Right at the conclusion of this protracted production, Charles Bickford's studio executive turns to the cynical Jack Carson character, and says "You never really understood him, did you?" And I didn't warm to him very much either. Norman Maine, for the most part, struck me as being one of those people you go in fear and dread of being cornered by at a party. A powerful performance by Mason nevertheless, and one he was justifiably proud of. No doubt to my great loss, I've never really figured the magnetic appeal of Judy Garland, the real-life Norman Maine, and her hammy performance did little to convert me. It doesn't help that her most memorable numbers are towards the start. I saw the 'restored' version but didn't feel that these inserts did any real favours to a movie which could have benefited from some judicious pruning. Though worth seeing, it's one I would categorise as an acclaimed film that didn't live up to expectations.
Review of A Star Is Born
