December 1, 2006
Barbra's film, A Star is Born had so much going for it during its amazing run in 1976. It was hip. It was creative. It had a number-one hit song. And it had a soundtrack album that became a monster hit all across the country. The critics were less than enthusiastic when the flick first opened, but the general word of mouth was so great, the audiences responded in droves.

Performing on screen with Barbra for the first time, fans of A Star is Born know Clydie King and Vanetta Fields as the highly talented, but underrated "Oreos."  The girl group, which helped launch the career of Esther Hoffman, is central to several key segments of the film, vocally backing up Barbra in her renditions of "Queen Bee," "The Woman In The Moon" and "I Believe In Love," not to mention the hilarious cat food commercial scene.

But this was not the first time these talented ladies have worked with Barbra. Clydie and Vanetta are prominently featured on three of Barbra's early 70s albums (Stoney End, Barbra Joan Streisand and Live Concert at the Forum). Their distinctive sound contributed greatly to the success of these Streisand crossover albums.

Decades later, when Barbra needed a backup singer for her performances of Timeless in Australia, she asked Aussie resident Vanetta Fields to once again join her on stage. Vanetta and Barbra performing "The Main Event" in Sydney and Melbourne was a special moment, and Barbra was only too glad to acknowledge Vanetta and their successful history during those concerts in Australia.

"Evergreen" and Barbra's Second Oscar

During her new DVD commentary, Barbra Streisand called her second Academy Award one of the highlights of her career. Having penned the music for "Evergreen" (the film's love theme), Barbra became the first woman ever to receive an Oscar for Best Song. And most will agree that Barbra's efforts in crafting much of the film's score were well rewarded when the Academy handed her a coveted second Oscar. "Evergreen" has since gone on to become one of the most requested Streisand signature songs, ranking right up there beside "People" and "The Way We Were."  "Evergreen" is the only song Barbra has performed in a multitude of languages on its road to becoming a true international sensation. Not only did Paul Williams (lyrics) and Barbra win Hollywood's highest honor, but their ballad won the Song of the Year Grammy as well. A Star is Born and "Evergreen" were the darlings of the awards show circuit in 1977:

"Left in the Dark" - Barbra and Kris Reunite in Steamy Video

Eight years after the premiere of A Star is Born, Barbra and Kris Kristofferson reunited once again to shoot a steamy video of Barbra's single, "Left In The Dark."

As was typical for Barbra during the 80s, her video was a mini-movie masterpiece with an all star cast. "Left In The Dark" tells the story of a lounge singer (Barbra) who fantasizes about a world full of glorious romance while  performing in a dive bar in front of an inattentive and unappreciative audience. We are taken on all of her fanciful journeys as she serves up a most delicious vocal.

We see Kris intermittently throughout the piece, playing the part of a bartender, serving drinks to patrons while Barbra's chanteuse entertains them on stage. But it's not until the very end of the video that Barbra and Kris hook up. They are just two friendly coworkers who apparently didn't have to look too far to find passion. The video ends with Barbra and Kris in an embrace that precisely replicates their most famous publicity shot from A Star is Born. "Left In The Dark" is one of Barbra's best looking videos, and her vocal rendition is one of the best cuts from her often overlooked album, "Emotion."
 

A Star Is Born on DVD (review)

It's the one DVD fans have been waiting for, and with Barbra Streisand's running commentary as an armchair guide, A Star is Born ranks as one of her most interesting video releases to date. As the executive producer of this 1976 international blockbuster, Barbra shares her intricate memories of making the film, particularly regarding the budgetary aspect of the production. For example, when it came time to film the huge concert scene at Arizona State, Jon Peters brilliantly decided to charge fans for tickets, recapturing the costs of producing these complicated scenes. Great insights.

Along the way, Barbra draws interesting parallels between the John Norman and Esther characters and her own life as a Hollywood superstar. It's quite a revelation to realize how much of Barbra's own career is shadowed in the film's screenplay. Wonderful information.

With the exciting inclusion of never before seen wardrobe tests and deleted scenes, this is what DVDs were created for (even the introductory menu screen is exceptionally well done). The new "A Star Is Born" DVD release should have fans running to local video stores.

An Esther By Any Other Name

If you are familiar with the A Star is Born franchise, then you know that Esther Blodgett, Vicki Lester, Esther Hoffman, and, yes, even Mary Evans are essentially the same character. Two outstanding versions of A Star is Born preceded Barbra Streisand's remake (technically three if you count the 1932 melodrama What Price Hollywood?). As with the Streisand version, both earlier A Star is Born titled films were Oscar nominated and have endured to become true cinematic classics. Here's a brief look at the Judy Garland and Janet Gaynor versions.

Judy Garland's A Star Is Born (1954):  It took Barbra many years before she went to see one of Hollywood's most endearing classic films, Judy Garland's A Star is Born (1954). Barbra could not have known how Judy Garland's tour de force would ultimately figure into the success of her own monumental career.

Judy Garland played starlet Esther Blodgett opposite James Mason's Norman Maine. The story of the has-been movie star's infatuation with the career of the up-and-coming Esther (soon to become Vicki Lester) had just the right amount of charm and romance to ultimately transform this version of A Star is Born" into one of the most endearing films of all time. It was, however, one of Hollywood's greatest travesties when the film, nominated for six Oscars (including Best Performances for both Garland and Mason), came up empty handed on all accounts, with director George Cukor being overlooked completely.

With songs by Harold Arlen and Ira Gershwin, Judy Garland captured the role brilliantly and delivered a monumental performance that will forever be remembered as her most substantive role, well, this side of OZ anyway.

Interesting parallels exist between the Streisand and Garland versions. The story lines are remarkably similar, key scenes are dutifully represented in both versions, and the tragic endings are equally as compelling.

After both films were first released, acclaim was hard to come by. Judy's version was snubbed at the Academy Awards while Barbra's version received few critical praises at best. And both films contain biographical elements which eerily connect the characters to the real life experiences of the actors who portrayed them.

Both versions have stood the test of time and, after thirty years, both are now considered enduring classics. Despite critical indifference, Barbra's A Star is Born became her first $100 million box-office success worldwide.

Janet Gaynor's A Star Is Born (1937):  A Star is Born began its many incarnations as a 1937 melodrama starring Janet Gaynor as Esther Blodgett and Fredric March as Norman Maine. This is the original  film, produced by David O. Selznick, on which the Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand remakes were based, and it is just as much a classic. There are no musical numbers to propel the story (the actors did that all by themselves), and the Gaynor and March performances were enough to earn them Oscar nominations. Director William Wellman received an Oscar for his screenplay, the film's only win. The original A Star is Born is available on DVD and will surely be an enjoyable evening of at-home viewing for any fan of the later versions.

An Esther By Any Other Name ... Alicia Keys?  In discussing A Star is Born, Barbra spoke of the timelessness of the story and the film's apparent cycle of remakes (it seems to need a remake every twenty years or so, Barbra implied). And to make her version of the story more interesting, Barbra mentioned that there were even discussions of a role reversal for the characters of Esther and John Norman, where Barbra would have played the part of a descending pop star. But most amazing of all, we also learn from Barbra that yet another remake is in the works. Her choice for the role of the new Esther would be someone like Alicia Keys. Watch closely now, Star is Born fans.

Dec 18, 2009 UPDATE: Seems the rumors of a Star is Born remake just keep on coming. The latest Hollywood buzz has Dreamgirls diva Beyonce interested in putting her own stamp on the next version.