A Star Is Born

1954

2h 56m

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

314

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4 Videos

80 Images

Drama

Music

Romance

A movie star helps a young singer-actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.

Directors

George Cukor

Writers

Moss Hart(screenplay by)

Robert Carson(story by)

William A. Wellman(story by)

Stars

Judy Garland

James Mason

Jack Carson

See production, box office & company info

Videos4

Trailer
Watch A Star Is Born ≣ 1954 ≣ Trailer
Trailer
Watch A Star is Born (1954) - TRAILER
Featurette
Watch Lisa Rinna Discusses Her Love of A STAR IS BORN ('54)
Featurette
Watch John Landis on A STAR IS BORN

Top cast

Vicki Lester

Norman Maine

Matt Libby

Oliver Niles

Danny McGuire

Lola Lavery

Susan Ettinger

Graves

Libby's secretary

Glenn Williams

Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)

Laurindo Almeida

Guitarist (uncredited)

Leon Alton

Usher (uncredited)

Rudolph Anders

Mr. Ettinger (uncredited)

David Armstrong

Soundman (uncredited)

Phil Arnold

Agent (uncredited)

Nadine Ashdown

Esther (age 6) (uncredited)

Gertrude Astor

Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)

Directors

George Cukor

Writers

Moss Hart(screenplay by)

Robert Carson(story by)

William A. Wellman(story by)

All cast & crew

Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

One cannot watch this nowadays without seeing parallels between the James Mason role as "Norman Maine" and Judy Garland's own later life. He is the falling star of Hollywood kept afloat by booze and the ceaseless efforts of his studio boss "Oliver Niles" (Charles Bickford) to keep him from complete self-destruction. Meantime "Esther Blodgett" (Garland) is a struggling chanteuse taking any job she can until good fortune strikes. One night, serendipity takes a hand in this and their paths cross. He hears her sing "The Man That Got Away" with her band in a bar and is smitten both professionally and emotionally. As the title suggests, a star is well and truly born. Soon "Maine" is but an appendage to the newly renamed "Vicki Lester" which sees him spiral even more out of control, despite her addictive love for him. It's long (over 2½ hours) so inevitably, it sags at times - I could have done with more singing, but it is still a fine, touching, piece of cinema.

Geronimo196728 Mar, 2022