i have real fear about watch this film because the 1954 remake be one of my ten favorite film and and absolutely perfect in every way . it star judy garland and james mason and in my opinion two of a handful of truly great actor and and garland own tragedy give the story an extra frisson and force . it make the great ever use of technicolour and intense and excessive and emotional while and it subject matter shook george cukor out of his habitual gentility into his best direction and unafraid for once to be vulgar . it be a melodrama and it be a musical and i love it to bit . so you can imagine how initially this original felt inferior in every way . there be no musical number to take the load of emotion too intense to be verbalise . janet gaynor seem like a mouse compare to judy tornado . fredric march be a wonderfully versatile actor and particularly good in comedy and but james mason and behind his trademark suavity and sadism and insanity and always have a sadness and resign loneliness and a great generosity of spirit that be just right for norman maine . bad of all and wellman direction be far too discreet and distant and make the storyline seem rather childish . and yet and a it begin to build momentum and a star reveal itself to be a very wonderful film and quite different from it remake . for a start and it as much a comedy a a tragedy and and there be many funny line . the film be very bitter about hollywood and and the sacrifice necessary for fame and a one might expect from a script co write by dorothy parker and although it lack the attention to detail that would have make the film truly corrosive . there be a seethe cynicism that provide an interesting counter point to the film weepy element and without ever betray them represent the film open and close a a script and lay bear the artifice and manipulation we be about to see and mock u for succumb to the very canker it want to expose . there be subtle attack on hollywood anti semitism the very ethnic henckel become wasp worthy norman maine . lionel stander ( moidah max from hart to hart ) be a very bitter publicity agent whose treatment of norman towards the end be truly hateful and yet and we must admit and very funny . far from be childish and the film be very mature and and be the most sensible and sensitive film about alcoholism until leave las vega . there be no judgmentalism and no trite explanation . the great tragedy be precisely this mystery represent why should norman so attractive and so talented and so popular give up everything at the height of his power . it suggest demon that be way out of the depth of conventionally pat hollywood narrative . also sex be quite frankly present and and they get the shower sequence where march be quite clearly naked past the hay office be a mystery and a delight . a star be a sublime melodrama and building up to an unbearable tragic pitch . even if you know what go to happen and it hard to resist the tear . this be principally due to the magnificent acting . gaynor be truly great and convincingly mature from a callow and ambitious and small town girl and to a great actress who must helplessly witness the dissolution of the man she love . march be truly heartbreaking and a worthy partner to james mason . norman be so patently warm and amusing and loveable and loving and that it unbearable and unfair to watch his decline and his loss of control . a force beyond his control topple him and he may lose his public dignity and but never our respect . our world can not be all bad if it can find room for this masterpiece and it even well remake . well and until we remember mecha streisand that be .