My A STAR IS BORN Breakdown

Now that I have FINALLY seen all four versions of this classic Hollywood story, including a re-watch of the 2018 version last night, I discovered that all four versions have their virtues and would offer the following breakdown of said virtues:

MY FAVORITE VERSION: 1954 Version

MY FAVORITE NORMAN MAINE/JOHN NORMAN HOWARD/JACKSON MAINE: Fredric March (1937 version)

MY FAVORITE ESTHER BLODGETT/HOFFMAN/ALLY: Judy Garland (1954 Version)

BEST DIRECTED VERSION: 2018 Version

BEST SONG INTRODUCTION OF ESTHER: Nothing will ever top "The Man that Got Away" (1954 Version)

BEST OVERALL SONG SCORE: The 1976 version..."Watch Closely Now", "Queen Bee", "Everything", "Woman in the Moon", "I Believe in Love", "Hellacious Acres", "With One More Look at You", and the incomparable, Oscar-winning "Evergreen."

BEST NORMAN MAINE MANAGER: TIE: Sam Elliott (2018 version) and Gary Busey (1976 Version)

BEST LIBBY THE PRESS AGENT: Jack Carson (1954 Version)

BEST CHEMISTRY BETWEEN LEADS: 2018 Version

BEST DISRUPTING THE AWARD CEREMONY SCENE: 2018 Version

BEST NORMAN MAINE SUICIDE SCENE: This is a tough one, but I loved Streisand's controversial 1976 version because it really isn't made clear whether or not John Norman Howard (Kris Kristofferson) committed suicide or was just in a tragic accident.

BEST NORMAN MAINE/ESTHER BLODGETT DUET: Jackson Maine and Ally performing "The Shallow" in the 2018 version.

BEST FINAL SCENE: Scoff if you will, but I have to go with Streisand's performance of "With One More Look at You/Watch Closely Now" at the end of the 1976 version.

Nice breakdown. I have yet to see the three older versions. I want to see the 1976 version more than all the others.

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“Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!” ~ Rocky Balboa

I haven't seen the latest A Star Is Born, I'm not real interested in it, I might catch it sometime.

I didn't care for the 1976 Barbra Streisand version. Not surprisingly I liked the 1937 & 1954 versions best. Fredrick March was amazing in the original and the song Judy sang "The Man that Got Away" was aces! I loved the staging on that song and the camera work.

Totally agree with you regarding Fredric March...I couldn't believe how good he was...hands down, my favorite Norman Maine.