The story of "A star is born" was adapted at least four times (apart from similar stories under different names, such as "The artist" (2011, Michel Hazanavicius)). In 1937 the lead roles were played by Janet Gaynor and Fredric March (director William Wellman), in 1954 by Judy Garland and James Mason (director George Cukor), in 1976 by Barbra Streisand and Kris Kristofferson (director Frank Pierson) and in 2018 by Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper (director Bradley Cooper).
When the same story is adapted multiple times I like to compare the different versions. That is, when the remake(s) (as is unfortunately often the case) is (are) not vastly inferior to the original. This is not the case by "A star is born". The 1976 and 2018 versions are about popstarts, the 1937 and 1954 versions are about filmstars. I shall compare the 1937 and 1954 versions.
The 1937 version has more elements of a comedy, the 1954 version is more a pure tragedy. The 1954 version is also more big budget with expensive musical scenes. In 1954 the Hollywood system was at its peak, just before the fall caused by television (a threat which is alluded to several times in the 1954 version as "rough times for the business"). The story is in essence about the replaceability of stars in the Hollywood system and the 1954 version makes very clear that behind the dream factory there is a relentless business model.
The 1937 version is more about the rise of the woman than the fall of the man. In the 1937 version we see Janet Gaynor leaving her old farm house in North Dakota, heading for Hollywood full of dreams and ambitions. When in Hollywood she does an awfull lot of effort to attract attention. In the 1954 version Esther Blodgett (Judy Garland) is already in Hollywood and catches the attention of Norman Maine (James Mason) by accident. In a cynical scene at the beginning of the movie we see Norman asking a waiter if there are new girls that are ambitions and willing. Also in 1954 Harvey Weinstein types of men were never absent in Hollywood.
With respect to the fall of Norman two scenes are crucial to see the difference between the two versions. The first one is the speech of Esther accepting an Oscar which is disturbed by a drunken Norman. In 1937 Fredric March plays the drunken Norman as angry, in 1954 James Mason plays the drunken Norman as desperate. The second scene is the scene in which Esther tells the studio boss about the hopeless struggle Norman is waging against his alcohol addiction. Judy Garland puts much more emotion in this scene then Janet Gaynor. This is understandable when one realises that Judy is playing Esther but her real life was very similar to that of Norman.
