A Star Is Born 1954

This, the second of four movies entitled A STAR IS BORN (1937, 1954, 1976 and 2018), writes it's story around Judy Garland's big voice and big production pieces. It, too, garnered award attention from its generation. For a modern audience its over 3 hour length may feel like a bit of a marathon, but for those who love classical movies and big production pieces this will be a treat. The bare bones of the original story are there but this movie switches the focus from movies to big screen musical productions. Of the four movies, this is my least favourite, but I still give it a 7 (good) out of 10. [Musical Drama]

Some of the songs and dances are good but it is too long.

Oh god, Judy Garland gives an all-timer of a performance. The vulnerability she displays throughout is like an electric current; my heart just feels zapped watching her. She's got a twitchy, naturalistic style that reminds me of some of my favorite Fontaine performances. That she didn't win the Oscar here is just heartbreaking.

The rest of the movie around her, though, I found to be so-so. Cukor doesn't seem to know whether he's making a melodrama or a musical, which leads to some overly long musical sequences that throw off the pacing (and bloat the run time.) The numbers are good (and there are some standouts, like "Swanee" that runs for over 15 minutes) and Judy is amazing--they just take away from the drama of the core relationship that feels like the heart of the film to me.

Although it started slow, it became a good movie with a nice plot and great acting. The musical numbers are adequate and all the direction is good. I found strange that some scenes are lost and presented with photographs.