A Star Is Born 1954

Esther Blodgett is an aspiring singer with a band, and Norman Maine is a former matinée idol whose career is beginning to decline. When he arrives intoxicated at a function at the Shrine Auditorium, studio publicist Matt Libby attempts to keep him offstage. Norman rushes away and bursts onto a stage where an orchestra is performing, but Esther pretends that he is part of the act.

Realizing that Esther has saved him from public humiliation, Norman invites her to dinner and watches her perform in an after-hours club. He urges her to follow her dream and convinces her she can break into movies. Esther tells Danny McGuire, her bandmate, that she is quitting their gig to pursue movies in L.A.

Norman is called away early in the morning. He later hears Esther singing on a television commercial and tracks her down. Studio head Oliver Niles believes Esther is just a passing fancy for the actor but casts her in a small film role when Maine appeals to their friendship. The studio arbitrarily changes her name to “Vicki Lester”, which she finds out when she tries to pick up her paycheck. When Norman persuades Niles to hear “Vicki” sing, she is cast in an important musical film, making her a huge success. Her relationship with Norman flourishes, and they wed.

As Vicki’s career continues to grow, Norman finds that his worsening alcoholism has rendered him unemployable. He arrives, late and drunk, in the middle of Vicki’s Oscar acceptance speech and starts ranting at the audience for turning their backs on him; when Vicki attempts to calm him down, he accidentally strikes her in the face.

Vicki continues working and tells Oliver that Norman has entered a sanitarium. While visiting the racetrack, he runs into Libby, who mocks him for living on Vicki’s money. The resulting fight prompts Norman to go on a drinking binge; he is arrested and receives ninety days in jail. Vicki bails him out and brings him home, where they are joined by Niles. Norman overhears Vicki telling Niles that she will retire from acting to care for him, and Niles retorting that Norman’s poor life choices are his alone to bear. Finally realizing what he has done to himself, Vicki, his career, and the people around him, Norman tells Vicki that he is going for a swim, walks into the ocean, and drowns himself.

At Norman’s funeral, Vicki is mobbed by reporters and insensitive fans. Despondent, she becomes a recluse. Finally, her old bandmate Danny convinces her to attend a charity function. When she arrives on stage, the master of ceremonies asks her to say a few words to her fans. She says, “Hello, everybody. This is Mrs. Norman Maine”, which prompts the crowd into a standing ovation.