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A Star Is Born [DVD] [2004]
 
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A Star Is Born [DVD] [2004]

DVD ~ Janet Gaynor
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
Price: £3.99 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

A Star Is Born [DVD] [2004] + A Star Is Born - 2 Disc Special Edition [DVD] [1954] + Easter Parade [DVD] [1948]
Total RRP: £31.97
Price For All Three: £12.95

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Product details

  • Actors: Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou, May Robson, Andy Devine
  • Directors: William A. Wellman
  • Format: PAL
  • Language English
  • Region: All Regions
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Classification: U
  • Studio: Delta Home Entertainment
  • DVD Release Date: 22 Nov 2004
  • Run Time: 111 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B000621ORK
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 55,370 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

"This is Mrs. Norman Maine," proclaims Janet Gaynor, fighting back the tears as she addresses her fans while still rocked by personal tragedy. It's the kind of grandiose gesture we love in a movie star, and the original A Star Is Born is gloriously grand with a cynical undercurrent. William Wellman, working from a sharp screenplay co-written by the acerbic Dorothy Parker, strikes a balance between romantic glamour and tragic melodrama, all accomplished with a barely concealed caustic wit. It's a Cinderella story of a fresh-faced farm girl, the improbably named Esther Blodgett (they have a lot of fun with that one) who transforms into screen icon Vicki Lester when she comes to the attentions of matinee idol Norman Maine (Fredric March). But when the deliriously happy couple marries, Vicki's rise to the top is counterbalanced by Norman's fall from grace, a precipitous plummet from stardom to alcoholism and bitterness. Gaynor's milk-fed wholesomeness is a tad corny next to March's worldly cynicism, but she's a movie star through and through. Adolphe Menjou co-stars as a mercenary agent with a sing-song patter. One of the quintessential Hollywood Self-portraits, A Star Is Born was remade twice and was itself inspired by George Cukor's wonderful What Price Hollywood? and the real-life story of Colleen Moore and John McCormick. March based his character on John Gilbert and John Barrymore. --Sean Axmaker, Amazon.com

Synopsis

A STAR IS BORN was conceived as a comeback vehicle for Judy Garland, who gives a fascinating and heartrending performance in perhaps the finest work of her career. This film was director George Cukor's first musical and first color picture; the tale of a doomed Hollywood couple, it was a remake of the 1937 William Wellman movie with Janet Gaynor and Fredric March. Garland plays young singer Esther, who saves Norman Maine (James Mason), a famous star, from making a fool of himself onstage. Maine is an alcoholic whose career is on the wane but who manages, nonetheless, to acknowledge Esther's talent and help her jump-start a career in Hollywood. But as her star rises and his declines, Maine's misery grows. Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin provided Garland with songs that would become standards in her concert repertoire, including "The Man That Got Away," which earned an Oscar nomination for Best Song.

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Customer Reviews

3 Reviews
5 star:
 (2)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (3 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars A STAR DIDNT SHINE FOR ME, 30 May 2009
I BOUGHT THIS DVD BECAUSE I HAVE THE OTHER TWO VERSIONS OF A STAR IS BORN BUT DIDNT REALISE IT WAS NON SINGING ALTHOUGH I SHOULD OF KNOWN WHEN I SAW FREDRIC MARSH WAS IN IT, AS I AM SURE HE WAS NEVER A SINGING ARTIST. CONSIDERING THE AGE OF THE FILM 72YEARS I SUPPOSE IT WASNT THAT BAD VISUALLY EVEN IF THE COLOUR WAS A BIT FADED OR APPEARED TO BE, BUT NO THIS VERSION DIDNT DO IT FOR ME ALTHOUGH IS SAID TO BE THE BEST VERSION ,I MUCH PREFER THE OTHER TWO AND FOR ME THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT. THE JUDY GARLAND JAMES MASON FOR THE ACTING AND BARBRA STRIESAND AND CHRIS CRISTOPHERSON FOR THE MUSIC SO UNLESS YOU ARE CURIOUS LIKE ME OR A COLLECTOR I WOULDNT RUSH TO BUY THIS DVD.
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2 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful, 14 May 2004
By Peter Kenney (Birmingham, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
This review is from: A Star Is Born [DVD] [1937] [US Import] (DVD)
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 Gaynor actually retired not too long after making 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 me 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).

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5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant love story, 6 April 2009
By Merrill Bone "Missy" (Western Australia) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Star Is Born [1937] [DVD] (DVD)
This is essentially a love story and it will break your heart. At least it did mine. Janet Gaynor is wonderful as the rising star. Fredric March brings a heartbreaking poignancy and pathos to the role of Norman Maine. It is painful to watch him struggling against his ultimate decline into alcoholism and the realisation that his star is fading.

The final agony is when he fully comprehends how he is dragging the wife he so desperately loves, down with him and the step he decides to take, to prevent that from happening.

It is a great shame that Fredric March did not win the Academy Award for Best Actor in this role. He was quite remarkable and is a unique and gifted actor. I believe this is by far the best version of A Star is Born and I cannot imagine anyone seeing this movie and not being moved by it.
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