Videos
A Star Is Born
A movie star helps a young singer-actress find fame, even as age and alcoholism send his own career into a downward spiral.
7.1
196 min
Release
1954-10-01
Cast
Judy Garland
as Vicki Lester
James Mason
as Norman Maine
Jack Carson
as Matt Libby
Charles Bickford
as Oliver Niles
Tommy Noonan
as Danny McGuire
Lucy Marlow
as Lola Lavery
Amanda Blake
as Susan Ettinger
Irving Bacon
as Graves
Hazel Shermet
as Libby's Secretary
James Brown
as Glenn Williams (uncredited)
John Alban
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Laurindo Almeida
as Guitarist (uncredited)Leon Alton
as Usher (uncredited)
Rudolph Anders
as Mr. Ettinger (uncredited)David Armstrong
as Soundman (uncredited)
Phil Arnold
as Agent (uncredited)Nadine Ashdown
as Esther (age 6) (uncredited)
Gertrude Astor
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)Jack Baker
as Father (uncredited)
George Becwar
as Assistant Director (uncredited)
Don Beddoe
as Studio Executive at Premiere (uncredited)Rodney Bell
as Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)Oscar Blank
as Vagrant (uncredited)Lennie Bluett
as Dancer (uncredited)Lulu Mae Bohrman
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Willis Bouchey
as McBride (uncredited)Marshall Bradford
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Ruth Brady
as Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)
Paul Brinegar
as Man at Funeral (uncredited)Tex Brodus
as Dancer (uncredited)
Sheila Bromley
as Shrine Auditorium Reporter (uncredited)
Paul Bryar
as Bartender at Racetrack (uncredited)Benny Burt
as Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)Boyd Cabeen
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
George Calliga
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Kathryn Card
as Landlady (uncredited)John Carlyle
as Assistant Director (uncredited)Beth Carter
as Dancer (uncredited)Spencer Chan
as Actor at Payroll Window (uncredited)
Chick Chandler
as Man in Car at Diner (uncredited)
Lauren Chapin
as Little Girl at Boarding House (uncredited)Beulah Christian
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)Samuel Colt
as Sammy the Stage Manager (uncredited)
Heinie Conklin
as Benefit Comedy Team Member (uncredited)Charles J. Conrad
as Assistant Director (uncredited)
Tom Cound
as Price Waterhouse Man (uncredited)Oliver Cross
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)Russell Custer
as Courtroom Officer (uncredited)Blythe Daley
as Nora Fusselow (uncredited)Havis Davenport
as Paramount Starlet (uncredited)Rudy Del Campo
as Dancer (uncredited)Harry Denny
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Eddie Dew
as Assistant Director at Train Station (uncredited)Alan DeWitt
as Makeup Artist (uncredited)
Joe Dougherty
as Makeup Artist (uncredited)
Helen Eby-Rock
as Shrine Auditorium Reporter (uncredited)Jack Ellis
as Pinkerton Detective (uncredited)
Jean Engstrom
as Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)Harry Evans
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Rex Evans
as Academy Awards Emcee (uncredited)
Franklyn Farnum
as Ray (uncredited)
Timothy Farrell
as Bailiff (uncredited)
Frank Ferguson
as Judge George J. Barnes (uncredited)Elizabeth Flournoy
as Shrine Auditorium Reporter (uncredited)
Bess Flowers
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Almeda Fowler
as Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)Raoul Freeman
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Nacho Galindo
as José Rodriguez (uncredited)Kenneth Gibson
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)Joe Gilbert
as Audience Member (uncredited)Joseph Glick
as Vagrant (uncredited)Jack Gordon
as Stagehand (uncredited)
Wilton Graff
as Shrine Auditorium Emcee (uncredited)Marion Gray
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)Robert Haines
as Second Assistant Director (uncredited)
Charles Halton
as Paymaster (uncredited)
Joseph Hamilton
as Agent (uncredited)Sam Harris
as Benefit Attendee / Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)Ray Heindorf
as Movie Premiere Attendee (uncredited)
Percy Helton
as William Gregory (uncredited)
Louis Jean Heydt
as Ocean Scene Director (uncredited)
Al Hill
as Shrine Auditorium Photographer (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes
as Spectator (uncredited)
Olin Howland
as Charley (uncredited)
Robert F. Hoy
as Soundman (uncredited)James Hyland
as Assistant Announcer (uncredited)Bob Jellison
as Eddie (uncredited)Jay Johnson
as Musician (uncredited)
Dick Johnstone
as Spectator (uncredited)Arlene Karr
as Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)
Fred Kelsey
as Audience Member (uncredited)
Jack Kenney
as Nightclub Patron (uncredited)Tom Kingston
as Reporter (uncredited)George Kitchel
as Reporter (uncredited)Allen Kramer
as Man (uncredited)
Frank Kreig
as Man at Funeral (uncredited)
Henry Kulky
as Cuddles (uncredited)
Nancy Kulp
as Esther's Neighbor (uncredited)Richard LaMarr
as Benefit Attendee (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)Paul Levitt
as Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)
Carey Loftin
as Signboard Man (uncredited)Robert Locke Lorraine
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Frank Marlowe
as Shrine Auditorium Photographer (uncredited)
Mae Marsh
as Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)
Strother Martin
as Delivery Boy (uncredited)Dorothy Martinson
as Woman (uncredited)
Louis Mason
as Doorman (uncredited)Nita Mathews
as Dancer (uncredited)Ila McAvoy
as Mother in "Born in a Trunk" Number (uncredited)Jack McCoy
as Father in "Born in a Trunk" Number (uncredited)
Philo McCullough
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)Don McKay
as Dancer (uncredited)Heidi Meadows
as Esther (age 3) (uncredited)
Joseph Mell
as Paymaster (uncredited)
Harold Miller
as Benefit Attendee (uncredited)Nolie Miller
as Dancer (uncredited)Patrick Miller
as Shrine Auditorium Photographer (uncredited)Todd Miller
as Dancer (uncredited)Wade Miller
as Dancer (uncredited)
Mort Mills
as Makeup Artist (uncredited)John Monaghan
as Male Secretary (uncredited)Hal J. Moore
as Racetrack PA Announcer (uncredited)Monette Moore
as Blues Singer (uncredited)
Charles Morton
as Shrine Auditorium Photographer (uncredited)
Jack Mower
as Benefit Attendee (uncredited)
George Nardelli
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Tom Nolan
as Child Dancer (uncredited)Anton Northpole
as Vagrant (uncredited)
Barry Norton
as Benefit Attendee (uncredited)Ron Nyman
as Stage Manager (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Monty O'Grady
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Pat O'Malley
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)
Leonard Penn
as Train Station Scene Director (uncredited)
Barbara Pepper
as Esther's Neighbor (uncredited)Jack Pepper
as Chef (uncredited)Hilda Plowright
as Shrine Auditorium Photographer (uncredited)Mel Pogue
as Autograph Hound (uncredited)Murray Pollack
as Benefit Attendee (uncredited)Ezelle Poule
as Shrine Auditorium Photographer (uncredited)
Frank Puglia
as Bruno (uncredited)
Grandon Rhodes
as Producer at Premiere (uncredited)Don Richards
as Shrine Auditorium Reporter (uncredited)
Leoda Richards
as Party Guest (uncredited)Kay Riehl
as Hairdresser (uncredited)Larry Rio
as Soundman (uncredited)Lotus Robb
as Ms. Markham (uncredited)Walter Rode
as Courtroom Policeman (uncredited)Patricia Rosemond
as Dancer (uncredited)
Riza Royce
as Secretary (uncredited)Henry Russell
as Studio Orchestra Leader (uncredited)
Loretta Russell
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)Dick Ryan
as Nightclub Man (uncredited)
John Saxon
as Movie Premiere Usher (uncredited)Bernard Sell
as Racetrack Spectator (uncredited)Patrick Sexton
as Bert (uncredited)Harry Seymour
as Wheeler (uncredited)
Joan Shawlee
as Joan (uncredited)
Don Shelton
as TV Director (uncredited)
Charles Sherlock
as Man Trying to Subdue Norman at Banquet (uncredited)
Dick Simmons
as Producer / Benefactor (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)
Arthur Space
as Night Court Clerk (uncredited)Bert Spencer
as Academy Awards Attendee (uncredited)Buddy Spencer
as Dancer (uncredited)Eileen Stevens
as Shrine Auditorium Reporter (uncredited)Robert Stevenson
as Boom Operator (uncredited)Robert Strong
as Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
Grady Sutton
as Artie Carver (uncredited)Kay Tapscott
as Dancer (uncredited)
Dub Taylor
as Norman's Driver (uncredited)Wayne Taylor
as Autograph Hound (uncredited)
Al Thompson
as Vagrant (uncredited)Ted Thorpe
as Soundman (uncredited)Louis Tomei
as Signboard Man (uncredited)
Emerson Treacy
as Justice of the Peace (uncredited)
Dale Van Sickel
as Photographer in a Dressing Room (uncredited)Valerie Vernon
as Marian (uncredited)
Ralph Volkie
as Courtroom Reporter (uncredited)
Geraldine Wall
as Esther's Neighbor (uncredited)
Ruth Warren
as Shrine Auditorium Reporter (uncredited)
Charles Watts
as Harrison (uncredited)Harte Wayne
as Man at a Funeral (uncredited)
Richard Webb
as Wallace (uncredited)Duff Whitney
as Reporter (uncredited)Shirley Whitney
as Malibu Party Guest (uncredited)
Josephine Whittell
as Shrine Auditorium Reporter (uncredited)
Frank Wilcox
as Frank (uncredited)
Jean Willes
as Fan at a Benefit Show (uncredited)
Tom Wilson
as Stagehand Carrying Poles / Passerby Outside Hotel (uncredited)Eric Wilton
as Charles (uncredited)Stephen Wyman
as Nigel Peters (uncredited)
Mary Young
as Boardinghouse Woman (uncredited)Director
REVIEWS
Geronimo1967
One cannot watch this nowadays without seeing parallels between the James Mason role as "Norman Maine" and Judy Garland's own later life. He is the falling star of Hollywood kept afloat by booze and the ceaseless efforts of his studio boss "Oliver Niles" (Charles Bickford) to keep him from complete self-destruction. Meantime "Esther Blodgett" (Garland) is a struggling chanteuse taking any job she can until good fortune strikes. One night, serendipity takes a hand in this and their paths cross. He hears her sing "The Man That Got Away" with her band in a bar and is smitten both professionally and emotionally. As the title suggests, a star is well and truly born. Soon "Maine" is but an appendage to the newly renamed "Vicki Lester" which sees him spiral even more out of control, despite her addictive love for him. It's long (over 2½ hours) so inevitably, it sags at times - I could have done with more singing, but it is still a fine, touching, piece of cinema.
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