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A Star Is Born
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A Star Is Born (1937) More at IMDbPro »

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A Star Is Born (1937) -- A young woman comes to Hollywood with dreams of stardom, but achieves them only with the help of an alcoholic leading man whose best days are behind him.

Overview

User Rating:
7.8/10   2,393 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
No change in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Writers:
William A. Wellman (story) and
Robert Carson (story) ...
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Contact:
View company contact information for A Star Is Born on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
27 April 1937 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
Fate Raised Her To Fame - and killed the man she loved ! more
Plot:
A young woman comes to Hollywood with dreams of stardom, but achieves them only with the help of an alcoholic leading man whose best days are behind him. full summary | add synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar. Another 1 win & 7 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(5 articles)
Pre-Code Wellman and Godard's Code Unknown
 (From IFC. 31 March 2009, 7:17 AM, PDT)

Beyonce Signs On For A Star Is Born Film
 (From HollyScoop. 11 December 2008, 3:48 AM, PST)

User Comments:
colour stardom of Esther Blodgett more

Cast

  (Complete credited cast)

Janet Gaynor ... Esther Victoria Blodgett, aka Vicki Lester

Fredric March ... Norman Maine

Adolphe Menjou ... Oliver Niles
May Robson ... Grandmother Lettie
Andy Devine ... Daniel 'Danny' McGuire
Lionel Stander ... Matt Libby
Owen Moore ... Casey Burke, director
Peggy Wood ... Miss Phillips, Central Casting clerk
Elizabeth Jenns ... Anita Regis
Edgar Kennedy ... Pop Randall, landlord
J.C. Nugent ... Mr. Blodgett
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams ... Posture coach (as Guinn Williams)
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Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
111 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Sound System Noiseless Recording)
Certification:
Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (PCA #2968) | Finland:S | Australia:G

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
David O. Selznick originally rejected the story, as films about Hollywood had generally failed, but was persuaded to do the film by his wife Irene Mayer Selznick. Writer-director William A. Wellman had alternately suggested a sequel to The Public Enemy (1931), titled "Another Public Enemy". more
Goofs:
Factual errors: In the night court scene, the judge refers to the "commonwealth" but the movie is set in California which isn't one of the states to have commonwealth status. The judge should have referred to the "state" instead. more
Quotes:
Danny McGuire: The program tonight's gonna be swell. Take this fella Beethoven: I'm a pushover for him. And Chopin - well, he's not so dusty, either. more
Movie Connections:
Featured in Hooray for Hollywood (1975) more
Soundtrack:
Les Préludes more

FAQ

What was Norman Maine's real name?
Why is Janet Gaynor listed as playing two different characters?
Is "A Star is Born" based on a book?
more
16 out of 18 people found the following comment useful:-
colour stardom of Esther Blodgett, 8 March 2003
Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

Janet Gaynor plays Esther Blodgett beautifully, a girl who leaves for Hollywood with dreams of film magazines and the blessing of her granny. Once there she finds it tough-going until meeting Norman Maine (Fredric March) at a party. We've already seen Norman drunk at a theatre but here he charms Esther and actually gets her into the movies before marrying her and watching his own career crumble. March is excellent in this, and the look of the film is surprisingly modern with its lovely technicolor and gadgets (I particularly like the shower in the motor home Esther and Norman take on honeymoon). Esther's move to become star Vicki Lester, Oscar-winning actress, is unbelievable but as her real-life tragedy unfolds, compelling. And who can stay dry-eyed at the end? Remade with music and Judy Garland in 1954 (very well) but this first version is a jewel amongst other 30s classics.

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Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Pulled up by a tie luke_veinot
Lana Turner? tomtac
Best DVD to buy? bjnevin
I haven't seen any remakes. Are they good? krajackex
Danny McGuire (**CONTAINS SPOILERS**) Chesterfield_Invincible
Favorite scene supertrav77
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