This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

In some ways, this story seems like a SUNSET BOULEVARD knockoff. That is not necessarily a bad thing, but THE STAR does come two years later and the similarities do seem obvious. In both pictures, we have a fading actress whose public may no longer want her and whose colleagues no longer seem willing to hire her. This is because they do not look at her as being vital or as young as she still regards herself. There are other borrowed elements, too.One of those borrowed elements is the presence of a hunky and somewhat younger man that she now finds herself living with. In SUNSET BOULEVARD the hunk was William Holden; and in THE STAR it is Sterling Hayden. Another element these movies share is the comeback attempt that the actress obsesses over, and the hunk supports her emotionally through this process. Of course, she must fail and realize that screen test or not, she's finished in the picture- making business.While Norma Desmond (played by Gloria Swanson) has a tragic climax, Margaret (played by Bette Davis) gets a much happier, and perhaps sappier, ending. And though Norma's time on top seems to have occurred much earlier-- back to the silent days in Hollywood-- Margaret's story is more contemporary. Both characters, however, are rooted in the present day while desperately trying to cling to the past. I won't say which one is more outrageous, or which one chews more scenery. I will leave that up to you to decide.

Watching The Star I wondered how close to him it all was for Davis. There's a scene in the end where it gets meta and you can almost see Davis as Margaret hearing the script storyline that she is offered. Regardless, this is a fine film and it has Davis working with her usual spark and unlikeable presence. But like always, she knows how to make you root for her. I also think the running time, while seems short, is pretty much the perfect length for the story the film is trying to tell. This is a problem I thought Mr. Skeffington had, way too long for its own good. So yeah, if you want to seek out all of Davis this is still a fine entry and a required one really.

Bette Davis had a triumphant comeback in 1950 with "All About Eve" just a year after leaving Warner Brothers. That great role, however, did not result in an avalanche of great scripts to come her way. After all, she was well past the age of 40, and considered difficult to work with by many Hollywood moguls. "The Star" released in 1952, is respectable, although not quite of the caliber of Margo Channing. Davis plays Margaret Elliot, a big Hollywood star on the way down. Not only does she find herself replaced by younger actresses on the screen, she's also out of money. Yes, this could have been Davis' life story at the time. To deal with her problems, Margaret finds herself turning to drink -- she is picked up for drunk driving while touring the Hollywood celebrities homes (with her Oscar propped up on the dashboard!). Enter Jim, played by Sterling Hayden, who bails her out of jail and begins a relationship with this difficult and temperamental actress. Just why he seems to take to her strains credibility a bit -- apparently Margaret gave him a part in a movie, but barely remembers him. After all, Jim is a handsome, rugged boat-builder; and she is a spoiled actress. The differences between them escalate, and Margaret sinks all her hope in a movie role given her. In typical vain Hollywood fashion, she fails to listen to the director, and tries to turn a middle-aged frump role into a ridiculous sexy one. This, of course, results in disaster for Margaret. This is not a perfect film, and there are holes n the script, and the ending feels tacked on. But what set Bette apart from other actresses of her genre was her ability to take a mundane script and run with it -- she runs the gamut of emotions in this part, and has at least several breakdowns and tantrums that are always a joy to watch her perform. I don't feel Bette and Sterling Hayden had much chemistry on screen, although Hayden does a respectable job with his role. A young Natalie Wood is also on hand as Davis' daughter; she has little to do here except look cute, but the future would tell a different tale.

Bette Davis is "The Star" in this Hollywood story done in 1952.It begins with the debt-ridden actress, Margaret Elliot, walking by an auction house that is selling her possessions on behalf of her creditors. Her agent walks out with something he bought, and Margaret tells him that she wants a part in the film version of a book that she once optioned. The agent attempts to discourage her. When she goes home, her sister and brother-in-law are there for their monthly check; she flips out on them and throws them out. Margaret lost all of her money - she gave it away to people who soaked her dry, she poured money into flop films to revitalize her career - realizing all of this, she grabs her Oscar, gets drunk, and gets arrested. She's bailed out by an actor she once starred with (Sterling Hayden) who decided Hollywood wasn't for him, and has gone into shipbuilding and repair. But he's always loved Margaret and been grateful to her for his break. He gives her his spare room and attempts to give her a dose of reality.Margaret, however, still wants back where she was - on top - and to erase the bad headlines for drunk driving, she demands that her agent give her an appointment with the producer of the film she wants to star in. The producer decides she could do the role of the older sister, but she has to do a screen test."The Star" is a realistic look at the ego of someone who has been isolated from reality and surviving on her identity as a film star. Unlike her male counterparts, she has to face the passage of time, and she can't. This still happens today, though probably at a later age than it did in Davis' era. And although someone commented that this character is probably like Davis herself, yes and no. Davis was very smart in that she went into character roles - where every leading lady ends up eventually - comparatively early in her career. The actresses who never accepted that fate, such as Merle Oberon, faded from view. Nowadays, there are people writing lead roles for older women. Meryl Streep or Diane Keaton get them.How Margaret is like Davis is that her ego makes her think that she knows it all and that she can get what she wants as she once did. She doesn't - and she can't.I really liked this film, except for the eternal '40s, '50s and beyond idea that one can have love or career, but never both. One either gives up the idea of a career and becomes a woman or chooses a career and loses out on love, meaning that she is a big loser. Certainly there's a happy medium - to figure you had a good "sleigh ride," as it's put in the film, and move on - to, for instance, character roles - and have love too. But for career gals, somehow there was always a choice.Bette Davis does a terrific job as Margaret. I was never a fan of Sterling Hayden's, but having seen more of his work, I have grown to like him. Also, he was a fascinating person as well. He gives a solid performance here. Natalie Wood is very sweet as Margaret's daughter. All in all, recommended.