Rent A Star Is Born (1937)

3.7 of 5 from 82 ratings
1h 51min
Rent A Star Is Born Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
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Synopsis:
Janet Gaynor plays a small town girl with stars in her eyes looking for fame and fortune in Hollywood only to face rejection after rejection. A chance meeting with Hollywood star Norman Maine played by Fredric March gives her the opportunity for a screen test. She is instantly rocketed to fame, but fame can be a cruel taskmaster.
Actors:
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Directors:
Writers:
William A. Wellman, Robert Carson
Others:
William Wellman, Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell, Eric Stacey
Studio:
Easy entertainment group
Genres:
Classics, Drama, Romance
Collections:
10 Films to Watch if You Like A Star Is Born, 10 Films to Watch if You Like Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, 10 Films to Watch if You Like Rebecca, A Brief History of Film Weddings: Part 1, A History of Films about Film: Part 1, Award Winners, Films to Watch If You Like..., Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: James Mason, Holidays Film Collection, Oscar's Two-Time Club, Romantic Film Pairings for Valentine's Day, A Brief History of Film..., Top 100 AFI Passions, Top Films
Awards:

1938 Oscar Best Original Story

BBFC:
Release Date:
21/06/2004
Run Time:
111 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
Colour

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Reviews (2) of A Star Is Born

Worth seeing for Fredric March - A Star Is Born review by MR

Spoiler Alert
05/08/2020

Rather a clunky, coarse film, but well worth watching to see Fredric March at work, a great subtle actor.

1 out of 1 members found this review helpful.

Best Version! - A Star Is Born review by Steve

Spoiler Alert
08/10/2022

The first (and only non-musical) version of the durable backlot classic. The story won the Oscar, even though it's a rip off of the 1932 film What Price Hollywood? And they also share a sharp satirical edge aimed at Hollywood life. Esther Blodgett (Janet Gaynor) is the small town girl who makes it on the big screen as the American sweetheart, Vicki Lester.

She is given a break, then a wedding ring, by an alcoholic has-been (Fredric March) who must then watch as her career eclipses his own. Gaynor, a legend of silent cinema, was only 31 when she made this but feels a little old fashioned for a star of the late thirties. The Oscar she accepts in the film, is the one she won in real life a decade earlier.

Ironically, she is overshadowed by her co-star. March pulls of the trick of being the egotistical drunkard who crashes and burns, and also the husband that Vicki is plausibly in love with. No other Norman Maine quite manages that. His charm penetrates through the self-destructiveness. We feel the poignancy of damaged people.

There's an attractive production in Technicolor with a fine, sentimental score from Max Steiner. And there is the interest of a glimpse behind the scenes in golden age Hollywood. Like the skit when Gaynor does rapid fire impressions of Hepburn, Garbo and Mae West at a party. It's my favourite version.

0 out of 0 members found this review helpful.

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