Rating: 
Summary: Judy's tour-de-force
Review: Judy lit up the screen in this touching and rousing tale of her career going up, her alcoholic husband's crashing down. From the opening to closing galas, the film is truly memorable. It also includes a die hard score with the incomparable "The Man That Got Away", the epic "Born in a Trunk" sequence and others. Best when viewed in the restored widescreen version. James & Judy were deservedly nominated for the Best Acting Oscars for this picture.
Rating: 
Summary: Garland at her film apex in garish musical production!
Review: All involved in the making of this grand-scale, Judy showcase should have learned that less is more. It was all so overblown, including Judy's shrill singing, that it overwhelms the viewer. This was Judy's first film come-back which might explain the overemphasis on Miss G. Balance was needed to focus on Mason's alchoholic character. "Born In a Trunk" is a lengthy, self-adulating abomination, added after production finished just to show Garland's talents off to even fuller effect. Lest viewers didn't get it up to that point! No wonder she lost the Oscar, she practically presumed Academy homage! All this said, the film is recommended and highly watchable, despite its harsh colors, hideous costuming and grotesque make-up. Judy looks completely different in almost any given scene. Very jarring makeup, hair and weight fluctuations. None of which detracts from Garland's superb performance. She deserves screen kudos as does Mason and especially the supporting cast including Bickford and Carson. If only they didn't hit the viewer over head with how great she is. We get it, already! Duh!!
Rating: 
Summary: A flawed cinematic gem not to be missed
Review: Few films depicting Holloywood by Hollywood have ever managed this degree of success, though the formula is somewhat curious. There are moments of greatness in Garland's performances though it is clear she is not always up to the task. Mason is solid and even memorable. The direction is at times inspired, the color work by Hoynigen-Huene remarkable and the Heinsdorf arrangements great. When this video was released, it was unfortunately only offerred in television screen format, and much is lost. This film merits re-release in wide screen video and more modern audio.
Rating:
Summary: Judy's best performance!
Review: The story is wonderful, the songs are beautiful, Judy lights up the screen when she sings, and her performance blew me away!
Rating:
Summary: I Couldn't Be More Pleased
Review: The film A STAR IS BORN, the 1954 Judy Garland musical for Warner Bros., has been through nearly as many trials and tribulations as any real-life movie-star wannabe to maintain its reputation and realism. The director--George Cukor's--love/hate letter to the joys and sorrows of Hollywood stardom came in just over three hours long--181 minutes. In an ironic affirmation of the film's recognition that "the lush days are over" for Hollywood, the studio cut the actual release print down to 154 minutes so that theater owners could squeeze in one extra screening per evening. That is the only version we had between 1954 and 1983, and any revivals, cinematheque offerings or TV broadcasts--quite enough to sustain the cult of the movie and Judy Garland's bravura performance as a Hollywood star married to an alcoholic has-been--sprang from that truncated release. In 1983, a partially restored, 170-minute-long version of A STAR IS BORN hit first-run movie screens after long and loving archival and editorial struggle. It was a matter of using anything available to make up for the scenes Warner Bros. had hacked out--stills, amateur home movies made from the set, audio tracks--anything. Most significantly, the restoration reinstituted the entire portion of the movie which appear in the DVD as all of Chapters 14, 15 and 16 in which Garland's character takes a long-shot chance at an acting career; but although that enhanced plot-line was reintegrated into the movie, the static and museum-like restoration was in many ways more admirable than lovable. Still, it gets across the idea that Judy Garland's character--singer Esther Blodgett--faced her own trials and tribulations on the way to becoming "Vicki Lester" the film star. The current 1999 DVD goes the 1983 theatrical release two better: it incorporates even more material previously thought lost--in particular audio--and the newer computer technology was used for a thorough digital "scrub" of the already handsome restoration. Previous reviewers are right: the restored sequences can still be a bit off-putting, but the DVD now for sale at 176 minutes is a noticeable improvement over the 1983 release and probably the closest we'll ever get to Cukor's original masterpiece. Is the color perfect? No, 1954 Technicolor was still garish and candy-colored; interestingly, the scenes filmed outdoors at night come across as more realistic than some of the interiors, and the character's facial tones look more realistic. Is the sound perfect? It's a good 5.1 multitrack engineering that sounded good on my budget-level home theater, and it certainly holds better aural technology than was available in 1950s movie houses. A STAR IS BORN is very much a movie about movies, a "backstage" musical something like CABARET where the singing and dancing occur as staged performances or otherwise make sense as something the screen characters would naturally do. (As opposed to the more impressionistic, SINGIN' IN THE RAIN type of movie where characters break character and burst into song artificially.) Judy belts Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin's unforgettable "The Man That Got Away" in an after-hours club, an impromptu performance later described by eavesdropping leading man Norman Maine (James Mason) as "singing just for yourself and 'the boys in the band.'" (And with those last five words, a play was born.) The performance-within-a-performance element that any backstage music requires come from two indelible production numbers from Vicki Lester's films. "Born in a Trunk" is by far the better known but the restoration added the endearing "Lose That Long Face," in which another unsinkable Vicki character sings a message of undying optimism as she tap-dances and flat-foots through studio-set rainy streets (Hmm, wonder where they got that idea?) But most of Garland's performances are in more intimate venues. After rising starlet Vicki Lester becomes Mrs. Norman Maine, her husband puts her to use as "my own little jukebox" as she sings hit songs from her movies. In a particularly charming sequence, Garland's character plays homage to--and gently spoofs--the Fifties penchant for grandiose fantasy production numbers by acting out the round-the-world extravaganza ("Somewhere There's) A Someone At Last" to a background record, using what's available in the living room to mimic props and delighting the sophisticated Mason. The message is clear: it's the star, not the production values, that matter most. Indeed, Judy Garland IS the star who makes this movie; her fictional Vicki Lester comes alive when fused with elements of Garland's own poignant and turbulent life as an all-too-visible film personality. In this movie her performances--as actor and song stylist--were never better; volumes of praise have been written to which I happily agree. But those who surround "Vicki Lester" are a key component of the film's success, too: James Mason's "Norman Maine" confronts his wife's tendency to overdramatize with a subtle performance as the self-deprecating, self-loathing alcoholic who increasingly becomes the object of his wife's charity. Jack Carson the perennial WB "heavy" of the postwar years (recall him from "Mildred Pierce" and "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof") is in full force as Matt Libby, the gladhanding and cynical studio publicist. Charles Bickford, perhaps best remembered today as father to Lee Remick's character in "The Days of Wine and Roses," adds humanity to the thankless role of the authoritarian film-studio owner Oliver Niles. And Tom Noonan is perfect as the buddy to impart real-life wisdom to "Mrs. Norman Maine." People who love Judy Garland certainly should go for this improved and more watchable classic, even if they already have a prior version at home. I think lovers of musicals in general will agree that A STAR IS BORN deserves a place among the tip-top musicals of the 1950s, whether or not they are satisfied with the cardboardish ersatz for Chapters 14-16. Just hop over those with your DVD remote and find out what Warner Bros. left after its butchering! A great film at a great price; go for it.
Rating:
Summary: Star Shines Once Again
Review: "A Star Is Born" was Judy Garland's comeback film after nearly a four year hiatus from the screen. Judy is Esther Bloggett, a singer turned movie star who's rising fame coincides with her husband's (James Mason)meteoric down-swing. When the film premiered it was hailed as a critical and artistic masterpiece. Unfortunately Warner boss, Jack L. Warner, thought the film ran too long to get his money's worth out of only two showings per night. So he set to work chopping whole sequences out and the result was a truncated version that infuriated director George Cukor and cost Judy Garland her Oscar for Best Actress. In the eighties, film historian Ron Haver set out to restore this movie, only to discover that most of the missing footage remains missing to this day. However, he did uncover two gems, Judy's "Lose That Long Face" and the rehearsal/proposal scene as well as a few outtakes that helped him string together a restoration of sorts using still images to link up the story. It is this version of the film that Warner has released on DVD and I must say that I'm not sure how to take this re-issue. Yes, the transfer is as pristine and glorious as Warner Brothers can make it. Colors are bold and beautiful. But the portions of film that are missing jar the viewer from fully appreciating the film's performances, particularly in the first half of the movie where nearly 30 minutes of film stock remains lost, with only an audio track to sustain the first time viewer. To be sure, "Star" has never looked or sounded better and it is a blessing to have Judy and James Mason back on the screen in an anamorphic widescreen transfer. One merely wishes that the missing footage, in whatever condition, would turn up after all these years, allowing "Star" to be whole once again. As a film historian my recommendation is that you buy this disc. As pure entertainment, you may want to reconsider.
Rating:
Summary: A True Classic
Review: This film is a must for the film buff--a great story about the old Hollywood system. The rise of one star and the decline of another. Beautifully photographed and above all beautifully acted. Jack Carson plays the role of the heartless studio publicist to perfection. One complaint though. I respect the roles that film historians play in this business. They're important figures in the field of film preservation. But come on--using photographs over audio right in the middle of the movie is just not cool. "A Star Is Born" was shortened for a reason--those scenes which were deleted from the film were not that important. That could've been saved for the special features.
Rating:
Summary: Judy's Personal Favorite May Be Yours, Too
Review: According to "other" daughter Lorna Luft, mom Judy Garland told her that of all her films, A Star Is Born was her most satisfying. When you see the new DVD version of it, you will understand why. Totally self-absorbed as most geniuses were, Garland could best identify with roles that mirrored her own life, just as she was better than anyone (except perhaps Sinatra) at injecting her own psyche into the lyrics of a song. Not only was the role of ambitious aspiring star Esther was a familiar one to Judy, but also the role of weary, dissipated alcholic superstar Norman Maine, Esther's supportive husband, was far from alien to her. That Judy could so closely identify with both the lead roles might explain why she had had her eye on A Star is Born for years before the project came into fruition. She had, in fact, played the role of Esther in A Star is Born in a radio version of the film years before, while an MGM star. She badgered MGM chief Louis B. Mayer to re-make the 1937 film as a star vehicle for her but was told, perhaps correctly at the time, "Nobody wants to see you as the wife of an alcoholic."
Judy and husband Sid Luft, a sometime Hollywood manager/promoter, managed to make a deal with Warner Brothers head Jack Warner that established a partnership to turn out several films, the first among them A Star Is Born. Firstly it was necessary to put a good crew in place, and to head it all was legendary director George Cukor, whose film successes are too numerous to mention, but was often noted as being a great
"woman's director." Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin were selected to write new songs, most noteworthy among them being "The Man that Got Away." The cinematography and costumes are top-rate,
and you WON'T be aware of how good the supporting players are because they perform so well that you won't notice they are acting. Jack Carson as the bitter, acid-tongued agent Libby particularly noteworthy. James Mason is perfect casting as the handsome, dashing and successful actor Norman Maine who throws it all away for booze, yet Judy's first choice was Cary Grant. Grant, realizing that Judy had the plum role, turned down her offer. It is probable too that the fastidious Grant would not permit himself to behave in the disheveled look of a has-been boozer. It was rumored that Humphrey Bogart also sought the husband's role, but the Lufts turned down this possibility due to the stars' glaring age difference. The Moss Hart script is tight, witty and heart-breaking as we see Esther's rise and Norman's fall from stardom.
But to Garland. It is the role of a lifetime and the screen perfomance of a lifetime. Her screen role, like her real-life
persona, was harrowingly bi-polar, and whether you want to or not, you'll be on her rollercoaster ride of joyous highs and bottomless lows. Whether singing, dancing, clowing around or weeping in the depths of despair, your eyes will be riveted to her.
Ironically, A Star Is Born was not profitable for Warner Brothers and the Luft-Warners deal was canceled. When business fell off dramatically for the legendary "long version" of the film, Warner had the film pared down several minutes without the Lufts' participation. This was so each movie house could add an extra showing, to increase box office. The resulting shorter film is what most people have seen over the years on television and on VHS. The new DVD shows as much of the butchered original version as possible. Warner himself appears in some of the special added informative material, but don't believe he is as cheerful as he seems. Judy Garland was extremely difficult. Most geniuses are.
Rating:
Summary: A heartrending film--and the greatest robbery since Brinks!
Review: "(That was) the greatest robbery since Brinks" said Groucho Marx upon Judy Garland's losing the Oscar for "A Star Is Born" to Grace Kelly. Politics always exists; and this time it exerted a cruel influence. Judy Garland deserved the Oscar for Best Actress in this film.
Of course, everyone pretty much knows the plot by now; either they've heard of it before they got to this web page or they read Amazon's comments about what Amazon calls this "essential video." Judy plays Esther Blodgett, a band singer whose career soars into superstardom when he meets and falls in love with Hollywood mogul Norman Maine, played brilliantly by James Mason. There are some ups and downs along the way, however. (In case you don't know the whole plot, I won't spoil it for you here!)
The film is primarily a vehicle to showcase Judy's talents. She doesn't fail to disappoint! My eyes were glued to her the entire time she was on screen; her acting, singing and dancing were beyond remarkable. She belts out classic Garland numbers such as "Swanee," "Born In A Trunk," and "The Man That Got Away." This last song is arguably one of the best Garland signature songs ever along with "Over The Rainbow" from a film a few of you may have heard of! GRIN
The love affair between Esther and Norman is well played out: indeed, the acting of all the performers is entirely convincing and made me wish for more high quality films to be put out today!
The plot bravely tackles the problems of the Hollywood life: careers going up and down, lives sometimes destroyed in the process. I agree with the reviewer that the "performance within a performance" is fascinating: we see Esther showcase and spoof the 1950s type musical in the scene where she shows Norman the "big" musical number ("Somewhere There's) A Someone At Last" at the studio.
The color and sound are quite good for the time. I agree with the reviewer who writes that 1950s color was not up to today's state of the art. Nevertheless, it is quite impressive. The sound was excellent; the quality of the sound in the restored scenes is usually rather good but not quite as good. The stills used in the restored scenes are not the best but they represent a terrific accomplishment. This movie never should have been cut just for the sake of the almighty dollar. No wonder Judy and director George Cukor were so infuriated they vowed never to watch the film again!
In addition, Garland fans one may note that Judy's real life personality is perhaps best described as a blend of Norman's addictive behavior and Esther's incredible talent and resiliency. I also agree with the reviewer who writes that the plot is based at least in part on the marriage of Frank Fay and Barbara Stanwyck. Good historical reference, sir!
The DVD comes with wonderful extras: an elaborate commercial for "A Star Is Born" with Warner himself as host; scenes from the supper party Warner gave after the movie premiere; Hollywood stars arriving for the premiere; and three different filmed versions of Judy singing "The Man That Got Away" are just some of them! The movie comes in widescreen which helps to replicate the exact experience the audience had the night of the film's premiere (shortly before it was cut by Warner's so movie theaters could show it one extra time per evening).
In short, if you love musicals, Judy Garland, James Mason, or just plain top notch quality film in general, you simply can't miss this movie on DVD! It is truly one of the greatest movies of the twentieth century starring one of the greatest entertainers America has ever been blessed enough to have: Judy Garland!
Rating:
Summary: Just About as Good as it Gets!
Review: The ultimate Show Biz movie!
I defy anyone who loves movies and Hollywood and music NOT to love this movie!
Garland is at the top of her form, Mason is in his ultimate James Mason mode, and George Cukor is the perfect director to bring them all together with Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg's music and lyrics.
This is a beautiful transfer of the film as well - and has great extras. And this is ALMOST the whole film that was butchered 40 years ago. Bravo!
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