Case Number 19189   Warner Bros. // 1954 // 176 Minutes // Rated
PG Reviewed by Judge Brett Cullum // June 30th, 2010  The Charge
"Hello, everybody. This is Mrs. Norman Maine." -- Esther
Blodgett  Opening Statement  In 1954 Judy Garland had her whole
career riding on the success of A Star is Born. She had been
released from her studio contract, done a couple of stints in
rehab, and desperately needed a big glitzy hit to get her back
on track. The film A Star is Born was a remake of the 1937 dark
side of show biz drama starring Janet Gaynor and Fredric March
that had done very good box office and was Oscar nominated to
boot. It was pretty gutsy to remake such an epic film, and to
give Judy Garland a one woman show to carry. Amazingly enough
though, she pulled through and the remake was a smash. Garland
was reborn, and a classic got its update.  Facts of the Case  A
Star is Born tells the story of Esther Blodgett (Garland) who is
a struggling singer fronting a big band. She's worked hard to
get where she is, a