Introduction
Welcome to my corner! This week, I'm sharing my thoughts on the A Star is Born film collection. There are currently four films with the title A Star is Born. The first was released in 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. The second incarnation starred Judy Garland and James Mason in 1954. The third revival was released in 1976 starring Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson. The most recent iteration starred Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper and was released in 2018.
A Star is Born
All four movies follow the same basic storyline and tragic love story, only the details vary.
A young woman, Esther, (Ally in 2018) gets scouted by a slightly older celebrity, Norman, (Jackson in 2018). He mentors her until they eventually fall in love and get married. The woman's fame grows while the man's fame fades, and he falls into depression and alcohol/drugs. The wife attempts to save her husband's career, and life, at the possible expense of her own successful career. And then, there's the tragic ending, which I won't outright spoil for you.
1937
Where it all began, mostly. The original A Star is Born story was actually based on another movie's plot, 1932's What Price Hollywood?. The only difference is the romantic relationship. There isn't one in What Price Hollywood? because the male celebrity avoided it to save the woman and her career.
This version of the movie is the only one that is not a musical.
Acting: Janet Gaynor played Esther Blodgett. Her four most notable titles are Sunny Side Up, A Star is Born, Sunrise and 7th Heaven.
Fredric March played Norman Maine. His four most notable titles are The Best Years of Our Lives, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Inherit the Wind and Design for Living.
Box office: The film earned $2.37 million ($40,127,013.89 in 2018) in worldwide theater rentals, including $1.43 million domestically, and by the end of 1939 the film had generated a profit of $181,000. It was the first film to show that films about Hollywood could be successful.
1954
This version is my most recent watch of A Star is Born.
Acting: Judy Garland played Esther Blodgett. Her four most notable titles are The Wizard of Oz, A Star is Born, Meet Me in St. Louis and Judgement at Nuremburg.
James Mason played Norman Maine. His four most notable titles are Lolita, North by Northwest, A Star is Born and Odd Man Out.
Box office: During its initial release, A Star is Born earned $6 million ($56,036,431.23 in 2018) in North American distributor rentals. However, despite its huge popularity, the film failed to make a profit for Warner Brothers due to its excessive cost.
1976
The only version of A Star is Born I haven't and probably won't. Also, the first to switch the celebrities to singers rather than actors.
Acting; Barbra Streisand played Esther Hoffman. Her four most notable titles are Funny Girl, Yentl, The Mirror Has Two Faces and The Way We Were.
Kris Kristofferson played John Norman Howard. His four most notable titles are Blade, A Star is Born, Blade II and Payback.
Box office: A Star is Born entered general release in the United States on December 19, 1976. It grossed $80 million at the U.S. box office ($353,223,198.59 in 2018), making it he second highest grossing film of 1976.
2018
The only version of A Star is Born where the characters are not named Esther and Norman. However, the male lead's last name is Maine, which was the Norman's last name.
Acting: Lady Gaga played Ally Campana. Her four most notable titles (not including her singing career) are House of Gucci, Joker: Folie à Deux, A Star is Born and Machete Kills.
Bradley Cooper played Jackson Maine. His four most notable titles are Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, A Star is Born and American Sniper.
Box office: A Star is Born grossed $215.3 million in the United States and Canada, and $220.9 million in other territories, for a total worldwide gross of $436.3 million, against a production budget of $36 million.
Final thoughts: The 1937 version was my introduction to the A Star is Born collection, followed by the 2018 and most recently the 1954. I've never seen the 1976 one, and I probably won't.
The story works, which is why it's been remade so many times and will probably continue to be remade.
My favorite A Star is Born is the 2018 version with Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper, because the story is great, the acting is marvelous, and the music is superb. Next, is the original 1937 version that started it all. If I hadn't liked that one, I wouldn't have watched the rest of them. Then, the 1954 version with Judy Garland. I can't rank the 1976 version, as I haven't seen it.
They're all good (the ones I've seen) and all deserve a watch, which is why I've donated all four versions to the Emil M. Larson Public Library in Clark.
Where to stream it: According to Google, A Star is Born (1937) is currently available on Xumo Play, Tubi, Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Amazon Prime, PLEX and YouTube TV streaming services. The 1954 and 1976 versions are not currently available on any streaming service. The 2018 version is currently available on Netflix.
That's it for this week! What were your thoughts? Feel free to share them with us! You can call us, email us, visit us at the office, leave us a comment or message on Facebook, or even mail us something. Keep the comments, suggestions, questions, submissions, etc. coming our way! We'd love to hear from you!
