By 1968 Julie Andrews was one of the most-loved performers of stage and screen, the original Eliza Doolittle of Broadway's MY FAIR LADY, a Best Actress Oscar winner for MARY POPPINS, and the star of film version of THE SOUND OF MUSIC--a movie that was so profitable Hollywood wags dubbed it "The Sound of Money." 20th Century Fox wasted little time in developing a new property for their new star, and (possibly under the influence of FUNNY GIRL, the great stage success that was set to film at about the same time) reached back in time to tell the story of a theatrical legend: Gertrude Lawrence.
It seemed like a winner. Gertrude Lawrence (1902-1952) was known as "The Toast of Two Continents" in an era when the term had an almost literal meaning, and the highs and lows of her extremely public private life were almost as dramatic as her career. Operating with an incredibly large budget and under the direction of Robert Wise, the bio-pic STAR! seemed to have everything: lavish sets, incredible costumes, a truly great collection of songs, an epic running time, and--of course--Julie Andrews. What more could you want? Well, an interesting movie would be nice.
STAR! opened with tremendous fanfare in 1968 and proved an instant fiasco. All the earnings of THE SOUND OF MUSIC were wiped out seemingly overnight, and with bankruptcy staring it in the face 20th Century Fox cut the film from three to two hours and rushed the film into general release as THOSE WERE THE HAPPY DAYS. As a result, the film holds the dubious distinction of being the only major Hollywood film to completely tank twice in major theatrical release.
At the time, much of the film's failure was laid at the feet of Julie Andrews. Gertrude Lawrence, her remarkable career, and her high-flying lifestyle were still well-recalled in 1968, and Julie Andrews simply did not look, walk, talk, sing, or in any way, shape or form bear any resemblance to her. Seen today, however, this seems an unfair accusation; it is very evident that the project was never intended as a recreation of Lawrence, and Julie Andrews is actually quite good within the very tight limitations imposed upon her. The real problem is the script, which goes nowhere at a slow crawl. Indeed, the single most dramatic event in the entire story is Lawrence's financial bankruptcy! Yes, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of STAR! But the story is beyond boring: it makes you feel that you're sinking slowly to the bottom of a sea of Jello. The film is presently available to the homemarket on DVD. The DVD has been criticized for leaving out the few minutes of intermission material that accompanied the original release; frankly, I can't see this as anything more than a mercy, for the less time spent here the better. Bonuses are okay--which is to say that they are actually more interesting than the film itself. I'll be generous and give it two stars for production values and musical numbers. But unless you are a die-hard Julie Andrews fan, do yourself a favor and give STAR! a miss.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer
It seemed like a winner. Gertrude Lawrence (1902-1952) was known as "The Toast of Two Continents" in an era when the term had an almost literal meaning, and the highs and lows of her extremely public private life were almost as dramatic as her career. Operating with an incredibly large budget and under the direction of Robert Wise, the bio-pic STAR! seemed to have everything: lavish sets, incredible costumes, a truly great collection of songs, an epic running time, and--of course--Julie Andrews. What more could you want? Well, an interesting movie would be nice.
STAR! opened with tremendous fanfare in 1968 and proved an instant fiasco. All the earnings of THE SOUND OF MUSIC were wiped out seemingly overnight, and with bankruptcy staring it in the face 20th Century Fox cut the film from three to two hours and rushed the film into general release as THOSE WERE THE HAPPY DAYS. As a result, the film holds the dubious distinction of being the only major Hollywood film to completely tank twice in major theatrical release.
At the time, much of the film's failure was laid at the feet of Julie Andrews. Gertrude Lawrence, her remarkable career, and her high-flying lifestyle were still well-recalled in 1968, and Julie Andrews simply did not look, walk, talk, sing, or in any way, shape or form bear any resemblance to her. Seen today, however, this seems an unfair accusation; it is very evident that the project was never intended as a recreation of Lawrence, and Julie Andrews is actually quite good within the very tight limitations imposed upon her. The real problem is the script, which goes nowhere at a slow crawl. Indeed, the single most dramatic event in the entire story is Lawrence's financial bankruptcy! Yes, you can enjoy the sights and sounds of STAR! But the story is beyond boring: it makes you feel that you're sinking slowly to the bottom of a sea of Jello. The film is presently available to the homemarket on DVD. The DVD has been criticized for leaving out the few minutes of intermission material that accompanied the original release; frankly, I can't see this as anything more than a mercy, for the less time spent here the better. Bonuses are okay--which is to say that they are actually more interesting than the film itself. I'll be generous and give it two stars for production values and musical numbers. But unless you are a die-hard Julie Andrews fan, do yourself a favor and give STAR! a miss.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer