Movie Review: A Star Is Born (1954)

Summary: A famous movie actor whose career is beginning to falter (James Mason) takes a talented young singer (Judy Garland) under his wing and watches her career soar while his falls apart from alcoholism.

Review: This movie was Garland’s big comeback after several personal problems kept her away from the Hollywood spotlight for four years. The movie’s original cut was over three hours, but the studio that produced it took out several scenes to reduce the run time and sell more tickets.

I saw the restored version of this film. Notwithstanding Garland and Mason’s fantastic performances, George Cukor’s solid direction, and gorgeous costume designs, the studio had the right idea. This movie is longer than it needs to be; The 1937 version of this film told the same story in half the time and was more effective overall. Garland's hardcore fans would find the full experience delightful. Others would more than likely be checking their watches or fast-forwarding to the key scenes.

What I Liked Most About This Film: Garland's performance in the lead role, the best performance of her career.

Rating: 3 of 5 Stars (“Liked It”)