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A Star Is Born

1937 · Movie · NR · 111 min · ★ 7.2 · 89% critics

DramaRomance

A farm girl heads to Hollywood with hopes of becoming a star, and a chance encounter lands her a screen test and rapid fame. As she rises, her marriage to a once-famous actor strains under his worsening alcoholism.

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Watch free on Kanopy, Hoopla, The Roku Channel +7 more — also streaming on Great American Pure Flix.

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Details
Years
1937
Release date
1937-04-20
Language
English
Rated
NR
Runtime
111 min
Max quality
HD
Critic score
89/100
TMDB rating
7.2/10 (239 votes)
About

You’ll likely enjoy this classic Hollywood rise-and-fall romance if you like timeless showbiz stories and heartfelt drama; Not for you if you want modern pacing or prefer the musical versions like A Star Is Born (1954) or A Star Is Born (2018).

Pros: sharp dialogue; quick pace; classic Hollywood story | Cons: dated feel; distracting color; melodramatic moments

Themes

  • husband wife relationship
  • waitress
  • movie business
  • show business
  • alcoholism
  • hollywood
  • alcoholic
  • has been
  • movie star
  • fading star

Awards & recognition

  • Academy AwardBest Story · 1938
  • National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
  • Academy AwardBest Picture · 1938 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Actor · 1938 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Story · 1938 · nominated
Show all 8 awards →
  • Academy AwardBest Writing, Adapted Screenplay · 1938 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Actress · 1938 · nominated
  • Academy AwardBest Director · 1938 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by William A. Wellman