supervised an extraordinary restoration effort that includes a necessary albeit brief use of production stills to match up with the complete soundtrack. Even with such technicalities, the resulting film is even more of a landmark musical drama, emotionally resonant in spite of certain pacing issues with the storyline. Cukor's approach is probably more leisurely than the relatively hard-boiled material requires since he includes so many establishing and lengthy shots, but his direction shows his legendary sensitivity toward actors.

While he comes across a bit too robust as a fading matinee idol, James Mason vigorously captures Norman's scornful pride and self-pity. He may lack Fredric March's innate sense of vulnerability in the original, but Mason makes the character's inner torment more palpable. As for Garland, she brings so much of her own history to Esther/Vicki that her scenes feel alive with her vibrant, masochistic personality. She is aided immeasurably by the masterful songs of Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin, most significantly her torchy rendition of "The Man That Got Away", as perfect a musical movie moment as has been ever produced. While her work in the fifteen-minute "Born in the Trunk" sequence is impressive, it is really later in the film when she soars, in particular, when she segues from the tap-happy "Lose That Long Face" into a breakdown scene in her dressing room with sympathetic studio head Oliver Niles portrayed with his typically stentorian fervor by Charles Bickford.

The print condition and sound quality on the DVD are superb. There are also some fascinating extras on the B-side starting with three alternative takes on "The Man That Got Away", each distinctive in presentation with costume and lighting changes, a must for Garland fans. Also included is a very brief deleted number within the "Born in the Trunk" sequence", "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street". Three vintage pieces have been gathered - a brief newsreel piece of the premiere, a four-minute clip of the Coconut Grove premiere party held after the premiere, and most interestingly, a half-hour kinescope akin to the current-day red carpet pre-shows with an amazing parade of period stars expressing little more than good wishes on their way to the theater. Lastly, the theatrical trailers for all three versions of "A Star Is Born" are also included.

Garland Is Great, Mason Still Greater.......2007-01-09

It's hard to impossible to believe that George Cukor's 1954 musical remake of A STAR IS BORN was ever a box-office failure or considered to be anything less than a perfect movie. Opening with a Hollywood premiere scene similar to the one that begins SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, A STAR IS BORN quickly proves itself a brilliant expose of the cruelty and greed of the Hollywood "star" system. In the now-famous plotline, alcoholic movie actor Norman Maine (James Mason) "discovers" aspiring singing star Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland), takes a chance on her talent (she has that "little something extra," he says), and gets her a screen test and a film contract. She slowly but surely becomes a star, while Norman's "star" falls due to his drinking. They marry, but even Esther's love cannot save Norman from ultimate self-destruction. This plot summary suggests a "show-within-a-show"-type musical, and in fact A STAR IS BORN sometimes presents us with a show-within-a-show-within-a-show (we watch Esther watching herself on the big screen, and in her movie she plays a performer) - a conceit that gives the film a disoriented quality, even as Norman is himself unable to distinguish between illusion and reality.

One could almost call A STAR IS BORN the musical for people who normally dislike musicals: its drama - and particularly Norman's personal drama - is of Shakespearean stature, and all of its musical numbers are either of the "onstage" variety or the "one character [Esther] singing to entertain another character [Norman]" variety; there is, in other words, no artifice that would be at odds with realistic drama. Moreover, Judy Garland's singing is so inspired as to disarm any criticism. "The Man That Got Away," the song that first attracts Norman to Esther, is a classic sequence, from Garland's hummed notes at the beginning to the way the brass matches the power of her voice at the song's climaxes. Garland has other great numbers, too (all, except those comprising the "Born in a Trunk" sequence, written by the team of Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin), including "Lose That Long Face," "It's a New World," and "Here's What I'm Here For," a song symbolic of Esther's willingness to sacrifice everything to care for her husband.

While Judy's performance is great, James Mason's is greatness itself. His brilliance as Norman Maine lies in the fact that he never allows this tortured man to seem merely pathetic to others; even as he plans his own suicide, he puts a good face on the situation with the help of his good looks and uniquely English wit and charm. The movie's villain is Norman's press agent (Jack Carson, an actor not known for playing villains), who out of jealousy and spite undermines Norman's courageous effort to stop drinking, by making him believe he can never be anything better than a drunk. Charles Bickford is the well-meaning studio head, whose flaw is that he is too cautious and conventional in his attempts to help Norman.

Clocking in at three hours (even with a freeze-frame device telescoping some of the action), A STAR IS BORN is a strange film, a combination of backstage musical, Hollywood expose, love story, tragedy, and inspirational story. That it wasn't fully understood or appreciated when it first appeared is perhaps understandable after all, but it should no longer be neglected.

A Star is Born Fails to Capture Audience's Sympathy.......2006-11-28

A Star Is Born is a disturbing film for all the wrong reasons. By failing to get the audience to sympathize with a movie star's tragic downfall, the film displays a schizophrenic quality. There is almost a breakdown in the relationship between the audience and what happens on screen. This is in no part due to the performances by the lead actors; it's the nature of the material itself. Perhaps if we were to see the James Mason character as a likeable star before failure and booze drain away his ambition and reason for living, the audience would understand what the Garland character sees in him and we could sympathize with both characters. Instead, we see Garland's character despairing over a not very likeable washed-up drunk and we're left feeling as empty as the film itself.

Average customer rating:

A MOVIE ABOUT GRATITUDE
They don't make them like this anymore!
Heartbreaking but Beautiful
Beautiful restoration
"You mind if I take just one more look?"

A Star Is Born
Starring: Janet Gaynor , Fredric March , Adolphe Menjou , May Robson , and Andy Devine
Director: William A. Wellman
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00068NVGG
Release Date: 2004-12-07

Description

Janet Gaynor portrays Esther Blodgett, a starry-eyed small town girl with a dream of making it big in Hollywood. Facing only rejection, Esther chances into meeting movie idol Norman Maine played by the incomparable Fredric March.

Customer Reviews:

A MOVIE ABOUT GRATITUDE.......2007-04-17

This review is about the Image release of William A. Wellman's A STAR IS BORN. No bonus, just a scene access, excellent sound and above average quality of the images.

William A. Wellman, the director of the film, earned a well-deserved Academy award in 1938 for his story whose themes were also handled in A Star Is Born and in A Star Is Born since. This movie is about the role and the impact of the images in Hollywood and about a feeling rarely treated, because not particularly expressive, in cinema : gratitude.

David O. Selznick, the producer of A STAR IS BORN, liked to take risks in his job and often worked with directors blessed by a strong artistic vision, like Alfred Hitchcock Spellbound - Criterion Collection, King Vidor Duel in the Sun or William Dieterle Portrait of Jennie. William A. Wellman could thus propose, at the beginning and at the end of the film, these famous shots of a screenplay describing what we will see or have just seen on the screen. Think about it : we're in 1937 and the French New Wave will appear more than 20 years later only !

When we watch A STAR IS BORN now, we are boggled by the quality of the dialogues of the film and the importance of the supporting roles. Lionel Stander, Andy Devine, May Robson or Adolphe Menjou have all important lines to say and are not just here to fill the screen between two apparitions of Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. Without them, there is simply no film at all.

A DVD for your library.

They don't make them like this anymore!.......2007-03-02

I was amazed by this movie! Of the three versions that have been made (this one with Janet Gaynor, the Judy Garland one, and the Barbara Streisand one) this one is best by far. Janet Gaynor really was perfect for this role. Adolphe Mejou aces the role of a fading star. It has moments of cheeky humor ("What about getting married in a church?"-"Naw, it's been done before.") and moments that break your heart. It's such an honest portrayal of the highs and lows of Hollywood. If you like old movies, or just movies in general, this is a must see. The ending is killer.

Heartbreaking but Beautiful.......2006-07-22

A Star is Born, starring Janet Gaynor and Frederic March, is the tale of a girl who dreams of becoming a Hollywood star. After arriving in Hollywood she meets a fading star who helps her become an even bigger star than he had been up to recently. Frederic March's portrayal of Norman Maine is simply fantastic. His descent is poignant and agonizing to watch as well as fascinating. Janet Gaynor does very well as Esther Blodgett, turned into Vicki Lester. Adolphe Menjou does a good job as the Hollywood producer with a heart.A real movie classic.

Beautiful restoration .......2005-09-28

The historical 1937 film A STAR IS BORN has remained a classic for many many years. This film's merits are many, I need not comment on them, but will make a comment on the cast. While the entire cast is outstanding, the real standout is Janet Gaynor who portrays Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester in such a way that you can connect with her and feel her sincerity on a level that you cannot with Judy Garland in the 1954 version (and the less said about the 1970s Barbra Streisand version the better). The rest of the performances in this film are super.

This film, produced by the late great David O. Selznick and released through United Artists, is currently in the public domain and many of the numerous DVDs/VHSs of such films are of deplorable picture and sound quality. Fortunately, it is not so on this DVD release from Image. The colors are extremely bold and vibrant. There are some age-related artifacts present and graininess is visible in a number of places, however this has been kept to a minimum. I will forgive these shortcomings considering the elements used for the DVD transfer are nearly 70 years old. 3-strip Technicolor was still in its infancy in 1937 (indeed, the first feature shot entirely in this process was released only 2 years earlier), but some outstanding results were had even then. The sound, while obviously rendered in 1937 recording technology, has been nicely cleaned up for this release, allowing the musical score by the venerable Max Steiner to shine as it should.

Pass up the cheap DVDs and look only for the release from Image Entertainment, edition # ID2777IMDVD. I guarantee this will be the best DVD of A STAR IS BORN you will find.

"You mind if I take just one more look?".......2005-05-10

William A. Wellman's classic 1937 romance has aged very well and remains one of the greatest romantic dramas ever filmed. To be honest, the main reason I bought this was because it was very inexpensive, and it was Lana Turner's (my favorite actress of all time) very first movie appearance. A little more than 90 minutes into the film, she can be seen (with her back to the camera unfortunately) in the crowd watching the fight at the bar of the Santa Anita racetrack. She was just 16 years old at the time and it's a rare chance to see her hair before she dyed it blonde!

Janet Gaynor stars as Esther Blodgett, who moves to Hollywood with dreams of becoming a movie star. After many rejections, she finally lands a job as a waitress for a party where many famous actors, actresses, and directors are attending. It is there that she meets the charming but alcoholic Norman Maine (Fredric March), who is a movie star with a declining career. They're instantly attracted to one another, and Norman helps her start her career, co-starring with her in a romance. She's an instant star overnight and the film is a huge success, but Norman's career is still going downhill.

Norman and Esther (whose new "Hollywood" name is Vicki Lester) are married and for a while they enjoy complete happiness together, but Norman's drinking eventually spirals out of control as his movie career affectively ends. Vicki can't stop her husband from self-destructing, and he can't even help himself. Finally, and inevitably, tragedy strikes and Vicki's life is forever changed. Will she have the courage to return to making movies or will her career and her life be destroyed by the loss of the one she loves? Watch and find out!

"A Star is Born" had outstanding performances from both Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, and the wonderful script is one of the main reasons the classic has aged so well. Janet and Fredric simply had an amazing chemistry that made this film so believable and memorable. This was one of the first Technicolor films that came out of Hollywood, yet it presented a dark side of Hollywood that few films have showed so perfectly. The New York Times called the film "the most accurate mirror ever held before the glittering, tinseled, trivial, generous, cruel and ecstatic world that is Hollywood." The image and sound quality have been nicely restored and this dvd is very inexpensive and sure to please any fan of classic romances!

The Judy Garland Signature Collection (A Star is Born / The Wizard of Oz / The Harvey Girls / Love Finds Andy Hardy / In the Good Old Summertime / Ziegfeld Girl / For Me and My Gal)

Average customer rating:

Judy fans will be delighted
This is a good view of her talent
"films of the little girl with a big voice ~ Judy Garland"

The Judy Garland Signature Collection (A Star is Born / The Wizard of Oz / The Harvey Girls / Love Finds Andy Hardy / In the Good Old Summertime / Ziegfeld Girl / For Me and My Gal)
Starring: Judy Garland
Manufacturer: Warner Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

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General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

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Musicals & Performing Arts | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B0001Q4CZM
Release Date: 2004-04-06

Description

Judy! Judy! Judy! Judy Garland: The Signature Collection includes 7 of Judy's unforgettable performances including A Star is Born and The Wizard of Oz! The Collection also includes 4 new-to-DVD titles starring the legendary Judy Garland: Love Finds Andy Hardy, In the Good Old Summertime, Ziegfeld Girl, and For Me and My Gal. A great Mother's Day gift!

Customer Reviews:

Judy fans will be delighted.......2006-11-03

Some of Judy's finest works in great form. "A Star is Born" and "Wizard of Oz" would justify the price by themselves. The rest is great gravy.

This is a good view of her talent.......2004-06-29

Judy was a magnificent talent with personal problems that makes it amazing that she could produce such beutiful prductions. These movies are a very good cross section of her talent. The Andy Hardy series was a wonderful joining of two great talents that represent a part of her career that many have been the happiest. There are many others that could have been chosen, but whatever was put in would require taking something out. I think "The Wizard" was the one waste, since there are much better copies out, and another Judy and Mickey would have been more fun.
But at least these are great, and others can be bought.

"films of the little girl with a big voice ~ Judy Garland".......2004-06-03

Growing up in the midwest, all the entertainment came from the movies ~ "Judy Garland:The Signature Collection", featuring the golden age of musicals starring our favorite female lead at MGM Studio, Miss Judy Garland. Her voice and talent takes you into the world of make believe...are you ready...well here goes!

Let's start with "FOR ME AND MY GAL"(1942), featuring George Murphy and Gene Kelly (with commentary by Garland biographer John Fricke/vintage shorts/radio programs/audio outtakes/theatrical trailer) ~ "THE HARVEY GIRLS"(1945), featuring Ray Bolger, John Hodiak, Angela Lansbury and Preston Foster (commentary by director George Sidney/3 deleted musical numbers/music cue sessions/theatrical trailer) and "On The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe" remixed in stereo ~ "IN THE GOOD OLD SUMMERTIME"(1949), featuring Van Johnson, S.Z. "Cuddles" Sakall, Spring Byington, Buster Keaton and Nellie Burke (introduction by Garland biographer John Fricke/Vintage Fitzpatrick Traveltalks Shorts/theatrical trailers of this film, "The Shop Around The Corner and "You've Got Mail) ~ "LOVE FINDS ANDY HARDY"(1938), featuring Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Cecilia Parker and Fay Holden (introduction by Garland biographer John Fricke with Ann Rutherford/Leo is on the air radio promo/Andy Hardy trailer gallery) ~ "A STAR IS BORN"(1954), featuring James Mason, Jack Carson, Charles Bickford and Tom Noonan (special features: documentary network telecast of Hollywood premiere and newsrell coverage of Post-Premiere Party/3 alternate filings of "The Man That Got Away"/deleted song "When My Sugar Walks Down The Street"/soundtrack remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1/theatrical trailers of the 1937, 1954 and 1976 film versions) ~ "THE WIZARD OF OZ"(1939), featuring Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Berlahr, Jack Haley and Margaret Hamilton (behind-the-scenes documentary/"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" & "The Making of a Movie Classic" hosted by Angela Lansbury/vintage movie & cartoon clips/theatrical trailers/outtake musical numbers/cast interviews and much, much more) ~ "ZIEGFELD GIRLS"(1941), featuring James Stewart, Hedy Lamarr, Lana Turner, Tony Martin, Jackie Cooper and Edward Everett Horton (introduction by Garland biographer John Fricke/vintage musical short/Our Gang short "Melodies Old and New"/2 outtakes the musical number "Too Beautiful To Last and a deleted "We Must Have Music Finale"/theatrical trailers of this film, "The Great Ziegfeld" and "Ziegfeld Follies") ~ all new digital transfer.

The clarity of picture and the re-mastered sound of each film is overwhelming ~ Garland is at her captivating best ~ each cue is an eye full with behind the scenes that every collector will cherish...gotta love it!

Amazon.com

"This is Mrs. Norman Maine," proclaims Janet Gaynor, fighting back the tears as she addresses her fans while still rocked by personal tragedy. It's the kind of grandiose gesture we love in a movie star, and the original A Star Is Born is gloriously grand with a cynical undercurrent. William Wellman, working from a sharp screenplay cowritten by the acerbic Dorothy Parker, strikes a balance between romantic glamour and tragic melodrama, all accomplished with a barely concealed caustic wit. It's a Cinderella story of a fresh-faced farm girl, the improbably named Esther Blodgett (they have a lot of fun with that one) who transforms into screen icon Vicki Lester when she comes to the attentions of matinee idol Norman Maine (Fredric March). But when the deliriously happy couple marries, Vicki's rise to the top is counterbalanced by Norman's fall from grace, a precipitous plummet from stardom to alcoholism and bitterness. Gaynor's milk-fed wholesomeness is a tad corny next to March's worldly cynicism, but she's a movie star through and through. Adolphe Menjou costars as a mercenary agent with a sing-song patter. One of the quintessential Hollywood Self-portraits, A Star Is Born was remade twice and was itself inspired by George Cukor's wonderful What Price Hollywood? and the real-life story of Colleen Moore and John McCormick. March based his character on John Gilbert and John Barrymore. --Sean Axmaker

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2004-05-14

A STAR IS BORN is the story of an innocent young woman who rises to fame in Hollywood. Her movie star husband helps her get started in her career while he is already on the skids because of his alcoholic behavior. Besides telling a great yarn the film also provides a candid expose of the movie industry before World War II. Janet Gaynor and Fredric March are superb in the leading roles. The strong supporting cast includes Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine and Lionel Stander.

Janet Gayner actually retired not too long after this movie and did only occasional acting later in life. She had been very active in Hollywood during the 1920's and 1930's. Director William Wellman directed many other good films including PUBLIC ENEMY.

It is difficult for to choose between this movie and the 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason. They are both wonderful.

A STAR IS BORN received Oscars in 1937 for Best Original Story and Color Cinematography. Its numerous Academy Award nominations were for Best Picture, Director (William Wellman), Actor (Fredric March), Actress ( Janet Gaynor), Screenplay and Assistant Director (Eric Stacey).

Tragic, unforgettable love story.......2004-05-13

The 1937 original version of "A Star Is Born" is a moving, observant drama about an aging, fading movie matinee idol, Norman Maine, played by Fredric March, who discovers and marries a struggling young actress, Esther Blodgett, portrayed by the lovely Janet Gaynor.

Norman has a chance encounter with Esther at a concert and then again at a fancy Hollywood party where she is moonlighting as a waitress. He is immediately taken by her natural beauty and sweetness. Norman chooses Esther to be his leading lady in his next movie. When the movie is released, Esther, who is renamed Vicki Lester by the studio, becomes an "overnight" star (that is after she suffers many rejections and near poverty prior to her stardom).

"A Star Is Born" provides a realistic view of the crassness and undeniable glamour of Hollywood. And it examines the fleeting nature of stardom which Hollywood creates and then conveniently and cruelly destroys when a star is no longer viable.

Everything about this movie is first rate in particular the perceptive direction by William Wellman, the smart screenplay by Wellman and Robert Carson, and the uniformly excellent performances by an all-star cast.

March and Gaynor are at their very best giving restrained, yet powerful performances. March's skill as an actor makes the demise of Norman Maine, at the behest of a fickle public and a mostly callous Hollywood establishment, heartbreaking to watch. And Esther's quiet strength and unconditional love and support of her adoring, self-destructive husband are subtly and convincingly conveyed by the gifted Miss Gaynor.

Be sure to stock up on tissues before you see this tragic, unforgettable love story because by its conclusion, your tears will be profuse. I guarantee it.

THIS IS THE 1..............2004-01-19

This is the original... The best.... It has a great feel of the Hollywood that was... Gaynor and March are great. I love u Judy - but THIS is THE classic film of the often-told-story... Judy is a class act, but HER film was/is not a classic.

BUY IT FOR GOODNES-SAKES hehehe:)(:

This KINO print is excellent!.......2004-01-19

I went ahead and bought this VHS edition from KINO, and I must say it is THE BEST print of this film to be found. I discovered Fredric March in 2002, and in one year collected over 54 of his films. During this time, I bought 2 other VHS versions of A STAR IS BORN; the first one was horrible...scratchy sound, the mouths didn't match with the words, blurry and washed out color. The second one was a bit better, color not so good, but at least the movement of their mouths was in step with the soundtrack. I really enjoy this film, and wanted to find a better print. This KINO print will not disappoint! It is superb...while the color is not like what you will see today, it is very very good. I was so impressed; what a pleasure it is to see a film almost as it looked originally in 1937.

I mainly wanted to share the news that this is an excellent VHS (I called KINO, and they said they don't know that they will ever put it on DVD...too bad, but I think I have seen bootleg DVD's taken from this KINO print on ebay.) This video is well worth the money due to the wonderful quality.

Many have already stated their opinion on this film. I greatly admire Fredric March and he did such a good job portraying Norman Maine. I liked Janet Gaynor's performance as well. It is fun to see some of the famous Hollywood locations in these early days. It is a good story...nice to see a wife sticking by her man through the good times and bad. Nice to see how she honors his name and memory at the end of the film. Nice to see that she didn't sit and have a pity party about how horrible a husband Norman was. She was of beautiful character...you especially see this when at the Academy Awards, and he accidently slaps her face, she just takes his hand and calmly walks with him back to the table. Later that evening, at home, Norman (March) is passed out drunk in a chair, and we see Esther(Gaynor) kneeling before him, still in her gown, with her Oscar lying on the floor beside her, taking off his shoes. What love and devotion and lack of selfishness is portrayed in that one simple scene... We know her heart was hurting; none of this was easy for her.

I know many people just adore the Judy Garland version. I have seen it, and my main problem was I thought there was too much singing ( I am not fond of musicals), and I also felt Judy looked too old and weary for the part. You could see this in her eyes. She lacked the youthful innocence Gaynor had. Now if Judy had done it when she was younger...but this is only my opinion.

I prefer this 1937 version, and if you do as well, this KINO print is THE ONE to watch and to own.

SIMPLE, YET SWEET.......2002-12-08

This was the first version of "Star" that I've ever seen. Looking fairly dated,and coming close to the verge of saccharine simplicity,it's a good picture,not riveting and earth shattering like the Garland version, but it conveys the story nicely and is an ok movie. If you don't like an emotional, roller- coaster like tear jerker, then this version of Star is for you. Mary Marnie Brown Hair is probably a straight ,Judy Garland hating detractor. That poor ,culturally deprived lass even thought the Wizard of Oz was a horrible movie. Pity, pity, pity... If you want,you could get both versions and compare them side by side,performance for performance, and decide which version of "Star" is the true #1 classic. (on a personal note, I prefer to skip the appetizer and go straight to the meat and potatoes.)Gaynor and March will entertain you, but their performances will have seemed like charicatures after you've seen the Garland and Mason version. If you want tame, go with Gaynor. If you want to experience a full gamut of emotions, pretty much a religious experience, than get the Garland verion.

Average customer rating:

A Star Is Born
Starring: Janet Gaynor , Fredric March , Adolphe Menjou , May Robson , and Andy Devine
Director: Jack Conway , and William A. Wellman
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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A Farewell to Arms (1932) / A Star Is Born (1937) / The Scarlet Letter

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A Farewell to Arms (1932) / A Star Is Born (1937) / The Scarlet Letter
Starring: Helen Hayes , Gary Cooper , Adolphe Menjou , Mary Philips , and Jack La Rue
Director: Frank Borzage , Jack Conway , and William A. Wellman
Manufacturer: Rph Productions
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PopFlix - Drama (A Star Is Born [1937] / Eternally Yours)

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PopFlix - Drama (A Star Is Born [1937] / Eternally Yours)
Starring: Star Is Born Eternally
Manufacturer: Pop Flix
ProductGroup: DVD
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Release Date: 2006-05-09

Description

TWO ROMANTIC CLASSICS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF HOLLYWOOD! Total Running Time: 3 hrs 21 min

A Star Is Born (1937) 111 min. COLOR Starring: Fredrick March, Janet Gaynor; Director: William A. Wellman A small town girl (Janet Gaynor) with dreams of Hollywood stardom falls for an aging matinee movie idol (Fredrick March). With his help, she skyrockets to fame, while his career hits the skids. Widely considered to be the best version, this film received seven Academy Award nominations and a win for Best Original Story.

Amazon.com essential video

Customer Reviews:

Good Or Bad, Garland's Talent Can't Be Ignored.......2007-05-18

A tribute to the talent of Judy Garland.......2007-04-10

Garland's Shining Hour in a Pristine Print of Her Legendary Vehicle.......2007-01-29

Garland Is Great, Mason Still Greater.......2007-01-09

A Star is Born Fails to Capture Audience's Sympathy.......2006-11-28

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