1937 – Fredric March
A Star is Born
Well, the story is a popular one, so popular that it has been told on the silver screen at least four times. But this one was the first. This one was the one that introduced us to the tragic character played by March, Norman Maine, a once great actor, whose career has fallen into a downward spiral, accelerated by his desperate battle with alcoholism.
In a nutshell, the character’s story arch can be summed up in a few sentences. As Norman’s star falls, the acting career of the woman he loves skyrockets. Norman is plagued by depression, self-hate, and alcohol abuse, until finally, he realizes that the only way he can save his wife’s career, her dreams, her happiness, is to commit suicide. In the end, he makes that supreme sacrifice out of love. The actor playing this character had to have a wide range to believably give us a pathetic drunk, as well as a charming leading man. March did it all perfectly.
It didn’t hurt that he was a very attractive man with a smile that made him instantly likable. He had a light and easy charm that drew me in, despite his reprehensible behavior. And it was clear that he was sincerely in love with his wife, Esther, played by Janet Gaynor. When he was sober and things were good, he was wonderful. But when he was drunk, the self-pity was palpable. The depression was frightening. The tragic end seemed almost inevitable. A less-skilled actor could have made the part a caricature for whom we had no sympathy and no empathy. But because of March’s incredible performance, we felt for him, wanting him to conquer his addiction to alcohol.
During his final scene, as he tries to convince Esther that he’s feeling better, that he is ready to try sobriety again for her sake, we can see in his eyes that he is saying goodbye. We see his death coming, and we almost agree with his reasons for killing himself. It was a sad and depressing end for the character, but at the same time, an appropriate one. Here, March was on top of his game. This was the third of his five Best Actor nominations, and though he didn’t win, I wouldn’t have been surprised if he had. Well done, Fredric!