i luv cinema

  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • TCMFF 2019
    • TCMFF 2019: Reflections on a Favorite Film Festival
  • Tribeca 2019
    • When Your Time is Short, Go See a Short! (Tribeca 2019)
    • LINDA RONSTADT: The Sound of My Voice
  • London Film Festival 2019
    • BFI London Film Festival 2019 – My 1st Time!
    • The Aeronauts (2019) was Fun (Kinda)
    • Knives Out: A Highlight on My Cinematic Calendar
    • A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: A Review
    • Ford v Ferrari (Le Mans ’66)
  • 100 “Must-See”
  • About Me
Home Overlooked Films Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: The Star (1952)

January 24, 2012 By iluvcinema 20 Comments

Tuesday’s Overlooked Film: The Star (1952)

Bette Davis in "The Star" (1952)

On the day the Oscar nominations go out, I decided to take a look at what might be by today’s standards, a forgotten film. The Star, featuring Bette Davis and directed by Stuart Heisler, is a cautionary tale about what is on the other side of a hugely successful, award-winning career.

For Bette Davis at this stage in her professional life, the film must have felt like a semi-autobiographical sketch. Made two years after her ‘comeback’ in the classic All About Eve, this would prove to be one of her last fully rounded roles.

For her role as the down-on-her luck award-winning actress, Davis received the ninth of her ten Academy Award nominations [she would receive one more for Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)].

The Star is the story of a has-been actress (Margaret Elliot) who is willing to sacrifice anything and anymore for another shot at the big time. Left to suffer in her wake: her teenaged daughter Gretchen (Natalie Wood), from whom she shields her professional and financial woes, and Jim Johannsen (Sterling Hayden), a young actor who has great affection for Margaret in spite of herself.

Sterling Hayden and Bette Davis

If you have not seen The Star, you are in luck (as long as you have TCM). It will be shown on Sunday, February 26th (Oscar™ Night) at 8:00PM Eastern Time.

Please visit Todd Mason’s Sweet Freedom blog every Tuesday for more overlooked/forgotten films.

Filed Under: Overlooked Films Tagged With: Bette Davis, natalie wood, Sterling Hayden, The Star

Comments

  1. ellinor says

    January 24, 2012 at 12:31 am

    I have to rewatch this and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? – love the ending of that movie btw. Thanks for posting and feel free to drop by me too, soon.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      January 24, 2012 at 11:21 am

      Thanks Ellinor!

      Reply
  2. Patti Abbott says

    January 24, 2012 at 10:18 am

    There are a few actors that put me off any movie and Davis is one. Her deliberate delivery takes me right out of any story. She didn’t do it early on, but over time it grew. I wonder if this bothers anyone but me.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      January 24, 2012 at 11:20 am

      I am pretty sure you are not alone in your assessment of Ms. Davis. Yes I think she had a tendency to be a little OTT with the melodrama at times, but in some of my favorite films of hers (All About Eve, Now Voyager, Of Human Bondage and The Little Foxes) she was quite alright.

      In general I feel like she and her contemporaries (namely Joan Crawford) at this point of the 1950’s onwards became odd caricatures of themselves. Nothing says it more than Whatever Happened to Baby Jane. That took the cake for me in terms of camp.

      Reply
  3. Jack Deth says

    January 24, 2012 at 12:28 pm

    Hi, Iluv and company:

    Excellent choice for a Tuesday Overlooked Film!

    ‘The Star’ always struck me as a continuation of ‘All About Eve’ and Bette Davis’ role as Margo. Only under a different name.

    Who had hit her zenith well before ‘Eve’s final reel. Thanks to George Sanders. Playing basically the same ego driven character in ‘The Star’. Which focuses on Margaret wallowing in her downward spiral. Reveling in cliched, scenery chewing, campy scenes. Kind of a weird mix of ‘Margaret Pierce’, Sunset Blvd.. And Bette laying the groundwork and preceding Steven Boyd’s obnoxiously arrogant leading role as Frank Fane in ‘The Oscar’ from 1966.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      January 24, 2012 at 12:38 pm

      Oh I forgot about The Oscar. I have heard of the film but am sure that I did not see it.
      This film is definitely a companion piece to the titles that you have mentioned.

      Reply
  4. Sergio (Tipping My Fedora) says

    January 24, 2012 at 4:30 pm

    That’s a great choice and perfect timing. Unlike Patti, I usually like Davis’ performances a great deal barring a few exceptions, if nothing else because you could always sense that she knew how to laugh at herself. Now, Joan Crawford on the other hand, despite starring in some of my favourite movies like Mildred Pierce for instance, I really have a hard time liking …

    Sergio

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      January 24, 2012 at 4:49 pm

      Regarding your comment on Joan Crawford –  you will LOVE what our blogging community has in store for Jan 30th (Next Monday). We are doing an event featuring a collection of pieces from across the web all about Joan Crawford and her work 🙂

      Here is the link: http://largeassmovieblogs.blogspot.com/search/label/LAMB%20Acting%20School

      Reply
  5. The Focused Filmographer says

    January 24, 2012 at 5:11 pm

    this is one that I have grossly overlooked. Thank you for bringing it under your spotlight. Bette Davis, always a classic choice.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      January 24, 2012 at 5:14 pm

      Thanks! like mentioned above – could easily be seen side by side with All About Eve

      Reply
  6. ruth says

    January 24, 2012 at 11:02 pm

    This is a very fitting choice in light of today’s Oscar noms! I’ve never seen anything by Bette Davis, yes I know, I should get on that 🙂

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      January 24, 2012 at 11:09 pm

      After you are done with Greg Peck, eh? 🙂

      Reply
      • ruth says

        January 25, 2012 at 1:04 pm

        Ahah yeah, not sure when I will as I kept finding more films of his I want to see. I never thought I’d be so smitten by a classic actor but Gregory is just so amazing in any genre. The Macomber Affair that I mentioned in my tweet today is such a great film (he played a white hunter in a story by Ernest Hemingway) but the dvd quality I got is horrible, still waiting for a replacement.

        Reply
        • iluvcinema says

          January 25, 2012 at 1:25 pm

          Was it a burn from a home recording. There are a few classic films that I have been looking for FOREVER and I have found them, but they are burns from a VHS recording or off TV; but the quality is quite bad indeed.

          One suggestion would be to check out the TCM Shop every so often and see if they come out with a Gregory Peck Collection (if they already do not have one) or if they have a Greg Peck fest on TV (probably around his birthday).

  7. Yvette says

    January 25, 2012 at 11:39 am

    I must say, I’ve never heard of this film. (Not that that means much really, I’ve never heard of a lot of films.) I really thought I was familiar with most of Bette Davis’ work.

    I agree with you and Patti. I too tired of Davis’ delivery in her later films. She always seemed too much the diva.

    Though I loved her in THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER, THE LETTER, THE LITTLE FOXES, ALL ABOUT EVE and a couple of others.

    There was a scene in THE BAND WAGON very similar to the photo you’re showing of the auction poster. In that, Fred Astaire’s movie star effects are being sold off as he says goodbye to his movie star career and heads for Broadway.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      January 25, 2012 at 11:59 am

      Apparently a common theme, eh?

      I forgot about The Man Who Came to Dinner and The Letter (incidentally this was on TCM last Saturday). Those were good films!

      Reply
  8. Grand Old Movies says

    February 8, 2012 at 4:28 pm

    I’m rather torn when watching ‘The Star.’ It exploits Davis’ powerhouse persona and acting genius, while yet seeming to mock her by having her character try out for parts way too young for her. Although the film seems to be a hint/wink about Davis’ career, supposedly the screenwriters actually based the main character on Joan Crawford, which I can imagine must have given Bette a delicious sense of schadenfreude when playing the role. Crawford herself was nominated for an Oscar that same year, 1952, for ‘Sudden Fear,’ so the 2 ladies were competing with each other (they both lost to Shirley Booth). ‘Sudden Fear’ is an excellent noir and would make a good “overlooked film” subject; Crawford plays a strong character in that one, going up against Jack Palance and Gloria Grahame.

    Reply
    • iluvcinema says

      February 8, 2012 at 4:59 pm

      That’s right Come Back, Little Sheba; I liked that film. I quite liked Sudden Fear too – not sure (would have to check) but I think that someone who contributes to our series may have written about that film.

      As for Davis and The Star, my only hope that she had enough self-awareness to be quite tongue in cheek about it. I suspect she had some moxy 😉

      Thanks for your insight Grand Old Movies and welcome to i luv cinema 🙂

      Reply
  9. Ja Dawson says

    February 9, 2012 at 11:50 am

    Geeked about the “Red Hook Summer.” You should do a spotlight on the underrated, highly-selective young actor Nate Parker. 😉

    Reply
  10. KayLynn says

    May 22, 2020 at 3:05 pm

    I’ve never seen this film but enjoyed it immensely
    And I love LOVE Natalie Wood

    BUT I got a literal shiver down my neck and spine when, while sailing with Jim, Margaret yells to her daughter Gretchen (played by Natalie Wood) “Be careful darling! You don’t want to fall off the boat!”

    Say what?!??

    Yeah. That freaked me out a tad and made me sad all over again about Natalie’s death

    Other than that Mrs Lincoln, how was the play?

    Thanks for the review!!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

Search

Recommended Read

First True Hitchcock

UC Press, January 2022

Added to My Video Library

Repeat Performance

Centers of Film Study

  • JBFC
  • MoMA Film Screenings
  • The Picture House
  • University of California Press (Cinema and Media Texts)

Fast Film Resources

  • Alfred Hitchcock Wiki
  • Alfred Hitchcock-Master of Suspense
  • Film | The Guardian
  • Kermode & Mayo's Film Reviews
  • Park Circus
  • Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Internet Movie Database
  • Tribeca Film

Film Societies

  • BAMcinématek
  • Film Society of Lincoln Center

This is How We Blogroll

  • BBC Film: The Bulletin
  • Cinematic Corner
  • Comet Over Hollywood
  • Critical Women on Film
  • FlixChatter
  • Future of Flim (Tribeca Film Blog)
  • in so many words …
  • Kermode's Film Blog
  • Paula's Cinema Club
  • Roger Ebert
  • Sobriety Test Movie Reviews
  • Superhero Movie Talk
  • Sweet Freedom

Archives

Tweets by @iluvcinema
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact iluvcinema
totalfilm600movieblogs

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright © 2022, iluvcinema ·Streamline Pro Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in