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Feature: The many adaptations of ‘A Star is Born’ are explored in a new book
The cover for the book "A Star is Reborn: The Most Filmed Hollywood Story of Love Found and Lost" by Robert Holfer.
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Kensington Publishing Corporation
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Kensington Publishing Corporation
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On FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with the author Robert Hofler about his new book, “A Star is Reborn: The Most Filmed Hollywood Story of Love Found and Lost."
The Hollywood system was never a secret, even in the Golden Age. A young girl would be discovered, plucked from a small town in the Midwest, made over to look “the part” of a movie star, and then wholly become one as one of the major studios' “it girl.” Although the idea of what a “star” is has changed over the decades, the process and effects remain the same. The same is true for the film A Star is Born, which has been adapted four times. The original was released in 1937 starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, and follows the Hollywood machine of making a movie star. Over the subsequent versions, music was introduced, first with the 1954 adaptation where Judy Garland tries to become a leading lady in a Hollywood musical. The 1976 and 2018 versions modernize the story by changing the setting to the music industry, having Barbara Streisand and Lady Gaga become rock stars. These differences and what they say about each era of the entertainment industry are explored in the book “A Star is Reborn: The Most Filmed Hollywood Story of Love Found and Lost.” On FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with the author Robert Hofler.
“A Star is Reborn” is on sale now.
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