The Next Reel Film Podcast

How well do Judy Garland and James Mason do in the roles? Was Garland stable by this point in her career? How does this one hold up to the original one? Tune in to this week’s show to get these answers and more.

Show Notes

"I thought I was the answer for Norman, but love isn’t strong enough for him.”

By the time 30-year-old Judy Garland was gearing up for her film comeback in George Cukor’s remake of A Star Is Born, she had already had a career full of ups and downs, almost mimicking both of the two main characters in the film. The recent buzz for her wonderful stage shows and for her having cleaned up her act led her new husband, Sidney Luft, to convince Warner Bros. that she was worth taking a chance on with this remake. They thought so too, and the story from 1937 was reborn with Garland and James Mason. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we continue our “A Star Is Born” series with the 1957 Cukor version.

We talk about the nature of musicals and why this musical doesn’t work as well for us. We look at what Garland and Mason both bring to the table and why their relationship works so well in the film. We discuss how the film came to be and why it ended up getting chopped up in the editing stage before being released. And we look at the similarities and differences between the versions so far, noting why this version doesn’t work as well for us as the previous version does.

It’s an interesting film that has strength in the story but gets bogged down in the musical numbers, at least as far as we’re concerned. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in to this week’s show! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.

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What is The Next Reel Film Podcast?

The Next Reel team has been dedicated to reviews, news, and commentary on world film for a decade. This podcast is The Next Reel master feed including all the episodes of The Next Reel, Trailer Rewind, The Film Board, The Speakeasy, and the other shorts, interviews, and specials we've produced over the years.