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A Star Is Born (2018)
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Let’s just say that HBO Max is off the deep end. For the first time ever, every single version of the classic Hollywood fable A Star is Born is available to stream in one place. Yep, not only is the hit 2018 version starring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper currently available on HBO Max via the HBO library, but you can also watch the 1937, 1954, and 1976 versions of A Star is Born. It’s a fun little treat for cinephiles and fans of tragic love stories to boot!
The original A Star is Born came out in 1937 and starred Janet Gaynor as a midwest dreamer named Esther Blodgett. Upon arriving in Hollywood, Esther catches the eye of a fading movie star named Norman Maine (Frederic March). He not only helps her break into acting, but renames her Vicki Lester. The two fall in love, but their romance is threatened by Norman’s alcoholism as well as his increasing jealousy over Vicki’s career triumphs. Vicki decides to give up her Hollywood career to help Norman recover, but he still dies by suicide, drowning in the Pacific Ocean.
The original film earned a number of Oscar nominations and won one for “Best Original Story.” Ironically, the plot of A Star is Born would become even better known thanks to its first reboot. In 1954, George Cukor directed a musical version of the tale with Judy Garland playing aspiring singer Esther Blodgett and James Mason as fading star Norman Maine. The story followed the same beats, but included musical numbers, turning the tale into one that easily married music to the emotions of its tragic story.
A Star is Born was remade yet again in 1976 with singing superstar Barbra Streisand and actor/country singer Kris Kristofferson as the leads. This version, written by Joan Didion and John Gregory Dunne, focused on rock stardom and leaned hard into eroticism. (I mean that poster is iconically sexy.) A few more updates were made to the story; most notably the characters’ names were updated to John Norman Howard and Esther Hoffman. Also instead of drowning in the ocean, John dies in a drunk driving incident.
Of course, that leads us to the latest version of the film. Written, directed and starring Bradley Cooper and pop superstar Lady Gaga, this version focused on country rock superstar Jackson Maine’s romance with a wannabe pop star named Ally. While the story again, follows the same beats, it stands apart thanks to its original soundtrack, great performances, and meditation on true artistry in popular art. Here, Jackson and Ally’s relationship hits the skids when Jackson believes she’s “sold out.”
Now that all four versions of the film are streaming on HBO Max, you can take the time to really compare and assess them against each other. Just remember to have tissues close by and a good sound system in place for those Oscar-winning original songs.
Where to stream A Star is Born (1937)
Where to stream A Star is Born (1954)
