Review of A Star Is Born (1954) by Russell G — 07 Jul 2010

The second half of this is right up their with some of the greatest movies out there. Judy Garland is in absolutely fantastic shape, and her song numbers are all absolute high lights. That said, James Mason is even more amazing to watch as the drunk studio star. Combined, this ends up being a dramatic and musical success.

It has a problem though. The current Blu Ray restored version features still photos as place holders for missing footage in an attempt to recreate the original cut. It's a noble effort, but it kills dead the first 45 minutes since it's such a distraction. While it's well worth sticking it out since it's such a brilliant movie, it does make it hard to fall in love with it.