A Star is Born (1954) | |
Director(s) | George Cukor |
Producer(s) | Vern Alves (associate), Sidney Luft, Jack L. Warner (executive uncredited) |
Top Genres | Drama, Musical, Romance |
Top Topics | Alcohol, Fame, Husband Wife, Marriage |
Featured Cast:
A Star is Born Overview:
A Star is Born (1954) was a Drama - Musical Film directed by George Cukor and produced by Jack L. Warner, Sidney Luft and Vern Alves.
SYNOPSIS
A close remake of the fabled 1937 Hollywood tragedy (with aspects of Cukor's own 1932 What Price Hollywood?) is elevated by Garland's finest, most-esteemed performance. The feeling of impending doom is intensified for today's audience by our knowledge of Garland's own experience and career. The story follows the original, with singer Garland getting her big break by giving screen star Mason a hand onstage. The more emotional performances characteristic of the '50s make this version somewhat overwrought, with Mason's degradation more shocking than Fredric March's decline. Drastic cuts made by the studio after its initial release were restored in the early '80s, and nearly 30 minutes of additional footage are available on the laserdisc. The Harold Arlen-Ira Gershwin score introduced the Garland versions of "The Man That Got Away," "Somewhere There's a Someone," "Melancholy Baby," and "Born in a Trunk."
(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).
.A Star is Born was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2000.
Academy Awards 1954 --- Ceremony Number 27 (source: AMPAS)
Award | Recipient | Result |
Best Actor | James Mason | Nominated |
Best Actress | Judy Garland | Nominated |
Best Art Direction | Art Direction: Malcolm Bert, Gene Allen, Irene Sharaff; Set Decoration: George James Hopkins | Nominated |
Best Costume Design | Jean Louis, Mary Ann Nyberg, Irene Sharaff | Nominated |
Best Music - Scoring | Ray Heindorf | Nominated |
Best Music - Song | Music by Harold Arlen; Lyrics by Ira Gershwin | Nominated |
BlogHub Articles:
ONE MOVIE, THREE QUOTES: A Star is Born (1954)
By Carol Martinheira on Jun 13, 2022 From The Old Hollywood GardenONE MOVIE, THREE QUOTES: A Star is Born (1954) On June 13, 2022 By CarolIn Uncategorized Image from Pinterest June 2022, the 10th to be precise, marks the centenary of Judy Garland?s birth. The BFI in my city is having a Judy season and I am, logically, there like a ... Read full article
Five Fun Facts: A Star is Born (1937)
By Annmarie Gatti on May 15, 2022 From Classic Movie Hub BlogFive Fun Facts: A Star is Born (1937) 1) Pick a number, four or five… So, how many versions of this movie are there, really? Well, most classic film fans would say a definite ‘four,’ end of story — which would be the 1937 film starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March... Read full article
Free Streaming in August on the CMH Channel at Best Classics Ever ? A Star is Born, Penny Serenade, House on Haunted Hill and More
By Annmarie Gatti on Aug 10, 2020 From Classic Movie Hub BlogOur August picks for the Classic Movie Hub ChannelMore than 40 Titles Streaming Free All Month Long! As we announced in June, we are thrilled to have partnered with Best Classics Ever (BCE), a mega streaming channel dedicated to classic films and TV shows! And, we are proud to have our own Class... Read full article
Bette Davis in Of Human Bondage (1934) – a star is born
By Carol Martinheira on May 24, 2019 From The Old Hollywood GardenBette Davis in Of Human Bondage (1934) – a star is born On May 24, 2019 By CarolIn Uncategorized Sometimes it’s hard to believe there was a time when Bette Davis was not a star. Yet, between 1930 and 1933 she was mostly a supporting player with little scree... Read full article
A Star is Born (2018)
By Alyson on Jan 23, 2019 From The Best Picture ProjectA Star is Born is a story that seems to be revived every couple decades. The first film was in 1937. A remake with Judy Garland and James Mason came in 1954. And another came to be with Barbara Streisand in 1976. Now, with Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper stars and has made his directorial debut with his n... Read full article
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Quotes from
Matt Libby: [after being introduced to Esther] Esther Blodgett? Well, we'll do something about that. Anyway, nice to have you with us.
Oliver Niles: You know Libby you missed a lot not knowing Norman Maine.
Matt Libby: Not knowing him? I spent my life knowing him. I knew what he was going to do before he did it. I knew him backwards.
Oliver Niles: You didn't know him at all. He was quite a guy.
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Facts about
The initial Columbia Records soundtrack LP (now reissued in the original mono sound on a British CD from Prism Leisure) reached the fourth slot on "Billboard"'s popular albums chart. Subsequently, two "improved" versions of the soundtrack have been released by the Sony label: a 1988 CD in mostly true stereo; and a 2004 deluxe package containing a second, unused Garland rendition of "It's a New World"; the singing commercial on TV for Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo; the discarded chorus of "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" (Judy with Jack Baker) from the "Born in a Trunk" sequence; the full orchestral introduction to "Gotta Have Me Go with You" (Judy with Don McKabe and Jack Harmon); the complete orchestral introduction, not totally heard in the release print, to the Academy Award-nominated Garland trademark, "The Man That Got Away"; and musical director Ray Heindorf's Oscar-nominated background score, including portions not included in the finished picture.
Norman Maine mentions the name 'Ellen Terry' to Esther Blodgett. Ellen Terry (1847 - 1928, created a Dame in 1925) was an English stage actress who became the leading Shakespearean actress in Britain during the late nineteenth century, as well as performing in plays by Ibsen, G.B. Shaw and many others.
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