 "Julie Andrews and Her Songs" | 2009-05-03 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2PM4C9ASSLGWK |
| 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. |
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| "The "Real" Gertrude Lawrence Story" | 2009-02-17 |
| - Reviewed By User: A17LEYMZI8OYOQ |
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 |
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 "Watch "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins and get the real Gertrude Lawrence" | 2009-01-04 |
| - Reviewed By annakarenina7 |
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. |
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| "Anatomy of a Flop" | 2008-09-15 |
| - Reviewed By mahlerii |
| 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! |
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| "Ignore the Critics." | 2008-07-02 |
| - Reviewed By User: AWTCA4XTS3EQ2 |
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! |
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| "This DVD is a Travesty!" | 2008-04-24 |
| - Reviewed By williamharrisdesigns |
| I am giving this DVD the full star rating because of it's content. The filmmakers had a hard time dealing with the fact that in reality it was not a friendship of two--Gertrude Lawrence and Noel Coward--but a friendship of three--Gertie, Noel, and Beatrice Lillie! Bea Lillie would only give permission to show her likeness if she could play herself. She was at least forty years too old at the time! Besides that, this film is by far one of the three best films Julie Andrews has EVER made--along with "S.O.B." and "Victor/Victoria"! The problem with the DVD is the way it is presented. The film was shot in Todd-AO, a 70mm process that projects a 2:20-1 aspect ratio. This was the ratio the so-called "roadshow" version. The "general release" version was exhibited in a "panavision" or "cinemascope" aspect ratio of 2:35-1. Neither aspect ratio successfully fits in the other, and some cropping is involved. If an a-b comparison is done between the DVD and the Laserdisc versions (which is presented in the true TODD-AO version), it is plain to anyone that the DVD is the panavision version, which has been blown up and cropped to fit the 2:20-1 aspect ratio presentation. In the original version during the overture the theater presenium and orchestra pit are clearly seen. On the DVD they are not. But for those unaware of this who are fans of Julie Andrews, this DVD is a must! It truly makes "The Sound of Music" seem like amateur night!!!! |
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| "Thank God ,They Still made Movies Like This ! Great!" | 2008-04-14 |
| - Reviewed By forrest136 |
| This special film is finally getting the attention it deserves! A showing in NYC recently sold out, and a new print in 70mm was recently screened in England! Great musical numbers and of course lovable JULIE! Has anyone seen the cut version, Those Were The Happy Times" much shorter but just as good! Love it! My favorite film! The poster also looks great framed! |
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| "ONE OF THE LAST SUPERBLY CRAFTED MUSICALS OF THE LATE SIXTIES!" | 2008-01-23 |
| - Reviewed By michaelanderson65 |
STAR! is a magnificent film. Every bit of the $14 million spent on the production is seen on screen. Robert Wise didn't just make a great movie: He made one of the greatest film musical of the late '60s. So why did STAR! fail at the box office, despite the high quality of the finished film?
After MY FAIR LADY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC earned endless amounts of money and awards, Hollywood believed that the general public wanted musicals, musicals and more musicals. The bigger, the better. Everywhere you looked, one musical was either in pre-production or general release. Most of them were expensive films for their time and ended up nearly breaking the studios that turned them out. STAR! would be one of three musicals that brought 20th Century Fox into dire straits. (The others being DR. DOOLITTLE and the magnificent - if over budgeted - HELLO DOLLY!)
But you can't fault 20th Century-Fox for the box office failure of STAR!. They believed in the film and tried desperately to salvage it. They trimmed the running time to 155 minutes, but this failed to bring in audiences. Undeterred, Fox brought in William Reynolds, an editor renowned for damage control. (He would take hold of HEAVEN'S GATE after Michael Cimino turned in a five-and-a-half-hour cut.) This shorter 119-minute cut was titled THOSE WERE THE HAPPY TIMES at which point Robert Wise asked that the credit "A Robert Wise film" be removed. Issued in late 1969, it still failed to bring in audiences. From this point on, aside from a few network showings of various lengths, STAR! remained unseen and unloved.
Some have accused William Fairchild's screenplay of being "abysmal," but that is mostly unfair. Given the daunting task of telling a biographical story punctuated by 17 elaborate song and dance numbers, the narrative and the dialogue feels mostly real and true. The characterizations are three-dimensional, despite some last-minute name changes to avoid litigation and Fairchild showed great skill in segueing from narrative to song in a flawless manner.
The direction by Robert Wise, as with his earlier musicals, finds a perfect balance between story and song and the technical aspects of STAR! are also superb. If there's one thing Wise knew how to do, it was how to properly use a sizable budget to get maximum production value on screen. Wise also realized that even the best-made musical will fall apart if the basic ingredients do not work and he managed to guide everyone to career-best work.
With the exception of a new title song by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen, the music is of the period and from Gertrude Lawrence's ouevre. Wise wanted to recreate the feel of a stage performance, and he succeeds beautifully. Instead of using a series of close-ups, he uses the Todd-AO 70mm widescreen frame to give us the the expansiveness of the stage, allowing Michael Kidd's excellent choreography to shine. The result is something extrodinary, especially in this day and age of MTV machine gun-style editing: Actors who not only can sing, but can dance. (And we can actually SEE it!!)
The acting is uniformly superb, unusual for a major musical built around a single star. Julie Andrews is in top form in the demanding tile role. We all know her solid musical credentials very well. With STAR!, Andrews at last got the chance to break away from the wide-eyed innocence that characterized her previous roles in MARY POPPINS and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. A daunting undertaking - she's in virtually every scene in the film, Andrews is more than up to the challenge, showing a wide range of human emotion. She resists straightforward imitation and offers us an interpretation of Lawrence, not unlike Streisand's Fanny Brice in Funny Girl. The film's humor is provided by Daniel Massey. Cast as his own godfather, Noel Coward, he manages to infuse vitality into any scene he is in and works exceptionally well with Andrews. Richard Crenna, in the role of fourth husband Richard Aldrich, provides strength and stability. (According to history, Aldrich was the stabilizing force in Lawrence's hectic life, and Crenna fully materializes that aspect here.) Robert Reed (TV's Mike Brady) is likable and well mannered as Charles Fraser; and finally, Michael Craig is appropriately unflappable and dashing as Spencer.
STAR! languished in movie oblivion for many years, unavailable in any format until 1993 when Fox Video issued the original roadshow cut on VHS and in a splendid widescreen Laser Disc edition. There was a brief, limited theatrical reissue as well.
For this DVD, Fox unfortunetly dropped the intermission and the entr'acte. The result is now one long, seamless film. The 2.20 anamorphic widescreen transfer has some light grain, a few scratches and specks, but the image for the most part is good. The Dolby Digital soundtrack has a dimension that television broadcasts never could match and the music sounds magnificent with all dialogue easily comprehensible.
So should you take a chance on STAR? Of course you should. Andrews fans will not be able to resist it, and musical fans are in for a rare treat. While initially the movie lost millions, it deserved a better fate for its enormous score, top-flight production, excellent choreography, and fine acting. Sadly, they just don't know how to make them like this anymore.
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| "A Star Shines in the Universe" | 2007-12-23 |
| - Reviewed By martinlbny |
"Star" is a film that takes the viewer on a trip down "memory lane" with a flawless performance by
Julie Andrews and cutting edge direction by Robert
Wise. The story which touches on the literary and artistic world of the 20th century brings to the
screen Noel Coward, (which we wanted to see more of)
and Alexander Woollcott, and his colleaques at the
Algonquian Round Table who brought to the screen a sense of De ja vu that personified the spirit of the times.
Ms. Andrews interpretation of Gertrude Lawrence was
the delieghtful highlight of the film and the direction
by Mr. Wise added the drama that kept this film moving
with anticipation despite its almost 3 hour length.
The disk of this DVD is playable on both sides which offers an especially interesting collection of "Special Features" which creates the "topping on the cake" with interviews by Mr. Wise and Ms. Andrews and the 25th
Anniversary feature that gives the viewer an additional
perspective on the lives of the real life stars.
Martin Silver
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| "Star- a must for any Julie Andrews Fan!" | 2007-12-18 |
| - Reviewed By User: A2MU6EIUDFX5CS |
Star! was a huge production in its day. It was truly the last of the musicals of the musical era of the 1960s. It brought together Julie Andrews and Robert Wise- star and director of the infamous "The Sound of Music." Star is the story of the legendary Broadway star, Gertrude Lawrence, who performed in many memorable Broadway productions, including her last one- The King and I.
Star! is filled with many musical sequences, wrapped around the biographical story of Gertrude Lawrence, who had a very similar early experience as the actress who portrays Lawrence, Julie Andrews.
The movie Star! was given such hype when it was set to premiere and was touted as the box office successor to "" That kind of set it up for failure from the beginning. Expectations were very high. Though it is a very good movie and an absolute must for the Julie Andrews fan, it is not "The Sound of Music." No film could ever top that movie as it was of a time and place and by the end of the 1960s, that time and place had disappeared into history.
Costumes and productions are outstanding in Star. Julie Andrews is GREAT- to say the least-as she always is. Star! was not a box office smash and as "The Sound of Music" rescued 20th Century Fox from bankruptcy, Star !almost put it back into that category.
If you love Julie Andrews, Star! is an absolute must for your collection.
It was not out in theaters very long. It is unusual to find it in many places, so when it comes up on Amazon.com- grab it. You will love it! |
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