Customer Reviews

A Star Is Born [Blu-ray]

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A STAR IS BORN is the story of an innocent young woman who rises to fame in Hollywood. Her movie star husband helps her get started in her career while he is already on the skids because of his alcoholic behavior. Besides telling a great yarn the film also provides a candid expose of the movie industry before World War II. Janet Gaynor and Fredric March are superb in the leading roles. The strong supporting cast includes Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine and Lionel Stander.

Janet Gayner actually retired not too long after this movie and did only occasional acting later in life. She had been very active in Hollywood during the 1920's and 1930's. Director William Wellman directed many other good films including PUBLIC ENEMY.

It is difficult for to choose between this movie and the 1954 version starring Judy Garland and James Mason. They are both wonderful.

A STAR IS BORN received Oscars in 1937 for Best Original Story and Color Cinematography. Its numerous Academy Award nominations were for Best Picture, Director (William Wellman), Actor (Fredric March), Actress ( Janet Gaynor), Screenplay and Assistant Director (Eric Stacey).

The 1937 original version of "A Star Is Born" is a moving, observant drama about an aging, fading movie matinee idol, Norman Maine, played by Fredric March, who discovers and marries a struggling young actress, Esther Blodgett, portrayed by the lovely Janet Gaynor.

Norman has a chance encounter with Esther at a concert and then again at a fancy Hollywood party where she is moonlighting as a waitress. He is immediately taken by her natural beauty and sweetness. Norman chooses Esther to be his leading lady in his next movie. When the movie is released, Esther, who is renamed Vicki Lester by the studio, becomes an "overnight" star (that is after she suffers many rejections and near poverty prior to her stardom).

"A Star Is Born" provides a realistic view of the crassness and undeniable glamour of Hollywood. And it examines the fleeting nature of stardom which Hollywood creates and then conveniently and cruelly destroys when a star is no longer viable.

Everything about this movie is first rate in particular the perceptive direction by William Wellman, the smart screenplay by Wellman and Robert Carson, and the uniformly excellent performances by an all-star cast.

March and Gaynor are at their very best giving restrained, yet powerful performances. March's skill as an actor makes the demise of Norman Maine, at the behest of a fickle public and a mostly callous Hollywood establishment, heartbreaking to watch. And Esther's quiet strength and unconditional love and support of her adoring, self-destructive husband are subtly and convincingly conveyed by the gifted Miss Gaynor.

Be sure to stock up on tissues before you see this tragic, unforgettable love story because by its conclusion, your tears will be profuse. I guarantee it.

This is the original... The best.... It has a great feel of the Hollywood that was... Gaynor and March are great. I love u Judy - but THIS is THE classic film of the often-told-story... Judy is a class act, but HER film was/is not a classic.

BUY IT FOR GOODNES-SAKES hehehe:)(:

I went ahead and bought this VHS edition from KINO, and I must say it is THE BEST print of this film to be found. I discovered Fredric March in 2002, and in one year collected over 54 of his films. During this time, I bought 2 other VHS versions of A STAR IS BORN; the first one was horrible...scratchy sound, the mouths didn't match with the words, blurry and washed out color. The second one was a bit better, color not so good, but at least the movement of their mouths was in step with the soundtrack. I really enjoy this film, and wanted to find a better print. This KINO print will not disappoint! It is superb...while the color is not like what you will see today, it is very very good. I was so impressed; what a pleasure it is to see a film almost as it looked originally in 1937.

I mainly wanted to share the news that this is an excellent VHS (I called KINO, and they said they don't know that they will ever put it on DVD...too bad, but I think I have seen bootleg DVD's taken from this KINO print on ebay.) This video is well worth the money due to the wonderful quality.

Many have already stated their opinion on this film. I greatly admire Fredric March and he did such a good job portraying Norman Maine. I liked Janet Gaynor's performance as well. It is fun to see some of the famous Hollywood locations in these early days. It is a good story...nice to see a wife sticking by her man through the good times and bad. Nice to see how she honors his name and memory at the end of the film. Nice to see that she didn't sit and have a pity party about how horrible a husband Norman was. She was of beautiful character...you especially see this when at the Academy Awards, and he accidently slaps her face, she just takes his hand and calmly walks with him back to the table. Later that evening, at home, Norman (March) is passed out drunk in a chair, and we see Esther(Gaynor) kneeling before him, still in her gown, with her Oscar lying on the floor beside her, taking off his shoes. What love and devotion and lack of selfishness is portrayed in that one simple scene... We know her heart was hurting; none of this was easy for her.

I know many people just adore the Judy Garland version. I have seen it, and my main problem was I thought there was too much singing ( I am not fond of musicals), and I also felt Judy looked too old and weary for the part. You could see this in her eyes. She lacked the youthful innocence Gaynor had. Now if Judy had done it when she was younger...but this is only my opinion.

I prefer this 1937 version, and if you do as well, this KINO print is THE ONE to watch and to own.

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.

This was the first version of "Star" that I've ever seen. Looking fairly dated,and coming close to the verge of saccharine simplicity,it's a good picture,not riveting and earth shattering like the Garland version, but it conveys the story nicely and is an ok movie. If you don't like an emotional, roller- coaster like tear jerker, then this version of Star is for you. Mary Marnie Brown Hair is probably a straight ,Judy Garland hating detractor. That poor ,culturally deprived lass even thought the Wizard of Oz was a horrible movie. Pity, pity, pity... If you want,you could get both versions and compare them side by side,performance for performance, and decide which version of "Star" is the true #1 classic. (on a personal note, I prefer to skip the appetizer and go straight to the meat and potatoes.)Gaynor and March will entertain you, but their performances will have seemed like charicatures after you've seen the Garland and Mason version. If you want tame, go with Gaynor. If you want to experience a full gamut of emotions, pretty much a religious experience, than get the Garland verion.

Much has been written about this 1937 film in regard to its story, characters etc. The word "classic" tends to be over-used but it IS a true "classic": the drama and the comedy haven't dated one bit. My main interest in this particular movie however is that it was the first Hollywood film with a contemporary plot to be filmed in the relatively new three-strip Technicolor process. Producer David Selznick's business partner Jock Whitney, a millionaire from New York who was interested in motion pictures, had a stake in the Technicolor Motion Picture Corporation. This film was used as part of a showcase for the stunning new process. It is a Technicolor Timecapsule of 1930s Hollywood. Before I purchased this DVD copy of the film (King Video/Image Entertainment), every other version I'd seen (on VHS) was from a positively awful old print, with faded colour and no sharpness or contrast. I am pleased to say the DVD quality is very good, with pleasant colour. The source used was a 35 mm print from Selznick Properties Ltd which, while a little scratched in one or two places, is far superior to any other version of this motion picture that has been available for purchase. If this version had been mastered from the original camera negatives (as are many movies when transferred to DVD), I would have given it the full five stars. I believe the rights to this film have changed hands many times since 1937 so maybe the camera negatives and soundtrack are lost, deteriorated beyond salvation, or destroyed. If that was the case it is a great tragedy that we cannot enjoy this movie in its full Glorious Technicolor. But, as I have indicated, this DVD is the best copy of the 1937 "A Star Is Born" I have seen to date and it may be the best we will ever see it now. I have not viewed other available DVD releases of this motion picture.

Janet Gaynor is great as the aspiring young actress Esther Blodgett,and Fredric March shows his star power as the pathetic Norman Maine,and this,the first of what was to be 3 different versions,is a great look into the makings of the Hollywood we know today.

The old Technicolor toning makes it look marvellous,and the supporting performances of Alma Kruger and Adolphe Menjou are superlative.

Having been in public domain for so long now, it seems everyone has put out a print of this movie on video. They are consistently poor quality issues. This DVD issue is not perfect by any means, but it far exceeds any others I've seen. If ever a film was in need of a full restoration this is it. A great movie about that land of hopes and dreams called Hollywood. Honest, realistic, touching, and tragic. Although Judy Garland's version is excellent this is the version that truly delivers. I won't even mention the Streisand remake.