Review of A Star Is Born (1954) by Meredith W — 04 May 2013
Norman Maine (James Mason) is an actor on his way down due to alcoholism. Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) is a talented singer and wannabe star. Maine is so impressed with her that he gets her a screen test and she is soon a shining star.
She loves him, she is grateful to him and she marries him. But his attempts to dry out for her don't work for long and what follows is an emotional conclusion. After theatre owners complained about the length of the original film, Warner Brothers cut almost 30 minutes from the original movie.
The restoration using on-set home movies and even production stills may seem jarring but are necessary to the development of the narrative. It also provides two additional musical numbers, in which Judy is superb.
Though she received an Oscar nomination in recognition of her outstanding performance, it is amazing to think that she did not receive the Best Actress Academy Award. James Mason as falling star Norman Maine also gives a stellar performance in this classic.
This review of A Star Is Born (1954) was written by Meredith W on 04 May 2013.
A Star Is Born has generally received very positive reviews.
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