A Star Is Born

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This is a great night in Hollywood,

ladies and gentlemen.

I might even say a fabulous

Hollywood night.

This is the Shrine Auditorium's

great evening...

... for the Motion Picture Relief Fund,

the benefit show called...

...Night of the Stars", for Hollywood's own."

Motion picture stars

never forget their own.

And tonight, all the proceeds will go

to the Motion Picture Relief Fund.

Wait a minute, folks.

I think I see... Yes, it is, it is.

Oliver Niles' car is just driving up.

And waving to her fans is Lola Lavery.

Oliver Niles, the famous producer.

Ladies and gentlemen,

may I present lovely Lola Lavery.

Thank you, George, sweetie.

It's so divine being here tonight.

And I know you are looking forward

to seeing your favorite star and mine.

And, of course, you know,

Norman Maine is the great attraction...

... here at the Shrine Auditorium tonight.

And, of course...

... wherever Norman Maine goes,

lovely little Lola is sure to be there.

Joan, doesn't she look beautiful tonight?

Darling, how are you? Isn't she adorable?

You're looking divine.

What are you wearing tonight?

She's wearing a black sheath.

Isn't it divine? And a white fox.

And the diamonds in the hair.

Did you ever... It's adorable!

We've just had the pleasure of having

lovely Lola Lavery at our microphones.

Did you ever see anyone so sweet,

so unspoiled and down-to-earth?

She's a darling girl.

- Hello, Lola.

- Libby, darling.

Norman's not here.

Didn't you call for him at his house?

He wasn't there. I've been all over town,

the usual places. Not a sign of him.

Libby, Normie loves being late.

He's always late with me.

You're not exactly a public performance,

my dear.

- You know where I'm sitting.

- I'll check backstage again.

- He's here.

- Good.

He's drunk!

- How bad?

- Very. What do you want me to do?

Keep him off. Don't let him go on, Libby.

- Is anything wrong? Is Normie all right?

- He's all right.

Norman Maine.

Where are you going, Norman?

A horse!

A horse! My kingdom for a horse.

Get him off the stage!

What are we gonna do?

- What's the act that follows Maine?

- The Glenn Williams Orchestra.

- They're here?

- Yes.

- Are they ready?

- Yes.

On the stand, we're on next.

Will you help rush them up, please?

In your places, we're on next. Snap it up.

Who didn't show?

- Regular opening, verse and chorus?

- Yeah, that's right.

Get a load of Norman Maine, will you?

Look.

Mr. Maine is feeling no pain.

How I hate benefits!

Better make it snappy, Esther.

Neil, is all the music out?

Hi, Norman.

Hello, Matt, old boy.

We seem to have missed each other.

- Been searching for me?

- That's all right. I knew you'd turn up.

Touching, your faith in me, Matt.

Touching.

Mr. Libby looks after me like a fond mother

with a good sense of...

...double-entry bookkeeping.

Mr. Libby, I should explain, is in charge...

...of the public relations at the studio.

How is the AP and the UP...

Norman, I got some of the boys...

How many lies did you tell

the public today?

A couple of hundred.

I need you for an interview and pictures.

I don't need any more pictures

or any more interviews.

The public loves me.

Sure they do. But just a few.

I promised the boys.

Take your hands off me!

And don't make any promises for me.

I will break them. A horse!

My kingdom for a horse!

- I'll tell you what.

- What?

I'm thirsty. I need a drink before I go on.

Get me a drink, I'll let you take a picture.

- That's a deal.

- Two drinks, two pictures.

Three drinks, three pictures.

Three pictures.

You're not a bad fellow, Libby.

Why do you disgust me?

Why do I hate you so, Libby?

I wouldn't know about that, Norman.

- Let's have another one.

- That does it.

- A few more.

- I said, "That does it."

But you've got plenty of time.

All right, no more pictures.

Get your pencils out, boys.

I'm sorry, gentlemen, no time.

- Come on.

- You've got plenty of time.

Are you trying to stop me?

Are you trying to stop me from going on?

Is that it?

- What a story this will make!

- This guy is stewed.

"What a spot this

"Not so hot this

"Hey, there, shy one

"Come be my one

"Please, don't rush off

"What, no brush off?

"I can't compel you to buy what I'd sell you

"But I'd like to tell you like so

"You wanna have bells that'll ring

"You wanna have songs that'll sing

"You want your sky of baby blue

"You gotta have me go with you

"Hey, you fool, you

"Why so cool, you?

"When I'm ready to go steady

"You wanna have eyes that'll shine

"You wanna have grapes on the vine

"You want a love that's truly true

"You gotta have me go with you

"Why the hold out?

"Have you sold out?

"Time you woke up

"Time you spoke up

"This line I'm handing you

"Is not a handout

"As a team we'd be a standout

Standout!

"You wanna live high on a dime

"You wanna have two hearts in rhyme

"You gotta have me...

"...go with you

"You gotta have me

"You gotta have me

"Oh, all the time

"Why the hold out?

"Have you sold out?

"Time you woke up

"Time you spoke up

"You want your sky of baby blue

"You gotta have me go with you

"Why the hold out?

"Have you sold out?

"Time you woke up

"Time you spoke up

"This line I'm handing you

"Is not a handout

"As a team we'd be a standout

"You wanna live high on a dime

"You wanna have two hearts that rhyme

"You gotta have me go with you

"All of the time"

Esther.

Yes.

Hi, girls.

- Esther, if you hurry we can have coffee.

- All right.

- Good night.

- Goodbye.

- Danny.

- Yeah?

Here, wait just a second.

I must have chewed my lips off wondering

if he was coming back on.

I've never been so afraid.

My knees were shaking.

Was I on key? I couldn't hear.

- You were on pitch all the way.

- It's a wonder.

It's a wonder to me

that Mr. Norman Maine is still in pictures.

It is indeed.

In fact I ask it myself every morning

when I'm shaving.

I say, "Mirror, mirror on the wall...

"...who is the greatest star of them all?"

Do you know what the mirror answers?

Norman Maine?

Absolutely correct, Miss...

Blodgett. Esther Blodgett.

You must've been born with that name.

You couldn't have made it up.

- I was born with it.

- Excuse me.

You wouldn't make up a name like that,

would you?

That's a brand new lipstick.

To mark the occasion when...

...Esther Blodgett...

...saved Norman Maine...

...from making even more a fool

of himself than usual.

I thank you. My studio thanks you.

All the legions and codes...

...that watch over our industry

will be equally pleased, I'm sure.

Would you take supper with me?

And all the people with you, too.

I'm afraid we can't, Mr. Maine.

You see, we're working at the Grove.

This is Danny McGuire, our pianist.

Bring your piano along, Mr. McGuire.

Nobody can object to a good, clean,

living American piano.

But I insist on your taking supper with me.

Come on.

Don't you try to stop me, Mr. McGuire.

I know myself extremely well.

I'm just near the fighting stage

at the moment.

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