The first timeA Star Is Bornhit the silver screen was way back in the year 1937. The early Technicolor film was directed by William A. Wellman and starred celebrated actress Janet Gaynor opposite Fredric March. The script had four writers, including Dorothy Parker and her husband and writing partner Alan Campbell. Unique for its time in that it showed a gritty Hollywood story rather than digging for source material elsewhere, the film got excellent reviews for its novel plot and stellar performances.
Then, in 1954 the script was brought back for another iteration, this time starring Judy Garland in a career comeback, opposite English actor James Mason. Garland and the film received rave reviews once more, paving the way for the script to be dredged back up once again in 1976, with the Barbra Streisand-Kris Kristofferson duo taking the reins. The 1970s version was edgier in its already-edgy subject matter, and critics felt that it was a vehicle for the singer to perform, rather than a successful standalone plot. Streisand’s voice carried the film rather than her acting performance, or the performances of the rest of the cast. While it was a massive box office hit, critics rated it dismally low, unlike the first two films, and the film that came after it.
In 2018 Bradley Cooper directed and starred in the most recent version of the film alongside worldwide pop sensation Lady Gaga. Taking the most creative liberties, the 2018 film strayed from the previous three versions in its music and plot, while making nods to the films that came before it.
While each film has its strengths and weaknesses, the fact that it’s been reproduced so many times is a testament to the power of the central story. Viewers across generations can connect with the themes of fame and addiction, and love to watch the central star’s arc of being plucked from obscurity to become a music sensation.
Updated October 2022: If you love theA Star Is Bornfilms or would like to know more about them, you’ll be happy to know we’ve updated this article with additional info surrounding the property.
With some of the biggest stars of their time — even the biggest stars in film history — taking over the role of Esther (Ally in the 2018 remake), it’s no wonder that eachStar is Bornmovie continuesto loom large in the scope of cinematic history. Nevertheless, if one were trying to decide which version to pick as the definitive best portrayal of the drama, purely based on the performances of the cast as a whole, a clear winner emerges. The production value and camera work count for a large part of the moviegoing experience, but nothing makes or breaks a film quite like the strength of the actors who bring it to life.
So after the better part of a century and four attempts, it has come time to rank whichA Star Is Borncast was most successful. Here are all the versions of the genre-blending classic tale, ranked in order from worst to best.
4A Star Is Born(1976)
In the 1976version ofA Star is Born, Kris Kristofferson is anything but likable. An alcoholic washed-up rock star with seemingly zero redeeming qualities, his behavior towards Streisand’s character is bordering on misogynistic. His character lacks all softness save for a tender bathtub scene that later became iconic, in which he lets Streisand paint his face with her makeup.
While it was one of the highest-grossing films of the year, perhaps hitching on Streisand’s star and the legacy of the films preceding it, the tragic musical drama left much to be desired. The supporting cast includes Gary Busey, Paul Mazursky, and Joanne Linville, though none had impactful performances. Streisand no doubt has the pipes to pull anything off, but the songs themselves weren’t memorable either, notwithstanding the test of time.
Related:The Best Barbra Streisand Movies, Ranked
Decades later, Streisand would see Bradley Cooper’s version (detailed below) and have this to say about it: “It’s good. I don’t want to talk about it because I don’t want to spook it. I can’t believe that was 40-some years ago,” Streisand toldVariety. “I think [director Cooper] did a wonderful job with [Gaga]. I thought when it was going to be done it was going to be very different and have a multiracial cast, and the music was going to be rap. But it’s more like the movie I made.”
3A Star Is Born(1937)
Revolutionary in its day for being one of the first storiesmade by Hollywood about Hollywood, the originalA Star Is Bornmight feel extremely dated to modern audiences but is still hard to top in terms of the sheer power in the performances. Janet Gaynor and Fredric March truly nail the heartrending story of a rising starlet’s troubled relationship with an alcoholic has-been who ultimately resorts to taking his life, leaving her to pick up the pieces. It’s all the more impressive considering they had no prior film as source material to base their performances on, as they did it first, not having any idea what a phenomenon the film would become.
Many historians believe the romantic drama was inspired by the tumultuous marriage of Tinseltown starsFrank Fay and Barbara Stanwyck, as their romance was plagued by alcoholism, reported physical abuse and dueling egos. Stanwyck’s success on the silver screen far exceeded her husband’s, as the Broadway stage performer’s career had difficulty translating to the cinema; her stardom skyrocketed and his declined during their union.A Star is Bornstory writer William A. Wellman was a close friend of the couple’s and many claim he based the Oscar-winning film’s dialogue on their relationship.
Related:These Are the Saddest Romantic Movies of All Time
The 1937 version features some superb performances by its cast (as both Gaynor and March nabbed Academy Award nominations), and the picture has received glowing contemporary reviews by critics, with the drama currently holding a100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The addition of musical numbers in future installments only helped bring the emotionally-stirring classic to life and make it that much more compelling.
2A Star Is Born(1954)
Judy Garland absolutely dazzlesas the wannabe Hollywood starlet discovered by the older fading star, played by James Mason. The beats of the story, which unfold over three hours of runtime, manage to exhibit great range, seamlessly fluctuating from sweet moments to tragic ones and back again and again.
While Garland was ironically going through many of the same problems as the lead male character during the time of filming, many say that it was one of the Hollywood legend’s best performances of all time. The 1954 remake marked the legendary actress' cinematic comeback and first picture in four years, having previously parted ways with MGM after 15 years with the studio. One can only imagine that she drew on personal experience to bring her complex character to life, as showcased in her chill-worthy rendition of the love ballad “The Man that Got Away.”
Garland’s phenomenal efforts both in front of and behind the camera for the musical drama helped reinvigorate her career and led to an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, though she controversially lost to Grace Kelly. Following the ceremony, iconic comedianGroucho Marx sent Garland a telegramand called her loss “the biggest robbery since Brinks.”
1A Star Is Born(2018)
Bradley Cooper and Lady Gagaadapted the timeless classic into a film for the modern era. Changing the characters' names and many of the major plot points to make sense as a contemporary story, they also gave the music a much-needed update.
With earworms like “Shallow,” as well as Lady Gaga’s beautiful rendition of “La Vie en Rose,” the pair truly did the musical genre justice, unlike the previous 1976 reboot. Elevating it to be by far and away the best in the collection is the unexpected chemistry between the pair, beautifully depicted in myriad tender moments with intimate close-up shots that contrast the sweeping views of the stars' on-stage musical performances. Furthermore, the supporting cast was star-studded and flawless, with everyone from Andrew Dice Clay, who played Lady Gaga’s father,to Dave Chappelle, who played Cooper’s friend, and even to Sam Elliot, who appeared as Cooper’s older brother, on board.
Years later, Gaga is still belting out awards-caliber songs for movie soundtracks. Her recent hit single “Hold My Hand” is simply the icing on the cake in Tom Cruise’s highly reveredTop Gun: MaverickafterCruise reportedly fired Twenty One Pilotsfrom the gig. Gaga is still a force to be reckoned with — see the official music video below.
