Today’s movie is a classic Hollywood musical with a scene that happens
on March 4. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.
A STAR IS BORN
Norman Maine is a well-known
movie actor. At a Hollywood benefit show where he is to appear he shows up
drunk and resists attempts by his handlers to keep him off stage. He walks
onstage during a performance by singer Esther Blodgett, but she deftly makes it
seem like his appearance is a planned part of her act. Maine later realizes
that Esther saved him from a very public embarrassment. He tracks her down to a
bar where she is singing after hours with some friends. He is so impressed with
her talent and star appeal that he convinces her not to follow the orchestra
she sings with and to stay in Hollywood, promising to get her a movie audition.
Maine is rushed off the next morning to a distant location film shoot. He tries
to contact Esther, but can’t remember her address. When Esther doesn’t hear
from him, she thinks he was trying to seduce her and takes jobs as a carhop and
singing for TV commercials to support herself.
When Maine returns he eventually locates Esther and gets the head of the
studio, Oliver Niles to cast her in a bit part. The studio changes her name to
Vivki Lester. After Maine maneuvers Oliver into hearing Vicki sing, Niles casts
her in a major musical film to replace an actress who suddenly became
unavailable. The film is a huge success. When Vicki tells Maine that she loves
him, he tries to push her way saying he’s bad news, but they eventually elope,
forsaking the lavish Hollywood wedding the studio wanted. Then the studio in
essence fires Maine, saying the risk of problems caused by his alcoholism is
just too great. Vicki’s career continues to flourish. On March 4, 1943, [2:02:50 to 2:09:11] Vickie Lester wins the
Best Actress Oscar. Maine shows up at the ceremony drunk and embarrasses the
both of them. Later Vicki gets Niles to talk to Maine at the detox sanatorium
where he has been drying out and offer him a secondary role in a film, but
Maine refuses it and lies saying another studio is interested in him. Then
Maine meets his former publicist, Matt Libby at the racetrack. Libby never
liked Maine and taunts him by sating he is now living off of his wife Vicki.
Libby ends up decking Maine, who goes on a bender. He crashes his car and resists
arrest. The judge sentences him to 90 days in jail, but suspends the sentence
after a heartfelt plea by Vicki. After Maine overhears Vicki and Niles discuss
her plans to give up her career to care for him, Maine goes for an ocean swim
and commits suicide. Vicki slides into depression until one of her old friends
tells her that her career is the only thing left of Maine. Vicki appears at a
charity function introducing herself as “Mrs. Norman Maine” to a standing
ovation.
One of the classic ‘Golden Age of
Hollywood” musicals. This film is the high point of Garland’s career. She
should have won the Oscar for this role.
At 2:02:54 it shows the ceremony
being held at the Ambassador Hotel, the Coconut Grove. The 1943 awards ceremony
was held there on this date as per Movie Awards ed. by Tom O’Neil
(Perigee Books, New York, 2001) at page 84
Producer - Sidney Luft
Director - George Cukor
Awards – This movie was nominated
for the Best Actress (Garland), Best Actor (Mason), Best Color Art Direction,
Best Color Costume Design, Best Original Song, and Best Original Score Oscars
at the 27th Academy Awards. It did not win any ot these awards.
Screenplay - Robert Carson,
Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell
Runtime – 2 hours 56 minutes
Released - September 29, 1954
Starring -
Judy Garland as Esther Blodgett /
Vicki Lester
James Mason as Norman Maine
Jack Carson as Matt Libby
Charles Bickford as Oliver Niles
Tommy Noonan as Danny McGuire
Amanda Blake as Susan Ettinger
Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.
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