A plain reason why I arouse my interest in this film is the controversy of Grace Kelly's Oscar win over Judy Garland in A STAR IS BORN (1954), according to trivia report, a narrow 6 votes altered the result for the jinxed Ms. Garland, who had the best shot in her entire lifetime. But on the other hands 1954 is the prosperous year for Ms. Kelly, with cinema chef-d'oeuvres like REAR WINDOW, DIAL M FOR MURDER, her final victory is quite plausible, just imagine if the prolifically marvelous Jessica Chastain had won over her co-star Octavia Spencer for THE HELP (2011) this year, I doubt there would be a big fuss about it.
The film is an adaption of Clifford Odets' most famous play, about a drunkard singer-actor's revival of his plummeting career against his insecurity and impotence for responsibility after a wretched family tragedy. Judging by the title, his wife, a devoted, morally dignified woman, is the linchpin, a paragon wife, undergoes all her tribulation from her husband and at last procures the affection of another man, a divorced director in the Broadway coterie.
The 3-triangle team is the backbone of the film, this is my first film starring Bing Crosby, who has a showier role than his co-star Holden, Crosby manifests his talent in dramas, but his role has been overshadowed by Holden and Kelly's showdown, thanks to the self-degrading makeup skill, Grace Kelly sacrifices her beauty and morphs into a woman under the family trauma but still holds steady of her self-respect, William Holden's double-chin hasn't stopped him from being a complete charmer during the sex battle despite of the ambiguous mutual attraction stunt is a turn-off.
PS. I'm no stylist, but Bing Crosby's high waist pants are torturing my eyes when they constantly pop up on the screen, I may not be a fashion follower, but this instance speaks for itself of the importance of not looking ludicrous on the celluloid. Likewise, the film has a setback to be digested by a modernized audience, and by far Judy Garland has still been my win in the race.
The film is an adaption of Clifford Odets' most famous play, about a drunkard singer-actor's revival of his plummeting career against his insecurity and impotence for responsibility after a wretched family tragedy. Judging by the title, his wife, a devoted, morally dignified woman, is the linchpin, a paragon wife, undergoes all her tribulation from her husband and at last procures the affection of another man, a divorced director in the Broadway coterie.
The 3-triangle team is the backbone of the film, this is my first film starring Bing Crosby, who has a showier role than his co-star Holden, Crosby manifests his talent in dramas, but his role has been overshadowed by Holden and Kelly's showdown, thanks to the self-degrading makeup skill, Grace Kelly sacrifices her beauty and morphs into a woman under the family trauma but still holds steady of her self-respect, William Holden's double-chin hasn't stopped him from being a complete charmer during the sex battle despite of the ambiguous mutual attraction stunt is a turn-off.
PS. I'm no stylist, but Bing Crosby's high waist pants are torturing my eyes when they constantly pop up on the screen, I may not be a fashion follower, but this instance speaks for itself of the importance of not looking ludicrous on the celluloid. Likewise, the film has a setback to be digested by a modernized audience, and by far Judy Garland has still been my win in the race.