A Star Is Born

By: Dorothy Parker, Robert Carson, Alan Campbell

Narrated by: Sean Pratt, various

Length: 2 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

I'm going out and have a real life.

I'm going to be somebody.—Esther Blodgett

Few Hollywood films have had the impact of the original version of A Star Is Born. Released in 1937 and starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March, it was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won two (for best original story and best cinematography). Since then, the movie has been remade three times, attesting to its continued allure. But none have matched the genius and wit of the original.

A Star Is Born speaks to the longing for fame and its costs. Young Esther Blodgett leaves her home in North Dakota to make her way as an actress in Hollywood. She attracts the attention of cinema heartthrob Norman Maine, who not only falls in love with her but sees her star potential. He shepherds her through to acclaim.

In the meantime, Norman Maine’s career plunges in the opposite direction. He was once a favorite leading man, but his alcoholism plunges him into escapades that embarrass the studio and destroy his talents as an actor. Esther’s love for Norman is undying, but in the end she cannot protect him from himself.

This magnificent and poignant story illumines the ups and downs of celebrity—its pains, its pleasures, its glamor, and its uncertainties. We experience the splendor of Hollywood at the height of its Golden Age. We are also see the heartbreaks and tragedies that accompanied it.

This version offers a unique opportunity to enjoy this film complete in an audio format

• The original dialogue from the film is reproduced complete.
• Accompanying narration enables the listener to vividly visualize the splendor of this Hollywood classic.
• This audio format enables listeners to create their own unique visual pictures of the movie
• It is perfectly suited to those who love classic cinema but often don’t have the time to sit down and watch a feature film.
• Listeners can enjoy this superb tale while commuting, jogging, exercising, cooking, walking pets, or during countless other activities.

The ever-changing pace of current life is shaping and reshaping the way we experience media. This audio version offers a classic film in a form that is uniquely suited to our times and tastes.

©1937 Dorothy Parker, Robert Carson, and Alan Campbell (P)2024 Maple Spring Publishing