Rating: 
Summary: One of the great musical dramas of all time
Review: There is no question that "A Star is Born" remains the best Judy Garland performance. The actress's tumultuous real life took a backseat as Miss Garland jumped headlong with a performance that should have garnered her the "Best Actress" Oscar. Unfortunately, she lost to Grace Kelly for "The Country Girl". The fact that "Star" has stood the test of time, while "Girl" appears to be an obscure memory, shows the strength of the Garland vehicle.Much praise should be heaped upon Judy's male co-stars. James Mason is memorable as Garland's tragic movie star husband. His work in the film was also worthy of Oscar recognition. Jack Carson, one of the movie's best character actors, is also quite good as the agent that knows all about the ups and downs of the movie business. Charles Bickford, as the studio head, balances the professional-in-charge with the father figure in his guidance of Garland and subsequent firing of Mason. The musical numbers feature Garland at her best. Hers is, without a doubt, a voice heard only once in a lifetime.
Rating:
Summary: JUDY GARLAND DELIVERS THE GOODS IN "A STAR IS BORN"
Review: Judy Garland, arguably the greatest female pop singer of the Twentieth Century, gives the performance of a lifetime in this 1954 musical remake of the 1937 dramatic film of the same name (also available on DVD in a superb transfer). This movie was perceived as Garland's comeback vehicle since she had not made a film for four years prior and she certainly delivers the goods both dramatically and vocally. Her singing here is in total service of the music rather than the audience, with none of the over the top indulgences evident in her stage appearances. The end result is mesmerizing. Garland's standout rendition of "The Man That Got Away" deserves special mention since it fully lives up to its hype as one of the greatest vocal performances of all time. James Mason matches Garland every step of the way and in some areas surpasses her in the role of her alcoholic husband whose star is waning as hers is rising. In fact, the entire cast, including Charles Bickford, Jack Carson and Tommy Noonan give excellent performances. Director George Cukor seems to have known just when to reign in Garland and exactly when to let her go and do what she does best. This is especially evident in the "Born In A Trunk" musical number. Cukor also shows a flair for getting the best out of the then new wide screen CinemaScope process. His framing of the scenes has an intimacy appropriate to the story but seems revolutionary for a wide screen picture even today. This DVD showcases the original 2.55: 1 aspect ratio in which A Star Is Born was shown for its initial theatrical presentation and a newly mixed soundtrack preserves the discrete multi-channel stereophonic sound as well. In fact, this DVD looks and sounds phenomenally good considering that this movie will be 50 years old in about 4 years. Worth the price of the disc alone is the treasure trove of supplementary material, which includes vintage newsreels, a kinescope of live TV coverage of the Hollywood premiere and no less than four alternate takes of "The Man That Got Away." Judy Garland never was able to equal or top her work on A Star Is Born. On the other hand, no one else has or could either because she was a one of a kind entertainer that only comes around perhaps once in a millennium.
Rating:
Summary: The Ultimate Musical
Review: The best. Absolutely the best film Hollywood has ever offered. It is a musical which has not only heartwarming songs and dances but one with a real plot, a story so often repeated in this world- a story of dizzying rise and dizzying fall- and a story which stood up to being exposed without the songs.
Rating:
Summary: One Of George Cukor's Best Films
Review: A STAR IS BORN is a remake of the very successful 1937 movie. This time lots of good music is added to the story about the rise of a fresh young talent and the simultaneous descent through alcoholism of her actor husband. The script is by Moss Hart and the director is George Cukor. The performances in the lead roles by James Mason and Judy Garland are superb. James Mason gives a very believable portrayal of a drunk who is disintegrating rapidly in the most pathetic way as the film progresses. Veteran character actors Jack Carson, Charles Bickford and Tom Noonan make their usual dependable contributions. George Cukor had been a stage manager and had run his own stock company before coming to Hollywood. He won an Oscar for his work in the movie version of MY FAIR LADY in 1964. A STAR IS BORN was nominated in 1954 for Oscars for Best Actor (James Mason), Actress (Judy Garland), Color Costume Design, Color Art Direction, Scoring of a Musical Picture and Song ("The Man That Got Away"). The main competition for Academy Awards in that same year came from ON THE WATERFRONT and THE COUNTRY GIRL.
Rating: 
Summary: A Star is Born
Review: I read all the reviews listed prior to purchasing and I didn't read anywhere that reconstruction actually meant that they put black and white still pictures in the place of the missing moving picture sequences. At one point I felt like I was watching a slideshow presentation with music and sound! I had no idea the movie would be so choppy and for that I'm deeply disappointed. I don't feel like it was worth the price and I probably won't ever watch it again. Too bad too, because what I did see of the performance was good. Unfortunately, I felt like I only got 3/4 of the movie and the rest was fill in the blanks.
Rating:
Summary: A Star is Re-Born!
Review: Returning to the screen four years after leaving Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Judy Garland is just superb in A Star is Born. Always giveing an honest performance, Judy gives it her all in this classic! This movie has it all, comedy, drama, and most of all, music! Co-staring with James Mason, Garland was nominated for an Oscar for her performace! Although she lost is to Grace Kelly (Judy was beat by only one vote I'll have you know! "The Biggest Robbery Since Brinks!")she deserved that Oscar! This film is simply great!
The widescreen aspect, offered by this DVD, is an extra treat. Also included are outtakes from the film: including three versions of "The Man That Got Away", the broadcast of the premire of the film, tape of the after party at the Coconut Grove, and the film's trailer!
This film is well worth every penny, since it was reconstructed in 1982, after being butchered before it's release in 1954! Buy the video if you have to, but the picture and sound, oh the sound, make me recomend the DVD although it costs a little more it's well worth it!
Lastly, buy this if you just love a great film, or of course, if you love Judy Garland!
Rating:
Summary: Has it Flaws but Also Has it's Good Moments!
Review: I like Judy Garland and think she was tremendously talanted as both an actress and a singer so when I was watching A Star is Born on AMC or TCM I thought it was an entertaining movie but not my favorite of her movies because it was a little uneven I guess because of all the footage that was cut out but I would hardly call the movie a dud but just that it had good performances but the excessive editing hurt the plot and it probably would have been better if left alone but it is worth watching if you are a fan of Judy Garland or James Mason, etc.
Rating: 
Summary: What a Dud!
Review: This is without a doubt both Judy Garlands and James Mason's worst movies! What a shame becasue they are truly both truly talented but this one just wasn't up to par with their talents!
Rating:
Summary: If You Pick Out 1 Version Over the Other, You Miss Out!
Review: People have a tendency to state which version of a "Star is Born" is BETTER than the other and which version you should buy, the one with Janet Gaynor or the one with Judy Garland. I have both dvd versions of "A Star is Born" and would not part with either. They are both different, both classics and belong in all your collections for you to have a "rounded-out" collection of the classics. The version with Janet Gaynor has more "cute" moments and the ending is very heartwarming when the grandmother shows up. The version with Judy Garland tugs at your heart-strings forever.
Rating:
Summary: Exceptional
Review: Judy Garland was an actress of the true MGM mold - that is to say, she knew how to do it bigger, better and louder than everybody else. True of her life, her concert performances and most of her film appearances, and in this 1954 release, she does Warner Bros. proud by being her good old MGM self for an almost three-hour epic. Surely one of Hollywood's most melodramatic love stories, 'A Star is Born' follows the lives of Esther Blodgett (Garland), a talented star on the rise, and Norman Maine (James Mason), a once-major talent in fast alcoholic decline. They suffer the slings and arrows of the Hollywood machine, and in the end, only one career can survive. What's truly unique about 'A Star Is Born' is the palpable sincerity and tenderness with which Mason and Garland play their parts. Mason is on top form as Norman maine, and gives a wholly believable account of a man seeking redemption through nurturing a new talent. He's a perfect match for Judy in every way - where her performance is big and larger-than-life, so is his. The actors have a delightful chemistry, a believable bond that fixes us to their story. Garland gives what must be the greatest performance of her career, imbuing the realtively ordinary part of Blodgett with a luminosity and innocence rarely portrayed in film. When she cries, we truly believe she is sad. When she smiles, we are happy for her. But when she sings, she opens up her character to the audience in a way quite unlike any other. Even in her big, blowzy numbers like 'Swannee' and 'You Gotta Have Me Go With You', she lets her vulnerability and frailty shine through, and we are truly in awe of her. Seminal classics like 'The Man That Got Away' and 'Swannee' are here too, and still ring out as some of the finest examples of songwriting and musical arrangement anywhere. The supporting cast, though for the most part perfectly sufficient, includes an excellent performance by Tommy Noonan as Esther's friend and advisor, Danny McGuire. Direction by George Cukor, is, as ever, exemplary, and sets a standard that few directors have ever managed to equal. He is surely the only man in Hollywood's history to bring such believable humanity to the likes of Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, and Judy garland. His portrayal of a doomed relationship and the effects it has is still as valid today as it was fifty years ago. Using simple, uncomplicated shots and perfectly-pitched performances, Cukor creates the ideal stage on which Garland and Mason play. The Special Features of this DVD are wonderful - the mini-documentary of the premiere party at Coconaut Grove is a gorgeous slice of a glamorous Hollywood that we'll probably never see again. There are more versions of 'The Man That Got Away' than you can shake a stick at, and 'When My Sugar Walks Down The Street' is a charming, if somewhat pointless, inclusion. The actual DVD quality is excellent, for a movie that's half a century old. Unfortunately, the 'restored scenes' are little more than a series of blurry still shots and audio tracks, but are an important inclusion nonetheless. All in all, 'A Star Is Born', in terms of technical quality, extras and, most importantly, film standard, is one of the best films of all time. A must-have that I cannot recommend highly enough.
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