Am 22. Juni 2010 wird in den USA der Musical-Klassiker “Ein neuer Stern am Himmel / A Star is Born” [USA 1954, George Cukor] mit Judy Garland zum ersten Mal auf Blu-ray veröffentlicht, außerdem erscheint ein neues DVD-Set. Erstmals wurde der Film in den Staaten im Jahr 2001 von Warner Bros. auf DVD veröffentlicht, in Deutschland folgte das 2-DVD-Set 2002. Schon die DVD bot die Rekonstruktion des Films aus dem Jahr 1983.

Bei einer Vorpremiere am 8. August 1954 soll der Film eine Länge von 196 Minuten gehabt haben, für die Weltpremiere am 29. September 1954 wurden zwei Sequenzen mit einer Laufzeit von 15 Minuten herausgeschnitten. Somit hatte der Film eine Länge von 181 Minuten. Die reguläre Kinofassung wurde auf eine Laufzeit von nur noch 154 Minuten heruntergeschnitten, um den Kinobetreibern mehr Vorstellungen am Tag zu ermöglichen. 1983 rekonstruierte Ron Haver anhand des vollständigen Soundtracks der 181-minütigen Premierenfassung den Film. Einige Szenen wurden wieder eingefügt, allerdings konnte nicht alles Bildmaterial wiedergefunden werden. Diese Szenen wurden nur mit Hilfe der Tonspur, der Dialoge und mit Fotos und Standbildern rekonstruiert. Diese Fassung besitzt eine Laufzeit von 176 Minuten. Mehr Infos zur Rekonstruktion bietet das Buch “A Star Is Born: The Making of the 1954 Movie and Its 1983 Restoration” von Ronald Haver.

Die 154-minütige Kinofassung ist weder auf DVD erhältlich, noch wird die Blu-ray die Kinofassung als Bonus oder per Seamless-Branching bieten. Laut eines Beitrags im Criterion-Forum sollen noch komplette Prints der ursprünglichen Langfassung existieren. Wieviel an dieser Geschichte dran ist, kann ich leider nicht sagen.

Die Pressemitteilung von Warner Bros.:

“[Garland, in A STAR IS BORN] gives just about the greatest one-woman show in modern movie history.”
– TIME

“One of the grandest heartbreak dramas that has drenched the screen in years.”
– Bosley Crowther, The New York Times

A STAR IS BORN (1954)

GLORIOUSLY RESTORED 2-DISC DELUXE SPECIAL EDITION ARRIVES ON BLU-RAY™ JUNE 22

Highly Anticipated Debut On Blu-ray Disc™ Featuring An Impressive Selection Of Bonus Content And Rare Extras

Burbank, Calif., March 2, 2010 – Honoring the gripping masterpiece that marked Judy Garland’s triumphant return to the screen, A Star is Born (1954) will reveal its stunning restoration by Warner Bros. Motion Picture Imaging (MPI) when it debuts on Blu-ray Disc June 22, 2010 from Warner Home Video (SRP $34.99) in a dazzling 2-disc book format with 40 pages of gorgeous photography, film history and more.

Winner of two Golden Globes* (Best Actress, Judy Garland and Best Actor, James Mason) and nominated for six Academy Awards®**, this powerfully moving and glamorous story reawakens when it arrives on Blu-ray Disc for the very first time. Offering the best possible way to see the film at home, the Blu-ray release will also feature impressive bonus content including alternate takes, deleted scenes, excerpts from Garland’s audio recording sessions, a collectible book of rare photos, press materials and an illuminating essay by film historian John Fricke. The film will also be released as a Deluxe Special Edition 2-Disc DVD (SRP $20.97) and will be available day and date on Video on Demand from cable and satellite providers and for electronic download from online retailers including Amazon Video on Demand.

Famously reconstructed in the early eighties under the leadership of late film historian Ronald Haver, MPI has meticulously preserved and restored Haver’s 176-minute version of A Star is Born to its original luster, bringing back the brilliant, saturated colors and crisp picture. Using cutting edge digital restoration tools, MPI removed heavy chemical staining that affected several portions of the film and utilized an ultra-resolution recombine process to correct the heavily damaged sections. Without this painstaking preservation, the fragile negative stock in which the film was created would surely be near extinction.

“Our colleagues at MPI have not only done a phenomenal job in restoring the impeccable visual style of this great motion picture, but through their work, they have also ensured the survival of this cinematic treasure,” said George Feltenstein, senior vice president, theatrical catalog marketing, Warner Home Video. “The unparalleled superiority of Blu-ray combined with one of the best musical dramas ever made, come together to create an unforgettable home entertainment experience that is now preserved for the ages.”

A timeless story, sophisticated in the way it conveys its controversial themes, particularly considering the period of time in which it was made, A Star is Born brought together a cadre of extraordinary talent to portray this evocative contemplation of show business. The film became such a major part of American cinematic heritage that the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
 
MARKETING SUPPORT

Leading up to Warner Home Video’s much anticipated release, the beautifully restored musical will make its world premiere at the Opening Night Red Carpet Gala of the TCM Classic Film Festival at the historic Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood on April 22, 2010.

Additionally, TCM will be offering the following in support of the June release of A Star is Born:

• Programming – Will be Included in The Essentials Programming Event in June
• Classic Movie News Feature
• Online – Shopping Newsletter Mention
• Social Networking – Facebook and Twitter Messaging
• Search Engine Marketing
• Ad in the Now Playing Guide (tentative)

 
ABOUT THE FILM

George Cukor directed this classic musical drama about the doomed marriage of an entertainer whose career is on the rise (Judy Garland) and her husband whose career is in decline (James Mason). A Star is Born marked Judy Garland’s return to movies after a four-year absence, director George Cukor’s first musical and first color film, and a showcase for great Harold Arden and Ira Gershwin songs in state-of-the-art stereo. One of the most beloved show business stories of all time, the film represents a career peak for many involved. Garland is singer Esther Blodgett, an undeniable talent on the rise. She catches the eye of Norman Maine (James Mason), an alcoholic actor in career decline. Their intense love transforms them both. Only one will survive Hollywood’s slings and arrows. The film sports an impressive supporting cast including Jack Carson, Charles Bickford and a host of Hollywood luminaries.

Songs include “The Man That Got Away,” “Lose That Long Face” and Garland’s tour de force performance of “Born in a Trunk.”
 
ABOUT THE 1983 RECONSTRUCTION

A Star is Born triumphed anew in 1983 after archivist/historian Ronald Haver spent months ransacking studio vaults to spearhead a reclamation of George Cukor’s original edit, ultimately funded by Warner Bros. He located the entire 181-minute soundtrack, along with footage for three lost musical numbers and portions of the deleted dialogue scenes. Where no film existed, Haver used stills-over-track for transition and only slightly trimmed the audio when photographic coverage for some sequences was deemed inadequate. Haver’s A Star is Born debuted at the sold-out New York Radio City Music Hall on July 7, 1983, with James Mason, Sid Luft, and Garland’s daughters Lorna Luft and Liza Minnelli in attendance. Cukor, who had died six months before, was extolled from the stage by Fay Kanin, president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which had encouraged Haver on his search and co-sponsored the screening. It is Haver’s assemblage of the picture that is presented in Warner Home Video’s June 2010 release on Blu-ray and DVD.
 
AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS

• Academy Award® for Best Actress (Judy Garland, nominee)
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Judy Garland, winner)
• Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (James Mason, winner)
• Award for Best Written American Musical by Writer’s Guild of America
• Academy Award® for Best Actor (James Mason, nominee)
• Academy Award® for Best Art Direction (Malcolm C. Bert, Gene Allen, Irene Sharaff, and George James Hopkins, nominees)
• Academy Award for Best Costume Design (Jean Louis, Mary Ann Nyberg, and Irene Sharaff, nominees)
• Academy Award® for Best Original Song (“The Man that Got Away,” nominee)
• Academy Award® for Original Music Score (Ray Heindorf)
• BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actress in a Leading Role (Judy Garland, nominee)
• Directors Guild of America Award (George Cukor, nominee)
• Writers Guild of America Award for Best American Musical (Moss Hart, nominee)
• # 43 on AFI’s “100 Years…100 Passions” list and # 7 on AFI “Best Musicals” list
• “The Man that Got Away” listed as # 11 on AFI’s “Top 100 Tunes in Films” list
• Selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” (2000)

 
ENHANCED CONTENT

A Star is Born (1954) 2-Disc Deluxe Special Edition DVD Enhanced Content
A Star is Born (1954) 2-Disc Deluxe Special Edition Blu-ray Book Enhanced Content

1. Introduction: Run time 3:01
2. The Man That Got Away – Pink Dress: Run time 5:11 – Additional Take
3. The Man that Got Away – Brown Dress #1: Run time 4:49 – Additional Take
4. The Man that Got Away – Brown Dress #2: Run time 4:24 – Additional Take
5. The Man that Got Away – Brown Dress #3: Run time 4:00 – Additional Take
6. The Man That Got Away – Brown Dress #4: Run time 4:00 – Additional Take
7. Here’s What I’m here For – Alternate Take: Run time 2:36 – Additional Take
8. Lose That Long Face – Alternate Take: Run time 4:55 – Additional Take
9. Trinidad Coconut Oil Shampoo – Alternate Take: Run time 1:24 – Additional Take
10. When My Sugar Walks Down the Street – Outtake: Run time 0:58 – Additional Take
11. Suicide Scene – Alternate Take: Run time 2:15 – Additional Take
12. Film Effects Reel: Run time 0:54
13. A Report by Jack L. Warner: Run time 6:24 – Vintage Featurette
14. Huge Premiere Hails ‘A Star is Born’ Newsreel Montage: Run time 7:49 – Vintage Featurette
15. ‘A Star is Born’ Premiere in Cinemascope: Run time 2:05
16. Pantages Premiere TV Special: Run time 29:30 – Vintage Featurette
17. A Star is Bored (1956 WB Cartoon): Run time 7:00
18. A Star is Born (1937): Run time 2:46 – Trailer
19. A Star is Born (1954): Run time 3:52 – Trailer
20. A Star is Born (1976): Run time 3:46 – Trailer
21. Audio Vault – Oliver on the Phone with the Director Discussing Norman – Outtakes: Run time 2:00 – Audio Only
22. Audio Vault – Norman and Esther on the Roof of the Hotel Lancaster – Outtakes: Run time 2:00 – Audio Only
23. Audio Vault – 12/28/1942 Lux Radio Theater Broadcast with Judy Garland and Walter Pidgeon: Run time 60:00 – Audio Only
24. Audio Vault – Judy Garland Radio Interview: Run time 4:00 – Audio Only
25. Audio Vault – Born in a Trunk: Run time 9:05 – Audio Only
26. Audio Vault – Someone At Last – Rehearsal: Run time 10:34 – Audio Only
27. Audio Vault – Someone At Last: Run time 7:16 – Audio Only
28. Audio Vault – My Melancholy Baby: Run time 7:06 – Audio Only
29. Audio Vault – Black Bottom: Run time 1:48 – Audio Only
30. Audio Vault – Swanee: Run time 4:57 – Audio Only

Note: All enhanced content listed above is subject to change.
 
A STAR IS BORN
2-DISC SPECIAL EDITION BLU-RAY BOOK AND DELUXE SPECIAL EDITION 2-DISC DVD

Street Date: June 22, 2010
Order Date: May 18, 2010
Blu-ray Book Catalog # / UPC #: 1000115111 / 883929096749
Deluxe Special Edition 2-Disc DVD Catalog # / UPC #: 1000093202 / 883929065837
SRP: $34.99 Blu-ray Book $20.97 / Deluxe Special Edition DVD

Warner Home Video Blu-ray Discs offer resolution six times higher than standard definition DVDs, as well as extraordinarily vibrant contrast and color and beautifully crisp sound. The format alsoprovides a higher level of interactivity, with instant access to extra features via a seamless menu bar where viewers can enjoy features without leaving or interrupting the film.

For more information visit: http://warnerblu.warnerbros.com/