With all respect to Janet Gaynor and Fredrick March, this is one of the few Hollywood remakes that easily exceeds the original.

Making the story a musical is a good idea, even though many of the numbers aren't standards to my mind...
[+] Read Full Review

With all respect to Janet Gaynor and Fredrick March, this is one of the few Hollywood remakes that easily exceeds the original.

Making the story a musical is a good idea, even though many of the numbers aren't standards to my mind (parts of the "In the Trunk Medley" sound just like "The Man That Got Away"). Though looking slightly hardened by this time, Judy Garland still has it and infuses some laughter into her upbeat numbers. Still, this is more a drama with music added, the characters don't "talk" to one another through music. A lot of film-making savvy is happening. Incredibly, I even like the photo montages that were forced when the movie was butchered for running time. The movie really needs those "in-between" scenes when Garland stumbles in her career rise.

Perhaps what I like best about this movie is that it's actually not totally tragic, James Mason's Maine works hard to get Esther her break, even as his own career plummets, there is a reason for her loyalty. While the fortune of fate differs, there is a real equality among the protagonists. Maine is as successful at promoting another's career as he is pitiful at preserving his own.

There is a lot of stylish tone here, especially the behind-the-scenes depiction of the studio life. Therefore, the irony and sadness is highlighted because it is contrasted with a sense of realism rare among films of any era. There is a real justification as to why Esther (aka Vicki Lester) is "Mrs. Norman Maine".