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An A Star is Born walkthrough
A Star is Born is Judy Garland's great comeback-musical
after MGM cancelled her contract in 1950. Her husband and
partner Sid Luft managed to talk Warner Bros. into producing
it. It became much more expensive than planned. Garland was
nominated for a best actress Oscar, which however was won
by Grace Kelly for The Country Girl. The biggest robbery
since Brinks was Groucho Marx' reply. I
think that this is a really great Hollywood musical. Three
hours might seem a bit too long but a few nice songs now
and then interrupt the drama.
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The opening shot starts with search lights over Hollywood.
It's 'The Night of the Stars', a charity gala and the streets
are filled with crowds, looking at the celebrities entering
the Shrine Auditorium. Film producer Oliver Niles is one of
these, leaving his chauffeur-driven car together with a
young actress, Lola Lavery. She holds a short impromptu speech
at the television microphones, then the MC tells the audience
that Norman Maine is the main attraction tonight. Entering
the building, public relations man Matt Libby tells Niles
that there's still no sign of Norman Maine, the studios most
valuable asset, yet. Niles and Lola sit down, while Libby
check back stage. |
| The show starts. Libby finds Maine drunk and Niles
tell Libby to try to keep him off stage. Meanwhile Maine
is walking around backstage, harassing the artists waiting
to perform. They just barely stop him from entering the
stage with them. Libby tries to sweet-talk him into leaving
the backstage area but Maine becomes angry. Libby promises
him three drinks if he follows him off stage. |
Gotta have me go with you
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The press photographers take their pictures but when Libby
wants Maine to stay in the press room, he gets angry and
pushes Libby into a mirror that breaks. The music starts
with The Glenn Williams Orchestra and three dancers performing
Gotta have me go with you. Dancer/singer Esther
Blodgett and her two co-dancers try to concentrate on their
act. Maine is angry and pushes away everyone standing between
him and the stage. On the stage, his entry almost interrupts
the song when he breaks in on stage but Esther does the best
of the situation and makes Maine perform a few steps before
the song is over.
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You know, drunk or not, he's nice!
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Esther has saved Maine's face. The audience is cheering,
Esther looks surprised and Libby relieved. She quickly
hurries into the changing room and prepares to leave with
her friend and pianist Danny McQuire to get some coffee.
She stops in front of a mirror and put on lipstick. It's
a wonder to me that Norman Maine is still in pictures! .
"It is indeed", Maine himself replies, still drunk but
grateful. When Esther tells him her name, he answers,
You must've been born with that name, no one could have made
it up! . He takes her lipstick and scrawls their initials
inside a red lover's heart. He then asks her out but Esther
manages to get away from him when Niles and Libby interrupt
them. She says to Danny You know, drunk or not, he's nice!
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