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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 066

A Star Is Born

1937111 minUnited States

Video edition: YouTube
Original language: English
This copy runs: 110:59
Subtitles: English

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Synopsis

Esther leaves her rural home for Hollywood, where determination alone cannot secure even a small part. A well-known actor notices her and helps open the doors of the industry. As her career accelerates and his declines, their relationship must survive a profession that makes private disappointment into public entertainment.

Cast

Janet Gaynor

Fredric March

Norman Maine

Adolphe Menjou

Oliver Niles

May Robson

Grandmother Lettie Blodgett

DirectorsWilliam A. Wellman

Historical context

The film turns Hollywood's star-making machinery into the setting for an intimate tragedy. It was the first colour film nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture, linking a story about screen fame to a significant moment in colour cinema.

Behind the scenes

For the awards ceremony within the film, Janet Gaynor held her own Academy Award. The detail gives a fictional star's triumph a tangible connection to the leading actress's earlier success.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia Internet Archive

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

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Availability checked on September 10, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

Janet Gaynor — Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences · Public domain
Fredric March — Unknown photographer · Public domain
Adolphe Menjou — CBS Radio · Public domain
May Robson — Trailer screenshot of Broadway to Hollywood Licencing information : https://web.archive.org/web/20080321033709/http://www.sabucat.com/?pg=copyright and http://www.creativeclearance.com/guidelines.html#D2 · Public domain

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