The film is the story of a fading film star who meets a singer at an event as he is amazed by her talent as he helps make her into a film star where she would succeed beyond his expectations with his own career going on decline. It is a story that is a rise-and-fall story of sorts, yet the rise is towards this young woman trying to get a break to become a singer and the fall is towards the man who would fall in love with her with his own career going into decline. Moss Hart’s screenplay opens and ends with a ceremony that celebrates the film stars as the opening scene revolves around the fading film star Norman Maine (James Mason) who arrives late at the event, intoxicated on alcohol. Also, at the show there is a singer in Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) who is also part of a band as she sings on the stage where she saves Maine from embarrassing himself. Realizing what she did for him, Maine would find her singing at a nightclub with the band as he is amazed by her singing talents as he would get the attention of a film studio head and longtime friend in Oliver Niles (Charles Bickford) to sign her as she would be known as Vicki Lester.
The script does have a traditional narrative structure where Hart show the signs of Maine’s decline as he would act in films that were successful for a time, but his alcoholism has made him a liability. The film’s second act is about Blodgett’s sudden rise and Maine becoming unemployed though Blodgett does want a simple life for herself and Maine without the demands of Hollywood. Even as Maine starts to lose his identity as a star with Blodgett rising as Lester to the point that she would eclipse him. The third act is about Blodgett rising further with Maine descending further as Niles offers to help him but one of Maine’s faults as a person is his pride as it is one of the reasons for his own self-destruction.
George Cukor’s direction is wondrous in its grand setting as it is shot on various locations in California including studio lots at Warner Brothers. The film opens and ends at the Shrine Auditorium where it will be 2 pivotal events for Blodgett. The opening sequence has Cukor using some wide and medium shots through the Cinemascope format where he captures the spectacle of this event. Even as he shoots a shot from Blodgett’s perspective where Maine is on the side of the stage about to make a fool of himself where the compositions and movements of the cameras have Cukor show a sense of suspense and drama in an otherwise lively and musical moment. Cukor also maintains simplicity in some of the musical numbers as well as the dramatic scenes with the usage of medium shots and close-ups. There are also these extravagant musical numbers where shots would linger for a while through dolly-tracking shots in some scenes. Aiding in the musical numbers is choreographer Richard Barstow where there is a lot that happens in the dance numbers.
Notably the scenes where Blodgett is doing dance numbers that are being filmed where there is a lot of detail into the overall presentation of the dancing and where Cukor would move the camera from one part of the location to another. Cukor’s approach to melodrama is also riveting in a scene late in the film where both Blodgett and Niles lament over Maine’s state as well as what to do. It adds poignancy to the conflict that is in Maine over his own pride and what he wants for Blodgett. The version of the film that is available widely to the public is a restored 178-minute cut (including a 2-minute intermission) in 1983 from the original 1954 182-minute premiere version of the film. A lot of footage was cut from its premiere version much to the dismay of Cukor but the 1983 restoration that includes a lot of still pictures and audio from lost scenes from much of the film’s first act does play into Blodgett’s own fears about making and what Maine wants to do for her. The small moments that got cut for the version many saw in the theaters in 1954 with a 154-minute running time does lose a lot of the weight into the drama that would loom for the second and third act. Overall, Cukor crafts a heart-wrenching yet exhilarating film about a fading film star sacrificing his own career for a talented singer/actress whom she would eclipse his own fame.
Cinematographer Sam Leavitt does brilliant work with the film’s colorful cinematography through the Cinemascope format as there is a vibrancy into many of the film’s interior shots for some scenes at night along with some subtle touches of naturalism for some of the daytime exterior scenes at the studio lots. Editor Folmar Blangsted, with additional work by Craig Holt for the 1983 restoration version, does excellent work with the editing in some rhythmic cuts to play to some of the musical numbers as well as in some of the dramatic moments in the film. Production designer Gene Allen, with set decorator George James Hopkins and art director Malcolm C. Bert, does amazing work with the look of the Maine house where he and Blodgett would live as well as the sets created for some of the musical numbers. Costume designers Jean Louis and Mary Ann Nyberg do fantastic work with the costumes with the clothes and gowns that Blodgett would wear being the major standout.
Makeup artists Del Armstrong and Gordon Bau, along with hair stylists Helen Young and Sydney Guilaroff, do terrific work with the look of Blodgett in some of the musical numbers she does for the films she is acting in plus one key scene in the first act where she is given one of the worst Hollywood makeovers ever. Special effects supervisor Hans F. Koenekamp, along with the work of Lisze Bechtold, Eric Durst, Kevin Kutchaver, and Ken Rudolph in the 1983 restoration version, does nice work with some of the visual effects for a few dance numbers and rear projection for some of the driving scenes while the pictures used for the restoration allow the film to bring more weight into what Cukor wanted originally in the film before it got re-cut. The sound work of Charles David Forrest and Charles Lang is superb for the sound work in how sound is presented on set as well as how sound appears from another room and in that room for some of the dramatic moments.
The film’s music by Ray Heindorf is wonderful for its soaring orchestral score that plays into the excitement of Blodgett’s rise as well as themes that play into Maine’s decline. The songs by Ira Gershwin and Harold Arlen are incredible for the musical numbers that Blodgett performs in that include some of the songs she sings for the movies she is in as well as a song she sings at home and the ballad at a nightclub where Maine visits.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from an un-credited Strother Martin as a deliveryman, Hazel Shermet as Libby’s secretary, Irving Bacon as a singer in the film’s opening number Graves, Amanda Blake as the radio host Susan Etting, and Lucy Marlow as a young starlet in Lola Lavery who works for Niles. Tommy Noonan is fantastic as Blodgett’s bandmate, who is unsure about Maine’s claims into making her a star though he would be supportive of her as well as giving a great monologue towards the end of the film about everything that had happened. Jack Carson is excellent as the studio publicist Matt Libby who does what he can to clean up Maine’s mess and such until late in the film where he proves to be unsympathetic towards Maine’s own issues. Charles Bickford is brilliant as the studio head Oliver Niles as a man who is Maine’s best friend as he does what he can to make sure Maine gets work, but he also must run a studio where he later converses with Blodgett about how to help Maine.
James Mason is great as Norman Maine as a fading film star who laments over his decline as he discovers Blodgett and helps her becoming a big film/music star where he later copes with his alcoholism, wounded pride, and a career that is going nowhere. Mason does have moments where he is upbeat and full of energy as it highlights the man at his best, but it becomes fleeting where he is often faced with uncertainty in his life. Finally, there is Judy Garland in a spectacular performance as Esther Blodgett/Vicki Lester as a singer who wows Maine where she would gain a career only to unknowingly eclipse the man she loves. It is a performance where Garland displays a lot of charisma and energy as well as a vulnerability that plays into a woman that wants to help the man she loves to the point that she is willing to sacrifice her own career as it is one of her iconic performances.
A Star is Born is an outstanding film by George Cukor that features tremendous leading performances from Judy Garland and James Mason. Along with its supporting cast, a riveting screenplay by Moss Hart, a gorgeous presentation, and a dazzling music soundtrack with musical performances that are insatiable to watch. It is a film that is not just this compelling musical drama but also a film about ambition and love. In the end, A Star is Born is a magnificent film by George Cukor.
Related: A Star is Born (1937 film) - (A Star is Born (1976 film)) – A Star is Born (2018 film)
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The film follows two showgirls who both go on a cruise to Paris after one of them deals with an engagement with another man is halted because of his father where they hope to find a rich man. It is a film with a simple premise as it plays into these two showgirls who are best friends despite their different personalities as they go on a cruise to Paris in the hopes of getting rich and meeting men as one of them prefers to find a good looking man no matter if he is wealthy. Charles Lederer’s screenplay is straightforward as it plays into the adventures of Lorelei Lee (Marilyn Monroe) and Dorothy Shaw (Jane Russell) as they’re both showgirls who are hoping to get a financial break as the former is engaged to Gus Esmond Jr. (Tommy Noonan) who is smitten with Lee though his father (Taylor Holmes) is convinced that Lee is a gold-digger.
Esmond Sr. hires a private detective in Ernie Malone (Elliott Reid) to tail Lee and Shaw as the two go on a cruise to Paris with Gus’ money as well as credit they would get from Gus upon arriving in Paris. Malone would bump into Shaw as the two would fall for each other despite Malone doing his job where he would catch Lee flirting with Sir Francis “Piggy” Beekman (Charles Coburn) who owns a diamond mine where Lee’s interactions with him would lead to trouble. Even as Piggy’s wife Lady Beekman (Norma Varden) is carrying a priceless tiara that Lee wants as their arrival to Paris would lead to chaos.
Howard Hawks’ direction is lavish in not just some of the set pieces but it is also filled with gorgeous imagery in its overall presentation. Shot on location at the studio backlot of 20th Century Fox in Los Angeles, Hawks uses a lot of wide and medium shots for some of the film’s set pieces whether it’s the dining area in the cruise ship as well as the pool room in the cruise where a group of American Olympians are training. Notably as he would let the camera move around during a musical performance in a scene where Shaw sings where Hawks allows the camera to capture as much space but also follow Shaw every time she moves. There are also moments when Hawks does maintain some intimacy in the medium shots and close-ups as it relates to characters interacting with one another or in a conversation. It adds to not just some of the humorous moments but also in the drama where both Lee and Shaw deal with their respective situations upon their arrival to Paris in the film’s third act. Especially as the former has gained possession of something that would later get her and Malone in trouble though she got it through a misunderstanding.
Hawks’ direction also maintain this sense of humor as there is that element of misdirection as it plays into some of the drama while the big musical number where Lee sings Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend has so much happening. Largely due to the work of choreographer Jack Cole who would direct the sequence as there is a lot of attention to detail in the compositions and the rhythm of the music. It adds to some of the dramatic suspense over Lee’s moral position and what she does want and how Shaw is willing to help her as long as she gets something out of it. Overall, Hawks crafts an exciting and lively film about two women trying to find love and happiness with some diamonds along the way.
Cinematographer Harry J. Wild does brilliant work with the film’s Technicolor photography in creating vibrant colors for many of its interior scenes including some of the musical set pieces along with some additional photographic visual effects by Ray Kellogg for a few exterior scenes on the cruise ship. Editor Hugh S. Fowler does amazing work with the editing as it has this air of fluidity in the musical numbers as well as some rhythmic cuts for some of the film’s comedic moments. Art directors Lyle R. Wheeler and Joseph C. Wright, along with set decorator Claude E. Carpenter, do excellent work with the look of the cruise ship interiors including its rooms, dining hall, and indoor pool room as well as the stage shows for some of the musical performances. Costume designer Travilla does incredible work with the design of the gowns that the women wear including the iconic pink gown that Lee wears for her big performance.
The makeup work of Ben Nye and Alan Snyder do terrific work with the look of the women in their musical numbers as well as the look of Piggy. The sound work of Roger Heman Sr. and E. Clayton Ward is superb as it play into the atmosphere of some of the locations as well as how things sound from afar in some scenes. The film’s music by Hoagy Carmichael, Harold Adamson, Jule Styne, and Leo Robin is wonderful for its sumptuous orchestral score as well as the songs that are performed in the film as it is a major highlight of the film.
The film’s marvelous ensemble cast feature some notable small roles from Steven Geray as the hotel manager in Paris, Marcel Dalio as a magistrate in Paris, Taylor Holmes as Gus’ father Esmond Sr., Norma Varden as Lady Beekman who doesn’t like Lee, and George Winslow as a young heir that Lee hoped to pursue only to realize that something is wrong. Tommy Noonan is fantastic as Gus Esmond Jr. as Lee’s boyfriend who is smitten with her as well as funding her trip to Paris as he tries to deal with his father who objects to their relationship. Elliott Reid is excellent as Ernie Malone as this private detective who tails Lee while falling for Shaw where it creates some conflict for him despite the fact that he is hired by Esmond Sr. to do his job. Charles Coburn is amazing as Sir Francis “Piggy” Beekman as this diamond mine owner who is smitten with Lee to the point that he would later put her and Shaw in trouble.
Finally, there’s the duo of Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell in tremendous performances in their respective roles as Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw. Monroe brings a sense of charisma and wit to her performance as Lee who seems like this foolish showgirl who isn’t smart but she uses it as a front as someone who is way more clever while being entertaining figure with Marni Nixon providing some vocal dubs in Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend. Russell’s performance as Shaw is fun to watch with some of the zingers she brings in as she is the smarter of the two women when it comes to planning but is also someone who is less interested in getting a rich man but rather a strong and caring man. Monroe and Russell together are a joy to watch in the way they use their different personalities together while being these lively performers who also bring in a lot of fun and comedic timing.
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a spectacular film from Howard Hawks that features great leading performances from Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell. Along with its supporting ensemble cast, simple yet effective premise, gorgeous visuals, and an amazing music soundtrack with some incredible musical numbers. It is a film that is full of humor but it is also about female friendship while they go on a quest for men and diamonds. In the end, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes is a sensational film from Howard Hawks.
Howard Hawks Films: (The Road to Glory) - (Fig Leaves) - (Cradle Snatchers) - (Paid to Love) - (A Girl in Every Port (1928 film)) - (Fazil) - (The Air Circus) - (Trent’s Last Case (1929 film)) - (The Dawn Patrol (1930)) - (The Criminal Code) – Scarface (1932 film) - (The Crowd Roars (1932 film)) - (Tiger Shark) - (Today We Live) - (The Prizefighter and the Lady) - (Viva Villa!) - (Twentieth Century) - (Barbary Coast) - (Ceiling Zero) - (The Road to Glory) - (Come and Get It) – Bringing Up Baby - (Only Angels Have Wings) - (His Girl Friday) - (Sergeant York) - (Ball of Fire) - (Air Force) - (To Have and Have Not) - (The Big Sleep (1946 film)) - (The Outlaw) – Red River - (A Song is Born) - (I Was a Male War Bride) - (The Big Sky) - (Monkey Business) - (O Henry’s Full House) - (Gentlemen Prefer Blondes) - (Land of the Pharaohs) – Rio Bravo - (Hatari!) - (Man’s Favorite Sport?) - (Red Line 7000) - (El Dorado) - (Rio Lobo)
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