Director George Cukor's 1954 take on the oft-filmed story cast Judy Garland as rising actress Vicki Lester and James Mason as her actor husband, Norman Maine, whose career is on the decline. Norman's alcoholism has been taking a toll on his acting, and Vicki saves him from an embarrassing moment when he goes onstage drunk, earning his gratitude and his help making her career a success.
Some of the names that were considered early on to take the part of Norman included Cary Grant, Humphrey Bogart, and Frank Sinatra.
Garland and Mason were nominated for Academy Awards in the Best Actor categories, but Grace Kelly won for "The Country Girl" and Marlon Brando won for "On the Waterfront."
