Description:
Review:
5.0 out of 5 stars For Judy Garland Fans, Film Historians and "A Star Is Born" Aficionados
This movie should have won several Academy awards. It was nominated for six but won none.In this book, Judy's daughter Lorna Luft explains the backstory of this wonderful film, its production, how its loss at the Academy Awards was one of the biggest upsets in film history. It was supposed to be Judy Garland's comeback. Esther Blodgett was Judy's finest performance, yet she lost Best Actress to a less experienced, more mediocre actress, Grace Kelly at the Academy Awards. At the time of the broadcast, Judy was in the hospital, having given birth to her son Joey."A Star Is Born" depicts the dark side of fame, addiction, loss, and suicide. It was eerily close to Judy's own tumultuous life but produced a stunning performance. The other versions cannot compare to Judy's version filmed n 1954, because those actresses who played Esther could not bring the life experiences that Judy possessed to the role.Lorna explains the process she and film historian Jeffrey Vance went through in order to restore lost scenes and piece together "A Star Is Born" as close as possible to the original 181 minutes. Lorna also included photos taken behind the scenes and other family pictures in this book that were not seen before. She also explains how her mother struggled with her inner demons and addiction to prescription drugs; how she had tried everything to cure her mental illness, including electroshock therapy. This film was supposed to be her comeback; Judy knew she had her career riding on the success of this film. But it was not to be. Initially the film was well received, even though it ran 181 minutes long. However, Warner Brothers and the movie theaters felt the film was too long. They wanted 4 showings per day of the film, so the movie was cut down to 154 minutes. Two musical numbers and crucial scenes were cut, so the story didn't always make sense in parts. This resulted in a box office failure, signaling the end of Judy's film career. Lorna was only 2 years old when the film came out, but she obviously was privy to many discussions with her mother and father about the film when she was older. Lorna discusses how friends and fellow actors felt that Judy was robbed of the Academy Award; some say she had made too many enemies in Hollywood that wielded enough clout to freeze out "A Star Is Born" from any Academy awards.Although not a true "firsthand" account of the making of this movie, Lorna was an insider who would have information that nobody else would possess, other than her brother Joey or her half sister Liza Minelli. It is a detailed account of what could have been Judy's comeback, but also details how the film was restored to its almost original length. Six minutes of footage has never been found, and in some scenes, only the audio was available, so still photos were used. Maybe someday AI can be used to recreate scenes from still photos.This is a worthwhile read for Judy Garland fans, and fans of "A Star Is Born." Lorna also discusses the other versions of the film, including the 1937 version starring Janet Gaynor and the last two remakes with Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga.
5.0 out of 5 stars "A STAR IS BORN, AND RESTORED, AND RECLAIMED, AND REVITALIZED"
Timed with the release of director-actor Bradley Cooper's 2018 film version of "A Star Is Born", Turner Classic Movies presents a book about ALL the versions of "A Star Is Born." It makes for an addictive read. As Margo Channing said in "All About Eve", "fasten your seatbelts!" The saga of "A Star Is Born" is a wild, up and down, bumpy ride. The story has been through the good (the 1937 version with Janet Gaynor and Fredrick March), the superb (the 1954 version directed by George Cukor; starring Judy Garland and James Mason) and the bad and the ugly (the 1976 "ego trip" version starring Barbra Streisand). As an added bonus, the book is packed with photos from every version (many in color), printed on beautiful, glossy pages.Cooper's 2018 film might be the fifth version of "A Star Is Born"-- IF you count "What Price Hollywood" as the film that inspired everything to begin with. In "What Price Hollywood?", a movie struck girl named Mary is mentored by an alcoholic director, but does not marry him. Producer David O'Selznick felt that "What Price Hollywood?" didn't realize its full potential. "A Star Is Born" (1937) includes characters and situations from a short story called "It Happened In Hollywood." That story gives us aspiring star Esther Blodgett and fading matinee idol Norman Maine. The drowning death of actor John Bowers, and incidents from the lives of actors John Gilbert and John Barrymore, found their way into the "A Star Is Born" plot. The 1937 "A Star Is Born" serves as a good template for the full-force musical drama version in 1954.Film historian Jeffrey Vance's chapter on Barbra Streisand's 1976 version is mercifully brief. Moving the story from Hollywood to a world of "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" in the mid-1970's, and full of "feminist statements" by Streisand, the film is nothing but a star on an insulting and ludicrous ego trip. And critics quickly smelled a stinker. Vincent Canby said that Barbra Streisand "never plays to or with the other actors. She does A Star Is Born as a solo turn." Pauline Kael found Streisand's version so "truthless, {Streisand} can't play it."Streisand's version belongs in the trash, but it was Judy Garland's 1954 version that was vandalized, thanks to the preposterous post-premiere editing ordered by Warner Bros. "money man" Harry Warner. Still, the 1954 version is the one we remember the most, because it delivers the most emotional jolts, fueled by Judy Garland's dynamic talents.The bulk of this book belongs to the trials and tribulations of Judy Garland's "A Star Is Born", and deservedly so. Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland and her husband, producer-manager Sid Luft, details it all in a compelling, precise, and often heartbreaking manner. Hollywood is often a duplicitous, insensitive town. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the way the 1954 "A Star Is Born" was mishandled. Regardless of whatever industry baggage or personal demons Judy Garland brought to "A Star Is Born", she delivered a tour-de-force performance on screen. The film, running three hours, opened to rave reviews. Still, Harry Warner demanded the film be cut by 27 minutes, to a run time of two hours and 34 minutes. The cuts ruined the emotional and dramatic flow of the film, and robbed Garland of the Academy Award she deserved. The industry message to Garland was devastating, but direct: "You can give your heart and soul to the movies, honey, but Hollywood isn't going to award you for it."The 1954 "A Star Is Born" has been restored to near its original length (now at 2 hours and 54 minutes) twice; by film historian Ronald Haver in 1983, and again in 2010. The sad part is that director George Cukor and star Judy Garland were no longer alive to see their film be reborn and reclaimed as a masterpiece. Lorna Luft writes of further family drama caused by her autobiography "Me & My Shadows: Life With Judy Garland", and the subsequent award-winning TV movie starring Judy Davis and Tammy Blanchard. Sid Luft resented both the autobiography and TV movie. Lorna and her dad made a sort of peace before his death, but things were never the same. They seldom saw each other in person after that. Some elements of "A Star Is Born" still hit too uncomfortably close to home.The book concludes with a mention of the 2018 version. With the story set in the music industry, you might think this film is close to the dreadful 1976 Streisand version. The surprise is that, emotionally, it is much closer to the 1954 version. But director-actor Bradley Cooper does something much more extraordinary here. His film is not so much a remake or, far worse, a retread "reimagining", but a stunning revitalization. Cooper rejiggers everything just enough to make the story spin and live in 2018. Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) is a major revelation-- just as Judy Garland was in 1954. Who would dream that Lady Gaga is a soul sister to Judy Garland?
great price
great book
A Star is Born
Bought it for my granddaughter, who really enjoyed it
Everything was perfect.
Everything was perfect and the product arrived in time.
A classic brilliant film.
Judy is simply Brilliant in this movie. She should of won an Oscar for it. Her singing acting is amazing. Its a must for all Judy fans. An absolute classic.
Lovely and interesting read for movie fans
Excellent book! Especially for fans of classic film and of course Judy. Arrived quickly and in excellent condition too
Visit the Running Press Adult Store
A Star Is Born: Judy Garland and the Film that Got Away (Turner Classic Movies)
AED8249
Quantity:
Order today to get by
Free delivery on orders over AED 200
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A Star Is Born: Judy Garland and the Film that Got Away (Turner Classic Movies)
AED8249
Quantity:
Order today to get by
Free delivery on orders over AED 200
Imported From: United States
At bolo.ae, we stand behind the authenticity and quality of every product we sell. We guarantee that all items offered on our website are 100% genuine, sourced directly from authorized distributors, trusted partners, or the original brands themselves.
We do not sell counterfeit, replica, or unauthorized goods. Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.
If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support . We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.
Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.
All product information, including images, descriptions, and reviews, is provided by third-party vendors. bolo.ae is not responsible for any claims, promotions, or representations made within product content or images. For more accurate or detailed product information, please contact the manufacturer directly or reach out to Bolo Support.
Unless otherwise stated during checkout, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.
bolo.ae operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.
All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.
All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.
Description:
Review:
5.0 out of 5 stars For Judy Garland Fans, Film Historians and "A Star Is Born" Aficionados
This movie should have won several Academy awards. It was nominated for six but won none.In this book, Judy's daughter Lorna Luft explains the backstory of this wonderful film, its production, how its loss at the Academy Awards was one of the biggest upsets in film history. It was supposed to be Judy Garland's comeback. Esther Blodgett was Judy's finest performance, yet she lost Best Actress to a less experienced, more mediocre actress, Grace Kelly at the Academy Awards. At the time of the broadcast, Judy was in the hospital, having given birth to her son Joey."A Star Is Born" depicts the dark side of fame, addiction, loss, and suicide. It was eerily close to Judy's own tumultuous life but produced a stunning performance. The other versions cannot compare to Judy's version filmed n 1954, because those actresses who played Esther could not bring the life experiences that Judy possessed to the role.Lorna explains the process she and film historian Jeffrey Vance went through in order to restore lost scenes and piece together "A Star Is Born" as close as possible to the original 181 minutes. Lorna also included photos taken behind the scenes and other family pictures in this book that were not seen before. She also explains how her mother struggled with her inner demons and addiction to prescription drugs; how she had tried everything to cure her mental illness, including electroshock therapy. This film was supposed to be her comeback; Judy knew she had her career riding on the success of this film. But it was not to be. Initially the film was well received, even though it ran 181 minutes long. However, Warner Brothers and the movie theaters felt the film was too long. They wanted 4 showings per day of the film, so the movie was cut down to 154 minutes. Two musical numbers and crucial scenes were cut, so the story didn't always make sense in parts. This resulted in a box office failure, signaling the end of Judy's film career. Lorna was only 2 years old when the film came out, but she obviously was privy to many discussions with her mother and father about the film when she was older. Lorna discusses how friends and fellow actors felt that Judy was robbed of the Academy Award; some say she had made too many enemies in Hollywood that wielded enough clout to freeze out "A Star Is Born" from any Academy awards.Although not a true "firsthand" account of the making of this movie, Lorna was an insider who would have information that nobody else would possess, other than her brother Joey or her half sister Liza Minelli. It is a detailed account of what could have been Judy's comeback, but also details how the film was restored to its almost original length. Six minutes of footage has never been found, and in some scenes, only the audio was available, so still photos were used. Maybe someday AI can be used to recreate scenes from still photos.This is a worthwhile read for Judy Garland fans, and fans of "A Star Is Born." Lorna also discusses the other versions of the film, including the 1937 version starring Janet Gaynor and the last two remakes with Barbra Streisand and Lady Gaga.
5.0 out of 5 stars "A STAR IS BORN, AND RESTORED, AND RECLAIMED, AND REVITALIZED"
Timed with the release of director-actor Bradley Cooper's 2018 film version of "A Star Is Born", Turner Classic Movies presents a book about ALL the versions of "A Star Is Born." It makes for an addictive read. As Margo Channing said in "All About Eve", "fasten your seatbelts!" The saga of "A Star Is Born" is a wild, up and down, bumpy ride. The story has been through the good (the 1937 version with Janet Gaynor and Fredrick March), the superb (the 1954 version directed by George Cukor; starring Judy Garland and James Mason) and the bad and the ugly (the 1976 "ego trip" version starring Barbra Streisand). As an added bonus, the book is packed with photos from every version (many in color), printed on beautiful, glossy pages.Cooper's 2018 film might be the fifth version of "A Star Is Born"-- IF you count "What Price Hollywood" as the film that inspired everything to begin with. In "What Price Hollywood?", a movie struck girl named Mary is mentored by an alcoholic director, but does not marry him. Producer David O'Selznick felt that "What Price Hollywood?" didn't realize its full potential. "A Star Is Born" (1937) includes characters and situations from a short story called "It Happened In Hollywood." That story gives us aspiring star Esther Blodgett and fading matinee idol Norman Maine. The drowning death of actor John Bowers, and incidents from the lives of actors John Gilbert and John Barrymore, found their way into the "A Star Is Born" plot. The 1937 "A Star Is Born" serves as a good template for the full-force musical drama version in 1954.Film historian Jeffrey Vance's chapter on Barbra Streisand's 1976 version is mercifully brief. Moving the story from Hollywood to a world of "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" in the mid-1970's, and full of "feminist statements" by Streisand, the film is nothing but a star on an insulting and ludicrous ego trip. And critics quickly smelled a stinker. Vincent Canby said that Barbra Streisand "never plays to or with the other actors. She does A Star Is Born as a solo turn." Pauline Kael found Streisand's version so "truthless, {Streisand} can't play it."Streisand's version belongs in the trash, but it was Judy Garland's 1954 version that was vandalized, thanks to the preposterous post-premiere editing ordered by Warner Bros. "money man" Harry Warner. Still, the 1954 version is the one we remember the most, because it delivers the most emotional jolts, fueled by Judy Garland's dynamic talents.The bulk of this book belongs to the trials and tribulations of Judy Garland's "A Star Is Born", and deservedly so. Lorna Luft, daughter of Judy Garland and her husband, producer-manager Sid Luft, details it all in a compelling, precise, and often heartbreaking manner. Hollywood is often a duplicitous, insensitive town. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the way the 1954 "A Star Is Born" was mishandled. Regardless of whatever industry baggage or personal demons Judy Garland brought to "A Star Is Born", she delivered a tour-de-force performance on screen. The film, running three hours, opened to rave reviews. Still, Harry Warner demanded the film be cut by 27 minutes, to a run time of two hours and 34 minutes. The cuts ruined the emotional and dramatic flow of the film, and robbed Garland of the Academy Award she deserved. The industry message to Garland was devastating, but direct: "You can give your heart and soul to the movies, honey, but Hollywood isn't going to award you for it."The 1954 "A Star Is Born" has been restored to near its original length (now at 2 hours and 54 minutes) twice; by film historian Ronald Haver in 1983, and again in 2010. The sad part is that director George Cukor and star Judy Garland were no longer alive to see their film be reborn and reclaimed as a masterpiece. Lorna Luft writes of further family drama caused by her autobiography "Me & My Shadows: Life With Judy Garland", and the subsequent award-winning TV movie starring Judy Davis and Tammy Blanchard. Sid Luft resented both the autobiography and TV movie. Lorna and her dad made a sort of peace before his death, but things were never the same. They seldom saw each other in person after that. Some elements of "A Star Is Born" still hit too uncomfortably close to home.The book concludes with a mention of the 2018 version. With the story set in the music industry, you might think this film is close to the dreadful 1976 Streisand version. The surprise is that, emotionally, it is much closer to the 1954 version. But director-actor Bradley Cooper does something much more extraordinary here. His film is not so much a remake or, far worse, a retread "reimagining", but a stunning revitalization. Cooper rejiggers everything just enough to make the story spin and live in 2018. Lady Gaga (Stefani Germanotta) is a major revelation-- just as Judy Garland was in 1954. Who would dream that Lady Gaga is a soul sister to Judy Garland?
great price
great book
A Star is Born
Bought it for my granddaughter, who really enjoyed it
Everything was perfect.
Everything was perfect and the product arrived in time.
A classic brilliant film.
Judy is simply Brilliant in this movie. She should of won an Oscar for it. Her singing acting is amazing. Its a must for all Judy fans. An absolute classic.
Lovely and interesting read for movie fans
Excellent book! Especially for fans of classic film and of course Judy. Arrived quickly and in excellent condition too
Similar suggestions by Bolo
More from this brand
Similar items from “Musicals & Film”
Share with
Or share with link
https://www.bolo.ae/products/U076246481K