The Star

Stuart Heisler's 1952 film is about an actress whose career is over. Margaret Elliot was once an award-winning star; now she has no money, her possessions are being auctioned and nobody will cast her. She refuses suggestions that she retire and insists on a screen test for the part of a much younger woman. The film describes directly how Hollywood treats ageing actresses and does not rescue her from being pitiable; her relationship with her daughter, her drinking and her pride carry equal weight. The scene in which she takes her award into a car and drives drunk around the city is its best known passage. Bette Davis plays the part knowing how close it is to her own position and was nominated for an Academy Award. Natalie Wood appears as a child actor. Who it's for: viewers who like classic Hollywood drama and films about the movies. Who it's not for: anyone arriving in expectation of triumph; the film does not provide one.