A Star Is Born (1937)

A Star Is Born (1937)

„A Star Is Born“ is a 1937 drama film directed by William A. Wellman, Jack Conway and Victor Fleming. The screenplay by Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell, Robert Carson David O. Selznick, Ben Hecht, Ring Lardner Jr., John Lee Mahin, Budd Schulberg and Adela Rogers St. Johns is based on a story by William A. Wellman and Robert Carson.

Farm girl Esther Victoria Blodgett yearns to become a Hollywood actress. Although her aunt and father discourage such thoughts, Esther’s grandmother gives Esther her savings to follow her dream.

Esther goes to Hollywood and tries to land a job as an extra, but so many others have had the same idea that the casting agency has stopped accepting applications. She befriends out of work assistant director Danny McGuire, and they go to a concert to celebrate Danny’s employment. Esther has her first encounter with Norman Maine, a major star for years, but his alcoholism has sent his career into a downward spiral.

Danny gets Esther a waitressing job at a fancy Hollywood party where she catches Norman’s eye. The next day, he gets his longtime producer and good friend, Oliver Niles, to give her a screen test. Impressed, Oliver gives her a contract and a new name, „Vicki Lester“. Norman persuades Oliver to cast Esther as the female lead for Norman’s current film,. The film makes her an overnight success, as fans lose interest in Norman.

Norman proposes to Esther; she accepts when he promises to give up drinking. They elope without publicity, much to press agent Matt Libby’s disgust. When they return, Esther’s popularity continues to skyrocket, and Norman realizes that his own career is over.

Norman stays sober for a while, but his frustration over his situation finally pushes him over the edge, and he starts drinking again. When Esther wins the industry’s top award (the Academy Award for Best Actress), he interrupts her acceptance speech by drunkenly demanding three awards for the worst acting of the year.

A stay at a sanatorium seems to cure Norman, but Norman goes on another drinking binge, and is arrested for drunk driving. In court, Esther pleads with the judge, who is impressed with Esther’s acting success, and puts Norman’s custody into Esther’s hands. After Norman overhears Esther and Oliver discussing her plan to give up her career to devote herself to Norman’s rehabilitation, he drowns himself in the Ocean.

Shattered, Esther decides to quit and her grandmother tells her of a letter Norman sent her when they got married, stating how proud he was of Esther and how much he loved her, which convinces Esther to stay in show business. At the premiere of her next film, she announces „Hello, everybody. This is Mrs. Norman Maine.“

Cast:

• Janet Gaynor – Esther Victoria Blodgett, aka Vicki Lester
• Fredric March – Norman Maine
• Adolphe Menjou – Oliver Niles
• May Robson – Grandmother Lettie Blodgett
• Andy Devine – Danny McGuire
• Lionel Stander – Matt Libby
• Owen Moore – Casey Burke, Director
• Peggy Wood – Miss Phillips, Central Casting Clerk
• Elizabeth Jenns – Anita Regis
• Edgar Kennedy – Pop Randall, Landlord
• J.C. Nugent – Mr. Blodgett
• Guinn „Big Boy“Williams – Posture Coach
• Paul Stanton – Academy Award Presenter
• A.W. Sweatt – Aleck Blodgett
• Jed Prouty – Artie Carver
• Arthur Hoyt – Assistant Makeup Artist
• Clara Blandick – Aunt Mattie
• Lee Phelps – Bailiff
• Robert Homans – Bailiff
• Billy Coe – Bartender
• Marshall Neilan – Bert
• Franklin Pangborn – Billy Moon
• Fred „Snowflake“Toones – Black Witness
• Harvey Parry – Boxer
• Michael Jeffers – Boxing Match Spectator
• Bob Perry – Boxing Referee
• I. Stanford Jolley – Boxing Ringside Spectator
• Buddy Messinger – Boy Delivering Fan Mail
• Herbert Evans – Burke’s Bartender
• Sidney Bracey – Burke’s Butler
• Eddie Kane – Burke’s Party Guest
• Dennis O’Keefe – Burke’s Party Guest
• Ferdinand Munier – Burke’s Waiter
• Carlton Griffin – Cameraman
• Harrison Greene – Chubby Previewer
• Chuck Hamilton – Cop Outside Courtroom
• Sherry Hall – Court Clerk
• Pat Flaherty – Cuddles
• George Chandler – Deliveryman
• Billy Dooley – Film Crewman with Spray Gun
• Kathryn Sheldon – Funeral Spectator
• Joe Gray – Garcia
• Carole Landis – Girl in Beret at Santa Anita Bar
• Gayne Whitman – Grauman’s Chinese Theater Radio Announcer
• Charles Williams – Hanley
• Leonard Walker – Hollywood Bowl Orchestra Leader
• Claude King – John
• Myra Marsh – John’s Assistant
• Chris-Pin Martin – José Rodriguez
• Olin Howland – Judd Baker
• Jonathan Hale – Judge George J. Parris
• Clarence Wilson – Justice of the Peace
• Trixie Friganza – Mabel
• Adrian Rosley – Makeup Artist
• Margaret Tallichet – Marion
• Kenneth Howell – Milton Rails
• Eric Alden – Niles’Assistant
• Harry C. Bradley – Niles’Assistant
• Willy Morris – Niles’Secretary
• Vince Barnett – Otto
• Matty Kemp – Preview Reporter
• Tom Ricketts – Ray
• Lynton Brent – Reporter
• David Newell – Sam
• Edward Hearn – Sanitarium Attendant
• Robert Emmett O’Connor – Santa Anita Clubhouse Bartender
• Ted Oliver – Santa Anita Cop
• Wade Boteler – Santa Anita Cop
• Irving Bacon – Station Agent
• Bess Flowers – Undetermined Secondary Role
• Edwin Maxwell – Vocal Coach
• Jane Barnes – Waitress
• Lillian Harmer – Wardrobe Woman
• Francis Ford – William Gregory
• Jean Acker – Woman at Preview
• Helene Chadwick – Woman at Preview
• Grace Hayle – Woman in Funeral Mob
• Blanche Bush
• Buddy Byron
• Virginia Dabney
• Dora Early
• Rex Evans
• Jean Gale
• Leon Holmes
• Janice Hood
• Mary Jane Irving
• Armand Kaliz
• Elaine Koehler
• Renee Orsell
• Sally Raynor
• Marla Shelton
• Vera Steadman
• Kay Sutton
• Tommy Tucker
• Luana Walters
• Cynthia Westlake

„Ein Stern geht auf“ (A Star Is Born) ist ein Filmdrama aus dem Jahr 1937 unter der Regie von William A. Wellman, Jack Conway und Victor Fleming. Das Drehbuch von Dorothy Parker, Alan Campbell, Robert Carson David O. Selznick, Ben Hecht, Ring Lardner Jr., John Lee Mahin, Budd Schulberg und Adela Rogers St. Johns basiert auf einer Geschichte von William A. Wellman und Robert Carson.

Als eine junge Schauspielerin mit der Hoffnung auf Ruhm in Hollywood ankommt, gerät sie durch eine zufällige Begegnung unter die Fittiche des älteren Schauspielers Norman Maine. Sie nimmt den Künstlernamen Vicki Lester an und spielt mit Norman in einem großen Kinofilm mit, aber sein Erfolg schwindet, während ihre Karriere beginnt. Nach der Hochzeit des Paares wächst Vickis Ruhm weiter, aber Norman verfällt dem Alkoholismus, und sie muss sich entscheiden, ob sie ihren Traum weiterverfolgen oder sich um ihn kümmern soll.