‘A Star Is Born’ 70th anniversary: Reflecting on Judy Garland’s most riveting performance
Although best remembered for her iconic role of Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz” (1939), Judy Garland’s most riveting performance is as Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester in “A Star Is Born.” The film stands out with one of the greatest cinematic comebacks in the history of the industry, though the production was fraught with many of the personal issues that clung to Garland. But she persevered and turned out the finest performance of her career, proving that she was one of the few true triple threats of the Golden Age of Hollywood. “A Star Is Born” was released on September 29, 1954 and, despite a hatchet job on its running time, remains as riveting and powerful a story seven decades later. Read on for more about the “A Star Is Born” 70th anniversary.
The second of three adaptions of the original 1937 screenplay, the story has become familiar to moviegoers. Whereas the original version was a straight dramatic version, Garland’s was made into a musical that showcases her singing, dancing and acting talents. In this version, alcoholic matinee idol Norman Maine (James Mason) helps to boost the career of aspiring singer and actress Esther Blodgett (Garland). As he turns the unknown Esther into big screen sensation Vicki Lester, she falls helplessly in love with him. Although the love is returned, his battle with the bottle takes its toll on his career and their relationship, and when he learns that she is willing to give up her promising career to take care of him, he makes the ultimate sacrifice.
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Garland’s own difficulties during her years at MGM are legendary, and likely contributed to her poignant performance in “A Star Is Born.” Four years after her dismissal from that studio, this Warner Bros. film offered a huge comeback opportunity for the singer. Despite the anxieties and personal issues that followed the performer throughout her career, all she knew was the life of an entertainer, and her then-husband Sid Luft cofounded a production company so that she could star in her dream project, which at times reflects her own life and troubles.
Much like her “Born in a Trunk” number, Garland grew up the child of vaudevillians who eventually owned a movie theater, and had their three daughters performing from a young age. Garland herself began performing at the age of two, beginning a bumpy road that eventually led to success at MGM. One of their biggest stars, her difficulties with addiction fueled by overwork and stress led to her dismissal when she was just 28 years old, and she was considered a Hollywood has-been. But after successful concert appearances both abroad and in the States, Garland was ready to attempt her Hollywood comeback — which she did spectacularly.
Her ability to show a wide range of emotions, not only in dialogue but in song, is never more evident than in her rendition of “The Man That Got Away.” While Mason’s performance as Maine is moving, it’s Garland’s film from the start, beginning with the moment her spunk saves Norman from public humiliation, to her quivering voice as she asks studio head Oliver Niles (Charles Bickford) why she’s “not enough” to help Norman overcome his addiction, to her despair when her husband steals her awards moment with a drunken speech and accidental slap, to her hope as she unknowingly serenades her love’s suicide, to her final scene, when she comes onstage at an awards program, pulls herself together and proudly proclaims, “This is Mrs. Norman Maine.”
The road to Garland’s comeback film began in 1952, when Luft asked director George Cukor to helm the remake of the 1937 film, which Cukor had declined to direct, as it was similar to his 1932 movie “What Price Hollywood?” However, this time Cukor accepted, excited to make his first musical and his first Technicolor picture, but it proved to be a challenging production.
SEE George Cukor movies: 20 greatest films ranked worst to best
Casting Norman Maine was the first roadblock, with Cukor wanting his old friend Cary Grant for the part, but the actor declined. Garland’s erratic behavior that had damaged her career at MGM had returned, including chemical dependency, health issues and weight fluctuations. Cukor also had to deal with rewrites, changes to the picture format, and a long run time. The end result was a box office and critical success.
However, in response to theater owners’ concerns that its 196-minute run time meant fewer showings and with hopes to make back the exorbitant cost of production, Warner Bros. cut over 30 minutes without Cukor’s supervision. The director was pained by these cuts, feeling those scenes, most of which showcased the blooming relationship between Vicki and Norman, were essential to the story. In the early 1980s, the soundtrack from the edited pieces was found, and using pieces of still photography, the film was somewhat restored and rereleased, to overwhelming praise.
There are heated opinions as to which is the best version of “A Star Is Born.” As a Garland fan, this is my personal favorite, but it’s a timeless story that has been told to four different generations in styles befitting each era, and I enjoy them all. Despite the scenes cut from this one, it still found praise from moviegoers and critics, earning six Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress for Garland and Best Actor for Mason. Garland was expected to win, and was in the hospital after giving birth to her son at the time of the awards ceremony. Cameras were set up in her room to broadcast her acceptance speech, but she famously lost to Grace Kelly for “The Country Girl.” Afterwards, Groucho Marx sent Garland a telegram stating her Oscar loss was “the biggest robbery since Brinks.” Both Garland and Mason received Golden Globes for a comedy/musical film. In 2000, “A Star Is Born” was selected by the Library of Congress to be preserved on the National Film Registry.
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