Producer David O. Selznick turned his attention to Hollywood with this 1937 original classic directed by William A. Wellman. Its Academy Award-winning screenplay co-written by Dorothy Parker tells the story of hopeful, young would-be actress Esther Blodgett (Academy Award winner Janet Gaynor) whose career is launched by movie star Norman Maine (Academy Award winner Fredric March), who also wins the young actress’ heart. Esther becomes leading lady Vicki Lester and Mrs. Norman Maine, but as Maine’s career flounders, he sinks into an abyss of alcoholism. Esther chooses to sacrifice her stardom to care for her husband, but he will not allow Esther to abandon her dreams for him. Remade three times in years ahead, this original version has finally undergone a meticulous restoration and has been remastered from its original nitrate Technicolor camera negatives, especially for this Warner Archive Blu-ray release. The result is a sterling presentation of a landmark in film history for this new restored edition.
For thoughts on A Star Is Born (1937), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic here.
Video Quality
This shining new 1080p Blu-Ray from Warner Archive is derived from a recent 4K restoration of the original Nitrate Technicolor Camera Negatives. It is truly amazing to view a film that is 85 years old and have it look so immaculate. The transfer is respectful of the original Technicolor process with some very strong contrast levels. The film features some wondrous colors that truly leap off the screen throughout, but even the more subtle color flourishes make a grand impression. There is a very nice amount of natural film grain with a nearly imperceptible amount of debris or damage to be found. The black levels look great and hold up well throughout, and there is no evidence of any compression artifacts. The level of shadow detail present here is a wonder to behold. Considering that this film has had a long, complicated release legacy, this effort is something truly magical. This transfer is a gift from the heavens for classic movie fans, and it will go down as one of the top releases of the year.
Audio Quality
A Star Is Born is presented here with a DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mix, and it thankfully honors the original mono presentation. Max Steiner composed a very pleasing original score that is well balanced with the dialogue and background noises throughout. There are moments at the highest range where it gets a bit thin, but overall it maintains its fidelity. Dialogue is rendered crisp and clear in a way that is greatly appreciated. There is a minimal amount of age related hiss, but for the most part the audio presentation is pretty spectacular and free of issues. There are no signs of sync issues or anything else of the sort. Warner Archive does provide optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- Classic WB Cartoon – A Star Is Hatched: An eight-minute Merrie Melodies cartoon from 1938 directed by Friz Freleng which makes for a nice pairing as Emily the chicken endeavors to fulfill her dreams of stardom. There are some nice sight-gags for classic film fans here. This is presented in gorgeous high definition.
- Classic WB Shorts
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- Music and Dance – Mal Hallett & His Orchestra: A nine-minute Vitaphone short which is centered around a music class but blossoms into an opportunity for various groups to play music and sing a tune.
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- Comedy – Taking The Count: A 22-minute Vitaphone short featuring Robert Norton as Joe Palooka alongside Beverly Phalon, Shemp Howard, and Charles Kemper. This tells a story of class bias and love, and the troubles that can come along when you judge a book by its cover. This is a pretty amusing time.
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- Specialties – Alibi Mark: A 13-minute Headline Hunters short about a bum who is wrongfully accused of murder.
- Lux Radio Theater Broadcasts: Two options to consume this story in a condensed audio form are provided here. Those who appreciate modern storytelling podcasts would likely get a kick out of these wonderful bits of history.
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- Janet Gaynor and Robert Montgomery from 9/13/37 (1:00:38)
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- Judy Garland and Walter Pidgeon from 12/27/42 (58:27)
- Theatrical Trailer: The three-minute trailer is provided here.
Final Thoughts
A Star Is Born (1937) is the first official installment in the long-running tradition of updating this classic Hollywood tale of fame and heartbreak. Future installments may have improved on elements here and there, but the framework remains undeniably compelling and there is no lack of talent on screen. Janet Gaynor and Fredric March are dazzling opposite one another, and the assured storytelling keeps you captivated in other ways throughout. Warner Archive has simply knocked it out of the park with this new Blu-Ray featuring a terrific A/V presentation and a couple of entertaining special features. This is an essential disc to anyone with even a fleeting interest in early Hollywood history. Highly Recommended
A Star Is Born (1937) can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
