Star!
by Robert Wise
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DVD details
Actor: Daniel Massey, Julie Andrews, Michael Craig, Richard Crenna, Robert ReedDirector: Robert Wise
Brand: Twentieth Century Fox
Cinematographer: Ernest Laszlo
Editor: William Reynolds
Producer: Saul Chaplin
Writer: William Fairchild
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Color, DVD-Video, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.20:1
Running Time: 176 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2004-04-20
Audience Rating: G (General Audience)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
DVD Reviews of Star!
DVD Review: Julie Andrews and Her Songs
Summary: 4 Stars
Film is somewhat slow but the production numbers and songs are a definite, PLUS! The CD to this films is a constant delight at any time.DVD Review: The "Real" Gertrude Lawrence Story
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a dazzling piece of entertainment; a superb show business biography and one of the last grand movie musicals.
The film's musical numbers, as staged by Michael Kidd, are fabulous.
The three-hour motion picture, directed by Robert Wise, stars Julie Andrews as Gertrude Lawrence, a great star of the musical theater during the 1920s-early 1950s. Among the legendary shows in which Ms. Lawrence appeared were PRIVATE LIVES, LADY IN THE DARK, OH, KAY!, SUSAN AND GOD and, near the end of her life, she was the original Anna in THE KING AND I, co-starring Yul Brynner.
STAR! is not your typical whitewashed musical bio. It has a hard edge. Ms. Lawrence is portrayed as a woman who, with the exception of best friend Noel Coward (nicely portrayed by Daniel Massey in a role that garnered him an Oscar nomination), had trouble maintaining close relationships, even with her own daughter. She had numerous men in her life, often drank to excess, underwent bankruptcy and, with a star's superego, was not always the nicest person to be around.
A major box-office disappointment when it was first released, probably because movie audiences were not familiar with Gertrude Lawrence, STAR! underwent several alterations (i.e. major cuts, revised ad campaign and even a new title, THOSE WERE THE HAPPY TIMES) in 20th Century Fox's futile effort to turn the film's financial fortunes around. It was, ultimately, pulled from release and remained virtually unseen for many years.
Now restored to it's original "roadshow" version, the DVD features audio commentary by Wise, a 25th Anniversary featurette, plus other extras.
? Michael B. Druxman
DVD Review: Watch "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins and get the real Gertrude Lawrence
Summary: 5 Stars
I feel that Gertrude Lawrence is just not represented by Julie Andrews. Even though British, and so forth, if you have ever seen Gertrude Lawrence (in such films as "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins and Rex Harrison), the real Gertrude is just not in this film, most especially the script.
Julie Andrews obviously put everything into this, as I think Robert Wise did, but the casting and script did no justice to what could have been a magnificent movie about an electric performer. A real mistake was made in the ending in not dealing with Gertrude Lawrence's influence in bringing "The King and I" to Broadway and initially starring opposite Yul Brenner, as well as leaving out her relationship with Beatrice Lillie.
This film was not well enough researched, and the script shows it. And as to the recent DVD release, much was left out (that I understand is on the Laserdisc version), and the transfer to DVD just not live up to the original Todd-AO film process.
Releasing this film on DVD in it's full length and color would have helped in at least providing what was intended by Robert Wise in the beginning.
You will get more of Gertrude Lawrence in watching the 1930's British made "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins in the starring role. They paired quite well together. This movie is delightful, and in this film you will get the real Gertrude Lawrence. In watching Star!, you will get an impressive piece of film history, that could have been so different and much better! A shame since no money was spared in this production, and that definitely shows especially in the costumes, music and sets.
DVD Review: Anatomy of a Flop
Summary: 5 Stars
I have waited to write my review of Star! but I now have the wherewithal to do so. This movie was a flop-twice. Then why is it so interesting? I know 'bad' movies such as "Wild Women of Wongo" but that wasn't a big studio production. This is different. This was the time of the death knell for movie musicals. I love movie musicals, but the times were changing in the late 60's. When The Sound of Music was made, this erosion was just starting. Also, when Blake Edwards became involved with Julie, he wanted her to play less "innocent" roles. This certainly could pose as one. Andrews plays Gerturde Lawrence, a "star" who was much more well-known in England as she was in the U.S. I'm a little up in arms as to why this movie was called "Star". So this movie gives one an interesting look at the British Music Hall as well as the Algonquin theater in New York. I really like the cockney lingo here, although I wonder if it is accurate because of the criticism given the screenplay. The best part of the film are the musical numbers, which my favorite is "Limehouse Blues" which is almost done in pantomime, as the music of Limehouse Blues gets adapted in many different guises until it is tragic at the end. This sequence should be in movie history. The next best part is the relationship between Gertie and Noel Coward (maybe it should be called that, but Noel Coward was still alive). Having collected a sizable amount of Noel Coward recordings on CD it is interesting to see parts of his stage plays recreated. After all of the relationships with men that she has in the film, the most memorable is with Noel Coward, and that is on a friendship and professional level. Dramatics are provided more from Gertie herself, who tends to want to steal scenes from her stars so her own career can increase. She also has a propensity to not deal with her monetary affairs very well. She finally has a roadblock in the guise of Kurt Weill, whose play "Lady in the Dark" she stars in. Her almost husband brings her to a club where it seems that the act that is being presented gives her the inspiration. But we don't see the act! What is it? Soon afterwards, we see the infamous "Jenny" sequence which makes one wonder if they have overstuffed their coffers. Still, a very intersting sequence considering that you hardly see "Lady In The Dark" in the theater. Everything is big, big, big! Perhaps its this excessiveness that hurts the film. Still, for me this film has many magical moments that makes one love the remote control, so we can make our own version. The DVD is stuffed with extras-on side two we have some documentaries and also a written history of the film. The commentary is very thorough-with comments by Wise, Daniel Massey, and other colloborators. I wish this could be done with other 'flops' too. Time has a way to bring movies into a different light, and I think that "Star" is worth more than it was back then. Too bad that the monetary losses cannot be recouped with DVD sales. So help out and buy the DVD already!DVD Review: Ignore the Critics.
Summary: 4 Stars
It is very easy to focus on the fact that upon release, this film was a huge bomb. Indeed, many compare this film to Andrew's previous films, such as "The Sound of Music" and "Mary Poppins" which were wildly successful.
But this film is a different animal completely. The usual family friendly Julie Andrews goes against the grain and portrays Gertrude Lawrence as the selfish, difficult, magnetic woman she came to be.
The meat of this film is the endless parade of magical musical numbers. Well-financed, well-choreographed, and beautifully executed, it is undeniable that this is Andrews at her best.
If you take this film as a showcase for Julie Andrews' talents, it is impossible not to fall in love with "Star!" I say, ignore the critics and watch this movie!
Description of Star!
Julie Andrews stars as British stage legend Gertrude Lawrence, a glamorous, flamboyant and charismatic personality - A woman who is both "maddening and infuriating" and "probably the most beautiful and entrancing creature ever to walk onto a stage." Robert Wise's lavish musical recalls the golden era of musical theatre, from 1912 to 1940. Lawrence rise from irrepressible chorus girl in English music halls to become the toast of two continents. Her lifelong friend Noel Coward (Daniel Massey) provides witty commentary as Gertie finds company in a number of suitors, in search of a love to equal that of an audience.For Julie Andrews fans, Star! will be something more than just a legendary albatross around Old Hollywood's neck--after all, Julie is onscreen virtually every minute of this film, singing and dancing and flouncing around in an endless parade of over-the-top costumes. Seeing her tackle a variety of Noel Coward tunes and a nicely understated "Someone to Watch Over Me" is pleasant, but it's easy to see why this three-hour musical failed to click with 1968 audiences. A biopic of the celebrated stage star Gertrude Lawrence (puckish Daniel Massey plays Coward, Lawrence's childhood chum), the movie staggers around between the big production numbers. Its social message--independent Lawrence just needed a man to boss her around--was just as grating in the age of The Graduate as it is now. "Isn't this kind of thing a little out of date?" someone asks the aging Lawrence; Star! provides its own answer. --Robert Horton
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