1937 – Janet Gaynor
A Star is Born
The character of Esther Blodgett seemed to have been written for Janet Gaynor. Here, we have the first woman to have ever taken home an Oscar for the Best Actress category in 1927/1928, being nominated again. And once again, I think she really deserved the honor. She did a great job in this movie, playing the young hopeful actress with dreams of becoming a famous movie star. But the man who helps her to achieve her goals, is the same man who holds her back from greatness, and is also the man she loves.
This is really her story, though in order to make the narrative work, she had to have good chemistry with her leading man, which Gaynor had with Fredrick March. The two looked as natural together on the screen as any movie couple ever did. Add to that her obvious skill as an actress, and you have a great movie. Esther starts out as a naive young woman with stars in her eyes, to a more mature, more experienced soul, who love and tragedy have transformed into a harder woman, more capable of handling the difficult life of a superstar.
There were several scenes where Gaynor’s performance really caught my attention. For example, the scene where she is working as a server at a bougey party. In a sad, almost pathetic effort to make the attending film producers notice her, she tries to impersonate famous Hollywood starlets while serving hors d’œuvres. Of course, Norman Maine only notices her when she is being herself. Another impressive scene is where Esther is accepting an Academy Award for Best Actress. A drunk Norman interrupts her acceptance speech and accidentally strikes her across the cheek in front of the stunned audience. The pained look of utter embarrassment on her face as her peers try to congratulate her is heartbreaking.
But then, in the final scene of the movie in which Esther is addressing the public after Norman’s death, where she proudly associates herself with her husband’s name, Gaynor really shows us some raw emotion and strength. She displays the thick skin the character has grown, and it was a pleasure to watch on the screen. Gaynor was wonderful, and really deserved her nomination.