Simply A Masterpiece

i must have seen a different film!!

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

William A. Wellman's 1937 masterpiece "A Star Is Born" was one of the first movies to focus on the vicissitudes of fame. Janet Gaynor plays a farm girl who moves to Hollywood with the aim of becoming an actress. When she finally does, it happens as her lover's (Fredric March) career falls apart.The odd coloring helps to give a sense of the underbelly of all the glitz and glamor. It's inevitable that for one person's career to rise, another person's career must decline. The 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason was much flashier but still managed to retain the original's spirit (I haven't seen the 1976 version starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson).This movie is undeniably one of cinema's all-time classics. Janet Gaynor and Fredric March are perfect in their roles. I recommend it.

Director William Wellman notoriously hated actors. It seems bizarre then that the one time he wrote his own screenplay it was a rather affectionate look at the lives of the stars. Hollywood didn't do introspection all that much, but here was woven a tragical drama that was absolutely in tune with the Tinseltown ethos, even as it brought to light its more troubled aspects.Wellman was, for the biggest part of his career, a director of action movies. And even though A Star is Born is a drama centring on a female character, he still films it with an emphasis on dynamics and rugged impact. Janet Gaynor is introduced with a rapid dolly-in as she comes through a doorway. In the scene that follows everyone is spitting out their dialogue. The scene ends with a close-up of Gaynor, after which she swiftly exits from the frame, leaving the screen totally black. And this is very much the pattern for the rest of the picture. It's a neat approach which gives things a fast-paced and punchy feel.As to the actual stars of this movie, Gaynor and Fredric March were two of the most experienced players around who were still in the right age and popularity bracket to get lead roles. Janet Gaynor was one of the more subtle and realistic performers of that era. She has such earnestness in her eyes, and despite actually being at the end of her own illustrious career, she utterly convinces as a keen youngster taking her first steps in the industry. March is much more theatrical, but he has an intensity that makes him very watchable.A Star is Born seems to have become a kind of touchstone story of Hollywood stardom. It's been remade twice for different generations, and a fourth version is reportedly in the works as I type. This first version is not quite the best, but it lays down a story that will remain timeless for as long as Hollywood continues to thrive.

Fredric March is one of my very favorite actors, and almost all of his movies are quality merchandise. I've not seen them all, but of all that I have seen, they all rate high in my book. This version of "A Star Is Born" is very special...it was made just a decade after pictures converted to sound. If we put the action 'right in the moment', one wonders how Norman Maine could have been washed up in less than a decade...especially if he passed all the rigorous criteria to make it into the talkie era. But we must suspend common sense for a time, in order to get into the movie. His star is fading even as we are introduced to him. Wine, women, song, and the theatre of the bombastic have all taken their toll on Norman. Everybody is back-biting him as being washed up in the business...and all seem to know it ...except Norman, that is. Meeting aspiring starlet from the Midwest, Esther Blodgett, is a bit of serendipity for both of them...though with different outcomes. He arranges a screen test, even twists the producer's arm to star her in a vehicle, which is a success. As her star rises, his continues to fade and fade until he is practically dead in the business. If he had problems when he was still a star, you can imagine what horrors he must have endured as his career is eclipsed by that of his wife, now known as Vicki Lester, who has begun to appear in her own highly acclaimed movies...even winning a coveted Academy Award (which Gaynor did in fact win some years earlier...the first actress to be awarded in her category). Humiliation is piled upon humiliation for Norman. Vicki loves him so much that she decides to put the brakes on her own career to take care of him. Norman now sees that he has lost all that he had, but cannot endure this selfless sacrifice his wife is making. If you have not already seen the movie ( are there aliens living amongst us?) or one of its several derivatives, I will stop there, and let you see the movie for yourself. The performances are sensitive, and this was probably one of Hollywood's first efforts to look at itself with some measure of honesty. The viewer connects with Esther Blodgett and her aspirations, and they want her to win. Fredric March draws out the true tragedian that Norman Maine represents, and his performance shows how pitiful one can become when one's life is shattered and dreams and ambitions disappear like snowdrifts in the springtime. Kudos go to Adolphe Menjou as producer Oliver Niles, Lionel Stander as the no-nonsense PR man ( what a contradiction in terms), who has no sympathy for Norman and contributes to Maine's ultimate decline...and to May Robson. May we all have a Granny like her to come to the rescue in our darkest hour. This version of a "Star Is Born" is best because it is the most dramatic and most honest of the numerous versions. It is raw and gritty, yet it never loses its focus or sensitivity. See the other versions of the movie if you feel you must, but do make an effort to see this one first.

This is a very good film with a great cast. I've seen reviews stating this film pales in comparison to the remake, due to the fact that you get to 'see' that Judy Garland's character can sing, but you don't get to 'see' that Janet Gaynor's character can act. This is where I think the point of what this story is meant to portray is being lost by the viewer. The title isn't referring to the 'meteoric rise' of the female character, it is referring to the tragedy she endures, and how she chooses to overcome it that brings the birth of the 'Star'. In a way, Norman Maine gave his life for his wife to be born, he felt he was hampering her career and her life, so he wished to free her. Janet Gaynor was a star long before this movie came out, so it is really unfair to state that one can't believe she didn't appear to be someone that could have made such an impact in Hollywood. She'd been playing the naive type for quite some time, she played it well here, but she, also, portrayed her progressive maturity quite well and quite believably. As for me, this version shines far above the remake, because of the main character portrayals and for the outstanding supporting cast. This movie focused on the Gaynor character's experiences influenced by those around her, mostly with March's character. The remake seemed, to me, to focus mostly on the Garland character a little too much, not really getting the feel of those around her other than James Mason's character, but even it wasn't as deeply explored and conveyed as the Norman Maine character of the 1937 version. This is not taking anything away from Mr. Mason's performance, because there's no doing that, he was a great actor. However, the Frederic March portrayal was more compelling due to the fact the script allotted him to be, plus, Mr. March was a wonderful actor, one of my all time favorites. Then, you, also, have Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Lionel Stander, and Andy Devine, all giving stellar performances. When you have a great cast like this, with a script this well written and a great director like William Wellman (whom had some very, very great pre-codes under his belt), it's a win-win situation. This movie deserved it's best picture award. And just reading comments on this movie, especially, in regards to the ending of the Norman Maine character through to the end line, I tear up, so corny, but true. This was, and still is, a great film.