So the original story has to fit in between numbers, because this is not an MGM musical. Except this time, since Judy Garland plays Vicki, there are lots of production numbers featuring her singing, with Vicki being a singing actress. Norman and Vicki get married, Vicki's star rises, Norman's star falls to the point that people call him Mr. The first version of this film in 1932 (What Price Hollywood) was 88 minutes long, the 1937 version was 111 minutes long, but this Warner Brothers 1954 version clocks in at over two and a half hours! The story is basically the same as the 1937 version - Heavily drinking and often absentee on the set movie star Norman Maine (James Mason) discovers, promotes, and falls in love with Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland), renamed to Vicki Lester by the studio. Reviewed by AlsExGal 5 / 10 Talk about inflation!.
