A Star Is Born (1937)

The original version of A Star Is Born is interesting to watch after seeing the other 3 versions. Again, the story of a young actress' rise to stardom and her successful actor husband self-destructing, is a dramatic story. This version features performances that paint the characters a little more sympathetic. Janet Gaynor's performance takes her character from wide-eyed innocence, pronouncing "I'm gonna be somebody," to down to earth practicality in the wake of stardom. I liked it when Norman says to her, "a star is born," at the premiere of The Enchanted Hour. And when he asks her to marry him the first time she says "No thank-you." An interesting visual is the hand-prints on Hollywood Boulevard bookend the film. This was a fun journey, all 4 versions are worth watching.