A Star Is Born
Short description
A famous actor whose career is fading, and whose heavy drinking has begun to damage his reputation, is rescued from an embarrassing public moment by a young singer. Grateful and impressed by her ability, he sets out to help her break into films. She rises quickly to stardom, and the two marry, but as her success grows, his own standing slips further, straining the marriage and pushing him toward self-destruction.
This 1954 musical drama was directed by George Cukor, the thirteenth of the seventeen films he directed in chronological order, arriving between Born Yesterday and Les Girls. Moss Hart wrote the screenplay, Sidney Luft produced, and Judy Garland and James Mason lead the cast as Vicki Lester and Norman Maine, with Jack Carson, Charles Bickford, Tommy Noonan and Lucy Marlow in supporting roles. It is a large production, running nearly three hours, with a credited cast of 195.
Made for about five million dollars, the film returned roughly four million at the box office, a shortfall against its cost at the time. Its reputation has since grown: on IMDb it holds 7.5 out of 10 from around 21,000 votes, and on TMDB 7.1 from over 300 votes, while the critics' rating stands higher at 8.2 from 45 reviews.
What's left behind the scenes
- Initially, filming went smoothly, but problems soon arose with Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm). She began calling the studio complaining of illness or feeling unwell, or simply leaving the set early. By February 1954, the production was 41 days behind schedule. In total, filming lasted 9 months.
- After filming wrapped, Judy Garland took some props from the set. Producer Jack Warner discovered them at her home.
- Distributors found the film too long and cut it by 40 minutes. In 1982, friends of director George Cukor took on the task of restoring the film to its original version, but they were only able to find part of the cut material.
- Director George Cukor (1899-1983) offered the role of Norman to Marlon Brando (1924-2004) on the set of "Julius Caesar" (1953). "If you need to play a former alcoholic, here he is, sitting right next to you," Brando replied, pointing to James Mason (1909-1984), who ultimately landed the role.
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