The Film STAR with Julie Andrews and Daniel Massey

[Gypsy9]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 9:38am

Yesterday afternoon I was, for a change, watching TV and came across the 1968 film STAR on the Fox Movie Channel. I had never before seen it and for 3 hours I was mesmerized by it. I have always thought Julie Andrews was over-rated, even though I was very impressed when I saw her at the Mark Hellinger in the OBC of MY FAIR LADY. But in STAR where she plays the legend Gertrude Lawrence, she is a fantastic performer in countless numbers, both large and small, all of which were choreographed by Broadway's Michael Kidd. In the non-musical moments she comes across as a fine actress. I have now re-assessed the talent of Julie Andrews, who in this film does not come across as a "goody goody". Rather, she recounts Gertrude Lawrence's life up to LADY IN THE DARK with its inevitable ups and downs, especially with her various love interests.

STAR also boasts the considerable talent of Daniel Massey who portrays Noel Coward with great panache. Massey has him down to a "T". Scenes with Andrews and Massey are a delight to watch. I found this very theatrical film to be a gem. Watch it sometime.

I should also mention the many opulent costumes and sets, the former by Broadway's Donald Brooks. This is a handsome film that is

Updated On: 9/25/11 at 09:38 AM

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 10:45am

Saw this about a month ago it's available to watch online via Netflix. I love Julie Andrews but I found the film way too long, over produced and quite boring. There are some musical gems here and there and I do own the soundtrack. After seeing it I could totally understand why it tanked at the box office.

[spike3]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 12:06pm

interesting thread on West End Board, info, pics, etc

[peerrjb]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 2:21pm

I saw STAR the week it opened in LA (still have my $1.oo souvenir movie-book), and it was, indeed, gorgeous to look at on the Fox Wilshire Theatre's HUUUuuuGE screen. The film was hyped like crazy (gotta love Fox), cuz Robert Wise had won that "Sound of Music" Oscar for the '65 season, and his "Sand Pebbles" in '66 was pretty well-received, too. Daniel Massey was Oscar-nominated for his Noel Coward, as were the film's designers, sound folks, songwriters, etc. But '68 was the year of "Oliver!" and that "Funny Girl" thing, and people were mostly freaked-out that Julie Andrews wasn't in a "cute" musical. The musical numbers rank high, though some of the material ("Berlington Bertie from Bow" and "Parisian Pierrot" let's say) isn't the best in the world. And I must say that, to me, "Jenny" is realllly pretty ridiculous, even by "let's put a show in a 'Thee-ay-ter' setting, but make it BIG BIG BIG" standards.

The film was not received well, and Fox freaked. It was out of Roadshow Engagements (that old 2-a day reserved seat thing) in very short order -- and was cut to ribbons. By the time it went to General release, it was about 2 hours and (I think, 15 minutes) and called "THOSE WERE THE HAPPY TIMES". Oy Veh. It didn't do well there, either.

Eventually, with the DVD market and all, they put it back together. I have the DVD, which is probably what you saw on TV, but as I've watched it, I'm not certain that even THIS is the original incarnation. I think it's LONGER than it was!! (I've never understood why a film needs to be LENNNNGTHENED beyond what the Director originally wanted, but oh well.)

They should've made a smaller movie with Maggie Smith as Gertie.
Ah well.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 3:19pm

Back in the 1990's, FOX released on laserdisc the full roadshow presentation of STAR!, which included the Overture, Intermission and Entre Acte as well as the correct aspect ratio framing of the film itself.

The DVD release only contains the Overture and the incorrect aspect ratio framing, color balance, etc., but IS the full roadshow presentation of the film.

[PalJoey]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 5:19pm

I have that laserdisc. I didn't realize the video was that special.

It says it's "Digitally mastered from the 65mm camera negative and six track magnetic stereo soundtrack, under the supervision of director Robert Wise. Presented in its original widescreen format."

Another reason to hold onto this bulky old laserdisc player...

Are the extras and video interviews also not on the DVD? The interviews are with Julie, Daniel Massey, Richard Crenna, Robert Wise, Saul Chaplin, and Michael Kidd.

The extras include all the trailers and TV commericals and two featurettes: "The Saga of Star" and "Silver Star."

[CarlosAlberto]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 5:52pm

The Special features on the original release DVD were:

"Star! The Sound of a Legend" original 1968 featurette
"Silver Star": 25th anniversary featurette
Julie Andrews and Daniel Massey screen test
Still galleries, trailers, and TV spots


I say original DVD release because it's now bundled up in a two-fer with "Hello, Dolly"! so I don't know if the extra features were ported over for that edition.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 9/25/11 at 6:13pm

Here is the artwork for the original (and still available) 2004 DVD release:




DVD Contents:
Features:
Full-Length Audio Commentary by Director Robert Wise
"Star! The Sound of a Legend" Original Production Featurette
"Silver Star" 25th Anniversary Featurette
Julie Andrews and Daniel Massey Screen Test
Still Galleries
Trailers
TV Spots
Video:
Widescreen 2.20:1 Color (Anamorphic)
Audio: 
ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.0 [CC]
Subtitles:
English, Spanish

Here are the contents of the 1990s laserdisc release:
LaserDisc Special Features:
Complete Original Roadshow Version of STAR!
Presented in its Original Widescreen Format
Digitally Mastered from the 65mm camera negative & Six Track Magnetic Stereo Soundtrack, Supervision of Director Robert Wise.
New Video Interviews and Running Audio Commentary
Featuring Julie Andrews, Daniel Massey, Richard Crenna, Robert Wise, Saul Chapman, Michael Kidd, and Many Other Creative Talents from Both Sides of the Camera
Original Promotional Footage
Television Commercials & Behind-the-Scenes Production Featurette
Original Audio Material
Promotional Recording
Interviews with Julie Andrews from the Film Set
Radio Programs
Commercials
The Hollywood Premiere
Theatrical Trailers

[newintown]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 9:35am

Some fun musical numbers (although that final version of "Jenny" is ridiculous classic camp - as if something like that could ever be done in a theatre).

But the book scenes are utterly deadly - leaden, heavy-handed, dull, dull, dull. And count how many times Julie says "bloody," just to prove she's not the virgin everyone thought she was.
Updated On: 9/26/11 at 09:35 AM

[spike3]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 9:45am

yes the Jenny number is huge and overblown, but I believe a good portion of it was filmed on stage at the Cort, I do know that the number was rehearsed onstage there. The Cort was also used for My Ship, and I believe it was the Lycuem for Someone to Watch Over Me.

[newintown]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 9:54am

It may have been shot in a theatre, but there's no way that number could be done live 8 times a week, even today (let alone in 1941). Come on, the lady jumps from a ladder, blows up a bunch of dwarfs, slides down a 50 foot high rope through a ring of fire, and still holds a high C at the end for 20 seconds. I love it, but it's utter fantasy.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 10:20am

I love the look and style and feel of this film. All the big, lavish, widescreen, surround-sound splendor. And I like individual numbers. And Julie Andrews and particularly Daniel Massey, who is wonderful.

But overall, the movie just drags on and on. It seems endless, and I can rarely sit through the whole thing. I either watch it in sections or just turn it off. It's like slogging through mud after a while.

My big confession is that I feel the same way about the "restored" version of A Star Is Born. Although not quite as ponderous as "Star," it's just TOO MUCH MOVIE in the end. I think the plots would be better served with tighter editing, but, more importantly, screenplays that propelled the action at a faster pace.

(I should add that I don't hate long movies. Lawrence of Arabia and Gone With the Wind are both near the top of my "best" list, and I wouldn't cut a single frame of either.)

It's not the physical duration so much as the sense of everything moving so slowly and being so drawn-out.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 10:23am

Glad some people like the movie, but to me the Jenny number is the very best thing in it.

As to whether or not it could ever have been done that way in Lady in the Dark: who cares?

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 10:23am

It may have been shot in a theatre, but there's no way that number could be done live 8 times a week, even today (let alone in 1941). Come on, the lady jumps from a ladder, blows up a bunch of dwarfs, slides down a 50 foot high rope through a ring of fire, and still holds a high C at the end for 20 seconds. I love it, but it's utter fantasy.

Someone needs to tell that to Julie Taymor.

[newintown]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 10:34am

As to whether or not it could ever have been done that way in Lady in the Dark: who cares?

I'm not sure that "who cares" is a pertinent question - the point is that the movie presents it as the way the number was done in the show; as I said, I love it in its utter ridiculousness, but there's absolutely nothing wrong in acknowledging that it is ridiculous (and vulgar, and overblown, and gaudy, and Vegas-y, and and and).
Updated On: 9/26/11 at 10:34 AM

[newintown]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 10:35am

Someone needs to tell that to Julie Taymor.

I haven't seen that show since last December - is Reeve Carney now doing his own stunts and hitting high Cs? He's come a long way...

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 10:54am

Yes, and he's knocking over dwarfs now, too, and they're using rings of fire and rope instead of wire, Mr. Literal.

*headdesk*

[newintown]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 11:13am

Ummmm... mine was a joke, too, Girlina.

*headdesk* X2

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 11:14am

That's Galina ... with a "Ga."

[newintown]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 11:17am

But is Reeve really knocking over dwarfs?

[Dein Herr]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 12:25pm

The "Jenny" clip is one of my favorite rainy day Youtube clips. So much camp in one number!

[ggersten]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 5:22pm

I've never seen Star! - but due to comments here, I wandered over to YouTube and watched the Jenny number. wow. I mean, I knew that SOB was "inspired" by Star! and Darling Lili - but Edwards must have detested Star!

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 5:27pm

From the West End board a few weeks ago.
https://forum.broadwayworld.com/readmessage.php?boardid=2&boardname=off&thread=1035106#4064476

[nobodyhome]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 7:39pm

Well, discounting that the "Jenny" number could never happen in the theatre — which is true of many Hollywood musical numbers that are supposed to be taking place on stage — I think that the bigger problem is that Gertrude Lawrence was furious that Danny Kaye was possibly going to steal the show simply because he had a big number before hers.

She was famous for upstaging people. She was famous for always needing to be the center of attention. Singing was never her greatest strength.

So when thought about from that point of view, the number seems to undercut her whole character.

Also, the number loses the whole point that the movie sets up. Aldrich takes her to a club in Harlem, she suddenly realizes how to do the number, and then . . . she doesn't do it that way at all because the number is so insanely busy that she doesn't even have the opportunity to bring to it what she presumably saw in the Harlem club. There's nothing remotely low-down or jazzy or sexy or anything about her performance.

I think it's a kind of deadly movie. A badly written screenplay that simply isn't convincing on its own terms (forgetting about whether it's true to Lawrence's real life) and overproduced musical numbers that have no period feel. Full of situations and dialogue that I just don't buy for a second.

Julie does her best, but Maggie Smith would have made more sense to play Gertrude Lawrence in a biopic. It would have had to be made with a smaller budget, but that would have been all for the good.

But the biggest problem is the screenplay.

Too bad the movie doesn't touch on Gertie's bisexuality.

[sabrelady]

Posted: 9/26/11 at 11:14pm

Too bad the movie doesn't touch on Gertie's bisexuality.

OMNI sexuality seems to be more like it from everything I've been able to read/hear about. The woman seems to have been willing to do with just about any one/thing any where/time. An English Tallulah. (OK maybe not- Tallulah had standards!)